-
Greggs: From North East Bakery to Britain’s Food-to-Go Powerhouse
Greggs is one of the most remarkable British retail stories of the last century. It began as a small North East bakery business, delivering eggs and yeast by pushbike to families in Newcastle. Today it is…
-
Wilko: The High Street Favourite That Lost Its Way
Wilko was one of those retailers that many people did not fully appreciate until it disappeared. It was practical, familiar and useful. You went in for batteries, paint, pegs, pet food, storage boxes, shampoo, bird seed,…
-
Black & Decker: From Power Tool Pioneer to Budget DIY Brand
Black & Decker is one of those brands that carries a particular kind of memory. For many people, especially those who grew up in homes where their father or grandfather had a Black & Decker drill…
-
Jaguar Land Rover: Heritage, Reinvention and the Risk of Modern Luxury
Jaguar Land Rover: Heritage, Reinvention and the Risk of Modern Luxury A full business analysis and strategic review Jaguar Land Rover, now usually styled as JLR at corporate level, is one of Britain’s most important industrial…
-
Morrisons: From Bradford Market Stall to Private Equity Turnaround
Morrisons is one of the most distinctive names in British grocery. It is not the biggest supermarket. It is no longer safely part of the “Big Four” in the way it once was. It is not…
-
Costa Coffee: From London Roastery to Coca-Cola’s Difficult Coffee Bet
Costa Coffee is one of Britain’s most recognisable consumer brands. For many people, it is the default coffee shop: predictable, familiar, warm, widely available and rarely far away. It is on high streets, retail parks, motorway…
-
WHSmith: From Railway Bookstalls to Global Travel Retailer
WHSmith is one of those British businesses that looks deceptively ordinary. For generations it was part of the furniture of the high street: newspapers, paperbacks, birthday cards, school stationery, chocolate bars at the till, and Post…
-
Consultation plan
A consultation plan is a practical management and governance tool used to set out how an organisation will seek, collect, analyse and respond to views before making or finalising a decision. At its simplest, a consultation…
-
Communications Plan
Communications Plan: A Practical Guide to Clear Messages, Better Coordination and Stronger Stakeholder Confidence A communications plan is a practical management tool used to decide what needs to be communicated, to whom, by whom, when, how…
-
Stakeholder Engagement Plan
A stakeholder engagement plan is a practical management and communication tool used to identify who needs to be involved, informed, consulted or influenced during a project, strategy, service, decision or organisational change. At its simplest, a…
-
Pricing Analysis
Pricing analysis is a practical business and strategy tool used to examine how prices are set, how customers respond, how competitors price, and how pricing affects revenue, margin, profit, cash flow and market position. At its…
-
Benchmarking
Benchmarking is a practical management and improvement tool used to compare an organisation’s performance, processes, costs, quality, service or outcomes against relevant standards, competitors, peers or best practice. At its simplest, benchmarking asks: How do we…
-
Positioning Map
A positioning map, sometimes called a perceptual map, is a visual strategy and marketing tool used to show how customers perceive different brands, products, services or organisations in relation to each other. At its simplest, a…
-
Market Research
Market research is a practical business and strategy tool used to understand a market, its customers, competitors, trends, demand, pricing, risks and opportunities. At its simplest, market research asks: What is happening in the market, who…
-
Customer Research
Customer research is a practical business and strategy tool used to understand customers, their needs, behaviours, expectations, problems, motivations and decision-making. At its simplest, customer research asks: Who are our customers, what do they need, what…
-
Appreciative Inquiry
Appreciative Inquiry, often shortened to AI, is a strengths-based approach to organisational development, change and problem-solving. At its simplest, Appreciative Inquiry asks: What is already working well, why does it work, what future do we want…
-
Roadmapping
Roadmapping is a planning and management tool used to show how an organisation, project, product, service or strategy will move from its current position to a desired future state over time. At its simplest, roadmapping asks:…
-
Backcasting
Backforecasting, more commonly known as backcasting, is a strategic planning and decision-making tool used to work backwards from a desired future outcome to identify the actions, decisions and milestones needed to get there. At its simplest,…
-
Stress Testing
Stress testing is a planning, risk management and decision-making tool used to test how an organisation, project, forecast, system or strategy would perform under difficult, severe or adverse conditions. At its simplest, stress testing asks: What…
-
Sensitivity Analysis
Sensitivity analysis is a planning and decision-making tool used to test how changes in key assumptions affect an outcome. At its simplest, sensitivity analysis asks: What happens if one of our assumptions changes? That makes it…
