Lew Bentley
As they say, pressure makes diamonds. This should mean that there are lots of gems being made right now as we learn to cope with this ghastly virus. I hope so because in a few short week’s lives have been lost, radical change has overwhelmed everyday life, most businesses are being challenged, and entire industries have been completely frozen. In times like these leaders really need to step up …
In a couple of month’s time, we’ll be having lots of those conversations again. You know: “What are you up to for the summer break?” The culturally correct kiwi answer to this question is, of course, something along the lines of a chance to get away to a beach, or maybe a lake, to reconnect with the family and the dog, get out in the boat if you like …
Unmet Needs are like the Holy Grail in marketing. Those two little words spell green field opportunities and untapped potential. The realm of Unmet Needs is certainly desirable but is difficult and challenging. The reality is that most of us, most of the time live in a world of met needs, or even saturated needs in a flood of over-supply. Do we need another coconut water? Another premium milk? …
For most of us, the supermarket is a natural part of everyday life. Sure, there is a minority who buy through modern alternatives like subscriptions services, or click and collect, or shop online with home delivery; but most of us still make regular trips to the supermarket for our shopping. Our relationship with our supermarket is like other long-term relationships in life. We like things to be steady and …
The other week we joined the kids at Homegrown in Wellington. The cream of local music on five stages in one long day. Epic. But why? What is it that makes festivals so appealing? Festivals have been a part of our human experience for countless generations. Nevus has been celebrated for 5,000 years and signifies the day Noah returned to the land. In Turkey, it is marked by people …
Retrofuturism is a great word. It combines the blend of old-fashioned ‘retro’ style, with the future anticipation of technology. The term was first coined in a review of Terry Gilliam’s film Brazil by Pauline Kael (somewhat appropriately in 1984). At its heart, retrofuturism examines the tension between the past and the future, and the idea that technology has the power to either empower or alienate. Technological advancements bring the …
When you’re next in your local supermarket look around. Look at the people strolling up and down the aisles. Are they happy? Are they enjoying their shopping experience? Or are they unhappy? Do they resent being there, having to stock up and spend money? We asked a couple of hundred people in a nation-wide online survey what they love and hate about their supermarket and here are the highlights …
This is a simple but revealing strategic question. If you ask most business-people, they will typically answer in terms of what they do. They’ll say they’re in banking, or they make cleaning products or flooring, or they make frozen desserts. No doubt you have your equivalent answer. There is nothing inherently wrong about describing your business in this way. But there is a better way. You see, looking at …
Over the past year or so we’ve seen some significant developments in the supermarket world. Countdown is taking on the guise of ANZ National Bank by looking more and more like a steady transition to one monolithic trans-Tasman Woolworths brand. The company name has changed, the brand logo is ready to go, and there is a lot of green paint splashing around. The alignment of Woolworths Trans-Tasman internal agency …
From an early age, I learned about the social value of food. My late mum (bless her), committed many horrific food crimes when I was growing up. The arrival of the enormous wood-grained National microwave in the 1970s sparked her culinary nadir; destroying everything that went inside like some sort of nuclear kitchen holocaust. I still glow a bit under a certain light. Pure Delish But she did also …
