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• Oyster Industry Sustainability in Doubt? (PDF) A recent omnibus study conducted by The Lake Group, Lead to Results and WSU Extension reveals key strategic flaws and marketing opportunity. The state of the oyster industry study was presented recently and widely reported. See the whole story from the Aberdeen Daily World. June 2004

• Natural / Organic Foods: Fad or Mainstream? (PDF) Consumers who believe that organic foods are important to their health give the following reasons for using organics as part of their personal wellness plan:1) I want to feel better, 2) I want to prevent future illness, or 3) my family has a history of health problems/health conditions. Find out how many consumers are buying natural and/or organic products and what they are buying. September, 2003

• ROI from Trade Promotion Management Systems (PDF) Spending by consumer packaged goods on retail trade promotion exceeds $73 billion annually and is often the largest non-direct cost in marketers' budgets. What can be done to better manage this significant expense? An analytical model helps identify the company's brand strength and current promotion management practices, then calculates expected savings from the trade promotion budget. These savings can be used to determine return on investment from creating new management processes.   January, 2003.
  

• Defining Your Niche (PDF) Middle-market companies without a clear market position are easy targets for larger consolidated competitors. Learn new ways to define company strengths and leverage brand assets to ensure a more defensible market position.   Originally published October, 2001.   

• A Shade-Grown Latte with Hormone-Free Milk, Please (HTML | PDF) For decades, the U.S. food industry marketing model has had a single design: differentiate brands by manipulating the "front end" of the product (the one the consumer sees), while ruthlessly procuring commodity components at the lowest possible global price on the "back end". This economic formula is about to change, because more consumers are basing buying decisions on what's inside the product and where it comes from.   Originally published November, 2000.
  

• Building a Killer Marketing Plan (HTML | PDF) In baseball, great pitching almost always beats great hitting, with even the best hitters swinging strikes over half of the time. In nutraceuticals marketing, great execution beats great planning every time. The "killer" marketing plan then, spends as much time on how to execute the plan as it does on planning itself.   Originally published May, 1999.
  

• How to Survive the Coming Shakeout in the Nutrition Products Industry (HTML | PDF) Nutrition and natural products offer superior profit margins and growth potential in the retail industry, particularly in comparison to basic commodity products. To maintain success, however, executives will need to plan for increased competition. Too many companies will struggle in the next five years because the owners or managers failed to realize the need for change and failed to begin implementing strategic planning as an enabler of change.  Originally published March, 1999.

• Finding a New Career in Portland, Oregon (PDF) Looking to network around town? Some of the country's best management talent resides in Portland, while many others are interested in relocating here. New ideas and information sources for plotting your career change strategy in the great Northwest.  November, 2001.
  

For additional information about the Lake Group, please contact us directly at info@lake-group.com.