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Why Does My Margin Not Matter?

By Bruce Montgomery

We are all susceptible to bias based on our previous experiences – whether that be in a different job role, brand we worked on, or relationships with a different retailer or individual buyer. The reason is simple….we are human.
February 20, 2023
Situations May Be More Complicated Than They Appear

By Stew Bishop, CEO

We are all susceptible to bias based on our previous experiences – whether that be in a different job role, brand we worked on, or relationships with a different retailer or individual buyer. The reason is simple….we are human.
February 20, 2023
6 Ways to Ease Tension During Next Retail Headquarters Call

By Stew Bishop, CEO

While tension is natural in this situation and we can’t eliminate it, decades of first hand experience has taught us some ways to ease this tension and increase the likelihood of finding a win-win solution.
February 20, 2023
How to Respond to the Call for Zero-Based Budgeting

By Bruce Montgomery

Years ago, one of the finest sales professionals I ever worked with told me, “We all need to be alert and watch out for Sally at this time of year.” It was getting toward the point on the CPG calendar when line reviews, promo planning, and new item presentations were popping up on our schedules.
February 20, 2023
Feeling Pressured Into EDLC? CMG Can Help

By Bruce Montgomery

As a CPG executive, you are very familiar with the two primary retail formats: high-low and every day low price (EDLP). Depending upon your category, the percentage of customer ACV in the high-low format may be about 40%. Walmart is the obvious leader of (and highly committed to) its EDLP heritage. Other retailers vary, some with a hybrid or evolving strategy, as they seek to maintain and grow market share in this age of immediate price transparency across channels.
February 21, 2019
Idea Rich but Execution Poor?

By Stew Bishop, CEO

Gone are the days when finance-driven consumer packaged goods companies could have their own top-down selling organizations (including direct retailer headquarters representation and store level support) as a part of their go-to market strategy.
February 21, 2019
How Is Your Game Going?

By Bruce Montgomery

And the final score…New England Patriots 13, Los Angeles Rams 3. Whether you felt Super Bowl LIII was a close, defensive game or a total bore, the bottom line is that the Patriots made fact-based adjustments, executed better and came out ahead.
February 21, 2019
Managing the Merging of Retail Customer Investments

By Stew Bishop, CEO

It is no longer enough for a sales executive to manage “trade spending.” CPG brands must manage all activities and investments with all retail customers in order to predictably manage their P&L. We call this approach Customer Investment Management rather than Trade Fund Management.
February 21, 2019
Watch Out for “SALY”

By Bruce Montgomery

Years ago, one of the finest sales professionals I ever worked with told me, “We all need to be alert and watch out for Sally at this time of year.” It was getting toward the point on the CPG calendar when line reviews, promo planning, and new item presentations were popping up on our schedules.
February 21, 2019
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