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Skills Development
To assist clients in implementing an effective category managment framework, Categoracle offers an in-house training course to be conducted either on site at your premises or an alternative venue of your choice.
The course provides a framework for executing category management strategies with the objective of delivering profitable market share growth. It covers practical solutions to developing a category plan, implementing an effective promotional program, getting the desired outcomes from your category reviews, and executing a mutually beneficial retailer/manufacturer business plan.
We recommend anyone involved with developing and implementing retail strategy to attend the course with the view to gaining a thorough understanding of the role category management can play in your business: general management, customer management, category management, brand management, trade marketing, finance, demand planning and supply chain.
Categoracle will work with your staff to tailor a course specific to their requirements. To view the proposed curriculum please click here. To discuss in more detail including costs please contact us.
Conferences
1. Upcoming Events
SIXTH FMCG iMPACT SUMMIT 2009
Discover the two-day 'un-conference' - a must-attend event for senior FMCG leaders in sales and marketing. Most sessions led by speaker/facilitators totalling a few hundred years combined experience, who have 'read the signs', 'caught the trends' and 'forecast the future'. Discover the "space between" the tough reality of the TODAY world and the emerging two-five year VISION of the marketplace. Many sessions will be highly INTERACTIVE !!!
The FMCG iMPACT Summit 2009 (in Melbourne) will bring senior leadership together to face down a series of vital issues confronting companies - especially 'where next' type issues. The Summit has been held in Melbourne 2004, 2005 and 2006 and in Sydney 2007 and 2008.
DATES : 25th/26th March 2009
VENUE : RACV Club, 501 Bourke St, Melbourne
BOOKINGS : Email - salesstrategy@bigpond.com or telephone (03) 9848 5515
2. Past conferences (click on topic to view presentation)
2008 Category Management Summit
What role does category management really play?
The question as to whether practicing category management is an effective way of doing business is much like the debate over whether or not the Australian cricket team needs a coach. Many test cricketers, both past and present, have questioned the need for a full-time coach, yet much of the recent success has come with the aid of a strong coaching regime led by the likes of Bob Simpson, Graeme Marsh, John Buchanan and, more recently, Tim Nielsen.
Category management, like coaching, is also about the type of insights gleaned and strategies implemented. As coach of the Wallabies, Rod Macqueen achieved many successes that those before him had attempted and failed – World Cup, Bledisloe Cup, Tri-nations and victory over the mighty Lions. Similarly, Guus Hiddink’s leadership saw the Socceroos make their first trip to the football World Cup for more than 30 years and reach the final 16 only to be knocked cruelly out in the dying seconds of the game via a questionable penalty decision.
In recent times, sport has become all about the data now available to identify and exploit opposition weaknesses; often the team that wins is the one that has done its homework on the opposition and can execute the strategy most effectively, as proved by the English cricket team in the 2005 Ashes series.
There are many parallels with category management: the ability to draw true insights out of the data available, turn this into effective value-add strategies, and then execute with excellence, is the key to future success for the FMCG companies in today’s environment, which has two dominant retail partners. Gone is the Doug Walters/Ian Chappell like era where it was all about mateship. It’s not personal, it’s business.
In this presentation Antony Wilson, managing director and founder of category management consultancy Categoracle, shared case studies illustrating how interrogating the data available to you in an effective manner can lead to competitive advantages that will deliver the successes your business has been striving for.
2008 FMCG iMPACT Summit
Category-led organisations are the future
The future is bright for organisations who can successfully implement an effective category development strategy to overcome the constant threat of retailer own-label and price fighting brands. The successful organisations of tomorrow will have a category development capability that can balance the mix between production, marketing and finance driven cultures.
If your organisation views its category management function as a service provider rather than the driver of strategy, it runs the risk of being left behind by those that practice leading edge category development. Category development is fast becoming the consumer goods industry’s equivalent to the finance sector’s economists – setting the agenda for profitable and sustainable sales growth.
Categoracle’s managing director, Antony Wilson will challenge the way you consider the category management function in your business and suggest ways to position your business as a leader in category-led strategy.
A day in the life of category management
The Australian sales & marketing institute hosted a day dedicated to building a stronger relationship between retailer and supplier companies. Antony Wilson, Managing Director of Categoracle Pty. Ltd., presented on the subject of 'retailer path to profit'.
FMCG iMPACT summit 2007
Antony Wilson, Managing Director of Categoracle Pty. Ltd., spoke on the subject of 'effective dealings with major retailers' at The FMCG iMPACT summit 'bunfight', an interactive environment of friendly discussion, strategic thinking and debate on major issues facing management in the FMCG sector, 15 -16 May, 2007 - Shangri-la Hotel, Sydney.
IQPC Consumer Insights 2007
Antony Wilson, Managing Director of Categoracle Pty. Ltd., was a guest speaker at IQPCs Consumer Insights 2007, May 30 - 31, 2007 - Crowne Plaza Darling Harbour, Sydney.
IQPC's research had concluded '...that most organisations fail to effectively engage consumers by only analysing market research data and not actioning insights.'
Antony was requested to both speak during the conference on 'using insights to drive business decision-making' and also to facilitate a workshop mid-conference on 'how to turn insights into action: business processes that capitalise on your market research investment'.