Navigating Competitive Markets

Price benchmark and positioning is one of the most important aspects for a new fashion brand launch. More so if it is an international brand launching in the diverse and competitive Indian market. The key benchmark of course would be the brand's base market price positioning as a starting point. More importantly to consider its global competition brand’s existing price positioning in India. And try to marry both outside-in and inside-out perspectives to identify that sweet spot in the market. Just applying a multiple on to the brand’s base market pricing for India may not suffice to cut through. It’s more nuanced than that, below are some key factors to consider: 🔸Brand's own market price positioning and aligning India pricing with that. M&S had to revise and reduce its pricing within a few years of its launch in India back in 2001, to align more with the market and be competitive. 🔸Brand’s global competitors pricing in India and their positioning vis-à-vis brand’s global benchmark. For example, a European denim brand starting 100 euros mrp planning to launch in India, would need to see its price benchmark with Levi's both in Europe as well as in India market to compare and align accordingly. 🔸Net landed cost including custom duty, freight etc and India sourcing mix requirements to reach ideal gross margins while maintaining global product standards & price competitiveness in the local market. Many leading international fashion brands operating over many years in India have successfully been able to offer that with scale and continue to grow. 🔸Pricing basis product perceived value, core vs fashion, categories etc and may price at a premium as/if needed, or sharper to try and sell more on fullprice and less on discounts. Zara entry price products in India are priced much sharper vis-a-vis higher price products in comparison with global price benchmarks, just to cater to that sweet price point for its TG. Thanks to social media, today customers are well informed about brand price positioning in the global market and would compare its pricing in Dubai, Bangkok etc or even the EU and US markets with the one in India, and make their shopping choices accordingly across brands and markets as accessible. Sharing snapshots of SS25 season men's t-shirt basic entry price point comparison for like-for-like style across brands in India and its global base market for perspective. Your thoughts? #Pricing #Positioning #Benchmark #Fashion #International #Brand #India #Market #Launch #Strategy

Respect for your competitors is one of the most underrated drivers of success. Would you agree? Whether in business, sports, or life, the greatest performers never underestimate their rivals. 🏆 Elite athletes study every opponent. 💼 Great companies obsess over the competition. 🧠 Exceptional leaders learn from everyone. When you lose respect for your competitors, you stop innovating. You stop preparing. You become complacent. Take Erling Haaland. Despite breaking scoring records and winning major trophies, he has repeatedly spoken about the importance of staying humble, working relentlessly, and respecting every opponent. His mindset isn't built on believing he's already the best—it's built on constantly improving because the next challenge is always around the corner. The same principle applies in business. Companies such as AMD, NVIDIA, Intel, Microsoft, Amazon, and Apple invest tens of billions of dollars every year in research and development because they know competition never sleeps. Healthy rivalry fuels innovation, raises standards, and ultimately delivers better products for customers. History shows that the moment leaders stop respecting their competitors is often the moment they begin to fall behind. Markets change. Technology evolves. New challengers emerge. The biggest mistake isn't having strong competitors. It's believing you don't. Respect your rivals. Learn from them. Benchmark against them. Then outwork them. Your competitors are not your enemies—they are often the reason you become exceptional. #Leadership #Business #Innovation #Competition #GrowthMindset #HighPerformance #Sports #AI #Technology

In countries where trust takes longer to build (as is the case of most Asian markets), the most effective approach I’ve found is to bring real business to the table without expecting anything in return. If someone seems valuable, introduce them to a client, a partner, or an investor. Don’t ask for a favor or a cut. Just deliver. If they choose to reciprocate, that’s a green flag. If they don’t, that’s fine too because the point isn’t immediate return. It’s accelerating trust. All other forms of relationship-building, e.g., dinners, drinks, small talk, are way less valuable in comparison to this. Nothing builds goodwill like showing you can make people money while operating with integrity.

Landing a national deal doesn’t happen overnight. Three years ago, we got our first shot at Whole Foods Market. A few regions, a few stores, a few SKUs, a small test. It wasn’t huge, but it was an opportunity. Most people think success in retail is about getting listed. It’s not. It’s about making sure you move volume once you’re listed. Here’s what we focused on for three years to turn that small test into 500 stores nationwide, full visibility, great merchandise and all our SKUs: 1️⃣ Drive velocity, not just distribution. Getting into a store is one thing, getting off the shelf is another. We worked with store teams, optimized placement, and made sure product was moving. We had creators show where the product is to their community. We also worked with our brokers and WFM team to optimize promos etc… 2️⃣ Build relationships at every level. Retail isn’t just about buyers. It’s the store staff, the merchandisers, the people on the floor. These are the ones who push your product when you’re not there. 3️⃣ Think long-term. Most brands want immediate scale. But if you burn through distribution without proving demand, it won’t last. We focused on depth before width. Three years later, Whole Foods is now all in. All of our SKU’s in over 500 stores! For any brand, operator, or entrepreneur trying to scale… Take the long view. Do the work. The right doors will open. LFG Mid-Day Squares! Thank you to Greenspoon, Whole Foods and our team to working hard to make this work. This picture is from WFM in LA and WFM in NYC, great promo and merchandising. #retail #sales #grocery #cpg #entrepreneur #marketing #chocolate

When everything is the same, Brand is everything. Let’s play with a thought experiment: In a truly perfect market, branding should not exist. No differentiation. No price control. No customer loyalty. Just one identical product sold by many players at a fixed price. Sounds clean. But also completely detached from reality. Almost like a Black Mirror episode… The Theoretical Paradox: Branding has no place in perfect competition - Products are identical - Buyers have full information - No business has pricing power - Under this model, branding is irrational. Useless. Any marketing effort is a waste of money because buyers already know all products are the same and will pick the cheapest. There is no choice to make. So if branding is economically impossible here… why do we see branded water, branded salt, and branded milk? No market is truly perfect. Ever. Real-life buyers: - Aren’t fully informed - Rely on emotional shortcuts - Don’t always optimise, they satisfice (thanks, Herbert Simon) Even in industries close to perfect competition (B2B), branding thrives by: - Reducing perceived risk (trust) - Offering lifestyle alignment (identity) - Providing a memory shortcut (mental availability) Morton Salt didn’t win by being saltier,  it won by being unforgettable. Liquid Death turned water into rebellion, not hydration. Slack didn’t win on features, it won by branding work as fun, fast, and human. Oatly made oat milk weird, loud, and proudly anti-corporate. Who Gives A Crap made toilet paper feel cheeky, ethical, and worth talking about. Let’s get more real: The Role of Branding in Highly Competitive Markets 1 - Differentiation is a Survival Strategy When features are indistinguishable, innovation is hard to defend, storytelling, emotion and memory step in. Branding manufactures difference where none exists. 2 - Customer Loyalty Beats Race-to-the-Bottom Pricing A loyal customer is less sensitive to small price differences. That’s a margin win. 3 - Perception Drives Premium A brand with trust equity can charge more even in commoditised sectors. Just ask Evian. 4 - Brands Reduce Decision Friction We don’t want to evaluate every choice every time. Brands give us shortcuts and today we need them more than ever… Strategic Moves for Leaders: For CEOs: Compete on brand, not price. Find a purpose customers care about and tell that story consistently. For CMOs: Treat branding as demand creation. Lead gen without memory-building is wasted budget. For CFOs: Brand equity isn’t fluff…it’s a long-term value. Track it like any other asset. So: If you sell in a market where everyone claims the same features, why should a customer pick you? Because when products look the same, the brand becomes the choice. Ask yourself: What are you branding: a commodity or a conviction?

I have spent years in the highs and lows of the consumer goods industry but never seen a pricing climate quite like this. Manufacturers are getting squeezed from every direction-tariffs, skyrocketing raw material costs, and relentless supply chain disruptions. The old playbook of raising prices to cover costs? That’s dead. Why? Because consumers are feeling the pressure too. A 2024 Nielsen report makes it clear: today’s shoppers are scrutinizing every dollar they spend, and brands that aren’t strategic about pricing risk losing market share fast. Here’s what I’m seeing from top CPG brands that get it: 1️⃣ Walmart is investing heavily in AI-driven pricing models to keep costs competitive-e-commerce now makes up 18% of total revenue. 2️⃣ PepsiCo is doubling down on pack-size innovation, offering smaller, affordable options to maintain volume without excessive discounting. 3️⃣ Luxury brands are using price elasticity models, testing demand thresholds before rolling out increases-avoiding consumer pushback. 4️⃣ Supply chain resilience is non-negotiable. Companies are shifting manufacturing away from China, despite short-term cost spikes, to avoid future geopolitical risks. The smartest brands aren’t just reacting. They’re rethinking. They’re moving toward Revenue Growth Management (RGM) frameworks that help them: ✅ Optimize pricing and promotions (because blanket price hikes are a losing game) ✅ Focus on margin-smart growth, not just revenue ✅ Leverage data analytics to make smarter, faster pricing decisions Brands that don’t evolve risk eroding profitability or pricing themselves out of the market. CPG leaders who master strategic pricing, operational efficiency, and consumer-driven value creation will own the future of this industry. Are you adjusting your strategy, or just reacting to rising costs? Because in 2025, only the most adaptable brands will win. #CPG #FMCG #PricingStrategy #RevenueGrowth #ConsumerGoods

fame doesn’t sell. followers don’t convert. visibility without relevance is just noise. we’ve all seen it—celebrities launch brands, the internet buzzes for a moment, and then… nothing. meanwhile, smaller creators with deep audience relationships are building brands that sell out, over and over again. the difference? relevance. the old playbook was simple: make a product. spend millions on marketing. hope people buy. that formula? it’s dead. today’s most successful brands do the opposite. they build an audience first, listen closely, and then create products people already want. this isn’t a hack. it’s not a shortcut. it’s the new foundation of brand building. when we worked with Chase Business, they could have focused on financial campaigns. instead, they leaned into what their audience actually needed—guidance on marketing, tech, and business growth. they didn’t push products. they built trust. same with rhode skin. hailey bieber didn’t just slap her name on a beauty brand—she built something her audience already wanted. $14 million in sales in six months. a 60,000-person waitlist before launch. not because of her fame. but because of her relevance. acquisition without relevance is wasted investment. visibility without connection is just noise. so before your next product launch, ask yourself: who exactly are we serving? what do they actually care about? how well do we truly understand them? because when you get this right, selling isn’t even selling. it’s just delivering what your audience has been waiting for. brands aren’t entitled to attention. they have to earn it. so, who are you really building for? because in this new world, that’s the only question that matters.

Banks and B2B BNPL: Match Made In Heaven! Some might say that banks missed the B2C BNPL boat (I would go as far as suggesting that it was the banks inability to listen to their customers and respond to the the needs of the market which is what allowed B2C BNPL to emerge). This time around, I suspect Banks are more aware and I also think that Banks will need to be involved to realise the potential. Good news is that Banks have several strategic options for entering the B2B BNPL market, each with its own advantages and challenges. These options include and are not limited to: ➕ Developing in-house capabilities, potentially working with infrastructure fintech providers. This approach offers the bank more control over the solution, allowing for intricate #integration and tailoring within its existing operations. However, it also requires the most internal effort, takes the longest time to launch, and carries a significant #risk of implementation due to the development of new capabilities from scratch. ➕ Partnering with existing B2B BNPL players. The specifics of these #partnerships can vary based on market conditions and target customers. This option requires less effort and investment than building in-house capabilities. It also enables the bank to leverage the specialized #knowledge and technology of its partner, resulting in a solution that aligns with the bank’s specific needs. However, it also entails fee sharing and a greater dependence on the external partner, which could lead to #complications if the partnership dissolves. ➕ Introducing a banking-as-a-service (BaaS) offering to established BNPL players in the market. This may include financial infrastructure, risk management capabilities, #licenses, and balance sheets. This option allows banks to leverage their existing infrastructure and #expertise ➕ Acquiring ready-to-use solutions from B2B BNPL start-ups to gain a foothold and #technology capabilities. This option minimizes implementation risk and time to market. However, it requires substantial investment, and the acquired solution may not fully meet the bank's specific needs. ➕ Additionally, banks might consider integrating BNPL features into existing products, such as revenue-based lending, rather than using traditional interest payments. Regardless of the chosen option, it's crucial for banks to recognize the vast opportunities and growth potential in the B2B BNPL sector. The B2B BNPL market is expected to experience high double-digit annual growth and is projected to be a trillion-dollar opportunity by 2030, capturing 15-20% of the B2B payments market. Banks that fail to act risk being left behind, similar to what happened in the B2C BNPL sector, but this time in a much larger market. #bnpl #buynowpaylater #posfinancing #baas #bankingasaservice

Most digital banks today look… surprisingly alike. They play it safe. Launch the same features. And follow a “wait and see” mindset, only building (I mean copying) what others have already done. But some banks chose to go in a different direction. Not just to stand out, but because their customers needed something more. – GXBank saw the rise of online scams and cyber fraud across Southeast Asia, and decided that fraud protection had to be core to the product, not just fine print or a support number. – ZA bank became the first bank in Asia to offer crypto investments, opening access to a new asset class many of their customers were already exploring on other platforms. Better to do this through a regulated entity than someone else. – MariBank focused on making international transfers easy and affordable, especially for their large customer base of expats and foreign workers living in Singapore. – Trust Bank Singapore introduced integrated wealth management tools, offering customers more than just a place to spend, but a platform to plan and grow. – Tonik turned saving into a shared journey, with savings goals that you can build with friends or family, making it fun, social, and easier to stick with your plans. These features weren’t just launched to grab headlines. They solved real problems, for real people. Because in a world full of “me-too” products, being bold and building for what your customers actually need is what creates real differentiation.

Compete With Potential, Not People I’ve heard it everywhere—locker rooms, meeting rooms, mastermind groups: “Keep an eye on the competition.” But it took years of coaching leaders, athletes, and myself to realize ➤ Your only actual competition is your own potential. Why does this truth matter so much to growth and development? Because the brain is wired for comparison, but those external benchmarks are shifting, incomplete, and rarely relevant to who you can become. Obsessing over someone else’s finish line distracts you from what’s possible for you. When you shift the lens inward, something changes. Neuroscience tells us that progress, not comparison, is what releases the dopamine that fuels real motivation. When you’re pulled by your own potential, accountability sticks and setbacks become feedback, not failure. Here’s why this mindset changes everything—for my clients and for myself: → I find more joy in the process, not just outcomes. → Challenges stop feeling like threats and start feeling like invitations. → Feedback feels less personal, more directional—a roadmap, not a verdict. → The idea of “not enough” gets replaced by “what’s next for me?” Ready to compete against your potential instead of your peers? Here’s how to begin: 🔹STEP #1: Define your “next level.” Write down one capability you know you haven’t maxed out yet. 🔹STEP #2: Set progress markers that actually excite you—not just what looks good on paper. 🔹STEP #3: Reflect weekly: Did I close the gap against my own best, or just chase someone else’s standard? 🔹STEP #4: Celebrate inner milestones as fiercely as you would a public win. Your brain thrives when the measuring stick is your own growth curve. Start using it. Dreams get loudest when we quiet the need to look sideways. Coaching can help; let's chat. Enjoy this? ♻️ Repost it to your network and follow Joshua Miller for more tips on coaching, leadership, career + mindset. #executivecoaching #mindset #careeradvice #leadership