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Old Dog Learns New Tricks

Old Dog Learns New Tricks

A decade or so ago, Customer Satisfaction and Conjoint Analysis studies were all the rage. Virtually every company was carrying out these surveys on an annual or bi-annual basis. The fire was stoked by the necessity to conduct these surveys in order to obtain and maintain ISO certification. Chemical companies who had previously never performed these exercises found themselves using consumer industry type techniques to learn more about customers’ satisfaction levels. The questions were often general in nature and rather unspecific in direction. To make filling out forms easier, suppliers found ways of making them “fun” – scores were collected by moving smiles on a cartoon face or sliding a petrol pump gauge over from empty to full. Sometimes companies commissioned the studies because they thought they had to, but often the results were put in a drawer and forgotten.

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Growth Strategy

Climbing the Ladder: The 5 “Rungs” of a Killer Growth Strategy

It seems rather obvious that most companies want to grow, in one way or another, and grow profitably at that. Whether it is to increase revenue, profits, or market share or physically expand with new facilities and more employees, striving for growth is a critical part of nearly every business strategy. 

However, what that growth goal really looks like—and how to get there—are often not quite as obvious. For many companies, growth is an abstract goal. They have no clear and compelling agenda for exactly what they want or need to achieve. Articulating this vision is absolutely crucial, as this forms the solid foundation upon which any successful growth strategy must be firmly based. In order to get there, you have to first establish where “there” is. Otherwise, how will you know if/when you’ve arrived? Or if you’ve veered off course? 

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Lubricants in BRIC Countries

Lubricants in BRIC Countries

According to a September 2013 International Monetary Fund (IMF) report, the global economy is experiencing transition on an “epic” scale, with turbulence within emerging markets potentially negatively impacting global growth by 0.5% to 1.0%. The report further claimed that all emerging markets – in particular Brazil, India, and Indonesia – have suffered due to the threat of slowing asset purchases by the U.S. Federal Reserve, which has effectively tightened their respective money supplies. By contrast, both the United States and European Union have returned to – albeit sluggish – growth.

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Shaking Things Up: How Smart Companies Overcome Industry Stagnation through M&A

Shaking Things Up: How Smart Companies Overcome Industry Stagnation through M&A

Every industry goes through a similar lifecycle, from emerging to evolving, then reaching maturity and finally, decline. Early on, new players enter the market, taking advantage of the broad opportunities that exist during the emerging and evolving phases and often driving stellar growth in the process.

On the road to maturity, consolidation inevitably shifts the balance of market share into the hands of a few key players, just as we’ve seen over the last few decades in the chemicals industry and more recently in consumer products, such as the U.S. toothpastes market, in which three companies control about 80% of the market share. This consolidation typically occurs through M&A, which can breathe new life into stalled portfolios and re-ignite revenue growth. But how do you know when it’s time to pursue this strategy? And what kind of specific challenges can M&A help solve?

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Lubricant Formulations

The Twilight of Group I: How changes in lubricant formulations are driving fundamental shifts in base oil supply and pricing

The move toward lower viscosity, higher VI, lower volatility automotive engine oils demanded by modern vehicles per U.S. ILSAC GF-5 (and, prospectively, GF-6) and European ACEA standards has caused blenders to move to higher-performance Group II+ and Group III, and away from Group I, base oil stocks as they reformulate their recipes. While the initial impacts of these reformulation trends are being felt in the OECD countries, global advancements in engine oil formulations are inexorable.

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