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To win back consumers, big brands should invest in R&D and innovation
The world of consumer goods is changing. Consumer tastes are becoming more and more fragmented and big incumbents continue to lose market share to upstart brands. It’s often difficult for these incumbents to figure out how to respond. CPG is full of smart people but many of the biggest brands have seen their sales stagnate…
9:30 am PDT • April 23, 2018
What Silicon Valley tech VCs get wrong about consumer investing
3:30 am PST • February 3, 2018
When I began fundraising for CircleUp six years ago, I encountered many investors whose eyes would glaze over when I mentioned “consumer.” These investors would fidget uncomfortably or drop their…
If you believe in the mantra “innovate or die,” you might conclude that the largest consumer and retail brands are terminally ill. Giants like Kraft and Clorox all seem to…
Why did Unilever pay $1B for Dollar Shave Club?
10:30 am PDT • July 22, 2016
Personal care; food; beverages — in category after category, the pattern is the same. We are seeing the systematic outsourcing of R&D to new retail and consumer brands just launching…
No one will be talking about crowdfunding in five years. The term is inherently flawed; it focuses on the wrong side of any investment: the donor/investor. And it’s become too…
Is there a “Food Bubble”? Robyn Metcalfe believes so. In her recent TechCrunch editorial she pointed to recent fundraises by Instacart and Delivroo—reportedly demanding valuations of $2 billion and $100…
