Louken Group’s Post

How Building An Award Winning IMPACT Business Enables Me to Understand Your Pain I believe in solving problems from the inside out. After years of hiring "experts" without a Game Plan I realised Some not all experts can be like some and not all Politicians They can offer great advice but its from the outside in, not the inside out When I launched my first IMPACT led business in 2006 I sought out Top Experts across branding, marketing, Pr and Sales. After more than 2 years of promises that didn't deliver results I realised the problem Sustainability and purpose driven business is different The old tactics and strategies don't work In the world of Impact led Innovation -> A Strapline is meaningless -> PR provides short term wins but not long term success. -> Experts can't get into your brain Your brain is what counts To win the hearts and minds of your dream clients, stakeholders, and partners. After 2 years of struggling to get my Sustainable Denim Brand Noticed By Buyers I stopped, I took a step back, I took time out to breathe Space creates awareness Awareness brought me a New Game Plan The Impact Innovator Game Plan I realised to Get noticed and to sell more I needed to give people Not a Strapline But "A Unique Purpose Position" I flipped leading with My Category Sustainable Denim And I got deeper into my businesses Unique Power I unlocked our unique powers Was "Feel Good Jeans" I re positioned my brand story And I went on the offensive I didn't wait for buyers to notice me I stopped turning up to trade shows Hoping for the magic to happen I became intentional in my outreach And I implemented my Sell More Waste Less Game Plan I made my story SIMPLE I made my Strategy SIMPLE My Game Plan Worked After 2 years of trying Within 3 months of launching my new sell more waste less outbound marketing game plan With a SIMPLE Story and a Unique yet SIMPLE to understand unique positioned this happened:- -> Claudia Shiffer wore our jeans building us a Celebrity Cult Following -> Harvey Nichols bought our collection, and other leading retailers followed -> Grazia Magazine gave us huge coverage to 10 Million People Plus and awarded me Impact Entrepreneur of the year -> We achieved our IMPACT goal to change the narrative that jeans that Feel Good for the people who make them i.e ethically sourced and Feel good for the planet i.e sustainably made and Feel good for the wearer i.e Super Soft and made without chemicals can be achieved. I also achieved my goal if Founders can do this corporates can too! Having a Game Plan in place to sell more and waste less, changed everything for my ability to lead. If you are ready to lead, book in your 1-1 clarity call with me, link is in the BIO 👆

THE METAMORPHOSIS OF BRANDS Throughout the relatively short history of global brands we see a continuous pattern of birth - growth - and decline of most brands in all categories. A few iconic brands, like Apple, Google and Amazon last for decades and dominate their categories. This is the nature of Brand Evolution - with consolidations and mergers and declines in brands across categories. I envision a new set of leading brands going forward, where they go through a Metamorphosis rather than evolution. This requires reinvention of brands to co-create continuous value with consumers and competitors. As an example - the technology space has been dominated by Apple, Google, Microsoft and a few other brands as they evolve the use of information by individuals. However, the future for technology might be the acceleration of shared knowledge through AI, across individuals and organizations. This would require knowledge centers, shared by technology firms and experts in creative platforms. A second example is the transformation of the Leisure market from temporary rented spaces to living communities. This would represent an expanded concept of the AirBnB space to small communities where families and individuals spend time with common recreation and entertainment areas that enable socialization in a protected space. I believe that brands that focus on how to make living more enjoyable and safe will be brands that reinvent the future for their consumers and for themselves. Lasting brands evolve - Memorable brands transform

Unlocking The Secrets To Brand Innovation – Why Some Succeed While Others Struggle Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of leading several best-selling new product launches. I’ve also faced challenges when a product launch doesn’t go as planned. I’ve learned that a lack of driving innovation puts any organization at risk of failure. Here are some key factors for doing brand innovation right and why some companies struggle: ➡ Understanding The Market Landscape & Consumer Needs: Conduct thorough research to identify gaps, trends, and consumer preferences before investing in a new product or service. By understanding your target audience's underlying motivations and aspirations and actively listening to your customer's feedback, organizations can create offerings that resonate with their customers and address their needs effectively. ➡ Embracing Cross-Functional Collaboration: Brand innovation requires involvement from employees across the organization. Empowering employees to be change agents and promoting a growth mindset helps foster creativity, decision-making, and risk-taking. Involving team members from various departments in the innovation process ensures diverse perspectives and expertise in your product development process. ➡ Embracing Risk Taking: Forward-thinking companies embrace risk-taking and the possibility of failure. Learning from failures can help organizations become stronger and more determined to achieve their goals. ➡ Prioritizing Agility and Adaptability:  Companies must embrace an agile mindset to stay competitive in today's fast-paced market. This means being open to making necessary adjustments or pivots based on feedback, data, and shifting market conditions. Fostering a culture of continuous learning and improvement is essential to stay ahead of the curve and create successful products. ➡ Innovation Metrics: Organizations must assess their innovation effectiveness using metrics that evaluate new ideas, allocate resources, and set strategic direction. Examples of innovation metrics include: 🎯 Input Metrics: Measures money, talent, and time devoted to innovation 🎯 Output Metrics: Measure the number of new products released and revenue generated from these products 🎯 Percent of Sales from New Products in Past N Years 🎯 Success Ratio: Percentage of meeting financial goals 🎯 Revenue Growth 🎯 Return on Investment in Innovation (ROIC) Innovation is a critical driver of growth, and mastering brand innovation is key to achieving long-term success. What are your thoughts on brand innovation? #innovation #brand #risktaking

Making a Difference: Stories of High-Impact Transformational Companies This executive summary explores how high-impact companies leverage #productinnovation to drive market relevance, scale, and sustained revenue growth. Drawing from leading research, the analysis delves into the factors behind the success of brands renowned for their innovation capabilities, illustrating how these companies achieve consistent growth in dynamic markets. Product innovation is a crucial driver of competitive advantage, with McKinsey reporting that companies emphasizing innovation are 30% more likely to achieve above-average profitability. These companies build strong, adaptable strategies that allow them to quickly respond to market changes and consumer needs. Apple, for instance, continually reinvents its product lines, enabling it to capture premium market segments and sustain strong revenue growth. High-innovation brands often dominate their sectors due to their ability to introduce game-changing products that redefine consumer expectations. Research from Boston Consulting Group (BCG) reveals that top innovators have seen an average revenue growth of 10% year-over-year, compared to 3% for competitors with lower innovation scores. Brands like Tesla exemplify this trend by creating new product categories and setting industry benchmarks, allowing them to build substantial market shares. Leading research by Deloitte highlights that companies investing in long-term innovation initiatives achieve 40% higher sustained growth over a five-year period than less innovative peers. These companies view innovation not as a one-time event but as a continuous process integral to their strategy. For example, Samsung Electronics’ ongoing commitment to research and development keeps it at the forefront of consumer electronics, resulting in sustained revenue growth and industry leadership. While high-impact innovation requires substantial investment and cultural alignment, the rewards are equally significant. Harvard Business Review notes that companies fostering an innovative culture witness a 20% increase in employee engagement, which translates into higher productivity and reduced turnover. However, these brands also face challenges in aligning teams with long-term innovation goals, managing R&D costs, and anticipating changing market demands. The world’s most influential brands illustrate that product innovation is fundamental to maintaining market presence, achieving scale, and securing sustained revenue. By focusing on long-term innovation, these companies remain agile, relevant, and resilient. For businesses aiming to make a difference in the marketplace, embracing continuous innovation and cultivating an adaptable, forward-thinking culture is essential for lasting success.

Do your clients actually know how innovative you are? There’s a likelihood they don’t. Stakeholders inside your company –  leadership, management, employees –  are working incredibly hard on new initiatives, new processes, and they all have the sense that innovation is exuding from deep within their soul! But, if your innovation efforts aren’t communicated effectively… you’re missing out. → Brand innovation is the process of developing new and creative ideas that create leverage for your business. There's a psychological framework called the Learning Zone model, and while its typical application is in educational settings, we can also use it as a framework for brand innovation. → In your comfort zone? — You risk remaining status quo — Limiting opportunities — Losing relevance → In the panic zone?  — You enter business risk — Poorly aligned strategies — Alienated customers → Aim to operate in the stretch zone. — You push beyond comfort and take on new challenges — Explore new ideas, processes, products — Align with your core values  — Communicate your innovation to differentiate yourself If your innovation is your best kept secret,  your brand will also remain a secret (and that’s not a good thing!). _ This was the topic in the latest issue of Build Mode™ Follow for more brand insights → Kenny Isidoro

A brand strategy is not a 200-page deck of adjectives and archetypes 🫵🏾 Real brand strategy simplifies strategic ACTION Last Friday, I attended Founder Friday, an event hosted by 54 Collective at their Johannesburg office 🇿🇦 Steven Waidelich, Head of Growth, unpacked how a North-Star Metric helps founders focus on what truly drives growth—whether they've hit Product-Market Fit or are still finding their way. As a brand strategist working with DTC food, fashion, beauty, and wellness brands, I was inspired by how tech startups prioritise data-driven decision-making. While aesthetics and vibes can push a brand forward, especially in industries like fashion and beauty, data is critical for making better, long-term decisions. Here’s what food, fashion, beauty, and wellness brands can learn from tech startups about sustainable growth:

Innovation Fuels Brands' Futures Innovation fuels brands' futures. Not because it's easy. But because we dare to dream. "What if it fails?" "What if we miss the mark?" "What if we can't keep up?" Those are the wrong questions. Try these instead: "What if it transforms our brand?" "What if we lead the market?" "What if this sparks a revolution?" It's a simple mindset shift. But it drives extraordinary results. Because while you hesitate. Someone else is innovating. Someone else is disrupting. Someone else is thriving. Your AUTHENTIC IDEAS are the real fuel. They are begging for an act of realization. Stop holding them hostage. Start bringing them to life. Follow or connect to get more insights on driving innovation and building a future-ready brand. Happy Learning & Sharing by a Branding and Marketing Cheerleader!

Why is it hard for P&G to innovate?? Procter & Gamble (P&G) was founded in 1837 by brothers-in-law David Procter and William Gamble. The company has been a dominant force in consumer brands ever since landing its first contract to provide soap and candles to the Union forces during the Civil War. Over the years, P&G has shaped the fields of consumer marketing and brand building through innovative advertising and mass media campaigns. Simply put, P&G is the firm to beat in the consumer goods industry. Despite its long-standing success, P&G is not resting on its laurels. The company is acutely aware of the need to continually innovate and stay ahead in a highly competitive market. Today, we will explore how Procter & Gamble is navigating industry disruption by disrupting from within. We will delve into P&G's lean innovation transformation and how this mature, established firm is still sweating the details and striving to remain competitive in its space. The Challenge of Innovation at P&G: Despite having an incredible R&D budget and a massive track record of breakthrough innovations, Procter & Gamble faces significant challenges when it comes to innovation. This raises an important question: why is it so difficult for P&G to innovate? One major issue is the cultural environment at P&G. Employees often fear taking risks. This risk-averse culture can prevent the kind of bold thinking necessary for breakthrough innovations. When people are afraid of failure, they tend to stick to safe, incremental improvements rather than pursuing transformative ideas. Another challenge lies in P&G's systems and processes. Funding and performance management systems at P&G don’t always incentivize breakthrough innovation. The focus is often on short-term results and efficiency, which can hinder long-term, game-changing projects. Performance metrics may prioritize maintaining existing product lines and incremental improvements rather than encouraging the pursuit of groundbreaking ideas. Moreover, the competitive landscape is also shifting. New direct-to-consumer competitors are emerging, and these companies are much savvier with digital technologies. They can quickly adapt to market trends and consumer preferences, posing a significant threat to established players like P&G. These new competitors are agile and innovative, leveraging digital platforms to connect directly with consumers, which adds pressure on P&G to keep up. As we analyze these challenges, they quickly generate a long list of interconnected issues. It's tough to pinpoint the root cause of why innovation is challenging at P&G today. This complexity is a common scenario that leaders face. This scenario highlights a typical challenge for leaders: diagnosing and addressing multifaceted problems in large, established organizations. Understanding these challenges is the first step toward finding solutions. For more details pls check the comments section

Why innovation is fulfilling? This is corporate joy at its purest. The result is just the desert, the cherry on top; the journey is where the joy is truly felt. Personally, I am happy that I was able to serve as one of the catalysts in pushing for its implementation. Finally, to some degree, I am able to create pathways for the next generation. It's extending the same kindness given to me by selfless mentors years ago. 🏐🎧 I remember when I pitched a marketing innovation several years ago, still using MS Excel and MS PowerPoint presented in a low lumens projector -- there goes my age. HAHA. Kath's post brought me back to my aggressive and hungry self -- which was tamed down by dissonance-causing life experiences. I guess once an innovator, a maverick; always a maverick. My path keeps gravitating towards innovation, that's why I'm the Maverick Innovator (check my LinkedIn profile) ✈️ Corporate magic happens when: ✅ Best ideas win ✅ If ain't broken, why change it? - NO! The right question is why not better our best? ✅ Innovations can come from anywhere and anyone -- keep an open mind, heart, and eyes ✅ You have visionary leaders -- visionary but attached to reality ✅ Curiosity, hunger, and grit are important components of the team ✅ Kaizen (continuous improvement) is in our blood -- especially for ageing leaders like me Business profits are just by-products of our vision, mission, and values. Our main product is making the lives of as many people as possible easier, memorable, and SULIT. Our 'real' profit is the impact we make in every individual in our community, our country! Thank you so much to our dear leaders for signing off on this 'kakaibang' project! 💙 To Kath and to all of Team Brnk: you're only as good as your last innovation. Keep innovating! But, celebrate each win: it will fuel your passion! Congratulationssssss! 💙💙💙 📷: with permission to post from Kath D. (Marketing Intern -- Class of Burnk 2024)

The Role of Innovation in Sustainable Growth In the ever-evolving landscape of business, innovation isn't just a luxury; it's a survival imperative. Companies that fail to innovate risk falling behind their competitors and becoming irrelevant to their target audience. Innovation isn't just about coming up with groundbreaking ideas; it's about continuously adapting and improving to meet changing consumer needs. From refining existing products to exploring new markets, innovation is the driving force behind sustainable growth. By fostering a culture of innovation within your organization and investing in research and development, you can future-proof your business and stay ahead of the curve. Don't wait for change to happen; be the change with innovative marketing strategies!