NXT Boardroom’s Post

„Best Global Brands“ is not just a ranking – it is a connecting force, bringing together the world’s brand leaders.   Best Global Brands has the unique ability of connecting the brightest minds in brand management and marketing, from powerhouses in the top100 to rising brands poised to make their mark. Following our launch event at Nasdaq in New York, we hosted two exclusive BGB Business Lunches in Frankfurt and Stuttgart for brand leaders in Germany. During these intimate lunch sessions, we discussed the emerging trends that have defined brands over the past 25 years, and explored what it takes to build a brand that endures and thrives – even in challenging times. One thing is clear: the future belongs to brands that inspire, innovate and boldly set out to define the future within their competitive arenas and beyond.   It was great to see so many brand leaders from CEE join these sessions, including representation of AUDI AG, American Express, Allianz, Boehringer Ingelheim, Celonis, Commerzbank AG, Fujitsu, Gühring KG, HUGO BOSS, Kärcher, Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., Mercedes-Benz AG, Porsche AG, REHAU, TRUMPF, ZEISS Group, and many more.   You can catch up on what we discussed here: https://lnkd.in/eAkSU7KD   And if you want to join one of our upcoming events and become part of our community of brand leaders in 2025, just let me know.   #Interbrand #BestGlobalBrands #BrandValue #BrandManagement

Let us all congratulate Central Group for its viable vision and investment to revitalize the iconic THE KADEWE GROUP GmbH property in Berlin. It deserves our fullest respect. . As a native German and Austrian the other side of the story is very sad to me. Decades of struggles with failed restructuring, endless M&A activities and countless repositioning of the GALERIA Karstadt Kaufhof GmbH in front of customers are clear example of failed strategy work, poor creativity and too cheap equity opportunities. I always had the gut feeling, that the recent history of the two iconic retail brands #karstadt and #kaufhof was more about large scale deal making and less about creating and shaping the future of retail. The big problem is, that in most cases the ecosystem players profit more from deal making than the nucleus enterprise and most often: The client ‼️ . My observation is and very likely this is the root cause of this downturn spiral: The poor strategy work. I meet with a lot of C-Suite- and board members every month, but I clearly notice big gaps in strategy work. There is a too big dependency on ecosystem partners (e.g. research, consulting, law) and too little own ground work. And this is not only a phenomenon in German retail, but also in other industries (e.g. Bayer or thyssenkrupp) . My manifest for the future 🛸/ Call to action is the following 📞 1. Make #strategy work great again! 2. Implement future-focused #research! 3. Business models need to be derived from the customer experience and not from advisories, investors or board members! 4. We need to rightsize online business and connect it better with the offline business. Intelligent ntegration is needed, not competition and routes-to market conflicts. 5. We need to foster intelligence and activate the creativity in our own staff. Nobody has more touch points with clients and gained more experience. We need to see them as a source of innovation and not as cost factors. 6. We need a new #growth mentality across enterprises! I am sharing this with you and open the discussion also with great minds of my network: Torsten Stuska Kilian Treiber Trevor Isherwood MA MCIM Oliver Dr. Greiner Birgit Renzl Tobias Schlitzke DONALD SCHNEIDER Christian Buer Andreas Spahlinger Andreas Kirschkamp Picture credit: Detlef Schmidt, Milan, Design Week April 2024 More information on the asset deal ⬇️

Four weeks before our holiday, I decided to put a plan into action: pack up the Tigra and drive to Germany! 🚗🇩🇪 With a list of potential stores and a clear goal, I hit the road, both excited and a bit nervous. First stop: Essen. I stayed the night, but let’s just say it wasn’t the best sleep I’ve ever had! 😅 The next morning, I ventured into the city. Overwhelmed by its size, I reminded myself of a mantra I live by: just take the first step, and the rest will follow. So, I walked into Roberto Juwelier with our bracelets and began my pitch. Halfway through, the owner looked at me and said, “I’ll buy it.” ...Silence... “Great!” was all I could say, but that moment was the fuel I needed for the rest of the trip! 💥 From Essen to Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Cologne, Bonn, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Nuremberg, Heidelberg, and Aachen—the journey continued, and so did the wins. We secured partnerships with some incredible stores: Juwelier Roberto in Essen Hermann Franzen GmbH & Co. KG in Düsseldorf Greenwich man time in Cologne Ralf's Fine Garments in Munich Martys menswear in Aachen In addition to these partnerships, we had the opportunity to pitch to several larger retailers and received valuable feedback. 💬 This trip wasn’t just about business—it was about learning, refining, and building for the future. Every morning, I had a call with Erik to recap the day: what worked, what didn’t, and how we could improve. These conversations laid the foundation for our new strategy for the coming year (more on that soon 😉). A huge shout-out to our new partners for believing in Brahman! This experience was a dream come true and a testament to the power of preparation and perseverance. On to the next adventure! #BrahmanBracelets #JewelryDesign #NewPartnerships #GermanyTour #BusinessGrowth #NextSteps #DreamsInMotion

Anticipate, Don't Just Accept! 🚀 Franziska Duerl, Head of Strategy at JvM HAMBURG, shares her insights in absatzwirtschaft on how brands can thrive in an increasingly chaotic environment. 🌐✨ Discover why embracing chaos alongside optimization is crucial, what we can learn from daring challenger #brands, and how to build the right culture in times of change. 🔍💡 Curious for more? Dive into the full German article 📖

What a start! Fabulous panel in Munich, first stop of the Mirakl World Tour. Ralf Buehler, CEO at Conrad Electronic Linz GmbH JJ Van Oosten, Founder @ Digital Retail Transformation. Jason Visse-Demortier, Chief Supply Officer @ BestSecret Group My learnings: - One of the speakers is a heavy metal fan, another one sent a plant to Mars, and the third one has three kids who were born in three different countries in the last three years. I’ll let you guess who’s who! - Internal competition, cannibalisation are fears and misconceptions. (Ralf) - The fundamental question is about Growth. Running your business as usual, by opening stores, is very predictable, but it will bring 2,3, maybe 4% growth. The growth I am taking about is how to achieve 1B€ incremental revenue? Only with #marketplace you can achieve this. (JJ) - In our industry, supply creates demand. With #marketplace we bring much more supply with our brand partners (Jason) - #Retailmedia is a great opportunity for retailers and brands: you have much better results with a captive audience then in Google. (JJ)

🌍 In a Globally Changing World, 'Made in' is No Longer Enough 🇩🇪 The prestige of "Made in Germany" is undeniable, but relying solely on this USP isn't sufficient in today's dynamic global landscape. Following a study initiated by the Meisterkreis (https://lnkd.in/daZzihiT) German brands need to evolve and change to stay internationally competitive, : ➡️ Embrace True Internationalism: German engineering alone doesn't guarantee success—brands must adapt to diverse global markets. ➡️ Get Emotional: Rational appeals are great, but emotional connections create loyalty and lasting impact. ➡️ Leverage Technology: In an era of rapid innovation, being tech-savvy is not optional—it's essential. ➡️ Dare to Partner: Unusual collaborations can bring fresh perspectives and opportunities. Check out this thought-provoking article by Handelsblatt (German only) for a deep dive into how German brands must redefine themselves to stay relevant in a changing world: https://lnkd.in/dMKa36Ua. What do you think? How can brands balance heritage and innovation? #Innovation #BrandStrategy #GlobalBusiness #BusinessTransformation #CommercialExcellence pics: Porsche, dpa, Burmester, Leica 

"There is a reason why it's called Made in Germany and not Made by Germans." 🇩🇪 🇪🇺 Following the motto "Made in Germany - Made by Diversity (Vielfalt)," more than 40 German family businesses and two entrepreneurial associations from East Germany are advocating for more #tolerance and openness in society. Together, they are demonstrating through a nationwide advertising campaign that diversity is a success factor from an economic perspective. A diverse environment is increasingly becoming an economic and competitive factor for companies. More than 40 percent of industrial companies in #Germany are facing a shortage of skilled personnel. In total, there were around 1.8 million unfilled positions by the end of 2023. With the retirement of the baby boomer generation, the situation will further worsen in the coming years. As a result, a significant majority of German entrepreneurs see immigration of skilled workers as a way to address these shortages. This initiative by the German industry is a fantastic reminder that #diversity and #inclusion are not only ethically and morally imperative but also crucial for driving economic growth and achieving success. Thanks to Vorwerk Group and more than 40 other German companies for leading this important initiative (Miele, Dr. Oetker, STIHL, CLAAS, TRIGEMA W. Grupp KG, Sennheiser ...) #strongertogether #diversityandinclusion #MadeInGermany

The secret to successful market expansion? 🌍 When stylink was founded, it was logical to begin in the DACH region. Not because it was the perfect market, but because we were born and live here. Germany, Austria, and Switzerland were our stepping stones. Four years ago, I was tasked with expanding into the UK. It wasn't our first attempt – in 2019 we didn’t succeed because it lacked heart. You can't simply impose a strategy that works in one area elsewhere and expect it to thrive. We developed a flexible blueprint, adapting it to the unique needs of each of our twelve country markets. Processes were automated, reducing our investment risk. We actively chose to stay in Münster, a decision that allowed us to invest more in our team rather than in multiple locations. Our Münster-based strategy was and still is – especially looking at it now in retrospective – crucial. With local universities providing native speakers for customer support in multiple languages, we could offer more personalized service across Europe. This local expertise has been key to our success in each market. However, when it comes to market expansion beyond Europe, we've faced different challenges. Our attempts in Australia and the USA have been more difficult. We believe several factors contribute to this: time zone differences, the necessity for personal contact, different market conditions compared to Europe, cultural differences, legal requirements, and distinct competitive landscapes.   Nonetheless by building step-by-step, making the most of our strengths, and investing in people, we’ve grown significantly while staying true to our roots. What’s your strategy for market expansion? #marketexpansion #leadership #internationalbusiness

🌟 ISPO Munich 2024: A Reflection Full of Inspiration and Vision 🌟 The ISPO Munich 2024 was a powerful demonstration of how our industry continues to grow in innovation, strength, and, most importantly, humanity. 💡🌍 From Andre Agassi, whose heartfelt words on fear and trust left a lasting impression, to groundbreaking innovations like algae-based materials showcased in the Future Lab – this was about more than just products. It was about values, connections, and our shared future. 💚 Key Highlights of ISPO 2024: 🌐 2,300 exhibitors from 50 countries and 55,000 participants from 113 nations 🚀 Innovations in sustainability, digitalization, and circular economy 💬 The session "The Renaissance of Retail: Outthink! Doing the Same Thing Over and Over is Over" highlighted a transformative approach to retail. Personalization, community-building, and strong partnerships between brands and retailers are the keys to long-term success. As Roger Herney emphasized: “In the end, customers are not just buying products – they are buying values and belonging.” A special thanks to Margit Gosau (CEO Sport 2000) and Christoph Bründl (CEO Bründl Sports) for their insightful contributions. Their perspectives brilliantly described the future of collaboration between retailers and brands, offering a vision of how we can create meaningful connections and shared success. 🤝 What truly moved me was the core message of #loveeverycontact. ISPO reminded us how crucial authentic connections are – between people, brands, and a united vision for the future. 💬🤝 A huge shout-out to the start-ups that showcased not just creative ideas but also courage and passion to pave new paths. 🌱🏆 📢 What’s the takeaway? A sense of excitement and responsibility: for our environment, for innovations that matter, and for an industry that’s about more than just products – it’s about community. 🌟 Thank you to everyone who contributed! 🙌 I’m thrilled to share a few highlights with you in my video below. 🎥👇 👉 Your thoughts? What inspired or surprised you the most? Let’s keep the conversation going! 💬⬇️ #ISPO2024 #Innovation #Sustainability #LoveEveryContact #Sportbusiness #FutureOfRetail #RetailTransformation #EmpathyInLeadership #ispo #ispomunich #loveeverycontact

Why Polo Handels GmbH? When it comes to choosing a reliable partner for your business, Polo Handels GmbH stands out for several compelling reasons: - 38 Years of Experience: With nearly four decades in the industry, we bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to every project. - Product Know-How: Our deep understanding of products ensures that we provide the best solutions tailored to your needs. - Network of 11 Offices in CEE: Our extensive network across Central and Eastern Europe means we're always close to our clients, ready to offer localized support and services. - Local Market Know-How: We possess invaluable insights into local markets, helping you navigate and succeed in diverse economic landscapes. - Business Development: Our commitment to fostering business growth ensures that we don't just meet your expectations—we exceed them. - Long-Lasting Relationships: We value long-term partnerships, building trust and reliability with our clients over the years. - Innovation: At Polo, innovation is at the heart of what we do. We continuously strive to bring new and effective solutions to the table. Choose Polo Handels GmbH and experience the synergy of tradition, expertise, and forward-thinking. Let's build the future of your business together! 🚀 #PoloHandelsGmbH #PoloPackaging #Innovation #TrustedPartner #BusinessGrowth