Case Studies

Our case studies focus on brands and products that provide lessons from real challenges and opportunities which you can use to inform business strategy. They are packed with detail including brand portfolio, pricing, and communications and marketing strategy, merchandising and distribution, and come with a check list of key lessons learned.

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Published: January 2024

Case study: Olipop

Through clever marketing and flavour innovation, better-for-you prebiotic soda brand Olipop has built a strong reputation among young consumers. With sales exceeding $200m in 2023, it seems that beverages is one category where prebiotics may actually work.

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Published: January 2024

Case study: Bol

Bol connects to one of the most important growth trends today: Plants Made Convenient. The brand is the result of Coca Cola-owned Innocent abandoning its veg pots idea and an employee taking it on to start his own company instead. 

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Published: January 2024

Case study: Charlie Bigham's (2024 update)

Charlie Bigham’s has redefined the UK’s ready meal category. It is proof that it is possible to succeed despite selling your products at a 100%+ price premium, and despite being told by supermarket executives that your strategy needs to change.  

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Published: December 2023

Case study: Slate

Slate was launched with the aim to boost milk consumption in the US and bring innovation to the chocolate milk category with a better-for-you chocolate milk targeted at adults. The brand has raised $25m in investment so far and grew its retailer presence from 300 in 2020 to 12,000 in 2023.

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Published: December 2023

Case study: PopCorners

With a revenue of $311 million, PopCorners is the third biggest corn snack brand in the US and has succeeded mostly thanks to a focus on the ever-important taste and texture. 

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Published: December 2023

Case study: Yakult (2023 update)

Yakult is one of the world’s oldest and most successful health brands. It has demonstrated the benefits of a highly-focused strategy and there are 4 important lessons from this extraordinary success story.

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Published: November 2023

Case study: Wipala

This Ecuadorian brand started as a university project and has evolved into a growing snacking business that connects to many of the most important market trends and proves the value of transparency. 

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Published: November 2023

Case study: Zrou

This Chinese maker of plant-based meat alternatives has created success by connecting the product to professional chefs and by constantly bringing out new products, thereby appealing to the Chinese consumer's ever-changing tastes and interests. 

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Published: November 2023

Case study: Graze (2023 update)

The Unilever-owned snacking company continues to struggle to get its sales back to pre-Covid and pre-acquisition levels. The brand started to lose money in 2019 and has not made a profit since. It’s a reminder that the snacking category has seen so many new brands and products over the last 15 years that it is now over-crowded and fiercely competitive.

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Published: October 2023

Case study: Laird Superfood (2023 update)

This maker of functional plant-based creamers and coffee saw impressive growth in its first seven years on the market, but has now stalled. Laird Superfood illustrates the value of a personal brand, and the vulnerability of basing your value proposition on ingredients.

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