The foundation for business success. As Yogi Berra said, “if you don’t know where you’re going, you’re likely to end up somewhere else”. Plans can be high level, or extremely detailed, including full, multi-year P&L’s, depending on your needs.

Is your product portfolio optimized for growth and profitability? Is it clear and easily explained? Can your message withstand the “telephone game” of being passed through numerous people and come out the same in the end? Does it make sense to consumers and the trade? And regarding profitability – how are your margins? Is the enterprise focused on the right products and segments, to help accelerate the growth of sales and profits?

Here we’re talking about anything from simple pro-forma analyses to full-blown, highly detailed, multi-year forecasts. Scenario planning – best case, worst case, most likely. Opportunities and risks. Contingency planning with target dates – many times, companies do not react until it is too late. Let’s put together strong, aggressive but achievable forecasts that the organization can believe in and achieve.

Thinking of entering a new business, segment or category? Need to better understand the industry, the competition and where their weaknesses can be exploited? Considering an acquisition to fill a gap in your portfolio or entering a growing market? Thorough analysis will help lead to desired success over the long-term.

Naming is one of the hardest things to do, but it is also one of the most important. It is usually the first clue consumers have regarding brand identity and image. It becomes the “badge” they wear when consuming the product, which is especially important if the brand is consumed or used with other people present, as it says something about them. Regarding brand identity and packaging – think about the wine industry – other than the name and the price, the package is usually about all the consumer has to rely on when making a purchase decision. Let’s get it right!

Wish you could clone yourself sometimes, so you would have more time to develop your staff? I can provide an objective opinion on a wide variety of issues and opportunities. Do a few of your people need coaching, but again, you just can’t find the time to give them the help they need to be more productive? Let’s talk – I’m available on a one-time, project basis, or I can be an on-going, part-time advisor.

Can’t afford or don’t really need a full-time CMO or VP of Marketing? Maybe you have relatively junior marketing personnel who are great at execution, but would benefit from senior-level experience and guidance on strategic issues, project management, or just “putting it all together”? Are you uncertain what you are lacking in terms of solid brand management, including right-sized systems and processes? Let’s talk about flexible arrangements.

It has been said time and again that new products are the lifeblood of a company and a brand. And a brand can become stagnant without “new news”, and innovations based on true consumer needs can help build brand momentum. What does your new product pipeline look like? Do you have a steady stream of ideas going into some kind of logical NPD process?

Especially in the wine industry, “DTC” is hugely important. From the Tasting Room to the Wine Club(s) to online sales, the margins are significantly better, the loyalty you develop is much stronger and these core consumers, treated well, can become highly effective brand ambassadors. How long has it been since you’ve taken a good hard look at your DTC strategies and tactics? What are your goals and measures? How do you know if you are living up to your potential in this highly profitable channel?

P&G used to talk about the two “moments of truth” – in the store, and at home (or wherever) the product is consumed. Now there is a “ZMOT” – a Zero Moment of Truth – that is, most consumers are pre-disposed before buying the product, through reviews, word-of-mouth recommendations, etc. Social and digital media strategy and tactics should be deployed strategically to enhance the brand’s overall communication and to encourage the consumer to act! Let’s put together a plan of attack.

This is probably one of the most boring areas of any business. But the right systems and processes can make you or break you. The best, most elegantly conceived strategies and programs will fail if not executed properly due to poor communication, systems and processes. But we must also keep in mind that systems must make sense for your particular organization, tailor made to optimize results.