Ah, New Year’s. Time to pop the champagne, kiss the past year goodbye and ring in the new one.
A new year is such a glorious time—your slate is wiped clean, and the next 12 months stretch ahead of you full of possibility. This is your time. You are ready to turn this year on its head and make tidal waves of change. And you know what the best way to make those changes is?
New Year’s resolutions.
You’re probably thinking that while resolutions are great for your personal life, do they actually apply in CPG?
I’m so glad you asked.
Because YES, as a matter of fact, they do! Don’t believe me? Read on for five of the most common New Year’s resolutions and how they are perfect for consideration as we swing into 2017.
- Lose Weight
The holiday season, in all its cake and cookie glory, may have contributed to the extra five pounds you’re sporting these days, but look back over the past year to see where you’ve picked up extra pounds for your product. Are there extra, unnecessary steps in your production process? Are your marketing efforts dragging you down? Almost always there are places you can trim your business, and January 1st is the perfect time to start paring down so your product can soar. Take a step back from your product and look at it with fresh eyes to see what needs changing, and where you can drop dead weight. - Save More
This one goes hand-in-hand with losing weight. Because when you trim off that dead weight, you inevitably will save more—more time, more money, more effort for the things that really need it, more everything. You’ll be a lean, mean, CPG product machine, banking all your newly discovered savings for when you may need them most. While January feels so fresh and bright, come June the shine of the new year may have dulled just a bit, and having a little something set aside to cushion the more difficult times is never a bad idea. - Don’t Stop Smoking
Yes, the kind of smoking that involves cigarettes is bad, and you should stop that as soon as possible. But if your product is the one that is smoking—as in, totally on fire and burning up the CPG charts—keep that fire going! Take a good look at what’s worked in your favor—marketing? Taste trial?—and what is obviously resonating with consumers. Understanding and embracing that will help you better keep the momentum going, as well as help you tweak it and rev it up when needed. - Run a Marathon
A good supplier knows that the CPG world is an exercise in endurance. With your business plan in place, your product packaged, you are at the starting line. You may be anxious to sprint toward the finish line, but recognize that in CPG there are multiple finish lines, on an ever changing, curving, and hilly course on the way to store shelves. But you’ve done the training, and there’s nothing left to do except run, one mile at a time. - Be Happy
Happiness can be elusive for some, but in CPG you can find happiness just about anywhere if you look hard enough. What other industry can bring such joy to people, tapping into the senses and providing consumers with a piece, big or small, of something they find so enjoyable? You, with your products, do that. It’s such a simple thing when you break it down: you created something, and someone else enjoys it. It’s the ideal happiness circle.
These are just a few resolutions that can help you welcome the New Year with open arms, and make the most of the coming months. What resolutions do you have?
Welcome, 2017!
