Win in ’21: Create Clarity From Complexities
The new year has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I’m ready to wrap up 2020 and look ahead to the potential of 2021. Ideally, the new year will be the opposite of 2020, and improvements will replace the challenges we faced collectively. The transition into a new year also affords time to pause and reflect on what’s transpired and prepare for what’s ahead.
It’s also a good time to ask the following: Is your organization prepared for 2021 and the changes it will bring?
Are you ready to engage consumers in new ways? How prepared are you to provide consumers with new products, services, experiences that will differentiate and delight? How are you signaling that you understand consumers’ needs and that you can make their lives better, easier, less stressful? stressful? Do you understand consumers’ states of mind and priorities, their views on 2021, their thoughts on navigating environments vastly different from those they knew in 2020?
As the economy rebuilds, are you ready for new competitors that may include displaced entrepreneurs, small businesses, or major corporations outside of your industry? What do you know about these competitors, who may also be potential partners?
We’re positioning our CPG clients to prepare for 2021, and we’re having conversations about what to anticipate and how to respond. Using strategic foresight we’re helping clients explore alternate future scenarios and use those scenarios to inform their strategic planning.
Historically, our foresight work has been longer-term—focused on the upcoming three to five years. We dive deep into trends, explore, and understand the impacts and implications of these trends. We help clients envision what they need to do to respond to trends–so that they are positioned to win in the present and well beyond.
However, the 2020 crisis brought to light the need for organizational agility and speed. We heard from clients who wanted to quickly and efficiently identify and synthesize trends, determine change drivers that will impact their businesses, and create scenarios to understand and plan for future opportunities. In response, we introduced our foresight sprint which provides small teams with many of the benefits of our longer foresight process in a fraction of the time.
Our sprint approach brings a lean, action-oriented mindset to uncovering insights from alternate futures and is designed around a team’s specific questions or objectives. This series of five half-day workshops is held virtually over a two-week span, during which we clarify opportunities that may emerge in the next three, six, or 12-months.
Whether we partner for a longer foresight exercise or collaborate on a sprint, either approach provides your organization with a structured, virtually facilitated process that ensures you create clarity out of complexity.
How can we help you uncover additional insight into your consumers and competitors, emerging technologies, and growth opportunities in 2021 – with the goal of increasing your brand’s success?.
Let’s talk about how we can leverage foresight—whether it’s our traditional methodology or sprint—to create a more compelling future for your organization and your consumers.
And may your new year be healthy and successful.