Pearl Strategy

Cannabis 2.0 Product Innovation Opportunities

Deloitte estimates the Canadian market for edibles and alternative cannabis products to be worth C$2.7 billion annually. With the coming legalization of alternative cannabis products in Canada, it’s important for licensed producers and retailers to understand what consumers are interested in and their motivations. In this blog, we’ll explore the findings from Deloitte’s report Nurturing… Continue reading Cannabis 2.0 Product Innovation Opportunities

Fun and Innovative Food Trends

Pearl went to the Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) in Toronto and tried some of the fun and innovative food trends. Here’s what our group of 4 taste testers thought: Pickles The use of pickles was an unexpected trend we could get on board with! We tried the two most unique menu items featuring pickles: pickled… Continue reading Fun and Innovative Food Trends

Pearl’s Top Picks from Mintel’s Consumer Trends study

We reviewed Mintel’s 2019 Global Consumer Trends and here are the most interesting and relevant key takeaways: Total Wellbeing Consumers around the globe are looking for personalized products that are able to adapt to their body’s changing needs and can help them focus on their wellness in a holistic manner. Mintel shared that 38% of… Continue reading Pearl’s Top Picks from Mintel’s Consumer Trends study

Why You Shouldn’t Invite Consumers to a Focus Group

If you want to know your target consumers, don’t invite them to a focus group. If you want to feel empathy for your target consumers, don’t invite them to a focus group. If you want to tell a story about your target consumers, don’t invite them to a focus group. Why not? They are going… Continue reading Why You Shouldn’t Invite Consumers to a Focus Group

Health & Wellness Packaged Foods Trends

We reviewed Euromonitor’s Top 3 Health & Wellness Packaged Food Trends and deep dived into three key areas: Free from growth driven by healthy appetites Free from has moved beyond intolerances to a broader health-conscious consumer. Free from foods have a growing perception of being healthier and more natural. These perceptions paired with the increased… Continue reading Health & Wellness Packaged Foods Trends

Innovation in Cannabis

There is some much innovation happening in the cannabis space right now. Here are a few of Pearl’s favourite picks. Coffee Cannabis infused coffees are popping up in a wide variety of formats – from your traditional grounds, to K-cups, to ready to drink. One brand in particular, Therapy Tonics & Provisions, caught our attention.… Continue reading Innovation in Cannabis

How To Prevent Your Expertise From Becoming A Weakness

You are a knowledgeable expert in your industry. You are an experienced leader with a track record of success. However, the value of your expertise will eventually depreciate. Why? Your role as a leader requires you to continuously deliver results. You must find incremental growth opportunities and productivity improvements to deliver results. Your actions are… Continue reading How To Prevent Your Expertise From Becoming A Weakness

From Commodity to Superfood – Lessons Learned from how Pulses made a Strategy Pivot

If you have been following the meteoric rise of Beyond Meat, you may have read the recent Financial Post article, Pulse of the nation: How Beyond Meat could turn this humble pea into Canada’s new gold. What you may not know is the backstory of how the Pulse industry positioned itself to become a key… Continue reading From Commodity to Superfood – Lessons Learned from how Pulses made a Strategy Pivot

Introduction to Design Sprints

You’ve heard about Design Sprints but you don’t actually know what they are and how to perform them. Find below an introduction to Design Sprints What is a Design Sprint? Design Sprints are a way to solve problems quickly, without having to build or launch a product or service. Originally created by Google Ventures  the Design Sprint… Continue reading Introduction to Design Sprints

Pearl Strategy’s Key Takeaways from the AMA CMO Event

Pearl attended the AMA Annual CMO Series event yesterday and here are our Top 5 Takeaways from the informative CMO panel discussion: Great marketers are great problem solvers The most disruptive brands are obsessed with addressing customer needs and pain points. They leverage data and insights to define a relevant customer problem to solve.  … Continue reading Pearl Strategy’s Key Takeaways from the AMA CMO Event