Our Insights
The philosophy of OC&C Strategy Consultants is to treat each problem as unique, providing truly customised solutions rather than generic packages for our clients.
This selection of OC&C's publications illustrates our ability to think creatively, generate new insights and provide a fresh perspective on established thinking.
In this section you can view and download our strategic "Insights"; short provocative pieces that we write as food for thought for our clients.
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Reports
OC&C Retail Proposition Index 2023
We’re delighted to share the OC&C Retail Proposition Index, which anoints this year’s winning retailers in the eyes of consumers, and also highlights the key trends influencing UK consumer behaviour over the last year. Now in its 13th year, the report is based on speaking to over 40,000 consumers and commenting on c.700 of the world’s leading brands.
Building loyalty through paid memberships & subscriptions
Memberships and subscription products are part of a broad array of loyalty-enhancing solutions and an increasing number of travel, leisure, and hospitality businesses are launching their own. In our latest insight we delve into the current offerings in the market, examine consumer motivations, and, most importantly, shed light on what it really takes to make a loyalty programme commercially valuable.
The OC&C Global 50 2023
2022 was a year of rampant inflation – but the largest consumer goods businesses were able to drive record revenue growth by successfully passing on significant price increases. Organic volumes also remained consistent, up 0.8% from last year, but this wasn’t enough for businesses to fully escape the impact of rapidly rising input costs… Our annual OC&C Global 50 report, now in its 21st year, is an independent snapshot of the financial performance of these businesses.
Nurturing Customer Loyalty in China
Chinese consumers are hugely committed to loyalty programs, with two thirds of Chinese residents enrolled in 15+ programmes, and 80%+ willing to pay for an enhanced Membership product. For retailers, leisure operators and brands the benefits of a strong loyalty proposition are clear - 60% of those enrolled are more likely to recommend the company, purchase more frequently, and engage with the brand more.
From rags to riches
Fifteen years ago, when we heard the word ‘second-hand’, car boot sales and charity shops sprung to mind. Today, it’s come to mean something very different. The second-hand goods market (outside of China) is worth $180bn, dwarfed by the second-hand market for autos, but still as large as the GDP of Greece. This growth began with the internet, but it was the shift to online marketplaces that revolutionised the sector.
Articles
Mind the Gap
Structural skill gaps faced by businesses today are driving a change in approach to learning and development (L&D), fast. This includes both what the learning goals are, as well as how that learning occurs. A number of key human capital challenges - low productivity, difficulties recruiting & retaining talent, alongside a shortening tech cycle – and a need to drive mission-critical digital transformations are putting skill development at the top of the C-suite agenda.
Generative AI in Consumer Media & Internet
We all know that Gen. AI is the most disruptive innovation since the birth of the internet – the question is, what does that mean for your business? There are an ever-growing number of ways Gen. AI can be deployed in consumer media. These can present valuable opportunities for those to deploy it to their advantage, but it can also pose an existential threat to some businesses unless they act fast.
Riding the AI wave in Travel and Accommodation
Last week, our Travel and Accommodation team hosted a breakfast discussion with industry leaders, exploring how AI is impacting the sector and how brands can capitalise on this. We’ve identified 5 key takeaways from the event to help inform businesses in their approach – both immediate and long-term - to riding the AI wave.
Winning through the squeeze
The last 12-18 months have seen global levels of inflation that we haven’t experienced for 40 years, which has required rapid and drastic actions from players across the consumer goods landscape. But as input cost deflation becomes a live and very real phenomenon in many (but not all) areas, retailer and consumer expectations continue to evolve at pace.
7 key pieces of advice for Private Equity Funds
We attended the leading Private Equity Insights conference in Warsaw, Poland in May. During the panel, Partner Bartek Krawczyk focused on sharing best practice from other private equity markets, that you might want to discuss further and test in your organizations.