Marketing
How a New Approach to Store Brands Helped Natural and Organic Foods Go Mainstream
As Whole Foods expanded in the 1990s, Denis Ring ’84 took on the challenge of developing the grocery chain’s 365 brand. Wooing shoppers with joyful design and affordable prices, he harnessed the power of private labels to expand the scale of organic and all-natural foods.
Are markets local or universal?
A market is a place (virtual or tangible) where buyers and sellers meet. Markets exist everywhere people do. But each market has its particular customs, as simple as a handshake or as intricate as a 40-page contract.
What is trust worth?
Steve LaVoie founded Arrowstream to improve supply-chain management in the restaurant business. He discovered that the benefits of trust in markets have been overlooked, in part because of an overemphasis on individual actors as opposed to relationships. He also learned that building and maintaining trust is hard work.
What can a professional association accomplish?
Venture capitalists seed companies that are not yet a gleam in the public market's eye. Their investments can sprout and transform industries. Anne Glover '78, a past chairman of the British Venture Capital Association, says a professional association helps the industry self-police.