New Incubation Ventures’ Post

A handful of brands get established because they showed up at the right place at the right time - Also called opportunistic and that's definitely the smart way of doing it. All enduring brands are a consequence of the harder way of doing it - Companies making themselves relevant at the right place at the right time. That's the power of context in brand-building. And there will always be gaps / opportunities - You just have to see it and act on it.

We’re excited to showcase Peaceful Fruits in our latest #FounderSeries! From a transformative Peace Corps experience to innovative product strategies, founder Evan Delahanty shares the journey behind this trailblazing brand. Discover the insights behind Peaceful Fruits' industry impact and key strategies driving its success. Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/e_KvJ_Jq #InnovativeBrands #FounderInsights #CPG

A ‘#storyteller’ mindset: Most youth stars (specially sporting heroes) today are #microbrands in themselves- individualistic, with fresh stories, representing different regions/identities proudly. This could either be a product of having an organic flare for social interaction/relatable hobbies/physical appeal or just an excellent PR team concocting content magic. Either way- they(or their teams) want to tell a story and stand out. My favorite story: #TomDaley – Olympian (gold medalist), I absolutely adore his handle @madewithlovebytomdaley - that follows him knitting and crocheting around the world, all while training as an athlete. I could bet my pizza slice - no star, big or small, would decline a Nike/Adidas brand deal, but I believe a young athlete today would be more conducive to collaboration with smaller brands, than before. A brand - created and propagated by one’s own chosen tribe- one creating inclusive/sustainable products – one that's willing to have a creative symbiosis – or simply a brand that is willing to offer equity to grow and shine together. Deal with a bigger brand definitely brings in credibility, but an imaginative collab with an alternative brand could bring in #authenticity, which is what we want today anyway, right? #brandtrends #athletes #collab #youthtrends

It's not just athletes on the court, this is a theme that's sweeping creator marketing on a wider scale. It's clear that consumers prefer brands that share their values 🤝 The Business of Fashion highlight that young stars increasingly favour deals with lesser known brands that align with their personal values and allow them to play a bigger role, creatively and commercially. This works both ways, with brands now less tempted to choose influencers based on follower counts or reputation, and realizing the importance of ensuring that creators consistently reflect your values and resonate with your target audience in their online behavior and content. Don’t underestimate the power of your brand’s values and actions in creator outreach, and head to https://lnkd.in/eEJPhdSx to see why influencer marketing isn’t about getting the person with the most followers to talk about your product or brand; it’s about finding someone who is the right fit 🔗 #influencermarketing #creatormarketing #sportsmarketing #partnerships

NEWS WE’VE FOLLOWED THIS WEEK: The U.S. Federal Reserve indicated that it would only cut interest rates once during 2024. The Consumer Price index rose 3.3% in May’24 vs. LY, lower than forecast and April’s figure. Monthly inbound cargo volume is expected to reach its highest level in nearly two years this summer, per National Retail Federation. Retail sales jumped significantly in May, per National Retail Federation. M&A AND FINANCING NEWS RG Barry Brands (footwear maker and Dearfoams parent) was acquired by Marubeni Growth Capital US. Brooklyn Aces (professional pickleball) raised an investment from Lotto (Italian sports brand). IBG (beauty product packaging) was acquired by Fremman Capital. The Great Branding Company (UK-based sports & events company) was acquired by BDA. Ani-Logics Outdoors (deer nutrition products) was acquired by PRADCO Outdoor Brands. Tropical Smoothie Cafe Café (restaurant backed by Levine Leichtman Capital Partners, LLC ) was acquired by Blackstone. St. Frank (home brand) was acquired by Havenly. Feat Clothing (DTC athleisure brand) sold a majority stake to 2.0 Ventures. BOBABAM (boba tea brand) raised a revolving line of credit from Assembled Brands Capital. The Consello Group (PE fund backed by Tom Brady and Serena Williams) raised $236.5M from 24 investors. Avenue Capital Group (PE fund backed by Marc Lasry) raised a $445M+ sports-focused fund. S&S Europe B.V. (Scotch & Soda parent) filed for bankruptcy. PUBLIC COMPANY NEWS Goldon Goose announced it is targeting a €1.86B market cap for its upcoming IPO, lower than earlier expectations. Qurate (parent of HSN and QVC) received a Nasdaq non-compliance notice. The following public companies announced earnings this week: Academy Sports + Outdoors, Casey’s General Stores, Vail Resorts, Vera Bradley. EVENTS On July 10th and 11th, The Lead will host they're annual Summit in New York City. Join us at The Lead Summit to hear talks from some of the industries experts. To learn more about the speaker line up and register click here: https://lnkd.in/eTa6_6eb BEFORE YOU GO The NBA Finals continue – as of press time, the Boston Celtics lead the Dallas Mavericks 3 games to 0. The U.S. Open is this weekend in Pinehurst, NC, and runs through Sunday June 16. MMG Advisors, Inc.'s wishes all Dad's Happy Fathers Day, we hope you all enjoy the weekend.

The number one thing that has changed since the pandemic (and for the better) is brands scrambling to unlock capital efficiencies and build profitably. If you want to know why there’s such a boom in interest around launching and investing in talent-led brands, it’s exactly that - they are more capital efficient than brands that are not backed by talent. Listen to Charlie Hanna explains what it takes for a talent-led brand to reach a $50M milestone in some instances versus non-talent led brands.

This is an interesting development. Back in January we got news of Youngone Corp., a South Korean clothing manufacturer to global outdoor brands like The North Face and Patagonia, lending 150 million Swiss francs ($176.8 million) at a 4.6% interest rate to its Switzerland-based subsidiary Scott Corp. Less than 3 months on, the board at Scott Corp has replace Beat Zaugg, the founder and the CEO with Juwon Kim. Replacing Beat Zaugg with Juwon Kim came in a time when Youngone has been facing a legal conflict with Scott’s founder and second-largest shareholder Beat Zaugg since 2022. Are we seeing a shift in power and ownership in the global brands that traditionally are founded in the west? Are Asian Conglomerates buying out such brands? With the likes of Amer Sports now in the hands of another Asian Conglomerate, will we be seeing more of this trend? https://lnkd.in/gN4VnDuJ

In a landscape defined by innovation and influence, these brands are leading the way. From tech titans to lifestyle giants, the most valuable brands of 2024 are setting new standards and shaping the future. Swipe to explore the forces driving global impact. #ValuableBrands2024 #InnovationLeaders #ShapingTheFuture

Something I realised last year was that if we wanted to help companies with impact, we had to work hand in hand with them. A platform solution alone wasn't going to do the trick. So we set about launching a purpose and impact agency offering for Good Empire. At which point I thought "does the world really need ANOTHER purpose agency?" What if we joined forces with someone already doing this, and doing it well, and we brought that to Australia? So we set about searching for the strongest model, the most inspiring success stories, and our search led us to fellow B Corp Conspiracy of Love. The work they have done with global brands incl. The Coca-Cola Company, Mattel, Inc., adidas, SEPHORA, and many others is truly game-changing. The Conspiracy team are absolutely at the forefront of helping brands and companies unlock growth through purpose and impact, and we are very proud to be partnering as new "Co-Conspirators", bringing the CoL magic to Australia and APAC. If you want to help your people find more purpose in their work, attract and retain top talent; if you want a north star that is a beacon to consumers, if you want to turn CSR, ESG, DEI into a growth strategy for you business, if you want to have MORE IMPACT - let's see if we can help you. Get in touch with Andre Eikmeier or Tom Pennington #growth #purpose #impact

The #Sacoor_Brothers: World-Famous…in #Portugal! (Part 1) For most people in the world, the name “Sacoor Brothers” doesn’t ring a bell. Only if you are from Portugal or the #Middle_East will you know that Sacoor Brothers, founded in 1989, is one of the most valuable #fashion brands in Portugal, with a #brand_value of approximately USD 45 million and annual sales between USD 200-250 million. Now you may wonder why the company has remained a local hero in Portugal with a few shops in the Middle- and Far East? Why has it as a fashion #brand not succeeded to achieve a greater #global reach and success after all these years? It’s not that the Sacoor brothers haven’t tried. On their web page, the history timeline is full of marketing awards they have received in their home country. And of course, they have made several attempts to expand into #Europe to become more than just a local Portuguese fashion player. These European ventures have however over the years failed and now the only international presence for Sacoor outside of Portugal are a couple of #outlets in the Middle- and #Far_East. In our opinion, the company could have been much bigger and more successful by now. Thus, we have identified that the Sacoor Brothers have made three classical Positioning mistakes trying to grow their business over the last 30 years. Sacoor Mistake No 1: Lack of #Positioning Sacoor Mistake No 2: Loss of #Focus Sacoor Mistake No 3: Unfocused #internationalisation Making the Sacoor Brothers’ case worse, is unfortunately that one mistake has led to the other hiding the path for successful global growth for a company in their position. Without ever having met the company, we believe they could (if they dare) go back to their drawing desks, and redesign their Positioning #strategy to potentially become a global fashion star. No #RIES article like this goes without a positioning #Think_Tank Opinion Session, here are some of our key outtakes from the thinking for Sacoor and more in depth what we have concluded: (To be continued...) Behrooz Lotfian Ries Partner