The commercial strategy consultancy for consumer product brands.

Brand is one of the most important concepts in business.  It is often oversimplified as a logo, a typeface, a brand image document - but it is so much more than that.

Bringing a new product to market can be equal parts thrilling and terrifying. But don't let the excitement distract you . . . here's how you win.

When it comes to product and marketing plans, you can’t go far wrong using the Ansoff Matrix.  Also known as the ‘Ansoff Model’ and the ‘Product-Market Matrix’, it is essentially a simple and easy way to frame growth strategy through four options.

Very well known in the marketing world, here's a guide to the 7 P's and how we recommend you use them.

65% of all product searches now originate on Amazon. 5 years ago, that statistic belonged to Google. There is no denying the cultural and business phenomenon that is the Amazon beast. But does that mean everyone should be selling on there?

Covid-19 has had an undeniable impact on the % of retail sales that are happening online. However recent reports suggest that the wave that a lot of brands have been riding as a result is starting to flatten (and in some cases, decline!). Here, Jack gives his advice to keep growth going in the right direction.

Advertising is crucial - without customers knowing who you are and what you are selling, well there is no business! Here Jack gives a quick overview of his top tips to focus your budget in the right places.

At JDS Strategists we work with a lot of small to medium sized businesses who don't have unlimited budgets for research, but the power of data is crucial for successful strategy. Here Jack gives a quick overview of what you can use to gather information without breaking the bank.

In this short video Jack recommends best practice to rediscover the focus your business needs to grow.

Use your Commercial Strategy framework to structure your thoughts, then create your 'plan on a page'.  One page that captures the crucial elements of your strategy to keep you keep you focussed and on track.

Use this framework to gather the data and insights you need to start building your strategy.

Let's walk the wheel . . .

Try answering this question, in one sentence: What is Strategy?  Not so easy.

‘Online’ has been shot in to hyperdrive, so how are traditional retailers responding? Most importantly, how should you, the brand owner, support and respond

The end is nigh . . . well perhaps not completely but we are edging ever closer to that tantalising taste of freedom. And with that brands are inevitably shifting from reactive ‘What now?’ decisions, to a more proactive ‘What next?’ stance.

Planning is the fundamental basis of management functions, and yet not as simple as it might first appear.  It involves looking ahead, relating current events with future opportunities - not an easy

Planning a D2C proposition? Here we condense down your key considerations to 3. All 3 need to work together to successfully sustain growth

From 'objective' through to 'performance' this will help you identify and deploy the right tactics to win.

You certainly don't want to be obsessed with competitor activity . . . but you certainly do need to be aware of it.

From the outset we have stayed true to our vision - true strategic partnership with business owners of up and coming consumer durable brands.  Interestingly though it raised the question of how we classify what we actually do.

Use this helpful framework to start the Direct to Consumer planning process.

I am Jack Sweeney, founder of JDS Strategists Ltd. I would like to tell you a little more about myself and the creation of JDS.

Spoiler alert - your retail partners are NOT going to be overly thrilled with the news you are either exploring or expanding a Direct-to-Consumer offering.  However they will understand it, especially if you follow these crucial steps.

Digital Transformation has long been heralded as the change requirement for brands of all types, accelerated 10-fold by Coronavirus over the last 12 months.But when it comes to marketing, what does it

Direct-to-Consumer (“D2C”) is the practice of brands selling their products directly to their end customers, without distributors or retailers. It’s not a particularly new model...

How to use data for effective commercial planning. JDS walk through the strategic planning process; from where to find the data, how to piece it together to discover insights, and then turning those

In this short webinar, we define commercial strategy and explore why it's paramount to business growth.

How do you create and sustainably grow the channel? How do you ensure incremental growth and avoid upsetting existing retailer relationships? 20 minute webinar.