Blog articles by Robin de Rooij

In the past decades, high inflation rates mostly only challenged smaller, troubled economies like Argentina, Venezuela or Turkey. But with CPI prints now topping 9% in the US and the UK, and 10% on average for the 38 countries in the OECD, inflation now touches us all. And it’s not going away anytime soon.

As vulnerable consumer segments reach the limits of their wallet and more affluent consumers start to feel the squeeze as well, your company is likely struggling to maintain margins and please shareholders.

So, what can you do about this?  In this article, you’ll learn a three-step process to mitigate the effects of inflation on your business. We share proven strategies our clients have adopted to successfully tackle inflation.

The COVID-19 crisis and the Corona crash are shaking the context for consumer decision behavior. As a result, the context for net revenue management (NRM) has also been disturbed for consumer goods companies.

Companies must adapt revenue strategies to the new situation, at the same time as consumers are adapting to “the new normal.” To be successful, you need to anticipate and influence consumer decisions in a changing environment. This holds true in times of normalcy, but especially during the recession to come.

Although the COVID-19 crisis is not yet over, learnings from previous crises and knowledge of consumer behavioral frameworks mean we can map out consequences for net revenue management strategies.

So, what should you consider in planning your next moves?

When inflation hits, your pricing strategy inevitably feels the pressure. On the one hand, raising product prices will protect margins. On the other, you can’t risk pricing yourself out of the market. When consumers feel this pressure, their spending habits are likely to change, especially in developing countries and high-inflation regions.

Today’s subscription economy not only presents consumers with more choices, but also more personalized experiences. For telecom, tech and online brands these heightened expectations place even greater pressure on maximizing the revenue per user.

Whereas in the past you could position your products and services based on traditional demographic insights, those rules no longer apply today — especially when it comes to pricing.

Using a subscription pricing model to lay stable foundations

Funda is the top online real estate platform in the Netherlands and one of the largest in Europe. It’s been described as the “Amazon of houses” in its homeland, because it’s said that almost every house that’s sold in the country will have been advertised on its platform first.

The online leader generates revenue by charging realtors to promote residential and commercial inventory on its platform. When there are more homes than buyers, properties are advertised longer and funda sees revenue soar. However, when the market is booming, properties sell quickly, listings come and go on the platform, and revenues dip.

Setting the right price is one of the best ways to positively impact a company’s bottom line. Yet, price-setting is not always top-of-mind nor owned by a single department within a company. This holds true across industries, whether it is consumer goods, healthcare, telecom, finance or technology. Sometimes Marketing takes responsibility for pricing, while other times Finance takes on the task. Often, we find that there exists no pricing strategy at all in companies, and thus, no clear ownership of pricing responsibility.

During harsh economic environments, companies have to make deliberate choices on how to invest marketing budgets to optimize profits. Especially in the competitive FMCG industry promotions are often used as a tool to increase sales. However, what is the most effective type of promotion? And what are the implications of these promotions on your overall product portfolio revenues?