Hitting the Mark

In the childhood game of Telephone, a message that starts out fairly simple grows more garbled as it travels from one child to the next. For example, "What's love got to do with it?" could turn into "Whose hair has a shoe in it?" The more jumbled the message, the funnier this game becomes.

But in the consumer goods industry, muddled information is no laughing matter. Every decision is the direct result of how you use the data available to you. If everyone in your organization acts on the same view of accurate and clean data, you will most likely make the right decisions for your business. But if you base insights on unclean and/or inaccurate data, you're going to miss the mark.

This issue focuses on the data and insights best practices that enable industry leaders to hit their marks. A cover story with Dr Pepper Snapple Group kicks off our Data & Insights Best Practices section. Find out how the beverage giant is executing a downstream data strategy, starting with category management. You'll also hear from The Procter & Gamble  Company, New Belgium Brewing and Spectrum Brands on their downstream data initiatives.

This issue also features the annual "Standout SMB" special section, recognizing unique companies like Honest Tea, Marcal Paper and TOMS Shoes. Although modest in size, these SMBs are shining examples of how creativity and drive can lead to successful innovation, marketing and sustainability initiatives.

Do you have a best practices story to share? Drop me a line at [email protected].