No Time for the Weary

Welcome to CGT’s November Digital Issue, focused on providing you with sales & marketing insights. One lesson that came out loud and clear at CGT’s 2011 Business & Technology Leadership Conference was that the consumer goods market is changing and it is changing fast. Competitive consumer goods companies must find new ways to be present wherever the consumer is in order to stay relevant.

Our cover story subject, General Mills Corporation, gets it. It was the first large consumer products company to test the waters with Groupon. It also just launched Betty Crocker’s Red Spoon Squad, where experts are invited into consumer homes for cooking lessons using General Mills’ products.

In this month’s cover story, you’ll hear about the company’s launch of Gluten Freely, a new online channel for a fast-growing niche of consumers. Find out why the processes and tools used to create Gluten Freely will now serve as launch pads for more direct-to-consumer channels to come.

Next, check out the Sales & Marketing Best Practices section, where American Greetings, HauteLook and Garmin reveal their tactics to continually connect with retail customers and consumers.

This issue also features something new that we here at CGT are very excited about: the inaugural 2011 Tech Preview Guide. With new technology offerings flooding the market almost daily, we showcase 15 potentially game-changing solutions that have recently hit the market. Find out how they can empower your innovation, sales and marketing, and supply chain business initiatives.

As always, we welcome your feedback. Tell us: how are you reaching consumers in new ways, and what technologies are helping you to get there?