DB Conference to examine five key market forces

As the clock ticks down to the drinks business Annual Conference later this month, industry consultants Cognosis have outlined further details of some of the key topics to be discussed.

Managing partner Richard Brown, who will address delegates at the 28 February Conference, said: “Five great structural forces are shaping – and re-shaping – the global drinks industry.

“None of them are new, but all of them are now building to a tipping point and each looks set to change the drinks landscape profoundly.”

Among the topics to be discussed are:
 
New Markets: As China takes its place on the world stage we are finally starting to realise how its ascendance, and the growth of India, Russia, Brazil, and next-generation BRICs will re-shape our western developed markets.

Industry Shakeout: With every sector ripe for another round of consolidation, we look set to be left with a two-tier drinks industry, with dwindling scope for mid-sized generalists. Is Mega or Micro the only way to be?
 
Global Brands and Premiumisation: Having dominated our thinking for decades, how many brands are now truly "global"? Is the global brand pecking order now locked-in? Once a brand’s reached global status, where next? Has the high-water mark of premiumisation been reached in western markets?
 
Route-to-Market: On-trade declines mean brands must be built by other means. New business models mean niche players can more easily tap into an affluent, knowledgeable consumer pool.
 
The "Alcohol Issue": The issue is now going global, with the World Health Organisation’s help. The pressure for regulation is steadily increasing. Is the industry shaping this agenda, or merely reacting?
 
For further details on the Conference, including a full list of speakers and booking details, click here

db, 14.02.2011