About Customer Experience
⇒ “We understood that if we wanted to create a brand that people used and would recommend, and that was aspirational, we had to control the end-to-end experience.”
- Jennifer Hyman, Co-Founder and CEO of Rent The Runway
About Supply Chains
⇒ “Our growth was driven by a healthy increase in productivity, which is one of our strategic priorities. This ongoing strength underscores the success of both our brands as well as the value of our vertically integrated Luxury Textile Platform, which has allowed us to scale up our internal manufacturing and production capabilities.”
- Ermenegildo “Gildo” Zegna, Chairman and CEO of the Zegna Group, commenting on the company’s strong Q1 results.
About Revenue
⇒ “Shareholders might wonder why we are so cautious for sales in the second quarter. The second quarter last year benefited from unusually warm weather and pent-up demand for events such as weddings and proms.”
- Simon Wolfson, CEO, Next Plc, discussing why sales are down compared with last year.
About Profits
⇒ “In some sectors, firms have been able to increase their profit margins on the back of mismatches between supply and demand, and the uncertainty created by high and volatile inflation.”
- Christine Lagarde, President, The European Central Bank, discussing how ‘greedflation’ had boosted wage pressures in the eurozone had strengthened, as workers try to recoup some of the purchasing power they have lost due to higher prices.
About Layoffs
⇒ “We are flattening the organization by increasing spans of control and decreasing management layers to improve the quality and speed of decision-making, starting with our leadership team.”
- Bob Martin, interim CEO and Chairman, Gap Inc, speaking with analysts about the company’s decision to cut 1,800 jobs.
About Competing in a Challenging Economy
⇒ “First, even in difficult economies, most people still shop. And with the largest e-commerce shopping venue, we have a lot of customers that companies seek to reach. That, coupled with our very substantial investment in machine learning to make sure customers see relevant ads when they’re looking for various items, have meant that these advertisements have performed unusually well for brands, which makes them want to advertise on Amazon.”
- Andrew Jassy, CEO, Amazon, speaking on an investor’s call about why he is optimistic about the company’s performance this year.
About When Brand Collaborations Backfire
⇒ “Depending on who you speak to, people will say you cannot destroy them because it’s a sustainability issue, right? So, please don’t destroy them. And then, those who are like, ‘Please don’t sell because you have a reputation issue.”
- Bjørn Gulden, CEO, Adidas, discussing the conundrum of the company’s brand collaboration with Kanye West’s Yeezy brand.
