Branded consumer goods companies have tended to be successful investments over the long term. They enjoy fairly stable and predictable returns, gently rising demand and little in terms of earnings volatility through the economic cycle — particularly in the area of consumer ‘staples’ such as soap or toothpaste that consumers need to buy no matter how poor they feel.
Faced with this radically evolving landscape, are the major branded consumer goods companies doomed to irrelevance and terminal decline? Are there strategies they can adopt to win over younger generations of consumers and stay relevant in the 21st century?
Big global brands will need to adapt to survive in a rapidly changing consumer landscape
If you’re paying more than double the going rate for branded batteries, what else are you overpaying for?
Clearing the hurdles
Since it was established in 2014, the Rathbones Folio Prize has sought to set itself apart from existing literary awards. This means not just championing the finest contemporary writing, but looking to the future to promote a diverse and inclusive literary culture and nurture outstanding new talent.
Unchecked decisions at high levels were at the heart of the global financial crisis. Today, a decade later, there is a far sharper focus on how organisations are governed, with institutional investors expected to take a much more robust stance in calling to account the companies whose shares they own. As a leading asset manager, Rathbones takes its stewardship responsibilities seriously.
After a long, cold winter for UK stocks, spring could be just around the corner.
