Past Events

Senior Networking Event

• Date: 29th November 2011
• Location: The Roof Garden, Sanctum Soho, W1B 5NF

This event brought together senior people from a variety of industries and gave them an opportunity to exchange views, career challenges and contacts with peers in an informed and confidential environment.

If you would like to attend our next Senior Networking event, please email marketing@cognosis.co.uk

Shopper Marketing Breakfast

• Date: 22nd November 2011
• Location: The Hospital Club, 24 Endell Street, WC2H 9HQ
• Guest Speaker:Magz Fallon, European Head of Shopper Marketing
  and Category Development at Coca-Cola Enterprises

Magz shared her intimate knowledge and skill in blending Consumer, Shopper and Category insight leads to a Shopper Marketing Strategy and Activation that delivers results by satisfying more shoppers, ore often, to buy more.

Magz is a passionate thought leader and practioner of shopper marketing. She has built and delivered step-change programmes for some of the world’s leading FMCG companies, Pernod Ricard, Britivic/Pepsi, Imperial Tobacco and currently Coca-Cola Enterprises, in the UK, Europe, Asia and Global. She will be sharing her intimate knowledge and skill in blending Consumer, Shopper and Category insight leads to a Shopper Marketing Strategy and Activation that delivers results by satisfying more shoppers, more often, to buy more.

To read more about this event, please click here

Cognosis Networking Dinner for MDs

• Date: 27th September 2011
• Location:Covent Garden Hotel, 10 Monmouth Street, London

We regularly hold networking dinners to introduce clients and offer them a forum to hear the experiences of others and share their own ‘war stories’.

This event explored the challenges of leadership in an uncertain economy.

If you would be interested in attending one of our networking dinners, please email marketing@cognosis.co.uk

Strategy Communication Breakfast

• Date: 14th September 2011
• Location: One Aldwych Hotel, Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BZ
• Guest Speaker: Tim Bishop, Vice President, Global Corporate Marketing, Siemens

Our thanks to Tim Bishop who spoke eloquently about the story so far with Siemens Enterprise Communications and their quest to re-build employee confidence around an exciting growth strategy for the business.

We heard about the highs and lows and some of the key learning from the experience, for example, how to engage and build buy-in from the head and heart of the Senior Executive Leaders and then the Top 150 Leaders in the business. He also described the challenges of creating a simple but compelling vision for the company and the ambitious plans to cascade the Strategy to all SEN employees in 3 months!

To read the output from this event, please click here

The challenge of getting marketing valued
within a devolved culture

• Date: 2nd June 2011
• Location: One Aldwych Hotel, Aldwych, London, WC2B 4BZ
• Guest Speaker: Nick Fell, Global Marketing Director of SABMiller

Nick talked about the journey he has been on since joining SABMiller and the challenge of getting marketing understood, valued and embedding the capability within a devolved culture.

Nick was appointed Global Marketing Director at SABMiller in 2006. Prior to this, he worked for Cadbury Schweppes Plc, as President, Global Commercial Strategy and also as Director of Marketing, Cadbury Trebor Bassett. He previously worked for Diageo plc for 15 years in a number of senior roles including Global Brands Director, Johnnie Walker, and Group Marketing Director, Guinness Brewing.

How to build a successful loyalty programme

• Date: 11th May 2011
• Location: Cinnamon Club, London, SW1P 3BU
• Guest Speaker: Brad May, Director of Loyalty at InterContinental Hotels Group

Brad spoke about the journey he has been on and his challenge to build a new ‘ground-breaking’ loyalty programme that would be the envy of the industry.

We discussed how Cognosis worked with IHG to transform their Ambassador Programme to achieve some staggering results- driving both membership and programme satisfaction to highest ever levels.

Brad started his career at British Airways where he held a number of positions including Head of Partnership Marketing for Executive Club. After five years in financial services for GE and Barclays Bank, Brad returned to the travel sector where he has been Director of Loyalty for the Inter Continental Hotels and Resorts brands at IHG.

The Drinks Business Conference

• Date: 28th February 2011

Richard Brown, Managing Partner of Cognosis, made the introductory remarks for the Drinks Business’ annual conference this year where the theme was ‘reinvention in a brave new world: chasing the new consumer.’ Richard’s presentation laid out what he considered to be the five driving forces that are shaping the alcohol industry today.

Click here to view a video of Richard Brown, Managing Partner,
discussing this year’s Drinks Business conference

To request a copy of Richard’s presentation please email marketing@cognosis.co.uk

EDGE 3 launch event

• Date: 3rd February 2011
• Location: Metropolitan Hotel, Park Lane, London

Our latest instalment of EDGE, EDGE3: Inspiring Heroes, Igniting Growth, was published in February and we celebrated with our launch event which was attended by clients, press and friends of Cognosis.

EDGE 3 focuses on six case studies where clients have used EDGE insights to transform their business' strategy and performance, having some exciting adventures and roller-coaster moments along the way! At the launch we were delighted to have a selection of these business leaders sharing their insights, and giving their tips on how you can use to re-energise your strategy and make heroes of your leader team.

Cognosis networking dinner for MD’s

• Date: 4th May 2011
• Location: Covent Garden Hotel, 10 Monmouth Street, London

We regularly hold networking dinners to introduce clients and offer them a forum to hear the experiences of others and share their own ‘war stories’.

This event explored common themes associated with being a new leader in a business.

If you would be interested in attending one of our networking dinners,
please email marketing@cognosis.co.uk

Beyond the Bull

• Date: 20th January 2011
• Location: One Aldwych Hotel, London, WC2B 4BZ
• Guest Speaker: Nigel Trood, Managing Director of Red Bull

We discussed how Cognosis worked with Red Bull to build belief in a growth agenda and how we used our Whole Minded approach to understand how to deliver against a challenging growth target.

We also looked at the challenges of working with an innovative and creative company and ensuring there is sufficient commercial rigour.

Nigel became Managing Director of Red Bull in 2007 having previously been Director of off-trade sales for Red Bull UK. He started his career at Sainsbury’s, where he spent 12 years working in a variety of purchasing and commercial roles.

How to establish the HR function as a critical part of
the value generating agenda

• Date: 5th October 2010
• Location: Metropolitan Hotel, London, W1K 1LB
• Guest Speaker: Andy Newall, Group HR Director of United Biscuits

Andy Newall, Group HR Director of United Biscuits,
joined us to discuss his quest since joining UB

Andy Newall is Group HR Director for United Biscuits – a Company that is known across the Globe for its many and varied well known brands. Prior to this he was Vice President for Beam Global International Division where he had responsibility for HR activity on four continents. His principle task was the integration of two businesses following the acquisition of Allied Domecq. Prior to this he worked for Allied Domecq plc and held positions as their European HR Director, the Global Organisational Effectiveness Director and as Corporate Human Resources Director

The Alcohol Issue. Where is it all going?

• Date: 21st September 2010
• Guest Speaker:Mike Short, Senior Vice President Industry Affairs at SABMiller

Our first two events focusing on the 'alcohol issue' have been very popular attracting senior attendees from many of the industry's leading drinks businesses.

With a new government now in place and new legislation looming, we ran a third breakfast briefing on the topic.

Mike became Vice President of Industry Affairs in 2009 and is responsible for steering the development and implementation of SABMiller's policies in the areas of alcohol self-regulation, industry accountability and the impact on the company of legislation. Prior to this he was Chairman and CEO of Plzensky Prazdoj, SABMiller's Czech subsidiary.

Challenging sales and marketing conventions -
the Dorset Cereals story

• Date: 13th July 2010
• Location: Quaglino’s, 16 Bury Street, SW1Y 6AJ
• Guest Speaker: Peter Farquhar, Managing Director, Dorset Cereals

Peter joined Dorset Cereals as Managing Director in 2005, after working with Coca-Cola and Powwow Water where he was faced with slowing sales growth a lack of new consumers and no wider distribution opportunities.

Since then he has lead the transformation of the company from a traditional manufacturer into a stylish, super-premium brand. He managed to turn a classic “producer led” discovery brand into a consumer brand competing with multinationals. The results spoke for themselves with market share trebling within a year and the company continues to thrive.

Peter’s strategy was to take the best bits of the old strategy and radically rework the rest. Their approach to marketing broke many of the existing category rules and emphasized the importance of real innovation. The relationship with the consumers was central to the marketing strategy and a website that communicates their brand values and engages consumers was the main enabler of this. The results spoke for themselves with market share trebling within a year and the company continues to thrive.

The Drambuie Story: Back from the Brink

• Date: 27th May 2010
• Location: Morton’s Club, 28 Berkeley Square, W1J 6AH
• Guest Speaker: Phil Parnell, CEO, Drambuie (May 1952 - June 2011)

Cognosis worked with the Drambuie team to build the brand repositioning market strategy and the critical On Trade focus

The programme continues today with a new energy from distributors yielding dramatic results in several major markets and a management team inspired with new enthusiasm and confidence.

Phil’s presentation looked at how they helped turn around a company with declining sales and a leadership team that lacked motivation. Their aim was “to revitalise the core Drambuie brand, thereby restoring financial stability to the company and generating dramatic growth in shareholder value.” This was done by re-establishing core brand growth in key markets and prioritizing potential growth markets, as well as making sure that the brand strategy was clearly and consistently communicated. The Drambuie team embraced the Whole-Minded approach engaging both heart and minds and created a strategy that the whole team believed in and was committed to.

The Alcohol Issue: A Lobbyist’s Perspective

• Date: 5th May 2010
• Location: Morton’s Club, 28 Berkeley Square, W1J 6AH
• Guest Speaker: Claire Davidson, Managing Partner of Gardant Communications

Gardant specialises in strategic communications to protect and enhance industry and brand reputations, and Claire has over 20 years’ broad-ranging experience in this area – she’s an acknowledged expert in corporate reputation management with a deep understanding of how reputational issues emerge and evolve at the interface of public opinion, government and industry.

The debate focused on the challenges facing the drinks industry in 2010 with the imminent election and the political parties’ proposed alcohol policies featuring prominently. Claire spoke about her experience with Gardant Communications and how it has ‘been there’ and ‘done that’ with other industrial sectors and shared her thoughts about the workings of governments, civil servants and parties of all colours.

Managing Change and Challenge

• Date: 27th April 2010
• Location: Morton’s Club, 28 Berkeley Square, W1J 6AH
• Guest Speaker: Dr. Kevin Money, Associate Professor at Henley Business School and Director of the John Madejski Centre for Reputation

Cognosis worked with Kevin on the development of our Edge research, where his role was to ensure our research was academically rigorous without losing sight of the need for practical relevance.

In addition to his work with Henley, Kevin is also a Fellow of the Sunningdale Institute, a Chartered Psychologist, a member of the British Society of Clinical Hypnosis and a licensed NLP practitioner.

One of the main themes of Kevin’s talk was that of conflict and how we can turn conflict from being dysfunctional to effective and the practicalities of doing this. He also considered the importance of belonging and how this affects conflict between groups.

Reactions to the Alcohol Report

• Date: 25th February 2010
• Location: Morton’s Club, 28 Berkeley Square, W1J 6AH
• Guest Speaker: Richard Cochrane, Off Trade Director of Bibendum Wine

Richard Cochrane, Off Trade Director of Bibendum Wine, was our guest speaker for the event having been involved in several cross-industry working parties addressing the alcohol issue.

The debate discussed the role of the media and the need for the industry to work together to create a coherent message for consumers on safe levels of alcohol consumption.

Spice Up Your Strat Plan

• Date: 2nd December 2009
• Location: Morton’s Club, 28 Berkeley Square, W1J 6AH
• Guest Speaker: Nick Miller, Managing Director, Miller Brands UK

Cognosis’ recent Breakfast Briefing explored new ways in which the strategy planning process can be approached in order to create a strategy that every member of the company is committed to and eager to deliver.

Traditional strategy plans frequently neglect to involve the full participation of lower levels of management and without their engagement often end up consigned to the bottom drawer and are rarely fully executed.

Nick Miller, Managing Director of Miller Brands UK, was the guest speaker and provided an engaging account of how together with Cognosis they went about re-inventing the strategy at Miller Brands UK. The discussion emphasised the importance of being brave even in difficult economic conditions and examined the role of emotional engagement in the planning process.

Re-Thinking Strategy Thinking

• Date: 22nd October 2009
• Location: Quaglino’s, 16 Bury Street, SW1Y 6AJ

Cognosis hosted the ‘Re-Thinking Strategic Thinking’ Breakfast Briefing to discuss ways in which leaders can stimulate and leverage great strategic insight. Although not applicable to all teams, the general consensus from the event group discussion was that most annual strategic planning processes have significant room to improve.

Traditional frameworks for strategic thinking emphasise planning tools and techniques, but pay far less attention to the power of strategic intuition and the instinctive understanding of ‘what works.’ Cognosis’ framework for strategic thinking makes the case for an environment in which social/cultural/political instinct, operational awareness and strategic intuition are allowed to develop ensuring a more effective and successful strategy.

Bye bye to Bling

• Date: 24th September 2009
• Location: Morton’s Club, 28 Berkeley Square, W1J 6AH

The recession is reshaping the state of the luxury goods sector.
What does the future hold?

6-8 months ago we were crunching the numbers like everybody else—assessing the scale of opportunity for our clients’ luxury brand portfolios. This analytical left-brain approach revealed a daunting and depressing outlook—bling is dead! However, the numbers don’t always tell the whole story. Additional research into consumer attitudes and the impact of the media shed new light on the situation—will the media’s ‘austerity’ agenda be enough to reshape the luxury model? Nobody can tell the future, but 4 possible scenarios have become apparent and businesses need to begin planning for the outcome they think will likely emerge.

Cognosis recently hosted the ‘Bye bye to bling?’ Breakfast Briefing to discuss these possible scenarios with our network of clients and contacts. Listen to both sides of the argument and let us know which scenario you think is most likely to play out in your business.