ALL ARTICLES AND INSIGHTS
Explore strategy, markets, and business perspectives.
Who Owns Your Customer in Asia?
Marketplace growth can generate strong sales, but it does not always build lasting customer ownership. Explore how dependence on platforms such as Shopee, Lazada and Amazon can limit customer relationships, access to data and long-term brand equity—and why brands expanding across Asia need a balanced channel strategy that builds both sales and customer ownership.
Most Performance Gaps Sit Outside the Budget of the Team That Finds Them
The highest-impact finding in a brand assessment often sits in a function that did not commission it. Without an owner who controls the resource, even an accurate recommendation stays unfunded. Actionable output depends as much on who acts as on what is found.
The Distributor Margin Trap: Why a Good Deal Can Become an Expensive Product
A distributor agreement that looks attractive on paper can make a product too expensive to compete in the market. Discover how distributor margins, retailer mark-ups, import costs and other value chain expenses affect final retail pricing—and why brands must assess the entire commercial structure before agreeing to distribution terms.
Signing the Partner and Readying the Brand Aren't Two Separate Decisions
A strong distributor cannot execute effectively without the right market-ready assets. Partner selection and brand readiness should be evaluated together to ensure the brand can actually support the partner it appoints.
Distributor Consolidation Reshapes Southeast Asian Retail Access
Distributor consolidation is reshaping market access across Southeast Asia. While larger distribution groups can accelerate regional expansion, they also concentrate bargaining power, making partner selection a strategic decision that influences long-term execution, commercial flexibility, and growth.
Distribution Channel Segmentation Realities
Successful Southeast Asian expansion depends on aligning categories with the right distribution channels. Premium and value segments require fundamentally different channel strategies to perform effectively across fragmented markets.
Indonesia Mandates Local Distributor Partnerships for Foreign FMCG Brands
Indonesia's latest FMCG regulation could reshape how foreign brands enter and scale in Southeast Asia's largest consumer market. Companies relying on direct distribution face a six-month deadline to adapt, while local distributors gain access to a potentially lucrative wave of new partnerships.
Asset-Light Only Works If Your Partners Are Asset-Heavy
The asset-light model is the right expansion strategy — until your partner can't carry the weight you've transferred to them. Here's the condition most expansion plans miss entirely.