One might imagine that this person, a Quaker Oats recruit and CPG all-star, could take the company in altogether new directions - more focus on mainstream distribution, more focus on the "light green" consumers we learned about in class - perhaps even an exit through M&A.
Curious to hear what others think, especially after the presentation this evening.
I was just going to post this! Pretty interesting considering we discussed Hollander's role in Seventh Generation today. We discusses whether a Method or Seventh Gen could grow with Clorox and SC Johnson launching natural brands. The question in my mind was, how do they compete? I'm not sure that I've seen independent companies grow to compete with the major CPGs before getting acquired. I think it would be great for Seventh Gen to try this and aim for a $1 Billion revenue goal while remaining independent. Acquisitions can have benefits for distribution, but it often dilutes ethical brands.
ReplyDeleteI'm curious to know the story behind this move. Clearly, Seventh Gen can benefit by marketing to the light greens. The question in my mind is, why isn't Hollender the guy to do it? Does he find it distasteful to "sell out" in this sense? Is he less interested in growing a company that doesn't cater to dark greens? Has Seventh Gen already fully reached the market that Hollender wanted reach? Maybe there's a certain skill set that a CEO needs if s/he is to cater to Wal-Mart's needs, but I doubt that Jeff Hollender lacks for skills. So what is it?
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