Taking Arms against a Sea of Troubles
Andrew Seth
'Nightmare on the high street'. 'Brand misery'. These imprecations of doom are everywhere. Suddenly, it seems, all the lights go out. Is it really so bad – everywhere?
No – it's serious, but overstated. Sectors are threatened. Food and banks are too. Elsewhere – oils, minerals – markets thrive. But these movements are cyclical – we've all lived through several equivalents. Good companies know to set realistic targets and they also know it's not economic cycles that matter most – long-term performance, sticking with winning strategy, nurturing key brands and keeping...