David Bloom FORMER CEO, SHOPPERS DRUG MART
A pharmacist who became a Canadian retailing standout, talent scout, coach and mentor to the Shoppers team. As a change-maker who led by example, Bloom channelled a lifetime passion for retailing and building consumer loyalty to reinforce the power of the Shoppers Drug Mart brand.
1. Teamwork, mutual respect and acceptance of contrarian views are keys to success. Catching people doing something right is highly motivational.
2. Is marketing a science or an art? Or is it having a deep understanding of where the consumer is going before he or she gets there?
3. Create an environment where people can accomplish things they would never believe they are capable of doing.
4. Retailing excellence = people + positioning + productivity + technology.
5. Leadership is about creating a winning attitude at all costs. It’s a balance between risk and reward and winning is the breakfast of champions.
6. In marketing, never play on your competitor’s field. Assess their strengths and weaknesses and then develop your unique retail positioning.
7. Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee. You can’t hit what you can’t see.
8. To truly understand the changing consumer, qualitative and quantitative research will be your radar to measure the power of your brands.
9. In launching new programs or major initiatives, the use of test markets is mandatory to work out the kinks.
10. In retailing, marketing and operations have to be joined at the hip for maximum effectiveness.
11. A man convinced against his will is of the same opinion still.
12. The think tank approach has generated some of the most innovative plans, programs and ideas at Shoppers.
13. Remember the KISS Principle: Keep It Simple Stupid. Marketing plans must be easily understood by the consumer.
14. A winning team needs a well-defined corporate culture—a set of values and beliefs that everyone can understand, respect and live by.
15. It is not only important to do the right thing, but to do the thing right.
16. No one person has all the answers.
17. At the feast of ego, everyone leaves hungry.
18. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. Tenacity and resilience are two winning characteristics. You must allow for errors so that everyone stretches beyond their own capabilities. But never make the same mistake twice.
