Industry Analysis Techniques

Would you believe me if I told you that the marketing rollout for one of the most commercially successful, critically acclaimed independent albums of 2023 was bankrolled by a file-sharing company? It's true — and I gave a whole presentation about it. I'm excited to share below the FULL case study I developed for a workshop last year, on the groundbreaking brand partnership between Jungle and WeTransfer for the "Volcano" album campaign. As someone who typically focuses on tech industry trends, this case study was a rare opportunity for me to flex my muscles in marketing strategy. And there was truly no better subject for me than Jungle — who is one of my favorite live acts, and whose "Volcano" was my most-streamed album of last year. An independent release on AWAL, "Volcano" currently boasts over 500 million Spotify streams, a Brit Award, and stellar music video choreography that would make even professional dancers envious. What many might not realize is that WeTransfer is credited as a producer on all 14 music videos for the album, as well as the full-length Volcano Motion Picture released in December 2023. WeTransfer timed this partnership with their own rebranding as a company, making Jungle the face of their key feature launches. The campaign rolled out across multiple platforms over the course of 250+ days, with many exclusive content releases in Jungle's Medallion fan community, as well as on a bespoke, Jungle-branded WeTransfer landing page. In the deck below, I break down: 🌋 The shape of Volcano's 254-day "waterfall" content release strategy, and how WeTransfer's role as a brand partner evolved throughout 🌋 Why WeTransfer and Jungle's brand aesthetics and audiences align 🌋 How the campaign catapulted Jungle's streaming and social media growth 🌋 How the campaign did NOT move the needle on brand awareness for WeTransfer — but still may have succeeded for the company in other ways 🌋 How to use tools like Chartmetric, Semrush, and SocialBlade to benchmark performance of similar campaigns across streaming, social media, and web traffic metrics Disclaimer: This analysis only covers March–December 2023, so does not include Jungle's recent campaign with Gap, which had an even further impact on Jungle's streaming and social performance. I *love* doing these data-driven music marketing breakdowns — especially for artists and scenes close to my heart — and would love to help other people out with this work. There's so much insight to be gained, even just from publicly available data. If you're interested in collaborating on similar case studies or audits on social media campaigns for your artist or brand, please DM me to discuss! #musicmarketing #musicdata #musictech #dataanalysis #musicindustry #musicbiz #musicbusiness #marketingstrategy

After spending three decades in the aerospace industry, I’ve seen firsthand how crucial it is for different sectors to learn from each other. We no longer can afford to stay stuck in our own bubbles. Take the aerospace industry, for example. They’ve been looking at how car manufacturers automate their factories to improve their own processes. And those racing teams? Their ability to prototype quickly and develop at a breakneck pace is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development. It’s all about breaking down those silos and embracing new ideas from wherever we can find them. When I was leading the Scorpion Jet program, our rapid development – less than two years to develop a new aircraft – caught the attention of a company known for razors and electric shavers. They reached out to us, intrigued by our ability to iterate so quickly, telling me "you developed a new jet faster than we can develop new razors..." They wanted to learn how we managed to streamline our processes. It was quite an unexpected and fascinating experience that underscored the value of looking beyond one’s own industry can lead to significant improvements and efficiencies, even in fields as seemingly unrelated as aerospace and consumer electronics. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s more important than ever for industries to break out of their silos and look to other sectors for fresh ideas and processes. This kind of cross-industry learning not only fosters innovation but also helps stay competitive in a rapidly changing market. For instance, the aerospace industry has been taking cues from car manufacturers to improve factory automation. And the automotive companies are adopting aerospace processes for systems engineering. Meanwhile, both sectors are picking up tips from tech giants like Apple and Google to boost their electronics and software development. And at Siemens, we partner with racing teams. Why? Because their knack for rapid prototyping and fast-paced development is something we can all learn from to speed up our product development cycles. This cross-pollination of ideas is crucial as industries evolve and integrate more advanced technologies. By exploring best practices from other industries, companies can find innovative new ways to improve their processes and products. After all, how can someone think outside the box, if they are only looking in the box? If you are interested in learning more, I suggest checking out this article by my colleagues Todd Tuthill and Nand Kochhar where they take a closer look at how cross-industry learning are key to developing advanced air mobility solutions. https://lnkd.in/dK3U6pJf

🎬 How Film Investors Get Their Money Back One of the biggest misconceptions in filmmaking is that film investment is a gamble with no clear route to return. The truth is, smart film finance is built on structure, strategy, and multiple revenue streams. Here’s a quick look at how investors typically make their money back 👇 💰 1. Recoupment Waterfall After the film is sold or licensed, income flows through a “waterfall.” Investors are repaid first often with a premium (10–20%) before profits are shared with producers, sales agents, and talent. 🎟️ 2. Distribution Deals Films generate revenue from various platforms: theatrical releases, streaming (Netflix, Amazon, Apple), TV networks, airlines, and digital sales. Each territory or platform contributes to the investor’s recoupment pool. 🌍 3. Tax Incentives & Rebates Depending on the location, production rebates or tax credits can return 20–40% of qualified spend, effectively reducing the investor’s exposure right from day one. 📀 4. Ancillary & Merchandising Revenue Soundtracks, merchandise, product placement, and remake or format rights can all add to the revenue stack. 🎥 5. Long-Term Library Value A good film doesn’t stop earning once it’s released library sales, streaming royalties, and international syndication can continue generating income for years. 💼 Rough Example Breakdown — £5 Million Film Investment Total Budget: £5,000,000 1. Government Rebates (UK + EU): Approx. 30% return → £1,500,000 back within 6–12 months. 2. Pre-Sales & Distribution Advances: Agreements secured pre-release (domestic + international) → £2,000,000 returned during or soon after production. 3. Post-Release Revenue (Streaming, TV, etc.): Within 2 years of release, additional returns from: SVOD & TV licensing: £1,000,000 Ancillary rights & merchandise: £250,000 Library/royalty income (years 3–5): £500,000 Total Revenue: £5,250,000 ✅ Investor Recoups 100% + 5% premium (£5.25M) ✅ Ongoing profit participation on future library sales Film investment isn’t a lottery ticket it’s an asset-backed opportunity when structured correctly. The key is transparency, experienced producers, and a realistic route to market. When creative vision meets financial discipline, both art and investment thrive. #FilmFinance #Investing #FilmProduction #EntertainmentBusiness #Producers #CreativeInvestment

Global electric car sales are set to grow strongly again this year, reaching about 17 million. With more than 1 in 5 cars sold worldwide in 2024 set to be electric, the rise of EVs is transforming the auto industry & the energy sector. Read more from the International Energy Agency (IEA) Energy Agency: https://iea.li/44isGtR Electric cars' growth this year builds on a record-breaking 2023, when sales soared by 35% to almost 14 million. Demand was largely concentrated in China, Europe & the US, but momentum is picking up in key emerging markets such as Viet Nam & Thailand. Explore IEA’s Global EV Outlook 2024: https://iea.li/3QdwEhJ Despite near-term challenges in some countries, new IEA analysis sees the global electric car market gearing up for the next phase of growth. Under today's policy settings, nearly 1 in 3 cars on China's roads by 2030 is set to be electric & almost 1 in 5 in the US & EU. One reason for EVs' bright prospects: Manufacturers have taken huge steps to deliver on government ambitions. This includes major investments in EV and battery production. As a result, global capacity to produce EVs and #batteries is on track to keep up with rising demand. Under today’s policy settings, the rapid uptake of #EVs – including cars, vans, trucks, buses and 2/3-wheelers – is set to avoid the need for more than 10 million barrels of oil a day in 2035. That's equivalent to all the oil demand from road transport in the United States today. It’s important to note that the pace of the EV transition will hinge on their cost. In China, more than 60% of electric cars sold in 2023 were already cheaper than conventional equivalents. Competition & innovation are expected to bring down prices in other major markets. The transition to #ElectricCars is changing the global auto industry, and growing competition is putting downward pressure on prices. Chinese companies accounted for over half of global sales in 2023. In conventional cars, China has a much smaller market share. Making EVs more affordable is vital – as is ensuring that the availability of public charging keeps pace with sales. Last year, public charging point installations were up 40% from 2022. To align with government pledges, charging networks must grow six-fold by 2035. Alongside today’s new report, IEA is releasing 2 detailed interactive tools allowing users to dig deeper into EV trends & policies around the globe. Take a look at the data ➡️ https://iea.li/3xHJzlo Explore the policies ➡️ https://iea.li/44fjbvp For more on the key findings from IEA’s new Global EV Outlook 2024, read the freely available report online ➡️ https://iea.li/3QdwEhJ   And join IEA Chief Energy Technology Officer Timur Gül & me for our LIVE launch event at 10:30 CEST ➡️ https://iea.li/3WaxcZn

📣 The era of aluminium surplus is over. 🛑 According to a powerful analysis by Andy Home at Reuters, the global aluminium market is "sleepwalking into the biggest deficits in 20 years." For decades, the market has been defined by excess, but a structural shift is underway. Here’s why: 🇨🇳 China is at Capacity: The world's largest producer (60% of global output) is hitting its government-mandated cap of 45 million tons per year. Their relentless production growth is grinding to a halt. 📉 Inventories are Draining: LME stocks have plummeted from over 3 million tons four years ago to just over 700,000 today. Sanctions are diverting Russian metal to China, further squeezing Western exchange liquidity. ⚡ The Energy Transition is a Double-Edged Sword: Demand is surging from solar and EV sectors, while high energy costs are stifling smelter restarts outside of China (e.g., closures threatened in Mozambique). 🇮🇩 New Supply Can't Keep Up: Hope rests on Indonesia, where Chinese companies are building new smelters. But analysts at Citi project new capacity will fall far short of expectations, reaching only 2.3M tons by 2030 due to high costs and energy challenges. The result? Citi analysts predict prices will need to rise sustainably above $3,000/metric ton (from ~$2,700 today) to prevent a shortage. This isn't just another trader squeeze; it's a fundamental reshaping of the market. The next crisis won't be caused by too much metal, but by too little. #Aluminium #Metals #Commodities #EnergyTransition #SupplyChain #Mining #Economy #Reuters 

While it has been a rough year for U.S. manufacturing by and large (aerospace, motor vehicles, and pharmaceuticals being the exceptions), some sectors are finally starting to show some signs of recovery (albeit we still need to curb our enthusiasm). One such sector is manufacturing of steel and steel products (NAICS 3311 and 3312). Two charts below showing the dynamics over the past several years. Thoughts: •Top chart shows seasonally adjusted capacity utilization for these plants. We can see a sharp downturn in 2015 – 2016 during the commodity market bust, and uptick in 2018, a lesser decline in 2019, a plunge with COVID, and then an explosion upwards in 2021 before a sharp drop in 2022 that bottomed out in early 2023. September’s capacity utilization is currently where things were in Q1 2018, showing a nice rebound. •Bottom chart shows industrial production for these sectors. As can be seen, production has also rebounded from the lows in late 2022 and early 2023 to be at the same level we saw in 2017 on average. Production is down about 5% from the highs in 2021, which were the most we had witnessed since 2014. •This raises the question: why was production of steel and steel products almost 15% higher in 2012 than today? My answer: we were in the midst of a commodity market boom that triggered strong demand for railroad rolling stock (https://lnkd.in/gGybGVYm); machinery (https://lnkd.in/gu8WnUc2); and fracking (https://lnkd.in/eqCAyvj). Even though commodity prices remain elevated today, industrial production in all three of these sectors is much lower today than 11 years ago. Production of iron and steel today is being heavily supported by nonresidential construction and continued strong production of motor vehicles (https://lnkd.in/eMKS4hY). Implication: the rebound in steel production is good news for flatbed carriers that haul steel coils, beams, etc. However, I don’t see a scenario where production gets back to 2021 levels next year, and practically zero chance we see production return to the 2012 – 2014 levels we witnessed a decade ago. #supplychain #supplychainmanagement #manufacturing #freight #trucking 

Food Industry: Recent Developments and Future Outlook. Recent weeks have witnessed significant shifts in the food industry landscape: General Mills implemented another round of layoffs and divested its yogurt business to Sodiaal, Kraft-Heinz announced plans to split its operations, and Kellogg's sold its cereal division to Ferrero. The Origins The current situation traces back to 2013 when 3G Capital acquired Kraft (recently separated from Mondelez) and merged it with their Heinz acquisition. Their strategy prioritized revenue through aggressive cost-cutting rather than growth. This approach created a ripple effect across the industry, with other companies following suit. Unfortunately, this led to reduced investment in crucial areas like marketing, innovation and R&D. The Market Response As major food companies scaled back product development, smaller, local brands capitalized on the innovation vacuum. They introduced straightforward, transparent products (such as snack bars with just five ingredients) that resonated with consumers. This shift highlighted the innovation stagnation among industry giants. Future Trajectories: 1. Continued M&A Activity - Companies will likely divest underperforming segments while seeking strategic acquisitions - Focus will shift toward developing distinctive product offerings to remain competitive 2. The Ferrero-Kellogg's Integration - Expected short-term operational efficiencies - Potential for portfolio revitalization through Ferrero's expertise and brand collaborations - This will certainly put pressure in General Mills-CPW. 3. Leadership - A new generation of CEOs will likely pivot from cost-cutting to revenue growth strategies - Focus on innovation and market expansion 4. Regional Players' Rise - Success stories like Chobani (achieving 20% market share in two decades) will become more common - Continued growth of nimble, innovative regional brands 5. Regulatory Challenges - Pending impact of federal restrictions on certain colorants and ingredients - Historical consumer resistance to natural alternatives poses questions about adaptation The industry giants face persistent challenges, and their ability to adapt to changing market dynamics will determine their future success.

The IFPI has just released its Global Music Report for 2024, offering an insightful glance into the current dynamics of the global music industry. Here’s a concise overview of the report's findings: 🎵 The Growth of The Global Music Industry Continues: We observed a remarkable 10.2% growth in the global music industry, marking it as the second highest growth rate on record. This surge has elevated the total value of the recorded music industry to over US $28.6 billion in 2023. 🎵 Growth Expanded Beyond Subscription Streaming: The expansion wasn’t limited to subscription streaming, which saw an 11.2% growth, but also included a notable double-digit percentage increase in physical revenues (up by 13.4%) and significant gains in income from performance rights (up by 9.5%). 🎵 Synchronisation Monies Continue To Grow: Synchronisation revenues, too, saw a positive trend with a +4.7% growth, leading to a total of over $632 million in revenues in 2023. 🎵 Latin America and Sub-Saharan Africa Continue To See Massive Regional Growth: For the fourteenth consecutive year, recorded music revenues in Latin America experienced a steep increase, rising by 19.4% in 2023. Moreover, Sub-Saharan Africa continued to lead with the fastest growth rate of any region, achieving an impressive +24.7% growth. 🎵 China Market Growth Explodes: The Chinese market showcased steep growth, now ranking as the fifth largest market globally, with a growth rate of 25.9%, the fastest among the top 10 global markets. Which insights from the IFPI report did you find most interesting? Drop your comments below ⤵ https://lnkd.in/esqXxup9

Rare-Earths: The New Oil — and the World’s Choke-Point 💥 70% of the planet’s rare-earth ore and 95% of its refining sit behind one border — an imbalance so sharp it turns a niche metal market into a systemic risk❗️ Key Takeaways from the article: 🔑 China’s outsized grip – ~70 % of mining and >95 % of refining capacity 🔑 “Balance-problem” bottleneck – high demand magnet metals (Nd, Pr) are tied to low value Ce/La, distorting supply economics 🔑 Supply-demand crunch ahead magnet elements could fall short within a decade, pressuring EVs, wind and defence tech. 🔑 Ion-adsorption clay (IAC) deposits rising – Brazil, Uganda & SE Asia can come online in 4-7 yrs, faster than hard-rock mines 🔑 Refining is the real chokepoint; most concentrates still ship back to China. Lynas, MP Materials & Neo Performance are early decentralisers 🔑 Tech is stretching scarce atoms – grain boundary diffusion cuts Dy/Tb use; magnet recycling & by-product recovery grow 🔑 Need for a coordinated response. The US-Japan-Australia initiatives frame rare earths as industrial and national security priorities Why the Finance World Should Care (my view based on the article) 💰 Loans get riskier: If rare-earth prices swing wildly, companies making EVs, wind turbines or fighter jets might struggle to repay. Banks need to “stress-test” those loans 💸 Fresh projects need cash: New mines, refineries and recycling plants will look for investors. Green bonds and other “sustainable” funding could offer solid returns 💵 We might see a Supply chain finance (SCF) renaissance – OEMs will push banks & fintechs to fund upstream miners and refiners to lock in flows 💴 New ways to hedge prices: Expect Wall Street to create futures and other contracts so companies can lock in a steady rare-earth price and protect against geopolitical flare-ups.m 💷 Local-processing boom: Governments may hand out tax breaks or set up special investment vehicles to build refineries at home; stock-market listings could follow 💰 ESG upside: Recycling and technologies that use fewer rare-earths tick the “green” box, letting lenders offer cheaper rates for hitting sustainability targets 🙌 Shout-out to my colleague Ilya Epikhin for a timely, incisive deep-dive that turns a niche metals story into a macro-risk wake-up call 👏 Full article: https://lnkd.in/dSdS7Hsz #RareEarths #SupplyChain #EVs #EnergyTransition #FinTech #RiskManagement #Geopolitics

Key Trends in the Indian Steel Industry in 2024: 1️⃣ Decline in Global Steel Demand: Global steel demand contracted by 0.9%, falling to 1,751 million tonnes. Reduced household purchasing power, tighter monetary policies, and geopolitical uncertainties drove this. 2️⃣ India Becomes a Net Steel Importer: During Apr-Nov FY25, India’s steel imports surged by 26.6% year-on-year, reaching an 8-year high of 6.5 million tonnes. A significant portion of these imports originated from China, raising concerns over domestic competitiveness. 3️⃣ Reduced Scrap Imports: Despite increased domestic consumption of metal scrap, India’s metal scrap imports declined by an estimated 25% year-on-year, dropping to 8.3 million tonnes. 4️⃣ Advocacy for Import Safeguards: The Indian Steel Association called for temporary taxes on steel imports from China, Japan, and South Korea to protect domestic manufacturers from underpriced foreign goods. Notably, Vietnam transitioned from being an importer of Indian steel to exporting steel to India. 5️⃣ GST Reforms in Scrap: The 54th GST Council meeting introduced significant reforms for formalizing the scrap metal and battery recycling sectors. These included a Reverse Charge Mechanism (RCM) and a 2% Tax Deducted at Source (TDS) on scrap metal transactions. 6️⃣ Green Steel Taxonomy Introduced: India became the 1st country to define "Green Steel" by setting emission standards at 2.2 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per tonne of finished steel. A star rating system was also launched to encourage sustainable practices in #steel production. 7️⃣ Mining Royalty Case: The Supreme Court upheld the authority of state governments to levy taxes on mines and minerals. It clarified that royalties collected under the MMDRA do not qualify as taxes. This decision could significantly impact the finances of public sector units. 8️⃣ Promoting Gender Diversity: Tata Steel introduced India’s first all-women mining shift at its Noamundi iron mine in Jharkhand, marking a progressive step towards gender inclusion in the mining sector. 9️⃣ Falling Input Prices: Iron ore prices declined by approximately 23–24% by the end of 2024, with predictions of continued downward trends. Imported coal prices also fell due to increased domestic production and favorable global market dynamics. 🔟 Capacity Expansion: Tata Steel commissioned India’s largest blast furnace at its Kalinganagar plant in Odisha, increasing the plant’s capacity from 3 MTPA to 8 MTPA as part of its Phase II expansion. JSW Steel expanded its Vijayanagar plant by commissioning a new Hot Strip Mill under a 5 MTPA project. Despite facing headwinds from rising imports, volatile global demand, and new policy shifts, the Indian steel industry in 2024 demonstrated resilience. Key developments like the #GreenSteel taxonomy and formalization of the #scrap sector signal a significant push towards sustainability and industry modernization.