On Nov. 3, Dunkin Donuts is set to launch their version of the “cronut” in 7,900 of their store fronts. Now, you may be surprised by this news, because if you’re like me, you’ve been downing “cronuts” (croissant donuts) for well over a year now. So why has it taken one of the most well-recognized names in the Donut Kingdom to start selling their own version of the “cronut”? That’s an excellent question…one that begs an answer and yet, an answer we probably will never get. However, it does provide a talking point for us today, which as always, deals with our understanding of leadership and trends in the marketplace. Leaders do one thing: they lead. Followers do one thing: they follow. Just because someone has been recognized as a leader in an industry for a number of years, even decades, doesn’t mean that they will always stay in that position of leadership. They can be knocked out of that position by another contender, or, they can even knock themselves out of that position by failing to keep pushing and progressing with and in front of the industry which they have been at the forefront for so long. Perhaps that’s what happened here with Dunkin Donuts. They felt safe, secure; they saw the cronut as a simplistic gimmick that would never catch on. In a word, they grew comfortable. Are you growing comfortable? Do you find yourself in the unsettling position of trying to catch up to the wagon and jump on the back, or are you still steering things from the front? For more on this cronutty business, read the article here: Dunkin’ Donuts’ Cronut Will Be Available in ‘Limited Quantities’ at 7,900 Stores
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