What we learned:
While digital marketing channels (e.g. Google and Instagram))increasingly evolve into sales channels, the role of physical stores may go the other way: from a sales to a marketing channel. As writer Doug Stephens asserts:
“...physical retail is no longer simply a product distribution strategy — it’s a customer acquisition strategy or which there is an inherent and attributable return of value.”
What we learned:
Both Shopify and Amazon create ecosystems around them. But only one tries to capture the value from its ecosystem through intermediation. In this article, Ben Thompson differentiates Platforms and an Aggregators.
What we learned:
Here are two of several arresting statistics from the article.
- A full 96% of US online shoppers buy on marketplaces
- A survey on the go-to sites for online shoppers yields a surprising result: eBay ranks among the least popular!
How can single-brand retailers succeed in the shadow of the platform economy? This article explores the opportunities and pitfalls associated with selling through online marketplaces.
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This week's roundup includes a superb article from The Business of Fashion. You'll also find eye-watering statistics around changes to online retail (eConsultancy), and musings on the power of platforms (Ben Thompson's Stratechery blog).
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Discovery shopping expert Zulily works with partners to create successful "discovery shopping" campaigns. We caught up with Head of Integrated Marketing and Partnerships, Brian Doherty, to learn how they empower global and boutique brands - from sampling programs to co-op marketing funds.
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