Digital Retail Strategy

The world is changing so rapidly we can often find ourselves lost.  However, as with most things when we look closely we find that what was old is new again.  If we take a moment to evaluate where we have been, where we are now, and what we can see coming we can begin to plan for the future with some sense of certainty.

That is the purpose of the new white paper I've recently finished.

Here is the title:

Digital Retail Strategy

And the Impact of Phase IV Product Marketing

The Story of Mass Marketing in America Continues

Here is a link to the full 50 page white paper, with roughly 2.5 pages of executive summary followed by a few dozen pages of appendices:

Digital Retail Strategy White Paper

Here is the opening paragraph:

     The modern era of the mobile internet combined with an explosion of social media has created a new paradigm for retailers and manufacturer brands in the United States that present risks and opportunities for both. Manufacturer brands are now rushing to embrace the opportunities presented in the new era and retailers must respond or risk disruption and irrelevance. The 1990s launched the Information Age and a new form of product marketing. This was named the 4th phase of product marketing by Richard S. Tedlow of Harvard Business School. At the time of the 1996 update to his book ‘The Story of Mass Marketing in America’ the strategic characteristics and implications of the 4th phase were unclear, while the defining infrastructure was determined to revolve around the information revolution. In 2015 we can see the call to action that is the new phase of product marketing and it is loud and clear: digital and mobile is king, customers have much more power, and both retailers and brand manufacturers are faced with new risks and new opportunities.

I hope you enjoy the read. This was a fun one to research.  It took me to many places I was uncertain of when the journey began.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant