B2B Startup Growth Strategy

Great read over on TechCrunch.

The startup world has been very heavy with B2C or Business to the Customer companies such as UBER.  The B2B world is heating up as I've written about.

Similarities are easy to find but are there differences?

This article addresses the question of growth.  Well worth the read:

https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/16/how-should-b2b-startups-think-about-growth-not-like-b2c/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

The best growth strategy for your company ultimately depends on whether you’re in an incubation, iteration, or scale stage. One of the most common mistakes we see is a company acting like they’re in the scale phase when they’re actually in the iteration phase. As a result, many of them end up developing inefficient growth strategies that lead to exorbitant monthly ad spends, extraneous acquisition channels, hiring (and later firing) ineffective team members, and de-emphasizing critical customer feedback. There is often an intense pressure to grow, but believing your own hype before it’s real can kill early-stage ventures.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Another Platform Player gets an IPO

I have written about this before, though I had previously focused on the B2B space, but platform players are continuing to make big waves in the market.

This is a consignment store online where people can sell their goods.  The IPO is expected to be valued at about $1.3 Billion.  With a "B".

Some people have things they want to sell on consignment.  Some people wish to purchase things from consignment and buy with confidence.  This platform brings them together.  Easy. 

Here is the full article:

https://www.chainstoreage.com/finance-0/another-fast-growing-digital-native-going-public/

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Create a B2B Platform Plan With Help from B2C Practitioners

I am always interested in the startup space.  Ideas that become reality, for a while, and maybe transform in to something else as the team looks to add-value in a meaningful way.

The customer-facing world has seen a massive rise of digital disruption transforming every aspect of our lives.

UBER has transformed the taxi industry.  Facebook is ... well ... something.

The business to business world has also seen some trans-formative moments as we entered the Information Age.  It occurred to me recently we might be seeing a trend of B2B companies learning lessons from the B2C world and looking for that add-value moment.

Here is my latest white paper that covers the subject:

Create a B2B Platform Plan With Help from B2C Practitioners

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

PS  Uber for dumptrucks?  Yeap.  TRUX.  Worth taking a look at.

Direct to Customer With Adidas

As I've written about previously the manufacturers of today have a shot at a new golden age by crafting direct relationships with customers.

Here is how Adidas is using mobile to do exactly that:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/69086-how-adidas-uses-digital-to-enable-powerful-experiences/

Here is a snippet from the story:

According to John Mellor, the VP of Strategy and Marketing at Adobe, emotion is the currency of experience. Ultimately, this means it helps to create a stronger and more loyal connection with consumers – even inspire personal achievements and goals.

This might sound like a rather lofty notion, but when it comes to a brand like Adidas – whose core belief is to inspire individuals to harness the power of sport – it’s slightly more believable.

At Summit I also heard Adidas’s VP of digital strategy & delivery, Joseph Godsey, speak about how the brand uses digital to enable powerful experiences. Here are a few key points from what he said.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

CPG Strategy in the Digital Age - Plus Amazon?

I wrote about Digital Strategy for retailers a while back and in that white paper I pointed out the opportunity for the manufacturer brands, CPGs and others, to create direct to customer models.

Amazon wants to help out with that.

I'm guessing their play is to be more like a payment rail model of retail taking a very small sliver of every transaction.  The play eliminates the need for big retailers like WalMart.

Interesting, and they are serious about it.

Hear more from Bloomberg by watching the brief video:

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/videos/2017-03-30/why-amazon-wants-brands-to-bypass-wal-mart-video

Basically Amazon is extending an invitation to CPG companies to listen and begin to work towards a new model that eliminates traditional retailers.

That should have quite a few folks shaking in their boots.

Happy Viewing,

J.W. Gant

BRotD - Entry 0244 Thought Leadership

Best Reading of the Day

This great little read caught my eye as I've followed these concepts most of the last few years.  Want to be taken seriously about any subject in any industry?  Consider writing a white paper.

Here is the full article:

http://thenextweb.com/insider/2016/08/16/how-to-smartly-build-thought-leadership-using-white-papers/

Here is a snippet from the piece:

One potent way to build thought leadership is to create a white paper that thoroughly explains a problem that has been a nagging pain in an industry for a while and recommends a reliable and workable solution.

Piracy, for example, has been a long time nagging problem for folks in the film industry. In fact, according The Wall Street Journal, antipiracy and security firm Irdeto found a whopping 5.4 billion instances of online pirated movies, TV shows and even video games in 2009.

On top of that, US film distributor Kathy Wolfe, founder of Wolfe Video, also reported that she lost over $3 million in revenue in 2012 due to piracy. Isn’t this a problem that’s enough catch everyone’s attention in an industry? Wouldn’t a paper on this sort of problem and how it can be solved effectively be a goldmine?

Awesome little graphic included in that article:

Oh, and, I've written a few white papers as you can see here:

Thagent White Papers

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Retail Sales on iPhone Catch iPad

I've written extensively about the need to view "mobile" as more than just a blend of mobile phones and tablets.  Certainly the world is becoming more and more mobile.

This is big news.

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/mcommerce-sales-on-iphone-catch-up-to-ipad-for-first-time-report

Here is a snippet from the piece:

For the first time, online sales on the iPhone – which have been growing steadily – caught up with purchases completed on the iPad during the first quarter of 2016, according to new data from Bizrate Insights.

The iPad was once the primary driver, by and far, for mcommerce sales, but its share of sales has been declining for several years. At the same time, the volume of sales taking place on an iPhone has been growing, resulting in each device posting a 36 percent share of online sales made on a mobile device in the first quarter.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Walmart and PepsiCo in the News

A couple stories on Walmart and one on Pepsi intersecting with Walmart are worth your attention.

First up is news of another technology acquisition by Walmart.

http://supermarketnews.com/marketing/walmartlabs-acquires-shopper-insight-technology-punchtab

Here is a snippet from the news:

Wal-Mart Stores’ technology arm, @WalmartLabs, on Tuesday said it has acquired Silicon Valley software company PunchTab, with intentions of using the company’s technology to tailor offers to its Sam’s Club shoppers.
...
Walmart described PunchTab as “a software platform that empowers brands like Walmart and Sam’s Club to better understand and engage with customers in a unified way online, on mobile and in physical stores.”

Next up is one I believe is big news.  National manufacturer brands want to regain lost leverage over retailers and digital may be the key for them.  This move of a senior Walmart mobile exec to Pepsi is huge.

https://www.internetretailer.com/2015/09/22/pepsi-hires-walmartcom-veteran-head-e-commerce

Here is a snippet from the news:

Gibu Thomas, former Walmart.com senior vice president of mobile and digital strategy, is Pepsi’s new general manager of e-commerce.

Global food and beverage manufacturer PepsiCo. has a new head of e-commerce, and he’s one of the experienced Internet executives responsible for helping Wal-Mart Stores Inc. become a $12.1 billion global e-retailer.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

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

Walmart's Approach to the Participation Age

If you think of retail over the last 100 years it is convenient to think generally of eras.  Richard Tedlow from Harvard Business School lists in 1996 the three phases of Consumer Product Marketing and mentions but does not define a pending 4th phase as the internet dawned.  Walmart thinks about it similarly but with different description of the various phases or eras.

The 1950's might be approximately the start of the Age of the Brand.  Major nationally manufactured brands were able to push their products all over the country with a sophisticated logistics network and they pushed down their message through the new media platform television.

Later the retailers became much more adept as they introduced private label brands that shifted the power away from the brands and in favor of the retailer.  This started the Age of the Retailer.

Then the internet came.

The Information Age is transforming all of life as we know it.  Within retail, the consumer is now the holder of power and the determinant of the brand.  This might be called the Age of the Customer, or the Participation Age, where the participant actively works in the creation of a brand.

My pending white paper is titled:


Impact of Phase IV Product Marketing


The Story of Mass Marketing in America Continues

Walmart has a similar approach in mind as is detailed in this interview:

http://www.pymnts.com/in-depth/2015/how-walmart-is-reinventing-the-age-of-the-customer/#.VYHGHvlVhBc

Here is a snippet from that piece:

...according to Walmart’s VP of eCommerce Nikhil Raj, our imaginations may be misled. As it turns out, Walmart is onboard and ready to get reinventing.

“When we think about reinventing something, we really have to go back to what it was before and how it is changing now,” Raj told MPD CEO Karen Webster in a recent conversation.

“Early on it was ‘the age of the brands,’” Raj remarked. “Twenty-five or 30 years ago retailers, in general, relied heavily on our brand partners and followed their guidance. It was the age of the retailer.”

And, according to Raj, this “the age of the retailer,” is an age that is now drawing to a close.

“In the last five years, we have really seen the beginning of the age of the consumer, and that is how retail is re-inventing itself. The breadth and depth of the choices consumers have today to help them shop is truly amazing. It is also putting the power square in the hands of the consumers and we as retailers have to be focused on that to be successful for the next 50 years,” Raj noted.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0187 Starbucks Social, Taykey, and ASO

Three articles stand out to me and all are worthy of your time.

First, and best, is this little piece on how Starbucks used social media over the holidays:

http://www.mobilecommercedaily.com/starbucks-holiday-social-strategy-nabs-top-spot-on-hootsuites-love-list

Here is a snippet from that piece:

“Don’t underestimate the power of the Peppermint Mocha and its kin: at least on social, Christmas means flavored coffee drinks and red cups. Truly concentrating their efforts on building excitement for the holidays amongst their fans can give brands a big boost.”

That portion on Christmas being synonymous with red cups is very powerful.

Next is a little company you probably never heard of but they represent the next generation in advertising:

http://fortune.com/2015/01/20/taykey-raises-15-million/

What do they do?

For example, if a movie studio wants to target teenage girls who like music, Taykey would have told them last Monday that their target audience was talking about pop star Justin Bieber’s new Calvin Klein ad and instantly purchased ads on news stories, blog posts, and social content about the topic.

If you’re familiar with the story, you know what happened next. The next day the original, unedited version of the Bieber photo leaked showing that the photos had been modified to enhance his, ahem, bulge. Within 10 minutes Taykey’s algorithm picked up on the negative vibes around Bieber and pulled all the ads it was running alongside it. The company helps brands jump onto trends (and, if necessary, abandon them) automatically, targeted to specific audiences across many geographies.

Finally is a little piece on App Store Optimization:

https://econsultancy.com/blog/65980-app-store-optimisation-aso-for-google-play-and-apple-app-store/

I know a thing or two about this having written a white paper on how to drive adoption and usage of mobile apps.  It is very good to keep up with the latest and greatest though so be sure to read this one.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Mobile Apps Not Translating to Sales

This is very interesting news over on Re/Code:

http://recode.net/2014/08/20/should-there-be-an-app-for-that-why-mobile-sites-could-be-more-important/

Here is a snippet from that piece:

We live in a world of apps: More than a million can be downloaded from Apple’s App Store; another 1.3 million or so from Google Play. We spend the vast majority of our Internet time using apps on our mobile devices (86 percent of it, says Flurry).

Much has been made of the dominance of apps in the world of mobile. But guess what? When mobile shoppers actually buy stuff, it’s not through apps, but on mobile websites, according to an eMarketer report, based on work by Baynote and the E-Tailing Group.

I've been following this for a while and am fascinated at usage statistics in this area.  It does seem there is an excellent opportunity to offer a strong experience in the mobile web world.

So if retail apps aren't used all that much for buying stuff, what are they being used for, and what should retailers be building?  Seems the focus should be on everything else.

I wrote a paper that makes that argument, in part, a little over a year ago.

http://thagent.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-it-truly-mobile.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

How to Drive Adoption and Usage of a Retail Mobile App

Building a new product can be a tremendous challenge.  Finally showing your product to the world can be terrifying.

What if it is poorly received?

What if the product fails?

How can I help ensure my product has the best chance of gaining acceptance by consumers?

In the mobile application world there are plenty of unique challenges, but we can draw tremendously on what has come before.  In the retail world you have the brick & mortar store as an asset as well.  If you are launching a retail mobile app this white paper is for you.

How to Drive Adoption and Usage of a Retail Mobile App

This graphic may be familiar to those of you in sales.  It is the classic funnel approach to understanding a sales pipeline and conversions.  You'll find much more about this concept in the white paper.

Here is the summary paragraph:

     When launching a new retail mobile app three key areas of focus are critical to drive adoption and usage of your new app: (1) Definition of Success, (2) Product Launch, and (3) A Cycle of Innovation. First you must work with the business owner to determine the criteria for success that also aligns with the company’s strategic goals. Next is the crucial, one time only, initial product launch phase. Efforts must be focused on touch points with consumers both outside of the app, in the physical world, and inside, in the digital world. Finally, the ongoing effort must not be overlooked as a critical component of the product’s lifecycle. The effort does not end at launch; rather it is the end of the beginning and the start of a journey. This white paper will provide a high level view of the steps required to help ensure healthy adoption and usage of your retail mobile app.

Even if your app has already launched or you are in the world of websites this should be an interesting read for you as an overview.  The appendices are loaded with great stories and information including reference to three books I highly recommend.

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0098 Tablet Usage

I missed this article for a couple of weeks but am glad I finally caught it.  Here is a snippet from that piece:

Tablets are increasingly becoming the preferred device for high-value mobile commerce purchases, according to transaction data from payment processor Adyen. The Amsterdam-based company tracks mobile payments through its quarterly Adyen Mobile Payments Index, which analyzes transactions on its global processing platform.

Here is the complete article:

http://www.mobilepaymentstoday.com/article/229429/Study-Tablets-see-higher-value-purchases-than-smartphones

I've written about the difference between Tablets and Smart phones before in this entry:

http://thagent.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-it-truly-mobile.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0095 Flat Design A History

Design is the art of ... well, art, at least in mobile apps.  Flat design vs. a more textured "real world" or skeuomorphic design style has taken hold very strongly since the release of Apple's iOS 7.  How about a history lesson on all of this?

The folks over on "The Next Web" have done so and it makes for excellent reading.

http://thenextweb.com/dd/2014/03/19/history-flat-design-efficiency-minimalism-made-digital-world-flat/?fromcat=all#!AzMHH

Here is a snippet from the piece:

It seems as though any time you hear about Web design these days, you can’t help but come across the term “flat design.” While the flat Web design trend has been emerging in recent years, it seemed to have exploded in popularity thanks to large companies and organizations changing their design aesthetic to that of flat design.

But where did flat design come from? And why are we seeing it on the Web? As with anything in design, knowing where a style or technique came from and the history behind it can help you make more educated decisions when it comes to the use of the design aesthetic.

Don't forget to read my white paper on the end of Skeuomorphism:

http://thagent.blogspot.com/2013/06/user-interface-design.html

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0053 Tablet Usage

We are beginning to see some data come together around how and when people are using tablets versus laptop users.  This MediaPost story has the latest information:

tablet-laptop-search-conversions-beginning-to-look-same

"Tablets are beginning to feel more like laptops, confirming an assumption made by Google execs when launching the Enhanced Campaigns paid-search platform -- that eventually, consumers would behave in a similar way on both devices and that conversions originating from each would look the same."

In my blog entry from five months back I posed a simple question: "Is It Truly Mobile?"  In that white paper I challenged the description that tablets were "mobile" devices.

The way I describe it goes about like this: Five years ago people would sit on their couches browsing the internet on their laptops and buying stuff from Amazon.com.  Today people are sitting on their couches with their tablets browsing the internet and buying stuff from Amazon.com.

The latest data supports that notion.

Two key areas to continue to watch in the coming months and years: (1) the mid-size tablet or "phablet" area and (2) the inexpensive advent of wireless carrier support for tablets such as LTE 4G networks.

The mobile internet is upon us and everything we do is changing.

Happy reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0036 Showrooming

An outstanding new study has just been released.  This was authored by a partnership of Columbia Business School and AIMIA.

Showrooming and the Rise of the Mobile Assisted Shopper

Econsultancy has a pretty good write-up of the paper and drew my attention to its release:

http://econsultancy.com/us/blog/63411-how-can-retailers-deal-with-showrooming

Here is a snippet from that article:

The report contains some valuable insights into what motivates mobile users to buy online instead of in-store, and how retailers can respond to the challenge. 

I've been asking report authors David Rogers and Matt Quint about the study...

Here is the study in its entirety (well worth reading):

https://www4.gsb.columbia.edu/filemgr?&file_id=7313935

Happy reading,

J.W. Gant

Best Reading of the Day - Entry 0020 What is Mobile?

Back in April I wrote a white paper asking "Is it Truly Mobile?" that sought to clarify the definition of a mobile device.  Usage data helps to see a clearer picture.

That blog entry is here:
http://thagent.blogspot.com/2013/06/is-it-truly-mobile.html

As time goes by we are seeing more and more need to clarify this question.  Katie Petrillo over on MediaPost has delved in to the same question:
http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/204866/can-we-clarify-the-word-mobile.html#axzz2ZVBVSdKh

This is an excellent read.

Here is a snippet of her blog "Engage: Moms":

In a digital marketing survey we send to brand marketers and agencies, we ask for the topics they’re most interested in right now. Mobile is consistently the most popular subject with this audience, and that makes sense to me. I see a huge number of blogs and articles on search, advertising, and commerce for mobile everyday. However, the question gnawing at my brain is, have we spelled out the meaning of “mobile”? 

Be sure to read her analysis of the question, and have a wonderful weekend.

Happy reading,

J.W. Gant

Marketing & Mobile Solutions in the 21st Century

The Information Age is upon us.  Everything we do, what we do and how we do it, is being challenged and revolutionized.  Life in this era will become unrecognizable to those who lived solely in the previous age, the Industrial Age.

The mobile internet means people across the globe are always connected to this always on always present internet that provides information and sharing of data beyond imagining just a short time ago.  All in your pocket right now through your smart phone.

How has this changed marketing and how can mobile solutions help today's marketing efforts?

This white paper I wrote should help start the discussion:
Mobile for Pull Marketing

Here is the summary paragraph:

The advent of the mobile internet has changed the relationship between retail stores and the consumer: the consumer now owns the shopping experience.  Marketing’s role has not changed significantly: build the brand, inform the customer, and enhance conversion rates.  However the tools to accomplish these goals have changed and corresponding strategies may need to be changed as well.  Wal-Mart has enacted a “pull” marketing strategy tied heavily to mobile platforms to enhance the customer experience and combined it with a “push” logistics strategy.  Other retailers might want to follow their lead. 

Who will be the Mad Men (or women) of the 21st Century?

Happy Reading,

J.W. Gant

**UPDATE**
Chain Store Age . com has a related article.

http://chainstoreage.com/article/brian-kilcourse

Here is a snippet from it:

[Brian] Kilcourse [managing partner for Retail Systems Research] pointed out that despite the variety of channels used by consumers in their decision-making processes, only 5.6% of sales are actually made online. 
 
One substantial takeaway was the imperative to thus create a dialogue outside the four walls of one's store with the intention to bring the consumer inside. Additionally, employees equipped with mobile technology can help consumers make choices while accessing the same information online.

Pull Marketing is being increasingly recommended as a tool to manage the mobile internet age we are entering.

User Interface Design

Have you been hearing the word "Skeuomorphism" recently regarding Apple?

Know who Jony Ive is?

Hear anything about iOS 7 in the news?

Recently I performed an analysis of the current state of design in the User Interface realm and what application developers should be focused on.  The result was a new white paper where I predicted the design elements in smart phones were all moving towards a flat interface with more emphasis on using the design elements to pass information.  The purpose of this white paper is to inform application developments efforts about the direction they should be taking today to prepare for the world of tomorrow.

You can read that white paper written back in May here:
The End of Skeuomorphism

At Apple's WorldWide Developer's Conference this year, on June 10th, many of the details of the pending iOS 7 operating system were released.  A flat design was indeed their path forward with non-skeuomorphic design a central element and more.

Here is Apple's page on the WWDC:
http://www.apple.com/apple-events/june-2013/

It appears Apple is currently confronting The_Innovator's_Dilemma and is only going to release incremental changes to their existing products.  Innovation in design is happening elsewhere and Apple is playing the follower now.

Here is a concept image to help you picture the differences:

Happy reading,

J.W. Gant