"In the future, every company is a media company." That’s hogwash, according to Tommy Walker. Tommy is all too familiar with this ideology and the pitfalls in the business of creating media and aggregating attention.Listen in to hear this insightful discussion and join the conversation.“Committed to the Bit”{00:05:03} - “Understanding the cost structure and what it takes to hire talent and all of that, without that sort of knowledge, if you don't have that currently right now, then no, not every company needs to be a media company. You're better off spending your money in ads or some other type of growth lever.” - Tommy{00:10:34} - “With my own personal brand, I wanted to do a podcast, but I didn't have the bandwidth to do it. But I would become a Serial podcast guest. If you have an infrastructure in place, then let me just be a part of that infrastructure, show up as part of that conversation, do what I do, do what I do well, and then bounce and go do my thing that's independent of all that.” - Tommy{00:14:41} - “What I had to do at that time was just a ton of research. This is it. This is the complete unsexy answer to the entire thing. It was a ton of research…constantly looking at what everybody was saying in this DTC space…” - Tommy{00:23:46} - “There are unspoken expectations that people have that they don't even know they have until you meet them and what you're doing is setting a higher bar for production and engagement that feels much more like a consumer-type experience.” - Phillip{00:28:50} - “Are you establishing those true fans? When you start to get an executive team that is looking for a quick return or has quarterly results they have to answer to that it gets way harder to say, "The long-term success of our business depends on creating things that people actually care about.’" - Brian{00:32:24} - “If we live in a participatory economy and we have multiplayer brands, brands look more like bands in the future. And that's why you have these marketers that are so good at what they do. People like Bobby Hundreds who come from local scenes. They come from a scene, and a scene fuses fashion, art, culture, entertainment, and music. It's a state of being.” - Phillip{00:40:54} - “What makes a compelling media play is when you can continue to reinvent {the reason to exist} so that you yourself stay interested in it.” - PhillipAssociated Links:Learn more about Tommy Walker and The Content StudioGrab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand hereHave you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>"In the future, every company is a media company." That’s hogwash, according to Tommy Walker. Tommy is all too familiar with this ideology and the pitfalls in the business of creating media and aggregating attention.</p><p>Listen in to hear this insightful discussion and join the conversation.</p><h3>“Committed to the Bit”</h3><ul><li>{00:05:03} - “Understanding the cost structure and what it takes to hire talent and all of that, without that sort of knowledge, if you don't have that currently right now, then no, not every company needs to be a media company. You're better off spending your money in ads or some other type of growth lever.” - Tommy</li><li>{00:10:34} - “With my own personal brand, I wanted to do a podcast, but I didn't have the bandwidth to do it. But I would become a Serial podcast guest. If you have an infrastructure in place, then let me just be a part of that infrastructure, show up as part of that conversation, do what I do, do what I do well, and then bounce and go do my thing that's independent of all that.” - Tommy</li><li>{00:14:41} - “What I had to do at that time was just a ton of research. This is it. This is the complete unsexy answer to the entire thing. It was a ton of research…constantly looking at what everybody was saying in this DTC space…” - Tommy</li><li>{00:23:46} - “There are unspoken expectations that people have that they don't even know they have until you meet them and what you're doing is setting a higher bar for production and engagement that feels much more like a consumer-type experience.” - Phillip</li><li>{00:28:50} - “Are you establishing those true fans? When you start to get an executive team that is looking for a quick return or has quarterly results they have to answer to that it gets way harder to say, "The long-term success of our business depends on creating things that people actually care about.’" - Brian</li><li>{00:32:24} - “If we live in a participatory economy and we have multiplayer brands, brands look more like bands in the future. And that's why you have these marketers that are so good at what they do. People like Bobby Hundreds who come from local scenes. They come from a scene, and a scene fuses fashion, art, culture, entertainment, and music. It's a state of being.” - Phillip</li><li>{00:40:54} - “What makes a compelling media play is when you can continue to reinvent {the reason to exist} so that you yourself stay interested in it.” - Phillip</li></ul><h3>Associated Links:</h3><ul><li>Learn more about <a href="https://twitter.com/tommyismyname?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tommy Walker</a> and <a href="https://www.thecontentstudio.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Content Studio</a></li><li>Grab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand <a href="https://visions.futurecommerce.com/product/the-multiplayer-brand" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></li><li>Have you checked out our <a href="http://youtube.com/futurecommercepodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> yet?</li><li><a href="https://futurecommerce.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world</li><li>Listen to our other episodes of <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Future Commerce</a></li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

Bandwagon Bandwidth: Should Every Company Be a Media Company?

The Sage brings wisdom to those who inquire and mentors those who seek guidance in a kind, calm, and steady manner. They have accumulated knowledge and experience over time and are a valuable resource for others. A brand that acts as a wise Sage can help us open our minds to wisdom and create a more equitable world. What if, as a merchant, you could go to that one place and get the support and guidance you need? What if that one place has so much experience that you can learn from them and know they are on your side? That is the layer of value Adobe adds. Listen in as Nitu Walker represents Adobe as The Sage. For The Heros and The Outlaws Alike{00:04:41} “Adobe has always been known to have very strategic partnerships. We have a huge partner ecosystem, but what we really wanted to do is provide a holistic commerce experience. And by doing so, utilizing our partnerships to create value-added integrations.” - Nitu{00:07:20} “You've built an entire ecosystem that can meet each merchant where they're at because there are different needs that different merchants have.” - Brian{00:11:01} “The Sage meets the Hero on their journey to give them advice and equip them either through knowledge or wisdom or by helping them bring other people around them for the next part of their journey. And that's kind of what you do.” - Phillip{00:13:08} “What really resonated with me about Archetypes, especially, which was why I was really excited to do this, was that we have to look at our base, our ecosystem, not as a linear one type of merchant or one type of partner or one type of provider, but that there are so many different ways that we interact with them and that everyone has their own archetype and their own way of how they think, feel, and do things.” - NituAssociated Links: Learn more about Adobe Commerce ServicesCheck out other Future Commerce podcastsSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world! Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>The Sage brings wisdom to those who inquire and mentors those who seek guidance in a kind, calm, and steady manner. They have accumulated knowledge and experience over time and are a valuable resource for others. A brand that acts as a wise Sage can help us open our minds to wisdom and create a more equitable world. </p><p>What if, as a merchant, you could go to that one place and get the support and guidance you need? What if that one place has so much experience that you can learn from them and know they are on your side? That is the layer of value Adobe adds. Listen in as Nitu Walker represents Adobe as The Sage. </p><h3>For The Heros and The Outlaws Alike</h3><ul><li>{00:04:41} “Adobe has always been known to have very strategic partnerships. We have a huge partner ecosystem, but what we really wanted to do is provide a holistic commerce experience. And by doing so, utilizing our partnerships to create value-added integrations.” - Nitu</li><li>{00:07:20} “You've built an entire ecosystem that can meet each merchant where they're at because there are different needs that different merchants have.” - Brian</li><li>{00:11:01} “The Sage meets the Hero on their journey to give them advice and equip them either through knowledge or wisdom or by helping them bring other people around them for the next part of their journey. And that's kind of what you do.” - Phillip</li><li>{00:13:08} “What really resonated with me about Archetypes, especially, which was why I was really excited to do this, was that we have to look at our base, our ecosystem, not as a linear one type of merchant or one type of partner or one type of provider, but that there are so many different ways that we interact with them and that everyone has their own archetype and their own way of how they think, feel, and do things.” - Nitu</li></ul><h3>Associated Links: </h3><ul><li>Learn more about <a href="https://business.adobe.com/products/magento/fully-managed-service.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Adobe Commerce Services</a></li><li>Check out other Future Commerce <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcasts</a></li><li><a href="https://futurecommerce.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world! </li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

The Sage's Wisdom

Unless you’ve been under a rock somewhere, you probably are aware of the Barbie marketing machine ahead of the major motion picture release. What does this signify as a moment in our culture and the ways culture and commerce intersect? Barbie brought some major shifts when she first showed up in our world. What will this highly-marketed film bring with it?Alicia Esposito joins Phillip for an in-depth look at Barbie: the doll, the brand, the film. All brands can learn something from this moment in time, but if we aren’t careful, we’ll learn the wrong lessons and chase some rabbit holes that just don’t make sense. There’s a lot to talk about, so get your popcorn and have a listen!Nostalgia is Power {00:04:12} - “There's cultural acceptance of certain types of media and popular media that shapes the way that we perceive the world.” - Phillip{00:05:11} - “A brand is not a logo or fonts or colors. A brand is a marker of trust of a corporation that was able to endure despite all odds, and that means that you have to remain culturally relevant. Brands pass away when the culture doesn't accept them.” - Phillip{00:06:25} - “If people see the outline of the little flippy ponytail, they're like, "Oh, yeah, Barbie." That's association, but relevance and true brand loyalty tie to a brand's ability to keep the core of what people initially love about a brand or a person, but also be able to adapt to some of the new realities of the consumer, and also accept some of the pitfalls or problematic nature of the past of the brand.” - Alicia{00:16:25} - “{Airbnb} is a really great example of a brand that doesn't necessarily have ties to the commercial product world, but really turns it into a commercial product moment through great collaborations.” - Alicia{00:27:17} - “Having this brand recall and this nostalgia does create a new vehicle for filmmakers like Greta Gerwig to kind of tap into the mainstream market and tell a really powerful story. But then it kind of goes down this rabbit hole of but if all of the funds are going towards these things and these big corporations that have all the IP already and selling all of the products, what does that leave for new stories?” - Alicia{00:29:44} - “Barbie represented a shift of the idea of children's playthings in culture, but it also represented a new monolith, a new way to see and perceive the world through this artifice of fashion, desirability, and idealistic standards.” - Phillip{00:40:12} - “We have to {see explicit brand tie-ins in the film} only because a lot of the Barbie dolls of the past did have product tie-ins. There were always some subtle or direct brand partnerships there. I’m curious to see.” - AliciaAssociated Links:Learn more about Alicia Esposito and Retail TouchPointsGrab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand hereHave you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce worldListen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>Unless you’ve been under a rock somewhere, you probably are aware of the Barbie marketing machine ahead of the major motion picture release. What does this signify as a moment in our culture and the ways culture and commerce intersect? Barbie brought some major shifts when she first showed up in our world. What will this highly-marketed film bring with it?</p><p>Alicia Esposito joins Phillip for an in-depth look at Barbie: the doll, the brand, the film. All brands can learn something from this moment in time, but if we aren’t careful, we’ll learn the wrong lessons and chase some rabbit holes that just don’t make sense. There’s a lot to talk about, so get your popcorn and have a listen!</p><h3>Nostalgia is Power </h3><ul><li>{00:04:12} - “There's cultural acceptance of certain types of media and popular media that shapes the way that we perceive the world.” - Phillip</li><li>{00:05:11} - “A brand is not a logo or fonts or colors. A brand is a marker of trust of a corporation that was able to endure despite all odds, and that means that you have to remain culturally relevant. Brands pass away when the culture doesn't accept them.” - Phillip</li><li>{00:06:25} - “If people see the outline of the little flippy ponytail, they're like, "Oh, yeah, Barbie." That's association, but relevance and true brand loyalty tie to a brand's ability to keep the core of what people initially love about a brand or a person, but also be able to adapt to some of the new realities of the consumer, and also accept some of the pitfalls or problematic nature of the past of the brand.” - Alicia</li><li>{00:16:25} - “{Airbnb} is a really great example of a brand that doesn't necessarily have ties to the commercial product world, but really turns it into a commercial product moment through great collaborations.” - Alicia</li><li>{00:27:17} - “Having this brand recall and this nostalgia does create a new vehicle for filmmakers like Greta Gerwig to kind of tap into the mainstream market and tell a really powerful story. But then it kind of goes down this rabbit hole of but if all of the funds are going towards these things and these big corporations that have all the IP already and selling all of the products, what does that leave for new stories?” - Alicia</li><li>{00:29:44} - “Barbie represented a shift of the idea of children's playthings in culture, but it also represented a new monolith, a new way to see and perceive the world through this artifice of fashion, desirability, and idealistic standards.” - Phillip</li><li>{00:40:12} - “We have to {see explicit brand tie-ins in the film} only because a lot of the Barbie dolls of the past did have product tie-ins. There were always some subtle or direct brand partnerships there. I’m curious to see.” - Alicia</li></ul><h3>Associated Links:</h3><ul><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciaesposito" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alicia Esposito</a> and <a href="https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Retail TouchPoints</a></li><li>Grab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand <a href="https://visions.futurecommerce.com/product/the-multiplayer-brand" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></li><li>Have you checked out our <a href="http://youtube.com/futurecommercepodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> yet?</li><li><a href="https://futurecommerce.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to Insiders and The Senses to read more about what we are witnessing in the commerce world</li><li>Listen to our other episodes of <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Future Commerce</a></li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

Barbenheimer: Nostalgia, Retail, Recall, and Relevance

Orchid Bertelsen has lived many lives in her journey from innovation to business ops. Ever heard of Nestlé’s digital human Cookie Coach, Ruth? Hint: She was heavily involved in the making of Ruth and its success in bridging the gap between technology and human connection. Be sure to stay tuned until the end to hear about the shifting dynamics between consumers and corporations in the digital age, the loving nature of critique, how Facebook never really died in the land of Suburbia, and in true Orchid fashion: a Scandoval reference. Threadaverse{00:12:12} - “At the heart of {the Virtual Human Cookie Coach} was how can we serve more customers through a connected and consistent experience while utilizing technology and obviously using all of that information to make the product better, to make the experience better.” - Orchid{00:14:45} - “Microsoft is so far ahead of everything and they always fail as a result. That's the problem.” - Brian{00:16:52} - “If you use technology you can infinitely have more relationships and connectivity and serve more customers than your human constraints of the nature of having one person having one conversation at a time.” - Orchid{00:23:29} - “There is an opportunity and also a watch out that a lot of those fake relationships can take up more mental space than the real relationships that you're creating.” - Orchid{00:31:03} - “Because there's a deficiency in the services that the government is providing or a frustration around that, people are looking to the private sector, and so all of those things between the rise of social media, between just asking more of corporations, I think that's where people want to engage. And that's why there is critique because there is a higher expectation of how brands and companies conduct their business.” - Orchid{00:33:20} - “Customers and fans have an unbelievable amount of power that outweighs the collective bargaining capabilities of the workforce. And I wonder if that's a fundamentally modern problem that we've never really said out loud, but we all sense to be true.” - Phillip{00:40:43} - “They had to find something novel that they were uniquely positioned to deliver on and so that's why you had the pivot from a lot of talk about the Metaverse to all of a sudden they have released a product. And I would say one of the most successful product releases in modern history. But now they've released a product that is not shiny, it is not new, it is not innovative, but it works and it works for the people in this time.” - OrchidAssociated Links:Learn more about Orchid Bertelsen and Common Thread CollectiveGrab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand hereHave you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>Orchid Bertelsen has lived many lives in her journey from innovation to business ops. Ever heard of Nestlé’s digital human Cookie Coach, Ruth? Hint: She was heavily involved in the making of Ruth and its success in bridging the gap between technology and human connection. Be sure to stay tuned until the end to hear about the shifting dynamics between consumers and corporations in the digital age, the loving nature of critique, how Facebook never really died in the land of Suburbia, and in true Orchid fashion: a Scandoval reference. </p><h3>Threadaverse</h3><ul><li><strong>{00:12:12}</strong> - “At the heart of {the Virtual Human Cookie Coach} was how can we serve more customers through a connected and consistent experience while utilizing technology and obviously using all of that information to make the product better, to make the experience better.” - Orchid</li><li><strong>{00:14:45}</strong> - “Microsoft is so far ahead of everything and they always fail as a result. That's the problem.” - Brian</li><li><strong>{00:16:52} </strong>- “If you use technology you can infinitely have more relationships and connectivity and serve more customers than your human constraints of the nature of having one person having one conversation at a time.” - Orchid</li><li><strong>{00:23:29}</strong> - “There is an opportunity and also a watch out that a lot of those fake relationships can take up more mental space than the real relationships that you're creating.” - Orchid</li><li><strong>{00:31:03}</strong> - “Because there's a deficiency in the services that the government is providing or a frustration around that, people are looking to the private sector, and so all of those things between the rise of social media, between just asking more of corporations, I think that's where people want to engage. And that's why there is critique because there is a higher expectation of how brands and companies conduct their business.” - Orchid</li><li><strong>{00:33:20}</strong> - “Customers and fans have an unbelievable amount of power that outweighs the collective bargaining capabilities of the workforce. And I wonder if that's a fundamentally modern problem that we've never really said out loud, but we all sense to be true.” - Phillip</li><li><strong>{00:40:43}</strong> - “They had to find something novel that they were uniquely positioned to deliver on and so that's why you had the pivot from a lot of talk about the Metaverse to all of a sudden they have released a product. And I would say one of the most successful product releases in modern history. But now they've released a product that is not shiny, it is not new, it is not innovative, but it works and it works for the people in this time.” - Orchid</li></ul><h3>Associated Links:</h3><ul><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/orchidbertelsen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Orchid Bertelsen</a> and <a href="https://commonthreadco.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Common Thread Collective</a></li><li>Grab your copy of The Multiplayer Brand <a href="https://visions.futurecommerce.com/product/the-multiplayer-brand" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></li><li>Have you checked out our <a href="http://youtube.com/futurecommercepodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> yet?</li><li><a href="https://futurecommerce.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!</li><li>Listen to our other episodes of <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Future Commerce</a></li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

Looking for Love and Meaning in All the Wrong Places

The Outlaw defies, disrupts, and brings change by paving their own way. They challenge established ways of thinking, by pioneering and innovating fearlessly. The Outlaw represents the world of possibility that comes when coloring outside the lines. Meet our Outlaw, TUSHY Founder Miki Agarwal, and hear how she is taking the world by [sh*t]storm and will not apologize for it.No Butts About It{00:04:52} “The more you talk about something, the less taboo it becomes, the more normalized it becomes. And that's actually the whole point is to make this be something where people aren't saying, "Did they take it too far?" - Miki{00:07:20} “I've heard you say throughout the course of this chat, "The things that we do aren't just for the sake of them. It's to open up a broader conversation.” It's not just about the thing itself. It's about what it inspires afterward.” - Brian{00:09:11} “When we show humanity, which includes humor, levity, fun, and authentic people sharing who they are through the brand, I think that has given a lot of affinity for us.” - Miki{00:10:17} “A lot of our industry, especially in trade, eCommerce trade, and digital retail trade media, try to do is they try to convince you of the validity of their argument with data and logical explanation. And very few are trying to connect with an emotional response through art and demonstration.” - Phillip{00:12:25} “The second part is can this product seemingly be an opening, a gateway to questioning everything else in our life? Can we question, "Why am I doing this in my life?" "Why am I using dry paper?" That's crazy. “What else am I doing in my life that's not actually true for me, but I'm just following the pack.’” - MikiAssociated Links: Learn more about Miki Agrawal and TUSHYCheck out other Future Commerce podcastsSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>The Outlaw defies, disrupts, and brings change by paving their own way. They challenge established ways of thinking, by pioneering and innovating fearlessly. The Outlaw represents the world of possibility that comes when coloring outside the lines. Meet our Outlaw, TUSHY Founder Miki Agarwal, and hear how she is taking the world by [sh*t]storm and will not apologize for it.</p><h3>No Butts About It</h3><ul><li><strong>{00:04:52}</strong> “The more you talk about something, the less taboo it becomes, the more normalized it becomes. And that's actually the whole point is to make this be something where people aren't saying, "Did they take it too far?" - Miki</li><li><strong>{00:07:20}</strong> “I've heard you say throughout the course of this chat, "The things that we do aren't just for the sake of them. It's to open up a broader conversation.” It's not just about the thing itself. It's about what it inspires afterward.” - Brian</li><li><strong>{00:09:11}</strong> “When we show humanity, which includes humor, levity, fun, and authentic people sharing who they are through the brand, I think that has given a lot of affinity for us.” - Miki</li><li><strong>{00:10:17} </strong>“A lot of our industry, especially in trade, eCommerce trade, and digital retail trade media, try to do is they try to convince you of the validity of their argument with data and logical explanation. And very few are trying to connect with an emotional response through art and demonstration.” - Phillip</li><li><strong>{00:12:25}</strong> “The second part is can this product seemingly be an opening, a gateway to questioning everything else in our life? Can we question, "Why am I doing this in my life?" "Why am I using dry paper?" That's crazy. “What else am I doing in my life that's not actually true for me, but I'm just following the pack.’” - Miki</li></ul><h3>Associated Links: </h3><ul><li>Learn more about <a href="https://mikiagrawal.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Miki Agrawal </a>and <a href="https://hellotushy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TUSHY</a></li><li>Check out other Future Commerce <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcasts</a></li><li><a href="https://futurecommerce.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!</li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

The Way of the Outlaw

In this episode, we are bringing to you a new old piece of content that is more relevant today than it has ever been as we just celebrated our 2023 edition of Visions, our annual Audio-Visual Trends report, first with a launch in Chicago at our Visions Summit at the Retail Innovation Conference and then with the launch of our multiplayer experience and our new zine, the Multiplayer Brand. Visions Volume 4 is the biggest, baddest piece of content that we have ever produced, but that makes the content we did last year that much more relevant because from the vantage point of 2023, we can see how predictions and anxieties that we had in 2022 came true or were put to rest. ‍It’s a great interview with Michael Miraflor, an incredibly prolific thinker and the Chief Brand Officer at Hannah Grey VC, and the then CEO and now President of Trade Coffee, Mike Lackman, to talk about the changing nature of work, how our roles in society are altered and our perspectives are altered by algorithmic timelines and how automation and AI are redefining all of the above. Listen now!“Google, how do I speak to a human?”“It's creating some dynamics where a much smaller number of people can drive outcomes with a much larger number of dollars. If we're not really effective at promoting financial literacy and asking some big questions about what's different looking 20 years ahead from what the last 20 years were like, then there's going to be some collateral damage in the system that I think is really bad for everybody involved.” - Mike Lackman“You can automate things to make them more efficient, but you have to know how to do it well in the first place with a certain level of agency and authority and getting your hands dirty with it.” - Michael Miraflor“Just blatantly throwing software at problems to solve problems, thinking that it's the software that overcomes the deficiencies of an impractical product or business, I think is itself inherently a challenge that we're all facing in our industry.” - Phillip Jackson“One of the most frustrating things about customer service is when you end up on the phone with a system that is trying to replicate that of a human voice, human interaction, or human way of answering questions... You don't have to try to trick me to think that you're a person because you're just not. I would rather hit a series of numbers…to get you to answer versus me interacting with this AI as if you were human.” - Michael Miraflor“You have to get a gauge on what young people are thinking as expressed by what they're wearing and what they're doing. If you can't really get a sense of that, because the dominant form of social media is encouraging the proliferation of micro trends that really aren't a reflection, but they send a smoke signal, then you might have something that's a bit problematic on your hands.” - Michael Miraflor“The interesting piece here is that when we talk about this dystopian sort of like, well, this AI future, we're all going to get pushed around this and that. The alternative to that has to be an institution with enough trust and credibility that we're willing to let them become tastemakers, editors of newspapers, curators of fashion, pairers of coffee, those kinds of things.” - Mike Lackman“There was a dark side to those things that we do see as unifying, which is they tend to have some sort of pretty strong editorial, perhaps even tyrannical authority associated with them to be able to set those standards in place. And I guess my point of jousting with you on that when we think about AI, the counterpoint to letting the system just run the algorithm unchecked is that someone has to put guardrails on that.” - Mike LackmanAssociated Links:Learn more about Michael Miraflor of Hannah Grey VCLearn morea about Mike Lackman of Trade CoffeeHave you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>In this episode, we are bringing to you a new old piece of content that is more relevant today than it has ever been as we just celebrated our 2023 edition of Visions, our annual Audio-Visual Trends report, first with a launch in Chicago at our Visions Summit at the Retail Innovation Conference and then with the launch of our multiplayer experience and our new zine, the Multiplayer Brand. Visions Volume 4 is the biggest, baddest piece of content that we have ever produced, but that makes the content we did last year that much more relevant because from the vantage point of 2023, we can see how predictions and anxieties that we had in 2022 came true or were put to rest. ‍</p><p>It’s a great interview with Michael Miraflor, an incredibly prolific thinker and the Chief Brand Officer at Hannah Grey VC, and the then CEO and now President of Trade Coffee, Mike Lackman, to talk about the changing nature of work, how our roles in society are altered and our perspectives are altered by algorithmic timelines and how automation and AI are redefining all of the above. Listen now!</p><h3>“Google, how do I speak to a human?”</h3><ul><li>“It's creating some dynamics where a much smaller number of people can drive outcomes with a much larger number of dollars. If we're not really effective at promoting financial literacy and asking some big questions about what's different looking 20 years ahead from what the last 20 years were like, then there's going to be some collateral damage in the system that I think is really bad for everybody involved.” - Mike Lackman</li><li>“You can automate things to make them more efficient, but you have to know how to do it well in the first place with a certain level of agency and authority and getting your hands dirty with it.” - Michael Miraflor</li><li>“Just blatantly throwing software at problems to solve problems, thinking that it's the software that overcomes the deficiencies of an impractical product or business, I think is itself inherently a challenge that we're all facing in our industry.” - Phillip Jackson</li><li>“One of the most frustrating things about customer service is when you end up on the phone with a system that is trying to replicate that of a human voice, human interaction, or human way of answering questions... You don't have to try to trick me to think that you're a person because you're just not. I would rather hit a series of numbers…to get you to answer versus me interacting with this AI as if you were human.” - Michael Miraflor</li><li>“You have to get a gauge on what young people are thinking as expressed by what they're wearing and what they're doing. If you can't really get a sense of that, because the dominant form of social media is encouraging the proliferation of micro trends that really aren't a reflection, but they send a smoke signal, then you might have something that's a bit problematic on your hands.” - Michael Miraflor</li><li>“The interesting piece here is that when we talk about this dystopian sort of like, well, this AI future, we're all going to get pushed around this and that. The alternative to that has to be an institution with enough trust and credibility that we're willing to let them become tastemakers, editors of newspapers, curators of fashion, pairers of coffee, those kinds of things.” - Mike Lackman</li><li>“There was a dark side to those things that we do see as unifying, which is they tend to have some sort of pretty strong editorial, perhaps even tyrannical authority associated with them to be able to set those standards in place. And I guess my point of jousting with you on that when we think about AI, the counterpoint to letting the system just run the algorithm unchecked is that someone has to put guardrails on that.” - Mike Lackman</li></ul><h3>Associated Links:</h3><ul><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mirateck" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michael Miraflor</a> of <a href="https://www.hannahgrey.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hannah Grey VC</a></li><li>Learn morea about <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-lackman-99173b18" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mike Lackman</a> of <a href="https://www.drinktrade.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trade Coffee</a></li><li>Have you checked out our <a href="http://youtube.com/futurecommercepodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">YouTube channel</a> yet?</li><li><a href="https://futurecommerce.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!</li><li>Listen to our other episodes of <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Future Commerce</a></li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

Our Sh*tty Robot Future

Brian Lange sat down with visionary Brian Roemmele this week, and luckily we get to listen in on a couple of hours of their conversation! Are you an AI user in the workplace? If so, Brian Roemmele challenges you to look at AI as a tool for creativity and empowerment, rather than replacement. Don’t Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater{00:03:30} “We're not designed to be in safety literally our entire life. We should always be a little unbalanced and a little challenged. So the same is true with AI. And that challenge forces creativity.” - Brian Roemmele{00:16:40} “I also challenge you to accept the fact that you no longer have a cemented position on anything. That does not mean that you just don't have a position. It means the tree is flexible so the wind doesn't break the tree.” - Brian Roemmele{00:21:24} “They'll tell me, “Brian, you're crazy. You're a charlatan. It's just math.” I go, "That's interesting. Now, we're dealing with human language. We're dealing with the psychology of humans that created the math. That's what you're seeing here.’" - Brian Roemmele{00:30:06} “You're now going to become seven times more powerful because you're going to know how to use this technology in a way that's going to empower you to be stronger. It is not a replacement. It's a tool. The spreadsheet didn't fire the accountant. It made the accountant more powerful.” - Brian Roemmele{00:37:23} “How do you train an AI system to understand good unless it knows bad? Now you can train good and bad, but the bad has got to be in there as a reference point because it needs a contextual way to identify.” - Brian Roemmele{00:41:56} “We build a persona. We build a personality. Because that creates engagement. If you're just going to put out robotic statements and go to freaking a Google search or Wikipedia, it's not engaging. So if I'm going to have a customer-facing interface, that interface better be useful and engaging.” - Brian Roemmele{01:28:11} “That machine is actually going to be able to have a bank and understand more of how I relate to the things that I find resonance with and find wisdom in. And it's actually going to be able to relate those things back to who I am and use an even more full understanding of the things that I find to be inspiring or the things that reflect me to interact with other people and other people's extended versions of themselves, i.e. their AI component. - Brian LangeAssociated Links:Dive into more of Brian Roemmele’s workListen to our past episodes with Brian RoemmeleDid you see our VISIONS: Volume IV drop? Check it out here.Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>Brian Lange sat down with visionary Brian Roemmele this week, and luckily we get to listen in on a couple of hours of their conversation! Are you an AI user in the workplace? If so, Brian Roemmele challenges you to look at AI as a tool for creativity and empowerment, rather than replacement. </p><h3>Don’t Throw the Baby out with the Bathwater</h3><ul><li><strong>{00:03:30} </strong>“We're not designed to be in safety literally our entire life. We should always be a little unbalanced and a little challenged. So the same is true with AI. And that challenge forces creativity.” - Brian Roemmele</li><li><strong>{00:16:40} </strong>“I also challenge you to accept the fact that you no longer have a cemented position on anything. That does not mean that you just don't have a position. It means the tree is flexible so the wind doesn't break the tree.” - Brian Roemmele</li><li><strong>{00:21:24}</strong> “They'll tell me, “Brian, you're crazy. You're a charlatan. It's just math.” I go, "That's interesting. Now, we're dealing with human language. We're dealing with the psychology of humans that created the math. That's what you're seeing here.’" - Brian Roemmele</li><li><strong>{00:30:06}</strong> “You're now going to become seven times more powerful because you're going to know how to use this technology in a way that's going to empower you to be stronger. It is not a replacement. It's a tool. The spreadsheet didn't fire the accountant. It made the accountant more powerful.” - Brian Roemmele</li><li><strong>{00:37:23} “</strong>How do you train an AI system to understand good unless it knows bad? Now you can train good and bad, but the bad has got to be in there as a reference point because it needs a contextual way to identify.” - Brian Roemmele</li><li><strong>{00:41:56} </strong>“We build a persona. We build a personality. Because that creates engagement. If you're just going to put out robotic statements and go to freaking a Google search or Wikipedia, it's not engaging. So if I'm going to have a customer-facing interface, that interface better be useful and engaging.” - Brian Roemmele</li><li><strong>{01:28:11}</strong> “That machine is actually going to be able to have a bank and understand more of how I relate to the things that I find resonance with and find wisdom in. And it's actually going to be able to relate those things back to who I am and use an even more full understanding of the things that I find to be inspiring or the things that reflect me to interact with other people and other people's extended versions of themselves, i.e. their AI component. - Brian Lange</li></ul><h3>Associated Links:</h3><ul><li>Dive into more of Brian Roemmele’s <a href="https://readmultiplex.com/author/admin/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">work</a></li><li>Listen to our <a href="https://www.futurecommerce.com/search?query=roemmele" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">past episodes</a> with Brian Roemmele</li><li>Did you see our VISIONS: Volume IV drop? Check it out <a href="https://visions.futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</li><li>Have you checked out <a href="http://youtube.com/futurecommercepodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our YouTube channel</a> yet?</li><li><a href="https://futurecommerce.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!</li><li>Listen to our other episodes of <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Future Commerce</a></li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

AI Should Empower Your Workforce, Not Replace Them

When a brand discovers the needs of their consumers and then provides them with that well, that is magic. For Keely Copeland, Founder of Second Chance Initiative, building a brand was about solving a problem that was bigger than her. She saw a need, she dreamed of a different way to meet that need, and then she began to build a brand that would bring hope to not just consumers, but also the women involved with the creation of their products. Listen now to this episode of Archetypes!Empty Vessel{00:04:27} “It was about how can we use commerce as a vehicle to create safe and secure jobs for women in recovery who are reentering the workforce so that they can come work in a healthy, secure environment for a few months, up to a year while they get back on their feet and then they can go back to either the career they used to have or something new altogether.” - Keely{00:07:48} “There's a tug of war of power between the brand and the consumer. And in this tug of war of power brands believe that they wield some power in the organization. In fact, what we're realizing is that consumers wield unlimited power over all of us. We are at their mercy and we adapt our businesses to their desires, not the other way around. You can't shape their needs. You can only find or discover the thing that they want from you.” - Phillip{00:10:08} “After Covid, there's a lot more alignment of priorities based on values that actually matter. I think for a long time we were trapped in junk values as a society, and when the world stopped for a few years, we got back to remembering what matters.” - Keely{00:14:39} “For every creator, I have come to believe that the emptying out is just as important as the taking in because there's no room for the new idea if your mind's already full, if you're thinking about what you have to do tomorrow and the paragraph that you want to write next or the podcast that you want to record next. And so an empty vessel is, in my mind, exclusively possibility. And it doesn't get much more optimistic than that.” - KeelyAssociated Links: Learn more about Keely Copeland and Second Chance InitiativeCheck out other Future Commerce podcastsSubscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>When a brand discovers the needs of their consumers and then provides them with that well, that is magic. For Keely Copeland, Founder of Second Chance Initiative, building a brand was about solving a problem that was bigger than her. She saw a need, she dreamed of a different way to meet that need, and then she began to build a brand that would bring hope to not just consumers, but also the women involved with the creation of their products. Listen now to this episode of Archetypes!</p><h3>Empty Vessel</h3><ul><li><strong>{00:04:27}</strong> “It was about how can we use commerce as a vehicle to create safe and secure jobs for women in recovery who are reentering the workforce so that they can come work in a healthy, secure environment for a few months, up to a year while they get back on their feet and then they can go back to either the career they used to have or something new altogether.” - Keely</li><li><strong>{00:07:48}</strong> “There's a tug of war of power between the brand and the consumer. And in this tug of war of power brands believe that they wield some power in the organization. In fact, what we're realizing is that consumers wield unlimited power over all of us. We are at their mercy and we adapt our businesses to their desires, not the other way around. You can't shape their needs. You can only find or discover the thing that they want from you.” - Phillip</li><li><strong>{00:10:08}</strong> “After Covid, there's a lot more alignment of priorities based on values that actually matter. I think for a long time we were trapped in junk values as a society, and when the world stopped for a few years, we got back to remembering what matters.” - Keely</li><li><strong>{00:14:39} </strong>“For every creator, I have come to believe that the emptying out is just as important as the taking in because there's no room for the new idea if your mind's already full, if you're thinking about what you have to do tomorrow and the paragraph that you want to write next or the podcast that you want to record next. And so an empty vessel is, in my mind, exclusively possibility. And it doesn't get much more optimistic than that.” - Keely</li></ul><h3>Associated Links: </h3><ul><li>Learn more about <a href="https://www.keelycopeland.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Keely Copeland</a> and <a href="https://her2ndchance.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Second Chance Initiative</a></li><li>Check out other Future Commerce <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcasts</a></li><li><a href="https://futurecommerce.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world!</li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

The Magician's Power

Have you checked out our other podcast Infinite Shelf yet? Here is a taste of our latest episode: Succession IRL. Listen in with hosts Ingrid Milman Cordy and Orchid Bertelsen and don't forget to subscribe!There comes a time when every DTC company hits the pause button and asks, “What’s next?” Cue the Patrick Bateman and Kendall Roy mergers and acquisitions quotes. If acquisition does end up being an option, when you cede power as a founder, will you be happy with what the new parent company decides to do? Will your legacy live on?Secret Sauce{00:11:11} “When we're talking about multinational corporations or larger corporations, usually you got to make sure that you've got a healthy business that you can just put your resources against in order to grow.” - Orchid{00:16:28} “There's a reason why acquisitions don't have the most fantastic reputation for succeeding post-acquisition. A lot of that is because too much emphasis is put on the acquirer to solve those problems after the fact. My advice is to have the founder or have the people who are running that DTC business think about what is that secret sauce of the company.” - Ingrid{00:17:53} “If you're a founder and you're selling, what you also have to be emotionally ready for is if the parent company starts to make strategic decisions about how to use the brand that you wouldn't necessarily agree with because it's not yours anymore. Post-acquisition is not yours anymore. That's why they paid you the money.” - Orchid{00:25:44} “With growth comes mass, more mass opportunities. You have to be more approachable, you have to be more accessible, unless you are a true luxury good.” - Orchid{00:32:03} “The people that you hire to help you be acquired, is another huge, important decision. They have to know your business and see the vision and see the purpose and be your champion just as much as the founders.” - IngridAssociated Links: Follow Infinite Shelf on InstagramWant to hear more? Check out past episodes hereLove your new co-host? Check her out on LinkedInCheck out other Future Commerce podcastsHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on Futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>Have you checked out our other podcast Infinite Shelf yet? Here is a taste of our latest episode: Succession IRL. Listen in with hosts Ingrid Milman Cordy and Orchid Bertelsen and don't forget to subscribe!</p><p>There comes a time when every DTC company hits the pause button and asks, “What’s next?” Cue the Patrick Bateman and Kendall Roy mergers and acquisitions quotes. If acquisition does end up being an option, when you cede power as a founder, will you be happy with what the new parent company decides to do? Will your legacy live on?</p><h3>Secret Sauce</h3><ul><li><strong>{00:11:11} “</strong>When we're talking about multinational corporations or larger corporations, usually you got to make sure that you've got a healthy business that you can just put your resources against in order to grow.” - Orchid</li><li><strong>{00:16:28} </strong>“There's a reason why acquisitions don't have the most fantastic reputation for succeeding post-acquisition. A lot of that is because too much emphasis is put on the acquirer to solve those problems after the fact. My advice is to have the founder or have the people who are running that DTC business think about what is that secret sauce of the company.” - Ingrid</li><li><strong>{00:17:53} </strong>“If you're a founder and you're selling, what you also have to be emotionally ready for is if the parent company starts to make strategic decisions about how to use the brand that you wouldn't necessarily agree with because it's not yours anymore. Post-acquisition is not yours anymore. That's why they paid you the money.” - Orchid</li><li><strong>{00:25:44} </strong>“With growth comes mass, more mass opportunities. You have to be more approachable, you have to be more accessible, unless you are a true luxury good.” - Orchid</li><li><strong>{00:32:03} </strong>“The people that you hire to help you be acquired, is another huge, important decision. They have to know your business and see the vision and see the purpose and be your champion just as much as the founders.” - Ingrid</li></ul><h3>Associated Links: </h3><ul><li>Follow Infinite Shelf on <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_infiniteshelf/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a></li><li>Want to hear more? Check out past episodes <a href="https://www.futurecommerce.com/infiniteshelf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a></li><li>Love your new co-host? Check her out on <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/orchidbertelsen" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a></li><li>Check out other Future Commerce <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">podcasts</a></li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

[INFINITE SHELF] Succession IRL

Just in time for the release of his new book, Jason Del Rey sits down with Phillip and Brian and talks about his research in the histories of Walmart and Amazon, what he learned that matters to consumers today, and what he’d like to see in the future of commerce. His book, Winner Sells All: Amazon, Walmart, and the Battle for Our Wallets is being called “A riveting investigation of the no-holds-barred battle between Amazon and Walmart to become the king of commerce.” It’s a must read, and it’s out TODAY, June 20th! Listen now to hear more and get your own copy of the book everywhere books are sold! Tug of War{00:04:02} “I'm a sports fan, and rivalries are something that I grew up on. And this was just sort of an epic one: Amazon and Walmart. And I really wanted to just go inside and explain to readers both in and outside the industry what these companies' ambitions are, how they look at each other, and hopefully, you get some takeaways on why that matters for you, too.” - Jason{00:09:29} “Maybe the innovator's dilemma is becoming the imitator's dilemma and that this competition in the marketplace is beginning to create challenges for both companies in having to imitate each other and potentially to wind up chasing red herrings.” - Phillip{00:17:40} “What's gone on in physical retail for {Amazon} is a good reminder that your DNA is your DNA as it was for Walmart. And it's really hard to execute well and have the right vision that isn't all about using the new channel or new business to just strengthen your historical business.” - Jason{00:24:26} “The way that this new generation of shoppers, especially a Gen Z and Gen Alpha shoppers, who could be the most prolific purchasing power generation of all time, what they think about those physical in-store experiences matters more than what I think about it.” - Phillip{00:46:01} “I have a chapter about Doug {McMillon} in the book because I do think he's sort of under cover for how important of a position he holds.” - Jason{00:49:20} “ I'd like to think a piece of future of commerce is also really figuring out a way that this industry is not such a drag on the environment. I think physical retail actually can play a big role in solving at least some of the short term issues there.” - JasonAssociated Links:Find out more about Jason Del Rey and get his new book, Winner Sells All, out today!Sign up HERE for eTail Boston 2023Have you checked out our YouTube channel yet?Subscribe to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world! Listen to our other episodes of Future CommerceHave any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on futurecommerce.com, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or LinkedIn. We love hearing from our listeners!

<p>Just in time for the release of his new book, Jason Del Rey sits down with Phillip and Brian and talks about his research in the histories of Walmart and Amazon, what he learned that matters to consumers today, and what he’d like to see in the future of commerce. His book, Winner Sells All: Amazon, Walmart, and the Battle for Our Wallets is being called “A riveting investigation of the no-holds-barred battle between Amazon and Walmart to become the king of commerce.” It’s a must read, and it’s out TODAY, June 20th! Listen now to hear more and get your own copy of the book everywhere books are sold! </p><h3>Tug of War</h3><ul><li>{00:04:02} “I'm a sports fan, and rivalries are something that I grew up on. And this was just sort of an epic one: Amazon and Walmart. And I really wanted to just go inside and explain to readers both in and outside the industry what these companies' ambitions are, how they look at each other, and hopefully, you get some takeaways on why that matters for you, too.” - Jason</li><li>{00:09:29} “Maybe the innovator's dilemma is becoming the imitator's dilemma and that this competition in the marketplace is beginning to create challenges for both companies in having to imitate each other and potentially to wind up chasing red herrings.” - Phillip</li><li>{00:17:40} “What's gone on in physical retail for {Amazon} is a good reminder that your DNA is your DNA as it was for Walmart. And it's really hard to execute well and have the right vision that isn't all about using the new channel or new business to just strengthen your historical business.” - Jason</li><li>{00:24:26} “The way that this new generation of shoppers, especially a Gen Z and Gen Alpha shoppers, who could be the most prolific purchasing power generation of all time, what they think about those physical in-store experiences matters more than what I think about it.” - Phillip</li><li>{00:46:01} “I have a chapter about Doug {McMillon} in the book because I do think he's sort of under cover for how important of a position he holds.” - Jason</li><li>{00:49:20} “ I'd like to think a piece of future of commerce is also really figuring out a way that this industry is not such a drag on the environment. I think physical retail actually can play a big role in solving at least some of the short term issues there.” - Jason</li></ul><h3>Associated Links:</h3><ul><li>Find out more about <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasondelrey" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jason Del Rey</a> and get his new book, Winner Sells All, out today!</li><li>Sign up <a href="https://etaileast.wbresearch.com/?utm_campaign=10359.018_BLUE_GPPC&amp;extTreatId=7578034&amp;gad=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjw7aqkBhDPARIsAKGa0oKKlSyecPluEYXXE7wnSSSgNHQBzz4om1SWiA9g8yj54z3ME-tMjfcaAgDKEALw_wcB" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">HERE</a> for eTail Boston 2023</li><li>Have you checked out <a href="http://youtube.com/futurecommercepodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our YouTube channel</a> yet?</li><li><a href="https://futurecommerce.com/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> to Insiders and The Senses to read more of what we are witnessing in the commerce world! </li><li>Listen to our other episodes of <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Future Commerce</a></li></ul><p>Have any questions or comments about the show? Let us know on <a href="https://futurecommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">futurecommerce.com</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/futurecommerce" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/futurecommerce/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">LinkedIn</a>. We love hearing from our listeners!</p>

Winner Sells All

Future Commerce is the leading podcast for eCommerce and digital operators alike who aren't looking for the next conversion rate optimization tip or how to execute a playbook. It's for those who yearn for something deeper than CRO and PPC.Each week our hosts Phillip Jackson and Brian Lange explore what it means to sell or buy products online, and how commerce and media impact the culture and the world around us.Weekly essays, blogs, show notes, full transcripts, and quarterly market research reports are available at https://futurecommerce.fm

If you like planet money you’ll like this!

Solid commerce talk

I would give it 6 stars, but Lianne isn’t on every single show.

Wowowowow

Future Commerce is the leading podcast for eCommerce and digital operators alike who aren't looking for the next conversion rate optimization tip or how to execute a playbook. It's for those who yearn for something deeper than CRO and PPC.<br><br>Each week our hosts Phillip Jackson and Brian Lange explore what it means to sell or buy products online, and how commerce and media impact the culture and the world around us.<br><br>Weekly essays, blogs, show notes, full transcripts, and quarterly market research reports are available at <a href="https://futurecommerce.fm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://futurecommerce.fm</a>

Future Commerce Podcast: eCommerce, DTC and Retail Strategy

Allen Nance

According to Allen Nance email has transcended from a communication platform to a global source of identity for consumers the world over.  The CMO of Emarsys sits down with us to talk about how this communication medium has a globally accepted protocol which may unlock the key to identity in a social and mobile commerce future. Listen now! Show Notes About Allen Nance (an "Email OG")   Allen Nance was person in his family to graduate high school. He then attended Georgia Institute of Technology.   After graduating, Allen founded one of the first ESP's (Email Service Providers) WhatCounts.   After selling that company in 2010, he moved on to investing in ecommerce and marketing technology.   When Emarsys entered the US market a few years ago, he met the founders and really loved their team and their platform. He joined their team shortly after.   Is email dead?   Every few months, someone releases an article declaring, "EMAIL IS DEAD!"   Nance says "Ignore those." It is one of only global ubiquitous communication platforms that has ever existed on earth. It will continue to be a dominant channel.   Email is the social security number of the internet, our digital ID.   Email is the start of an omnichannel experience   Don't think about email as a single channel. Email the single most valuable first party data identifier we have.   This is essential for tying together Facebook Advertising, Google Display Network, mobile, and web experience.   Email will endure because it is our greatest identifier online.   "Not so fast" said the Asian market   In Asia, SMS is the standard identifier online.   Despite this, email remains the dominant channel in commerce.   Mobile commerce is not growing at the same rate as mobile traffic   In general, mobile traffic is increasing while web traffic is decreasing. But in commerce, mobile is only seeing this same exponential growth when it is in native interactions, like Uber or Apple Pay.   As retailers define mobile first experience for commerce, email can move from a traffic channel to a transaction platform.   In the future, email is the destination, not the journey   Most marketers use email to send traffic to a destination, but in the future, email can become a destination for transaction, where purchases are made in the email itself.   This future is dependant on advances in content personalization and security.   Unleashing the "The Creative Renaissance"   On the technology side of marketing, providers must develop their tools so that marketers only to develop strategy, develop content, and develop a creative experience.   If software can become more industry specific and intelligent, the extra time spent on CSV files, dragging and dropping, and building campaigns, can be used to fuel creative work of marketers.   No more empty software   Too much software is "empty," leaving marketers to configure many touchpoints that could be automated.   Often you buy a power point presentation, but you receive a piece of empty software.   Software companies need to utilize data to give retailers a head start.   Emarsys updates over 100 million data points per day. Their goal is to use this vast amount of consumer data to create better solutions, not just empty software.   Allen Nance's near-term recommendations for marketers and merchants   Understand that data is the single most valuable asset you have.   People talk a lot about AI, but AI is not like Febreze. You can't spray AI on crappy data to make it smell good.   It's better to have good data than a lot of data.   Evaluate how you are using email as the digital identifier of your omnichannel strategy.   How do I use email across point of sale, mobile, Facebook advertising, and Google Display Network?   What Allen is most excited about for the future   The divergence of the gap between mobile growth and mobile commerce. This is a huge opportunity for companies that think about this challenge.   First party data is going to become the most valuable thing that marketers have. The idea of a "data collective" will become more prevalent where a multitude of retailers will share their digital data with each other.   Individualized pricing. Industries can use personalized data to custom cater pricing on a large scale.   Bring your voice to the conversation   Have you experience empty software?   What are you doing with your first party data? 

<p>According to Allen Nance email has transcended from a communication platform to a global source of identity for consumers the world over.  The CMO of Emarsys sits down with us to talk about how this communication medium has a globally accepted protocol which may unlock the key to identity in a social and mobile commerce future. Listen now!</p> <h2>Show Notes</h2> <h3>About Allen Nance (an "Email OG")</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/allennance/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Allen Nance</a> was person in his family to graduate high school. He then attended Georgia Institute of Technology.</p> </li> <li> <p>After graduating, Allen founded one of the first ESP's (Email Service Providers) WhatCounts.</p> </li> <li> <p>After selling that company in 2010, he moved on to investing in ecommerce and marketing technology.</p> </li> <li> <p>When <a href="https://www.dmnews.com/data/news/13055695/emarsys-emerges-from-the-shadows" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emarsys entered the US market a few years ago,</a> he met the founders and really loved their team and their platform. He joined their team shortly after.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Is email dead?</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Every few months, someone releases an article declaring, "<a href="https://bigthink.com/ideafeed/email-is-dead-whats-next" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">EMAIL</a> <a href="http://www.social-experts.net/email-is-dead/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IS</a> <a href="https://www.wrike.com/blog/3-reasons-email-dead/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DEAD</a>!"</p> </li> <li> <p>Nance says "Ignore those." It is one of only global ubiquitous communication platforms that has ever existed on earth. It will continue to be a dominant channel.</p> </li> <li> <p>Email is the social security number of the internet, our digital ID.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Email is the start of an omnichannel experience</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Don't think about email as a single channel. Email the single most valuable first party data identifier we have.</p> </li> <li> <p>This is essential for tying together Facebook Advertising, Google Display Network, mobile, and web experience.</p> </li> <li> <p>Email will endure because it is our greatest identifier online.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>"Not so fast" said the Asian market</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.clickz.com/is-sms-marketing-still-relevant-in-2017/112101/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In Asia, SMS is the standard identifier online.</a></p> </li> <li> <p>Despite this, email remains the dominant channel in commerce.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Mobile commerce is not growing at the same rate as mobile traffic</h3> <ul> <li> <p>In general, mobile traffic is increasing while web traffic is decreasing. But in commerce, mobile is only seeing this same exponential growth when it is in native interactions, like Uber or Apple Pay.</p> </li> <li> <p>As retailers define mobile first experience for commerce, email can move from a traffic channel to a transaction platform.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>In the future, email is the destination, not the journey</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Most marketers use email to send traffic to a destination, but in the future, email can become a destination for transaction, where purchases are made in the email itself.</p> </li> <li> <p>This future is dependant on advances in content personalization and security.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Unleashing the "The Creative Renaissance"</h3> <ul> <li> <p>On the technology side of marketing, providers must develop their tools so that marketers only to develop strategy, develop content, and develop a creative experience.</p> </li> <li> <p>If software can become more industry specific and intelligent, the extra time spent on CSV files, dragging and dropping, and building campaigns, can be used to fuel creative work of marketers.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>No more empty software</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Too much software is "empty," leaving marketers to configure many touchpoints that could be automated.</p> </li> <li> <p>Often you buy a power point presentation, but you receive a piece of empty software.</p> </li> <li> <p>Software companies need to utilize data to give retailers a head start.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.emarsys.com/en/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emarsys</a> updates over 100 million data points per day. Their goal is to use this vast amount of consumer data to create better solutions, not just empty software.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Allen Nance's near-term recommendations for marketers and merchants</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Understand that data is the single most valuable asset you have.</p> </li> <li> <p>People talk a lot about AI, but AI is not like Febreze. You can't spray AI on crappy data to make it smell good.</p> </li> <li> <p>It's better to have good data than a lot of data.</p> </li> <li> <p>Evaluate how you are using email as the digital identifier of your omnichannel strategy.</p> </li> <li> <p>How do I use email across point of sale, mobile, Facebook advertising, and Google Display Network?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>What Allen is most excited about for the future</h3> <ul> <li> <p>The divergence of the gap between mobile growth and mobile commerce. This is a huge opportunity for companies that think about this challenge.</p> </li> <li> <p>First party data is going to become the most valuable thing that marketers have. The idea of a "data collective" will become more prevalent where a multitude of retailers will share their digital data with each other.</p> </li> <li> <p>Individualized pricing. Industries can use personalized data to custom cater pricing on a large scale.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Bring your voice to the conversation</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Have you experience empty software?</p> </li> <li> <p>What are you doing with your first party data?</p> </li></ul>

"Email is a Global Identity Platform" (w/ Allen Nance, Emarsys)

Brian discusses Watson, Cognitive, and the challenges of applying technology to retail with Amber Armstrong, Director of Digital, Social, Influencer at IBM

NRF Series: IBM Watson with Amber Armstrong

Nick Ling and Emmett Shine's new company, Pattern Brands, is on a mission - to create consumer brands which encourage you to enjoy everyday life and to create good habits. In this interview, we dive into why they formed Pattern, what the plan to do with it, and how they plan to change the world. Listen now! Main Takeaways:   Nick Ling (Co-Founder and CEO) and Emmett Shine (Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director) of Pattern Brands join Brian and Phillip on today's episode.   Pattern Brands is changing the way that its brands connect with their customers and helping them find more enjoyment in their daily lives.    How do you address and counter digital burnout in a digital world?   Small and accomplishable tasks are actionable items that Pattern is encouraging its customers to complete to improve their lives.   What is Pattern Brands?: The Founders' Story:    Gin Lane has been a digital-based agency that has focused on the start-up economy that grew out of New York City.   Gin Lane became Pattern Brands, which is a family of brands that has products and guidance designed to help people find more enjoyment in their daily lives.   While at Gin Lane, the team asked themselves how they could work together for years into the future, and Pattern grew out of that process.   "We were all feeling this feeling of digital burnout, and Pattern itself is a reaction to that which strives to create an alternate reality in which we want to spend our time".   Bridging the Gap: Having a Professional Service and Turning Those Lessons Inward:   Gin Lane was a partner in bringing a lot of businesses to market and helped entrepreneurs go from a business-focused pitch deck, to what the business could potentially be.   Gin Lane's employees often felt like they were employees of the companies that were in their portfolio, so this created a different relationship between these brands.    At Pattern, the team is doing a lot of the same things they would have done during the Gin Lane days, but are focusing on their brands as opposed to partner brands.    By understanding digital technology and products, Pattern was able to supplement their staff with skills that they knew they needed more expertise in.   A Team of the Highest Caliber: Lessons in Hiring:   Brian was struck by that part of Pattern's mission is working with people that they want to work with and asks if that has led to the hiring decisions they have made.    At any moment, Pattern can call upon any of the fifty or more entrepreneurs that they have worked with in the past, which has allowed a broad array of talent to come across.    Newer entrepreneurs rarely are in the position of being asked by a company like Pattern for their opinion, and these insights pave the way for meaningful hires.     Phillip asks if Nick and Emmett consider what they are doing at Pattern to be a reshaping of all of retail and where we are in that curve of change.   The Reshaping of Modern Retail: The Curve of Change:   The generation of consumer that is now entering their thirties has a very different set of values than the Baby Boomer generation, and the evolutions in consumer goods are a direct reflection of this change of values.    It is very hard for legacy brands to honestly say that they are serving this changed system of values.    Pattern is a reflection of the environment that we are in right now and is a direct response to the stresses of the current environment of the world.    Brian states that Baby Boomers feel to him now as they used to look at him, and points out that he feels digital burnout very strongly.   Digital Burnout: Reconciling Strategy and Self Care:   Is there a way to both promote digital strategy while promoting ways to deal with digital burnout?   A lot of the authors that are writing on digital burnout are in their early thirties, and one of the main issues is that it is so hard to identify what is happening as you are going through burnout yourself.    For comparison, technology is a tool that has moved exponentially in our lifetimes, but our biology is something that is firmly stuck in place.   We are in the infancy of technology in the grand scheme of civilization, so we do not have the tools or vocabulary to address and identify the issues that come along with that.   What Does Success Look Like?: The Failure of Meritocracy:   Emmett brings up a recent article in the Atlantic that talks about the failures of meritocracy and contrasts that to the opposite Attention Economy.   These competing forces are squeezing all of our personal time and even our sleep.   Consumers have an expectation of your brand that you didn't set, but there is a new expectation for brands to either build communities or have a conscious.    Pattern is trying to recognize the role we play in society, the marketplace, and government in a for-profit way.   One Small Step: Re-Focusing Attention Through Accomplishable Tasks:    Speaking to an entity that acknowledges you is very important as a consumer, even if it is something we don't consciously strive for.    Pattern is trying to help young adults recognize that the balance of where their attention is focused might not be the best for their well being.    One of the main ways in which Pattern is changing behavior is by encouraging small and accomplishable tasks that promote better self-care and remedy digital burnout.    We are eroding and losing touch with each other due to digital burnout and Pattern is hoping to reverse this erosion,   Rhythms of Life: Disruption and Connection in the Digital Age:   Brian brings up Care/Of and how they are focused on building a connection between the consumer and the brand in a way that hasn't happened since long ago.   Is there an active shift between how brands and consumers interact with each other?   Pattern is thinking about intimacy at scale and trying to give people the acknowledged experience of small-town general stores but on a larger scale.    Emmet comments that they are starting to describe their brands as "direct-with-consumer" as that implies a bi-directional relationship.   Changing Behaviors: Breaking Digital Chains:   Pattern is trying to change peoples' habits in a non-aspirational or patronizing way by meeting people where they are at and expressing and allowing vulnerabilities.    The guidance component of Pattern is human-led (not AI or automated) and this allows for a more human connection between the brand and the consumer.    What are the benefits of having a human-led guidance component as opposed to an automated system?   Nick states that they are trying to help people redefine how they spend their quality time, but that isn't easy.   Fostering Change: Power Through Commerce:   Commerce can connect people globally (as it has for millennia) and it can change the future.   What other areas could be ripe for fostering such a level of global change?   Commerce focus entrepreneurship is the way you provide global change and mobility for founders and businesses in the United States.    Phillip states that this journey of improving lives and addressing digital burnout is one that he has been going through himself.   Deeper Dives: Future Commerce Alumni Questions:    Emily Singer from last week's episode asks how Pattern balances philosophy with the need to sell products.   Pattern is trying to help people be intentional and conscious of how they use consumer products, just how the food industry has come to a more conscious positioning in the past twenty years.    As a brand, Pattern is intentional with how they communicate with their consumers through Instagram by restricting usage to only six hours per week.    Pattern is not selling a product, they are selling a way to use your time.   Looking to the Future: Personal Betterment For All:   Brian asks Nick and Emmett to talk about where they see commerce headed in the next five years.   Nick says that we are at the beginning of the revolution of commerce instead of at the end of it and we will continue to see legacy brands struggle as millennial values overtake the industry.    We will also see more and more personalized brands as technology is allowing us to serve smaller and smaller groups of people.    Emmett believes that automation and AI will continue to advance and that there are benefits to technology and what that democratizes.   Brands Mentioned in this Episode:   Pattern Brands   Gin Lane   Care/Of   As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! How can your brand encourage your customers to make changes to improve their lives? Let us know in the content section on Futurecommerce.fm, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Linkedin. Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels; we love hearing from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.

<p>Nick Ling and Emmett Shine's new company, Pattern Brands, is on a mission - to create consumer brands which encourage you to enjoy everyday life and to create good habits. In this interview, we dive into why they formed Pattern, what the plan to do with it, and how they plan to change the world.</p> <p>Listen now!</p> <h2>Main Takeaways:</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-ling-4148b18/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nick Ling</a> (Co-Founder and CEO) and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emmettshine/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emmett Shine</a> (Co-Founder and Executive Creative Director) of <a href="https://patternbrands.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Pattern Brands</a> join Brian and Phillip on today's episode.</p> </li> <li> <p>Pattern Brands is changing the way that its brands connect with their customers and helping them find more enjoyment in their daily lives. </p> </li> <li> <p>How do you address and counter digital burnout in a digital world?</p> </li> <li> <p>Small and accomplishable tasks are actionable items that Pattern is encouraging its customers to complete to improve their lives.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>What is Pattern Brands?: The Founders' Story: </h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.ginlane.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gin Lane</a> has been a digital-based agency that has focused on the start-up economy that grew out of New York City.</p> </li> <li> <p>Gin Lane became Pattern Brands, which is a family of brands that has products and guidance designed to help people find more enjoyment in their daily lives.</p> </li> <li> <p>While at Gin Lane, the team asked themselves how they could work together for years into the future, and Pattern grew out of that process.</p> </li> <li> <p>"We were all feeling this feeling of digital burnout, and Pattern itself is a reaction to that which strives to create an alternate reality in which we want to spend our time".</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Bridging the Gap: Having a Professional Service and Turning Those Lessons Inward:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Gin Lane was a partner in bringing a lot of businesses to market and helped entrepreneurs go from a business-focused pitch deck, to what the business could potentially be.</p> </li> <li> <p>Gin Lane's employees often felt like they were employees of the companies that were in their portfolio, so this created a different relationship between these brands. </p> </li> <li> <p>At Pattern, the team is doing a lot of the same things they would have done during the Gin Lane days, but are focusing on their brands as opposed to partner brands. </p> </li> <li> <p>By understanding digital technology and products, Pattern was able to supplement their staff with skills that they knew they needed more expertise in.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>A Team of the Highest Caliber: Lessons in Hiring:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian was struck by that part of Pattern's mission is working with people that they want to work with and asks if that has led to the hiring decisions they have made. </p> </li> <li> <p>At any moment, Pattern can call upon any of the fifty or more entrepreneurs that they have worked with in the past, which has allowed a broad array of talent to come across. </p> </li> <li> <p>Newer entrepreneurs rarely are in the position of being asked by a company like Pattern for their opinion, and these insights pave the way for meaningful hires.  </p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip asks if Nick and Emmett consider what they are doing at Pattern to be a reshaping of all of retail and where we are in that curve of change.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Reshaping of Modern Retail: The Curve of Change:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>The generation of consumer that is now entering their thirties has a very different set of values than the Baby Boomer generation, and the evolutions in consumer goods are a direct reflection of this change of values. </p> </li> <li> <p>It is very hard for legacy brands to honestly say that they are serving this changed system of values. </p> </li> <li> <p>Pattern is a reflection of the environment that we are in right now and is a direct response to the stresses of the current environment of the world. </p> </li> <li> <p>Brian states that Baby Boomers feel to him now as they used to look at him, and points out that he feels digital burnout very strongly.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Digital Burnout: Reconciling Strategy and Self Care:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Is there a way to both promote digital strategy while promoting ways to deal with digital burnout?</p> </li> <li> <p>A lot of the authors that are writing on digital burnout are in their early thirties, and one of the main issues is that it is so hard to identify what is happening as you are going through burnout yourself. </p> </li> <li> <p>For comparison, technology is a tool that has moved exponentially in our lifetimes, but our biology is something that is firmly stuck in place.</p> </li> <li> <p>We are in the infancy of technology in the grand scheme of civilization, so we do not have the tools or vocabulary to address and identify the issues that come along with that.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>What Does Success Look Like?: The Failure of Meritocracy:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Emmett brings up a <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2012/06/the-cult-of-smartness-how-meritocracy-is-failing-america/258492/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recent article in the Atlantic</a> that talks about the failures of meritocracy and contrasts that to the opposite Attention Economy.</p> </li> <li> <p>These competing forces are squeezing all of our personal time and even our sleep.</p> </li> <li> <p>Consumers have an expectation of your brand that you didn't set, but there is a new expectation for brands to either build communities or have a conscious. </p> </li> <li> <p>Pattern is trying to recognize the role we play in society, the marketplace, and government in a for-profit way.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>One Small Step: Re-Focusing Attention Through Accomplishable Tasks: </h3> <ul> <li> <p>Speaking to an entity that acknowledges you is very important as a consumer, even if it is something we don't consciously strive for. </p> </li> <li> <p>Pattern is trying to help young adults recognize that the balance of where their attention is focused might not be the best for their well being. </p> </li> <li> <p>One of the main ways in which Pattern is changing behavior is by encouraging small and accomplishable tasks that promote better self-care and remedy digital burnout. </p> </li> <li> <p>We are eroding and losing touch with each other due to digital burnout and Pattern is hoping to reverse this erosion,</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Rhythms of Life: Disruption and Connection in the Digital Age:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian brings up <a href="https://takecareof.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Care/Of</a> and how they are focused on building a connection between the consumer and the brand in a way that hasn't happened since long ago.</p> </li> <li> <p>Is there an active shift between how brands and consumers interact with each other?</p> </li> <li> <p>Pattern is thinking about intimacy at scale and trying to give people the acknowledged experience of small-town general stores but on a larger scale. </p> </li> <li> <p>Emmet comments that they are starting to describe their brands as "direct-with-consumer" as that implies a bi-directional relationship.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Changing Behaviors: Breaking Digital Chains:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Pattern is trying to change peoples' habits in a non-aspirational or patronizing way by meeting people where they are at and expressing and allowing vulnerabilities. </p> </li> <li> <p>The guidance component of Pattern is human-led (not AI or automated) and this allows for a more human connection between the brand and the consumer. </p> </li> <li> <p>What are the benefits of having a human-led guidance component as opposed to an automated system?</p> </li> <li> <p>Nick states that they are trying to help people redefine how they spend their quality time, but that isn't easy.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Fostering Change: Power Through Commerce:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Commerce can connect people globally (as it has for millennia) and it can change the future.</p> </li> <li> <p>What other areas could be ripe for fostering such a level of global change?</p> </li> <li> <p>Commerce focus entrepreneurship is the way you provide global change and mobility for founders and businesses in the United States. </p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip states that this journey of improving lives and addressing digital burnout is one that he has been going through himself.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Deeper Dives: Future Commerce Alumni Questions: </h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-singer-7922b636/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Emily Singer</a> from <a href="https://futurecommerce.fm/focused-brands-find-their-audience-w-emily-singer-chips-dips" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">last week's episode</a> asks how Pattern balances philosophy with the need to sell products.</p> </li> <li> <p>Pattern is trying to help people be intentional and conscious of how they use consumer products, just how the food industry has come to a more conscious positioning in the past twenty years. </p> </li> <li> <p>As a brand, Pattern is intentional with how they communicate with their consumers through Instagram by restricting usage to only six hours per week. </p> </li> <li> <p>Pattern is not selling a product, they are selling a way to use your time.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Looking to the Future: Personal Betterment For All:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian asks Nick and Emmett to talk about where they see commerce headed in the next five years.</p> </li> <li> <p>Nick says that we are at the beginning of the revolution of commerce instead of at the end of it and we will continue to see legacy brands struggle as millennial values overtake the industry. </p> </li> <li> <p>We will also see more and more personalized brands as technology is allowing us to serve smaller and smaller groups of people. </p> </li> <li> <p>Emmett believes that automation and AI will continue to advance and that there are benefits to technology and what that democratizes.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Brands Mentioned in this Episode:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Pattern Brands</p> </li> <li> <p>Gin Lane</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://takecareof.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Care/Of</a></p> </li> </ul> <p>As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! How can your brand encourage your customers to make changes to improve their lives?</p> <p>Let us know in the content section on <a href="http://Futurecommerce.fm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.fm</a>, or reach out to us on<a href="https://twitter.com/CommerceFuture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Twitter</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Facebook</a>,<a href="http://m.com/commercefuture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Instagram</a>, or<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Linkedin</a>.</p> <p>Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels; we love hearing from our listeners!</p> <p>Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.</p>

"We're Not Selling Products. We're Selling a Way to Use Your Time" an Interview with Pattern Brands

Tom Robertshaw

The guys sit down with IBM Watson and Cognitive Commerce Expert Tom Robertshaw to talk about the future of machine learning , artificial intelligence and tradeoff analytics.

Cognitive Commerce (featuring Tom Robertshaw)

ShopTalk &amp; Conferences  https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx1uYrbOl5-cHikI-VDsgPs6Sg87dcv-G  Hot Skill of the Day Privacy and legality of Alexa's "always on" feature  https://consumerist.com/2016/05/26/all-those-smart-devices-that-listen-to-your-house-may-be-unlawfully-violating-kids-privacy/  Passive Commerce  Jason L. Baptiste http://jasonlbaptiste.com/featured-articles/passive-commerce-is-the-big-opportunity-to-fill-the-space-between-pinterest-and-amazon/ What is it? Where does it exist? Pinterest's power Popup stores Nordstrom + Tesla Phillip's wallet, 3x Twitter buyable tweets 

<h2>ShopTalk &amp; Conferences</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx1uYrbOl5-cHikI-VDsgPs6Sg87dcv-G" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLx1uYrbOl5-cHikI-VDsgPs6Sg87dcv-G</a></li> </ul> <h2>Hot Skill of the Day</h2> <h2>Privacy and legality of Alexa's "always on" feature</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://consumerist.com/2016/05/26/all-those-smart-devices-that-listen-to-your-house-may-be-unlawfully-violating-kids-privacy/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://consumerist.com/2016/05/26/all-those-smart-devices-that-listen-to-your-house-may-be-unlawfully-violating-kids-privacy/</a></li> </ul> <h2>Passive Commerce</h2> <ul> <li>Jason L. Baptiste<br/> <a href="http://jasonlbaptiste.com/featured-articles/passive-commerce-is-the-big-opportunity-to-fill-the-space-between-pinterest-and-amazon/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://jasonlbaptiste.com/featured-articles/passive-commerce-is-the-big-opportunity-to-fill-the-space-between-pinterest-and-amazon/</a></li> <li>What is it?</li> <li>Where does it exist?</li> <li>Pinterest's power</li> <li>Popup stores</li> <li>Nordstrom + Tesla</li> <li>Phillip's wallet, 3x</li> <li>Twitter buyable tweets</li> </ul>

An Introduction to Passive Commerce

Jacob Matson

We get with Funko's Director of Digital Innovation Jacob Matson to discuss how digital and blockchain are changing how retailers do business

Funko and the Future of Digital In-Store and Blockchain (w/ Jacob Matson)

Brian wants to go "woke" hunting, Phillip identifies socially conscious brands,  Digiday launches Modern Retail. PLUS: MailChimp creates a content division because, quote, "why not?" Listen now! Show Notes: Main Takeaways:   Brian wants to tell all of us about "woke commerce," and he's taken to Twitter to talk about it   Will outdoor brands start to cater to hunters and fishers in the counterculture?   June is Pride Month (Happy Pride!!), and brands are using their platforms to amplify allyship with the LGBTQAI+ community.   Is Target the more socially conscious version of Walmart?   Phillip really wants Brian to get hate mail.   Brian (And Only Brian) Wants to Talk About "Woke Commerce.":   Brian wants to talk about woke commerce, which is effectively brands that are aware of and make it clear that they are aware of (and support) modern takes on many issues, for example, Patagonia's multiple campaigns to protect the environment and promote fair labor practices. Also, Patagonia's campaign to rebuke the Trump administration for reducing the size of two national monuments: Bear's Eve and Grand Staircase-Escalante.   Phillip says that the term "woke" started well and has since been co-opted to mean things outside its original intent.   Brian lives in Seattle: he knows several people who aren't all in on the current hunting culture (they may well support hunting regulations and increased gun control, but they do like to hunt and find themselves unable to purchase from places in-line with their values.   The only brands that may be socially conscious, are generally more outdoors brand and not for hunting and fishing: except perhaps Filson's.   Hunting aside: some brands are very obviously more socially conscious and value driven: like Third Love (Phillip takes a moment to hate on VS) and Everlane.   Creating Content Around Community: The New/Old Way of Commerce:   For as long as commerce has existed, there has been a sense of community around it. Open air markets where farmers and fisherman etc. came to sell their wares, to church, to sports and all sorts of events.   Now brands are dually creating products and communities at the same time, like Lively's founder Michelle Cordeiro Grant (or as Lianne refers to her, MCG), who in building Lively has built up a community that has actually resulted in the forming of several female-founded companies, Michelle explains the magic that  happens when community meets commerce in her interview with Future Commerce, which is fantastic and inspiring.   And now Mailchimp is getting in on the action of community-driven commerce, and they've decided to create original content, including a podcast.   Phillip says Mailchimp has always been more than an email marketing platform, and he could see them acquiring a media company at some point.   Also: It seems like every media is creating a retail vertical: special shoutout to Hilary Milnes (and Anna Hensel) from Digiday for establishing Modern Retail, which is killing the content game.   Amazon Creates a Credit Card For The Underbanked:   When we talk about commerce, we tend to forget that there are populations that may be underserved by a lot of the innovations in commerce, and those store closings (like dress barn) may affect significantly, people in rural areas, and those with considerably less disposable income.   Amazon has created a credit card for those with subpar credit, which is in direct contrast to Apple's card partnership with Goldman's Sachs.   According to Lauren Thomas of CNBC: "The e-commerce giant partnered with publicly traded bank Synchrony Financial to launch "Amazon Credit Builder" --- a program that lends to shoppers with no credit history or bad credit, who would otherwise be exempt from Amazon's loyalty cards."   Phillip and Brian seem to disagree on if this is a good idea.   Brian thinks e-commerce is the answer to store closings.   The exciting thing about this is that unlike other secured cards Amazon's card comes with some perks, like 5% cashback.   Amazon also has special programs who are on EBT or Medicaid, and also have student discounts for Prime.   Phillip wonders if this kind of program for vulnerable populations may be a slippery slope to unethical control of people's entire lives.   We love to hear from our listeners: Do you think brands are doing a good enough job of being socially conscious? Do you think Amazon's new program is a good idea? And what's the best example of a brand creating an inclusive community for their customers? Let us know in the content section on Futurecommerce.fm, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin. Any questions, comments or inquiries, can be emailed to , and if you really want to send Brian hatemail, you can do so at .

<p>Brian wants to go "woke" hunting, Phillip identifies socially conscious brands,  Digiday launches Modern Retail. PLUS: MailChimp creates a content division because, quote, "why not?" Listen now!</p> <h2>Show Notes:</h2> <h2>Main Takeaways:</h2> <ul> <li> <p>Brian wants to tell all of us about "woke commerce," and he's taken to Twitter to talk about it</p> </li> <li> <p>Will outdoor brands start to cater to hunters and fishers in the counterculture?</p> </li> <li> <p>June is Pride Month (Happy Pride!!), and brands are using their platforms to amplify allyship with the LGBTQAI+ community.</p> </li> <li> <p>Is Target the more socially conscious version of Walmart?</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip really wants Brian to get hate mail.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Brian (And Only Brian) Wants to Talk About "Woke Commerce.":</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian wants to talk about woke commerce, which is effectively brands that are aware of and make it clear that they are aware of (and support) modern takes on many issues, for example, Patagonia's multiple campaigns to protect the environment and promote fair labor practices. Also, <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/05/business/patagonia-trump-bears-ears.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Patagonia's campaign to rebuke the Trump administration for reducing the size of two national monuments: Bear's Eve and Grand Staircase-Escalante</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip says that the term "woke" started well and has since been co-opted to mean things outside its original intent.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian lives in Seattle: he knows several people who aren't all in on the current hunting culture (they may well support hunting regulations and increased gun control, but they do like to hunt and find themselves unable to purchase from places in-line with their values.</p> </li> <li> <p>The only brands that may be socially conscious, are generally more outdoors brand and not for hunting and fishing:<a href="https://www.filson.com/hunting.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> except perhaps Filson's</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Hunting aside: some brands are very obviously <a href="https://www.zdnet.com/article/socially-conscious-brands-have-an-edge-with-consumers-according-to-study/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">more socially conscious and value driven: like Third Love</a> (Phillip takes a moment to hate on VS) and Everlane.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Creating Content Around Community: The New/Old Way of Commerce:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>For as long as commerce has existed, there has been a sense of community around it. Open air markets where farmers and fisherman etc. came to sell their wares, to church, to sports and all sorts of events.</p> </li> <li> <p>Now brands are dually creating products and communities at the same time, like Lively's founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-cordeiro-grant-669755" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michelle Cordeiro Grant</a> (or as Lianne refers to her, MCG), who in building Lively has built up a community that has actually resulted in the forming of several female-founded companies, <a href="https://www.futurecommerce.fm/capture-a-customer-capture-a-household-interview-with-michelle-cordeiro-grant-ceo-of-lively-live-at-shoptalk-2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Michelle explains the magic that  happens when community meets commerce in her interview with Future Commerce</a>, which is fantastic and inspiring.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://variety.com/2019/digital/news/mailchimp-presents-entertainment-studio-1203235773/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">And now Mailchimp is getting in on the action of community-driven commerce, and they've decided to create original content</a>, including a podcast.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip says Mailchimp has always been more than an email marketing platform, and he could see them acquiring a media company at some point.</p> </li> <li> <p>Also: It seems like every media is creating a retail vertical: special shoutout to <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hilary-milnes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hilary Milnes</a> (and <a href="https://digiday.com/author/annadigiday-com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anna Hensel</a>) from Digiday for establishing <a href="https://modernretail.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Modern Retail</a>, which is killing the content game.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Amazon Creates a Credit Card For The Underbanked:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>When we talk about commerce, we tend to forget that there are populations that may be underserved by a lot of the innovations in commerce, and those store closings (like dress barn) may affect significantly, people in rural areas, and those with considerably less disposable income.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/06/13/amazon-launches-new-card-for-bad-credit-customers/1430196001/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon has created a credit card for those with subpar credit</a>, which is in direct contrast to Apple's card partnership with Goldman's Sachs.</p> </li> <li> <p>According to <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/lauren-thomas/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lauren Thomas of CNBC</a>: "The e-commerce giant partnered with publicly traded bank <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/quotes/?symbol=SYF" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Synchrony Financial</a> to launch "Amazon Credit Builder" --- a program that lends to shoppers with no credit history or bad credit, who would otherwise be exempt from Amazon's loyalty cards."</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip and Brian seem to disagree on if this is a good idea.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian thinks e-commerce is the answer to store closings.</p> </li> <li> <p>The exciting thing about this is that unlike other secured cards <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=202109390" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon's card comes with some perks, like 5% cashback</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Amazon also has special programs who are on EBT or Medicaid, and also have student discounts for Prime.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip wonders if this kind of program for vulnerable populations may be a slippery slope to unethical control of people's entire lives.</p> </li> </ul> <p>We love to hear from our listeners: Do you think brands are doing a good enough job of being socially conscious? Do you think Amazon's new program is a good idea? And what's the best example of a brand creating an inclusive community for their customers?</p> <p>Let us know in the content section on <a href="https://futurecommerce.fm/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.fm</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/commercefuture?lang=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/commercefuture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Linkedin</a>.<br/> Any questions, comments or inquiries, can be emailed to , and if you really want to send Brian hatemail, you can do so at .</p>

"Chipotle is Woke Subway"

Phillip and Brian deliver on their 2019 predictions - AR is here, where is it heading? Retail wages - are they rising? Brands can finally compete with Amazon - and what about Charitable Commerce? All that and more - PLUS what the "retail apocalypse" was REALLY all about. Listen now! Show Notes: Main Takeaways:   It's the prediction episode, so hold on to your hats, and suspend your disbelief.   2019 is going to be one big change my mind meme.   It's the "year of the customer," and retailers are starting to add value instead of deep discounts.   Can Walmart overtake Amazon in online sales?   Retail workers will have to adapt to a new skill set, and retail companies will have to pay their workers more.   Is Apple Making All The Wrong Moves in All The Wrong Places?   Phillip's first prediction for 2019? That Apple will die a slow and painful death.   Apple has been making a lot of "interesting" choices lately like it's HomePod speaker system that rather resembles a roll of toilet paper.   Apple seems more focused on gimmicky features like Face ID (which some people may find just slightly creepy), and on making cooler iPhones, but other companies seem to be outpacing them in the long term.   And Apple products are getting harder and harder to use, and do their upgraded features on IOS really make up for the hassle?   Phillip wants everyone to know he is, in fact, an Apple fanboy.   Brian makes the point that one of Apple's problems is that Apple is hitting the wall regarding innovation.   After a long reign is Apple just not cool enough for consumers anymore?   The End of Boring Retail: The Retail Apocalypse is Still Not a Thing:   At NRF Doug Stephens stated that "Millennials don't have a low attention span, they just have a higher sensitivity to things which are boring."   This may finally end talks of a Retail Apocalypse because it is all about adaptability for brands, and how they can build an experience for customers in-store and online.   And a lot of brands are starting to highlight what this experience should look like, Canada Goose has freezer-esque dressing rooms so that customers can test their outwear against the elements.   Phillip makes it clear that he doesn't go into boring stores and a personal favorite retail experience is the coach store where a customer can watch luggage tags engraved in-store.   These experiences help the customer feel like they are a part of the brand's community, and it develops a sense of familiarity between company and consumer.   This next wave of in-store experience will be the Nordstroms of the world investing in technology that will assistive in the shopping experience.   The Year That Amazon Has To Compete: Also The Year of Walmart:   Amazon may be losing its superpower: because mid-level retailers now have the ability to make up the difference with features like two-day shipping.   And as Brian points out these retailers now can build better experiences then Amazon, and offer better customer service than Amazon.   And Amazon has to watch it's back when it comes to Walmart, because the big-box retailer is playing a long game.   Phillip says that Walmart and Amazon have taken entirely different paths:   With Amazon creating several in-house brands and marketing those pretty hard.   And Walmart is buying up brands that consumers already trust, to build up credibility and sell to a new kind of customer.   Also, by the numbers, Walmart is stepping it up: with 43% growth in online sales in the third quarter.   Mark Lore the head of e-commerce at Walmart says that this buying up of native brands will continue.   As Retail Shifts: Higher Wages For a Changing Labor Force:   During the holiday season, all anybody could talk about was that there were more retail jobs than workers.   And on episode 83 of Future Commerce Phillip and Brian talked about how retailers were beginning to offer incentives to current workers, and also that as retail itself changed so would the retail employee.   And Brian predicts that in 2019, we are going to see a new kind of worker, with updated skills and updated wages.   And according to Nikki Baird, raising wages may allow retailers to hire more experienced, more adaptable workers anyway.   And as Brian points out being able to train these employees in technology and data will help workers be better ambassadors for the brands they represent.   Charitable Commerce Meets Second-Hand Commerce   Second-hand commerce was a significant theme in 2018, with massive investment into second-hand commerce platforms like StockX (including by SalesForce Mark Benioff).   And as Phillip points out second-hand commerce may not always be about pure profit and The American Cancer Society has discovery shops where they accept donations, and all the profits go to fund cancer research.   This venture is the cornerstone of charitable commerce and second-hand commerce because people feel good both donating to help with a good cause and others purchase those items knowing their money is going to help others.   And second-hand commerce is undoubtedly on the rise anyway, with a Thredup report that second-hand commerce could overtake fast fashion by 2027.   And with luxury goods specifically, there is a significant focus on being able to authenticate products, the Future Commerce team met Entrupy, a startup in the Start Up Zone at NRF that does just that.   Repurposing Retail Space: Building Communities Around Transportation:   The Virgin Group chaired by British billionaire Richard Branson invested in Brightline, a high-speed railway company that currently travels between Miami, Ft Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach in Florida.   Now Brightline, itself has a unique method of creating a community around its stations, taking real-estate that Brightline owns and turning those spaces into destinations.   Phillip predicts that this kind of model may set the stage for the future of travel, especially as we all stop driving cars.   Airports can become favorite restaurants spots and shopping hubs, especially for people who travel frequently.   And malls, which have become ghosts towns in recent decades, could fill their retail spaces by showcasing small vendors and become a hub for commuters and travelers.   Go over to Futurecommerce.fm and give us your feedback! We love to hear from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast and Future Commerce is moving faster.

<p>Phillip and Brian deliver on their 2019 predictions - AR is here, where is it heading? Retail wages - are they rising? Brands can finally compete with Amazon - and what about Charitable Commerce? All that and more - PLUS what the "retail apocalypse" was REALLY all about. Listen now!</p> <h2>Show Notes:</h2> <h2>Main Takeaways:</h2> <ul> <li> <p>It's the prediction episode, so hold on to your hats, and suspend your disbelief.</p> </li> <li> <p>2019 is going to be one big <a href="http://thechive.com/2018/03/07/the-best-of-the-change-my-mind-meme-33-photos/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">change my mind meme</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>It's the "year of the customer," and retailers are starting to add value instead of deep discounts.</p> </li> <li> <p>Can Walmart overtake Amazon in online sales?</p> </li> <li> <p>Retail workers will have to adapt to a new skill set, and retail companies will have to pay their workers more.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Is Apple Making All The Wrong Moves in All The Wrong Places?</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip's first prediction for 2019? That Apple will die a slow and painful death.</p> </li> <li> <p>Apple has been making a lot of "interesting" choices lately <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/a-lot-of-people-think-apples-new-homepod-speaker-looks-like-a-roll-of-toilet-paper-or-a-marshmallow/articleshow/59009128.cms" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">like it's HomePod speaker system that rather resembles a roll of toilet paper.</a></p> </li> <li> <p>Apple seems more focused on gimmicky features like <a href="https://gizmodo.com/face-id-raises-some-scary-questions-here-are-some-answe-1804313075" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Face ID (which some people may find just slightly creepy)</a>, and on making cooler iPhones, but other companies seem to be outpacing them in the long term.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ways-apple-makes-life-harder-2013-5" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">And Apple products are getting harder and harder to use</a>, and do their upgraded features on IOS really make up for the hassle?</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip wants everyone to know he is, in fact, an Apple fanboy.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian makes the point that one of Apple's problems is that Apple is hitting the wall regarding innovation.</p> </li> <li> <p>After a long reign is Apple just not cool enough for consumers anymore?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The End of Boring Retail: The Retail Apocalypse is Still Not a Thing:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>At NRF <a href="https://twitter.com/RetailProphet?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Eauthor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Doug Stephens</a> stated that "Millennials don't have a low attention span, they just have a higher sensitivity to things which are boring."</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevendennis/2018/03/19/physical-retail-is-not-dead-boring-retail-is-understanding-retails-great-bifurcation/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">This may finally end talks of a Retail Apocalypse</a> because it is all about adaptability for brands, and how they can build an experience for customers in-store and online.</p> </li> <li> <p>And a lot of brands are starting to highlight what this experience should look like, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-11-17/canada-goose-is-turning-the-dressing-room-into-a-freezer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Canada Goose has freezer-esque dressing rooms</a> so that customers can test their outwear against the elements.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip makes it clear that he doesn't go into boring stores and a personal favorite retail experience is the<a href="https://www.coach.com/monogramming.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> coach store where a customer can watch luggage tags engraved in-store</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>These experiences help the customer feel like they are a part of the brand's community, and it develops a sense of familiarity between company and consumer.</p> </li> <li> <p>This next wave of in-store experience will be the <a href="https://shop.nordstrom.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nordstroms</a> of the world investing in technology that will assistive in the shopping experience.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Year That Amazon Has To Compete: Also The Year of Walmart:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Amazon may be losing its superpower: <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/stevendennis/2018/03/19/physical-retail-is-not-dead-boring-retail-is-understanding-retails-great-bifurcation/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">because mid-level retailers now have the ability to make up the difference with features like two-day shipping</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>And as Brian points out these retailers now can build better experiences then Amazon, and offer better customer service than Amazon.</p> </li> <li> <p>And <a href="https://www.inc.com/gene-marks/why-is-walmart-catching-up-to-amazon.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon has to watch it's back when it comes to Walmart</a>, because the big-box retailer is playing a long game.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip says that Walmart and Amazon have taken entirely different paths:</p> </li> <li> <p>With <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-private-label-brands-list-2018-4" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon creating several in-house brands</a> and marketing those pretty hard.</p> </li> <li> <p>And <a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/walmart-acquisition-targets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walmart is buying up brands that consumers already trust</a>, to build up credibility and sell to a new kind of customer.</p> </li> <li> <p>Also, by the numbers, <a href="https://www.fool.com/investing/2018/11/18/what-walmarts-43-e-commerce-growth-says-about-the.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walmart is stepping it up: with 43% growth in online sales in the third quarter.</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.retaildive.com/news/walmarts-marc-lore-were-staying-the-course/519603/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mark Lore the head of e-commerce at Walmart says that this buying up of native brands will continue</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>As Retail Shifts: Higher Wages For a Changing Labor Force:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>During the holiday season, all anybody could talk about was that <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/nation-now/2018/06/06/job-openings-workers-unemployed/676191002/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">there were more retail jobs than workers</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>And on <a href="http://www.futurecommerce.fm/episode-83-right-on-target" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">episode 83 of Future Commerce Phillip and Brian talked about how retailers were beginning to offer incentives to current workers</a>, and also that as retail itself changed so would the retail employee.</p> </li> <li> <p>And Brian predicts that in 2019, we are going to see a new kind of worker, with updated skills and updated wages.</p> </li> <li> <p>And according to Nikki Baird, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/nikkibaird/2016/04/05/2-observations-on-what-15-per-hour-means-for-retail/#53eb0318794c" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">raising wages may allow retailers to hire more experienced, more adaptable workers anyway.</a></p> </li> <li> <p>And as Brian points out being able to train these employees in technology and data will help workers be better ambassadors for the brands they represent.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Charitable Commerce Meets Second-Hand Commerce</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Second-hand commerce was a significant theme in 2018, <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2018/09/12/detroits-stockx-raises-44m-from-gv-and-battery-to-expand-marketplace-internationally/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">with massive investment into second-hand commerce platforms like StockX (including by SalesForce Mark Benioff)</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>And as Phillip points out second-hand commerce may not always be about pure profit and <a href="https://www.cancer.org/involved/donate/more-ways-to-give/discovery-shops-national.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The American Cancer Society has discovery shops</a> where they accept donations, and all the profits go to fund cancer research.</p> </li> <li> <p>This venture is the cornerstone of charitable commerce and second-hand commerce because people feel good both donating to help with a good cause and others purchase those items knowing their money is going to help others.</p> </li> <li> <p>And second-hand commerce is undoubtedly on the rise anyway, with a <a href="https://www.thredup.com/resale" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Thredup report that second-hand commerce could overtake fast fashion by 2027.</a></p> </li> <li> <p>And with luxury goods specifically, there is a significant focus on being able to authenticate products, the Future Commerce team met <a href="https://www.entrupy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Entrupy</a>, a startup in the Start Up Zone at NRF that does just that.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Repurposing Retail Space: Building Communities Around Transportation:</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.railwayage.com/passenger/high-performance/branson-bankrolling-brightline/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Virgin Group chaired by British billionaire Richard Branson invested in Brightline</a>, a high-speed railway company that currently travels between Miami, Ft Lauderdale, and West Palm Beach in Florida.</p> </li> <li> <p>Now <a href="https://www.miamiherald.com/news/business/biz-monday/article217799110.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brightline, itself has a unique method of creating a community around its stations, taking real-estate that Brightline owns and turning those spaces into destinations</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip predicts that this kind of model may set the stage for the future of travel, especially as we all stop driving cars.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/travel/flights/todayinthesky/2017/08/29/pittsburgh-first-airport-allow-non-fliers-past-security-since-9-11/612037001/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Airports can become favorite restaurants spots and shopping hubs</a>, especially for people who travel frequently.</p> </li> <li> <p>And malls, which have become ghosts towns in recent decades, could fill their retail spaces by showcasing small vendors and become a hub for commuters and travelers.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Go over to <a href="http://www.futurecommerce.fm/episodes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.fm</a> and give us your feedback! We love to hear from our listeners!</p> <p>Retail Tech is moving fast and Future Commerce is moving faster.</p>

Annual Predictions Episode - 2019 Commerce Trends and Technology

Community-building is powering everything from product innovation to commerce platforms. In this episode we dive into how to build a community and how to do it with authenticity. Plus: how did Kanye West's Yeezy brand shape the entire footwear industry in just 5 years? Show Notes Main Takeaways:  Phillip realizes that some content ages better than others. Retail renaissance will always be relevant. How does community impact the world around us?  Adidas vs Nike: Battle of the User Experience:   Adidas cracks the Global Top 100 Brands 2018 list.   Nike remains on the list at #29.   According to Phillip, Nike is setting the stage for where footwear should be but is Adidas's app changing the buyer experience?   Phillip almost buys Adidas after Nike sneaker sells out in 31 minutes.   Adidas app seems to allow for a unique user experience, while Nike just seems like a responsive website.   Does Adidas's unique approach to customer engagement mean they will pull ahead of Nike?   Does Brian love Kanye like Kanye loves Kanye?   Kanye's "Yeezy" changed the footwear game forever.   Yeezy's used to be a luxury product, but production is ramping up to over a million pairs for the upcoming sneaker.   Kanye West's ability to be a content creator and foster community is unparalleled in the sneaker industry.   Yeezy is the brand other brands love to copy.   Brian is definitely a Kanye West fan.   Social Platforms and Communities:   Reddit becomes the third most-used website behind Amazon and Youtube.   Reddit surged ahead and surpassed Facebook.   Facebook users seem to be all about engaging with Facebook and known social contacts.   Reddit users create distinct communities and engage in community-based conversation.   Commerce works in a similar structure to Reddit in terms of engagement: sharing experiences and sharing ideas.   Magento is a great example of a "commerce-based community."   Beyond the $$: Community Building is Helping Companies Grow:   Early adopters of the web self-organized into enthusiastic communities like dial-up BBS.   Phillip realizes he may, in fact, be older than Brian.   Former Payless shoe rep built XO communications by installing dial-up services in Payless stores and is successful because he focuses on community rather than company building.   Throughout the 90's and early 2000's, companies like Microsoft and Google follow this path as well.   Everything comes down to community building: where products are sourced, how they are made, and the ethics of the process.   Community Building Basics:   Don't try to control the conversation or the message.   Tell a story as a brand that fosters conversation.   Let users engage in the conversation, and listen to feedback.   Always be open to change and adaptation.   Examples of Community Builders: King of Pops and Bitter Southerner:   King of Pops makes popsicles popular by setting up shop at every music festival in Atlanta in 2018.   King of Pops create community and conversation at their popsicles stands.   The Bitter Southerner an online opinion magazine gives a voice to opinionated southerners sick of being caricatures, with related apparel.   Wearing Bitter Southerner apparel opens up conversations about real "southern values", and allows for community building.   The future of branding is all about having conversations.   Retail tech is moving fast, and Future Commerce is moving faster.

<p>Community-building is powering everything from product innovation to commerce platforms. In this episode we dive into how to build a community and how to do it with authenticity. Plus: how did Kanye West's Yeezy brand shape the entire footwear industry in just 5 years?</p> <h2>Show Notes</h2> <h3>Main Takeaways:</h3> <ul> <li>Phillip realizes that some content ages better than others.</li> <li>Retail renaissance will always be relevant.</li> <li>How does community impact the world around us?</li> </ul> <h3>Adidas vs Nike: Battle of the User Experience:</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.adidas.com/us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Adidas</a> cracks the <a href="http://brandz.com/charting/54" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Global Top 100 Brands 2018</a> list.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.nike.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nike</a> remains on the list at #29.</p> </li> <li> <p>According to Phillip, Nike is setting the stage for where footwear should be but is Adidas's app changing the buyer experience?</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip almost buys Adidas after Nike sneaker sells out in 31 minutes.</p> </li> <li> <p>Adidas app seems to allow for a unique user experience, while Nike just seems like a responsive website.</p> </li> <li> <p>Does Adidas's unique approach to customer engagement mean they will pull ahead of Nike?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Does Brian love Kanye like Kanye loves Kanye?</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.kanyewest.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kanye's</a> "<a href="https://yeezysupply.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Yeezy</a>" changed the footwear game forever.</p> </li> <li> <p>Yeezy's used to be a luxury product, but <a href="https://footwearnews.com/2018/focus/athletic-outdoor/kanye-west-adidas-increasing-production-of-yeezy-sneaker-million-pairs-cream-white-yeezy-boost-350-1202568110/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">production is ramping up</a> to over a million pairs for the upcoming sneaker.</p> </li> <li> <p>Kanye West's ability to be a content creator and foster community is unparalleled in the sneaker industry.</p> </li> <li> <p>Yeezy is the brand other brands <a href="https://solecollector.com/news/2016/08/kanye-yeezy-replicas/aldo-alalisien" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">love to copy</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian is definitely a Kanye West fan.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Social Platforms and Communities:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Reddit becomes the <a href="https://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/320558/reddit-displaces-facebook-becomes-no-3-us-webs.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">third most-used website</a> behind Amazon and Youtube.</p> </li> <li> <p>Reddit surged ahead and surpassed Facebook.</p> </li> <li> <p>Facebook users seem to be all about engaging with Facebook and known social contacts.</p> </li> <li> <p>Reddit users create distinct communities and engage in community-based conversation.</p> </li> <li> <p>Commerce works in a similar structure to Reddit in terms of engagement: sharing experiences and sharing ideas.</p> </li> <li> <p>Magento is a great example of a "commerce-based community."</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Beyond the $$: Community Building is Helping Companies Grow:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Early adopters of the web self-organized into enthusiastic communities like dial-up BBS.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip realizes he may, in fact, be older than Brian.</p> </li> <li> <p>Former Payless shoe rep built <a href="https://www.xo.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">XO communications</a> by installing dial-up services in Payless stores and is successful because he focuses on community rather than company building.</p> </li> <li> <p>Throughout the 90's and early 2000's, companies like Microsoft and Google follow this path as well.</p> </li> <li> <p>Everything comes down to community building: where products are sourced, how they are made, and the ethics of the process.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Community Building Basics:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Don't try to control the conversation or the message.</p> </li> <li> <p>Tell a story as a brand that fosters conversation.</p> </li> <li> <p>Let users engage in the conversation, and listen to feedback.</p> </li> <li> <p>Always be open to change and adaptation.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Examples of Community Builders: King of Pops and Bitter Southerner:</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://kingofpops.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">King of Pops</a> makes popsicles popular by setting up shop at every music festival in Atlanta in 2018.</p> </li> <li> <p>King of Pops create community and conversation at their popsicles stands.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="http://bittersoutherner.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Bitter Southerner</a> an online opinion magazine gives a voice to opinionated southerners sick of being caricatures, with related apparel.</p> </li> <li> <p>Wearing Bitter Southerner apparel opens up conversations about real "southern values", and allows for community building.</p> </li> <li> <p>The future of branding is all about having conversations.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Retail tech is moving fast, and Future Commerce is moving faster.</p>

Community as a Retail Differentiator

Brian Roemmele

Part 2/2 of a deep discussion with Brian Roemmele where he dives into more possibilities with AI and Voice.

Possibilities with AI and Bots (with Brian Roemmele)

"Voice is dead", Hema launches experiential grocery, cast your votes with the blockchain! Also - which online mattress retailer is opening 200 stores in the USA? One guess, and it rhymes with "blasper". Listen now! Show notes   Phillip's wife received a package from Care/Of Vitamins and it had someone else's pills in it (!!!!)   When new companies enter the pharmaceutical and health space, how can we trust that they are being diligent in their quality assurance?   RIP Voice Shopping?   The Information have said only 2% of Echo users have ordered using their voices and 90% of that 2% (AKA .18%) didn't use it again.   Are there future applications for voice in commerce, though?   Brian theorizes there could there be in-context purchasing opportunities in audio/visual media.   Voice is still growing in popularity   40% of adults use voice searches each day.   In most cases still, voice compliments screen.   We are long way from seeing voice as its own "channel." It can compliment existing channels, though.   The problem with the voice assistants today (other than the fact that they might just be FBI listening devices with PR)   Amazon, company with the best position for commerce releases a voice assistant. No one uses it for commerce. It has great hardware and technology. Most people use it for music. It's awful for web search, though.   Google, the company in the best position for web search releases a voice assistant, but it lacks the commerce capability.   Apple, the company with the best position for music, releases the worst voice assistant, and even its speaker is lackluster.   China brings innovation in the grocery business   Hema Market is like Amazon Go, but on steroids.   Hem Market is backed by Alibaba.   At the cashless grocery store, every item has a barcode customers can scan to trace the product's origin, delivery, and nutritional information.   On your way out the door, you can pay using your smartphone or visit a face scanner that links you to your Alipay account.   Smell you later, basic pencils   In the back to school market, there are new products popping up like guided creative journals and scented pencils. These new innovations are driving significant profit over traditional options.   This aligns with a larger pattern of creating luxury upgrades on commodity-type products. Consumers are more willing to supplement the mundane with something unique and new.   As the economy improves, luxury purchases are increasing on low end goods.   This could be why aspirational luxury brands are struggling.   Phillip sites the luxury brand, whose name he could not recall, that burned all their extra stock to increase demand. IT'S BURBERRY, PHIL!   Tracking inflation with the... kale index?   Wages have risen, but prices has not. Base prices will likely follow.   Is there a cleaner-eating, non-GMO, certified organic, locally-owned version of the Big Mac index for our present time?   Casper is going "clicks to bricks"   Casper is opening 200 stores in the United States.   Mattress stores across the country are closing, what makes Casper different?   Casper has built a recognizable brand and has a competitive price point.   This is the result of the VC rapid-growth mentality. Now that they've saturated web sales, brick and mortar follows.   Care/of ships wrong products   Voice? Ded.   2% of echo users ever bought, 90% never use it again    ACTUAL SOURCE      Unnamed sources = who cares?     Hema grocery concept store   Blockchain voting via VOATZ - West Va.   Bad Idea? or WORST IDEA EVER?        New product categories arise in back to school sales      Casper to open 200 stores    Clicks to Bricks     Couple charged with Amazon fraud scheme 

<p>"Voice is dead", Hema launches experiential grocery, cast your votes with the blockchain! Also - which online mattress retailer is opening 200 stores in the USA? One guess, and it rhymes with "blasper". Listen now!</p> <h1>Show notes</h1> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip's wife received a package from <a href="https://takecareof.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Care/Of Vitamins</a> and it had someone else's pills in it <a href="https://twitter.com/philwinkle/status/1027005465018998790" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">(!!!!)</a></p> </li> <li> <p>When new companies enter the pharmaceutical and health space, how can we trust that they are being diligent in their quality assurance?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>RIP Voice Shopping?</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.theinformation.com/articles/the-reality-behind-voice-shopping-hype" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Information</a> have said only 2% of Echo users have ordered using their voices and 90% of that 2% (AKA .18%) didn't use it again.</p> </li> <li> <p>Are there future applications for voice in commerce, though?</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian theorizes there could there be in-context purchasing opportunities in audio/visual media.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Voice is still growing in popularity</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://edit.co.uk/blog/google-voice-search-stats-growth-trends/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">40% of adults use voice searches each day.</a></p> </li> <li> <p>In most cases still, voice compliments screen.</p> </li> <li> <p>We are long way from seeing voice as its own "channel." It can compliment existing channels, though.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The problem with the voice assistants today (other than the fact that they might just be FBI listening devices with PR)</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Amazon, company with the best position for commerce releases a voice assistant. No one uses it for commerce. It has great hardware and technology. Most people use it for music. It's awful for web search, though.</p> </li> <li> <p>Google, the company in the best position for web search releases a voice assistant, but it lacks the commerce capability.</p> </li> <li> <p>Apple, the company with the best position for music, releases the worst voice assistant, and even its speaker is lackluster.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>China brings innovation in the grocery business</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-hema-market-has-two-advantages-over-amazon-go-2018-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hema Market</a> is like Amazon Go, but on steroids.</p> </li> <li> <p>Hem Market is backed by <a href="https://www.alibaba.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Alibaba</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>At the cashless grocery store, every item has a barcode customers can scan to trace the product's origin, delivery, and nutritional information.</p> </li> <li> <p>On your way out the door, you can pay using your smartphone or visit a face scanner that links you to your Alipay account.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Smell you later, basic pencils</h3> <ul> <li> <p>In the back to school market, there are new products popping up like <a href="https://www.target.com/p/knock-knock-7x9-inner-truth-journal-assorted-designs/-/A-15104428" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">guided creative journals</a> and <a href="https://www.target.com/p/crayola-12ct-scented-colored-pencils-silly-scents/-/A-53197495" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">scented pencils</a>. These new innovations are driving significant profit over traditional options.</p> </li> <li> <p>This aligns with a larger pattern of creating luxury upgrades on commodity-type products. Consumers are more willing to supplement the mundane with something unique and new.</p> </li> <li> <p>As the economy improves, luxury purchases are increasing on low end goods.</p> </li> <li> <p>This could be why aspirational luxury brands are struggling.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip sites the luxury brand, whose name he could not recall, that burned all their extra stock to increase demand. IT'S <a href="https://nypost.com/2018/07/19/burberry-burned-36-5m-of-unsold-clothes-last-year/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BURBERRY</a>, PHIL!</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Tracking inflation with the... kale index?</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Wages have risen, but prices has not. Base prices will likely follow.</p> </li> <li> <p>Is there a cleaner-eating, non-GMO, certified organic, locally-owned version of <a href="https://www.economist.com/news/2018/07/11/the-big-mac-index" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the Big Mac index</a> for our present time?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Casper is going "clicks to bricks"</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/casper-store-opens-in-nyc-photos-details-2018-2" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Casper is opening 200 stores in the United States</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Mattress stores across the country are closing, what makes Casper different?</p> </li> <li> <p>Casper has built a recognizable brand and has a competitive price point.</p> </li> <li> <p>This is the result of the VC rapid-growth mentality. Now that they've saturated web sales, brick and mortar follows.</p> </li> <li> <p>Care/of ships wrong products</p> <ul> <li> <p>Voice? Ded.</p> </li> <li> <p>2% of echo users ever bought, 90% never use it again</p> </li> <li></li> <li> <p>ACTUAL SOURCE</p> <ul> <li></li> </ul> </li> <li> <p>Unnamed sources = who cares?</p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p>Hema grocery concept store</p> </li> <li> <p>Blockchain voting via VOATZ - West Va.</p> <ul> <li> <p>Bad Idea? or WORST IDEA EVER?</p> <ul> <li></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <p>New product categories arise in back to school sales</p> <ul> <li></li> </ul> </li> <li> <p>Casper to open 200 stores</p> <ul> <li></li> <li> <p>Clicks to Bricks</p> </li> </ul> </li> <li> <h2>Couple charged with Amazon fraud scheme</h2> </li></ul>

"Clicks to Bricks"

Main Takeaways:  Grant Van Kirk, the Head of Finance at ROKA, joins Brian and Phillip in this episode of Step by Step. A single, all-encompassing tech solution is not always the best choice for your business and diversifying your tech stack can minimize integration demands. How do you decide when it is time to add a piece of software to your tech stack? Fulfillment expectations are higher than ever, but streamlining your operations can meet these demands and boost customer lifetime value.  The ROKA Story: A Quick Overview:  ROKA started in 2013 when two former Stanford swimmers entered a triathlon to get back into shape but were disappointed with the options of gear available to them. They invented a wetsuit that didn't feel or perform like a traditional wetsuit and quickly became a staple in the triathlon community. The brand has expanded beyond just being triathlon gear and is now available for a large spectrum of sports. Triathalon gear is typically expensive so the average customer tends to be older and more affluent than other fitness consumers.  Some Background on Grant: The Journey So Far:  Grant started out as a tax CPA and after a while decided that he wanted more from his career. He then went into the real estate industry in Dallas but had no company growth potential at his company, so he wanted to find somewhere that would allow him to grow and present him with more professional challenges. His search eventually led him to find ROKA where he was attracted to the infinite professional runway that came with the young, growing brand. Going beyond the responsibilities of a typical Head of Finance, Grant is additionally very involved with the operations side of ROKA.  An Evolving Position: Changing With the Times:  How are senior finance roles evolving in the realm of retail? It is important to not only be an expert in what your position is but also to be knowledgeable about other positions within your company. You won't be able to fully understand if your financials are correct unless you understand all of the systems that are supporting them. From day one, Grant had to make sure that he was heavily involved in operations and logistics to make sure that the finances where correct and to be able to identify areas in which the company wasn't spending enough or could increase its expenditures.  Decoding the Attribution Model: From a Financial Perspective:  Different platforms will highlight different numbers to present brands with the most positive spin on attribution costs. How do you translate different attribution data across disparate platforms? Aggregating your data across platforms for comparison will allow you to correctly assess if a marketing tool is effective. Once you have attracted customers to your site, the next steps are equally important to convert those visitors into customers.  Looking Under the Hood: Breaking Down ROKA's Tech Stack:  For its eCommerce platform, ROKA is currently running on Shopify Plus and pretty much everything that the consumer sees is also run through the platform. To accommodate more features, ROKA is also using several custom modules such as a module that allows customers to design their own sunglasses. After the purchase, all data is fed through ROKA's ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) Brightpearl and from there is sent to one of three 3PLs (third party logistics) that ROKA divides its orders between. For international orders, ROKA uses Shopify to provide local currency sales, but this can be a big headache because of how much manual effort is required to keep things updated.  Scaling With Growth: Selecting the Right ERP for Your Business:  ROKA started with Quickbooks for its initial ERP, quickly jumped to NetSuite, and finally settled on Brightpearl because it is a retail-specific ERP. Brightpearl is the source of truth when it comes to data collection for ROKA. ROKA has adopted the stance of not trying to have one package that does everything but rather relies on individual software options that are the best in their category for various operations. Spending the time customizing an all-in-one solution can be better spent on other aspects of your business when separate software already performs at optimum levels with less customization.  Potential Challenges of a Diversified Tech Stack: Trials and Solutions:  One of the potential challenges of using several software solutions when building a tech stack is the inevitable task of integration. ROKA has two rules when it comes to integration: 1. Don't integrate if you do not have to. 2. Your ERP has to be your source of truth. After a customer makes a purchase, the information goes straight to the ERP for processing and that customer is also enrolled in the follow-up process. ROKA uses about 10-15 pieces of software in its tech stack. What are some best practices for automating your operations post-purchase?  Digging Deeper: Other Parts of the Tech Stack:  How do you know when to add a piece of software to your tech stack? Due to customers being shocked about duty charges, ROKA had to implement a way to get cash upfront on purchases to not take a total loss when the package was not returned. One of Shopify's pain points is managing exchanges and returns, so granting your customers the ease of returning products is a powerful way to boost customer lifetime value, which ROKA manages to do using Loop Returns. Tools can not only serve the purpose they're built for but can also boost your customer acquisition by giving your consumers a positive experience.  Looking Ahead: Identifying Opportunites:  Grant highlights that there is an area for improvement in the software that ROKA's customer experience team has to use. The nature of returns and customer experience are two parts of the same coin, so in contrast to the rest of their tech stack, the customer experience software could be consolidated. Customer experience is a difficult job that presents unique challenges separate from the rest of the tech stack. What are some ways that you could improve your tech stack to benefit your customer experience team? Raised fulfillment expectations set by Amazon are making it more difficult to meet the demands of consumers.  Spreading Thing: So Many Channels, So Little Time:  There are different channels that consumers visit first when it comes to discovery, purchase, or entertainment, so how do you diversify your marketing strategies for such different platforms? Most people go to Amazon first when it's time to shop so if you are not at the top of Amazon's search, it is going to be hard to get there. You need to have a social presence and there is a lot of pressure to not just be on social, but have many more touchpoints for your brand. Amazon intentionally makes it difficult to track customers, so it's hard to see what is actually your customer that is just purchasing through Amazon.  Brands Mentioned in this Episode:  ROKA Shopify Plus Brightpearl Quickbooks NetSuite Amazon  As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! What are some ways that you can improve your tech stack by diversifying the tools that you are currently using? Let us know in the content section on Futurecommerce.fm, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Linkedin. Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels; we love hearing from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.

<h2>Main Takeaways:</h2> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/grant-van-kirk/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grant Van Kirk</a>, the Head of Finance at <a href="https://www.roka.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ROKA</a>, joins Brian and Phillip in this episode of Step by Step.</li> <li>A single, all-encompassing tech solution is not always the best choice for your business and diversifying your tech stack can minimize integration demands.</li> <li>How do you decide when it is time to add a piece of software to your tech stack?</li> <li>Fulfillment expectations are higher than ever, but streamlining your operations can meet these demands and boost customer lifetime value.</li> </ul> <h3>The ROKA Story: A Quick Overview:</h3> <ul> <li>ROKA started in 2013 when two former Stanford swimmers entered a triathlon to get back into shape but were disappointed with the options of gear available to them.</li> <li>They invented a wetsuit that didn't feel or perform like a traditional wetsuit and quickly became a staple in the triathlon community.</li> <li>The brand has expanded beyond just being triathlon gear and is now available for a large spectrum of sports.</li> <li>Triathalon gear is typically expensive so the average customer tends to be older and more affluent than other fitness consumers.</li> </ul> <h3>Some Background on Grant: The Journey So Far:</h3> <ul> <li>Grant started out as a tax CPA and after a while decided that he wanted more from his career.</li> <li>He then went into the real estate industry in Dallas but had no company growth potential at his company, so he wanted to find somewhere that would allow him to grow and present him with more professional challenges.</li> <li>His search eventually led him to find ROKA where he was attracted to the infinite professional runway that came with the young, growing brand.</li> <li>Going beyond the responsibilities of a typical Head of Finance, Grant is additionally very involved with the operations side of ROKA.</li> </ul> <h3>An Evolving Position: Changing With the Times:</h3> <ul> <li>How are senior finance roles evolving in the realm of retail?</li> <li>It is important to not only be an expert in what your position is but also to be knowledgeable about other positions within your company.</li> <li>You won't be able to fully understand if your financials are correct unless you understand all of the systems that are supporting them.</li> <li>From day one, Grant had to make sure that he was heavily involved in operations and logistics to make sure that the finances where correct and to be able to identify areas in which the company wasn't spending enough or could increase its expenditures.</li> </ul> <h3>Decoding the Attribution Model: From a Financial Perspective:</h3> <ul> <li>Different platforms will highlight different numbers to present brands with the most positive spin on attribution costs.</li> <li>How do you translate different attribution data across disparate platforms?</li> <li>Aggregating your data across platforms for comparison will allow you to correctly assess if a marketing tool is effective.</li> <li>Once you have attracted customers to your site, the next steps are equally important to convert those visitors into customers.</li> </ul> <h3>Looking Under the Hood: Breaking Down ROKA's Tech Stack:</h3> <ul> <li>For its eCommerce platform, ROKA is currently running on <a href="https://www.shopify.com/plus/enterprise-ecommerce?&amp;term=shopify%2B&amp;Network=Search&amp;SiteTarget=&amp;mt=e&amp;adid=275278873343&amp;adpos=&amp;CampaignId=321935812&amp;BOID=brand&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_content=features_platform&amp;_bn=g&amp;_bg=28981217812&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAqNPyBRCjARIsAKA-WFyFnpVeM6GYpMtaYzCVkZC3j0XP_O3ol1ceZDrpsJGc-I11l11-kooaAvuJEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shopify Plus</a> and pretty much everything that the consumer sees is also run through the platform.</li> <li>To accommodate more features, ROKA is also using several custom modules such as a module that allows customers to design their own sunglasses.</li> <li>After the purchase, all data is fed through ROKA's ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) <a href="https://www.brightpearl.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brightpearl</a> and from there is sent to one of three 3PLs (third party logistics) that ROKA divides its orders between.</li> <li>For international orders, ROKA uses Shopify to provide local currency sales, but this can be a big headache because of how much manual effort is required to keep things updated.</li> </ul> <h3>Scaling With Growth: Selecting the Right ERP for Your Business:</h3> <ul> <li>ROKA started with <a href="https://quickbooks.intuit.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Quickbooks</a> for its initial ERP, quickly jumped to <a href="https://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NetSuite</a>, and finally settled on Brightpearl because it is a retail-specific ERP.</li> <li>Brightpearl is the source of truth when it comes to data collection for ROKA.</li> <li>ROKA has adopted the stance of not trying to have one package that does everything but rather relies on individual software options that are the best in their category for various operations.</li> <li>Spending the time customizing an all-in-one solution can be better spent on other aspects of your business when separate software already performs at optimum levels with less customization.</li> </ul> <h3>Potential Challenges of a Diversified Tech Stack: Trials and Solutions:</h3> <ul> <li>One of the potential challenges of using several software solutions when building a tech stack is the inevitable task of integration.</li> <li>ROKA has two rules when it comes to integration:</li> <li>1. Don't integrate if you do not have to.</li> <li>2. Your ERP has to be your source of truth.</li> <li>After a customer makes a purchase, the information goes straight to the ERP for processing and that customer is also enrolled in the follow-up process.</li> <li>ROKA uses about 10-15 pieces of software in its tech stack.</li> <li>What are some best practices for automating your operations post-purchase?</li> </ul> <h3>Digging Deeper: Other Parts of the Tech Stack:</h3> <ul> <li>How do you know when to add a piece of software to your tech stack?</li> <li>Due to customers being shocked about <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/travel/international-visitors/kbyg/customs-duty-info" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">duty charges</a>, ROKA had to implement a way to get cash upfront on purchases to not take a total loss when the package was not returned.</li> <li>One of Shopify's pain points is managing exchanges and returns, so granting your customers the ease of returning products is a powerful way to boost customer lifetime value, which ROKA manages to do using <a href="https://loopreturns.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Loop Returns</a>.</li> <li>Tools can not only serve the purpose they're built for but can also boost your customer acquisition by giving your consumers a positive experience.</li> </ul> <h3>Looking Ahead: Identifying Opportunites:</h3> <ul> <li>Grant highlights that there is an area for improvement in the software that ROKA's customer experience team has to use.</li> <li>The nature of returns and customer experience are two parts of the same coin, so in contrast to the rest of their tech stack, the customer experience software could be consolidated.</li> <li>Customer experience is a difficult job that presents unique challenges separate from the rest of the tech stack.</li> <li>What are some ways that you could improve your tech stack to benefit your customer experience team?</li> <li>Raised fulfillment expectations set by <a href="https://www.amazon.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> are making it more difficult to meet the demands of consumers.</li> </ul> <h3>Spreading Thing: So Many Channels, So Little Time:</h3> <ul> <li>There are different channels that consumers visit first when it comes to discovery, purchase, or entertainment, so how do you diversify your marketing strategies for such different platforms?</li> <li>Most people go to Amazon first when it's time to shop so if you are not at the top of Amazon's search, it is going to be hard to get there.</li> <li>You need to have a social presence and there is a lot of pressure to not just be on social, but have many more touchpoints for your brand.</li> <li>Amazon intentionally makes it difficult to track customers, so it's hard to see what is actually your customer that is just purchasing through Amazon.</li> </ul> <h3>Brands Mentioned in this Episode:</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.roka.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ROKA</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.shopify.com/plus/enterprise-ecommerce?&amp;term=shopify%2B&amp;Network=Search&amp;SiteTarget=&amp;mt=e&amp;adid=275278873343&amp;adpos=&amp;CampaignId=321935812&amp;BOID=brand&amp;utm_source=google&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_content=features_platform&amp;_bn=g&amp;_bg=28981217812&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQiAqNPyBRCjARIsAKA-WFyFnpVeM6GYpMtaYzCVkZC3j0XP_O3ol1ceZDrpsJGc-I11l11-kooaAvuJEALw_wcB&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Shopify Plus</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.brightpearl.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brightpearl</a></li> <li><a href="https://quickbooks.intuit.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Quickbooks</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.netsuite.com/portal/home.shtml" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NetSuite</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.amazon.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a></li> </ul> <p>As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! What are some ways that you can improve your tech stack by diversifying the tools that you are currently using?</p> <p>Let us know in the content section on <a href="http://Futurecommerce.fm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.fm</a>, or reach out to us on<a href="https://twitter.com/CommerceFuture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Twitter</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Facebook</a>,<a href="http://m.com/commercefuture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Instagram</a>, or<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"> Linkedin</a>.</p> <p>Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels; we love hearing from our listeners!</p> <p>Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.</p>

[Step by Step] What Happens After the Buy Button? feat. Grant Van Kirk, Head of Finance at ROKA

Phillip and Brian get into the implications of multi-generational branding, the ever-changing face of retail interactions, and discuss how empowering employees is key to boosting customer retention. Listen now! Main Takeaways:   Retail experiences that go above and beyond the normal call of duty can lead to brand loyalty that spans several generations.    Retail used to be based upon in-person interactions with shopkeepers and store owners, but how do we bring these interactions into the digital age?   Multi-Generational loyalty can be achieved by empowering employees to create memorable interactions with customers.    How do you make employee benefits as flexible and beneficial as possible for the complicated lives of your employees?   Beyond the Sales Floor: The Multi-Generational Nature of Retail Relationships:   Brian recounts two Costco associates that spent a lot of time talking with Brian's father and how their relationship transcends a typical retail relationship in which the front end retail associate considers his customer his friend.    This relationship is an example of peak clienteling in which the relationships that Brian's father built with the Costco employees led to Brian having a strong affiliation witch Costco: a textbook example of multigenerational retail.    Phillip mentions up a conversation he had on a Merchant to Merchant episode with Birdwell Beach Britches (say that five times fast), a company that has been around for so long that they have become a generational outpost for Venice Beach.   Brian brings up a past episode with Michelle Cordeiro Grant in which she spoke about catering towards multi-generational shopping trips.   Brands are having to be more community-oriented and it makes sense that if you have a great experience with a brand, you will want to share that brand with your family.   Retail of the Past: The Malls Before Starcourt:   In the past, there were shops in towns with owners that lived in those towns and were part of the community. (Did you catch the Stranger Things reference in the section title?)   The relationships forged in these small-town shops lasted for generations and if you were able to recreate the brand loyalty of these old school relationships, then you would be monstrously successful.    Brian brings up a recent New York Times Article in which the author enjoyed working in retail, but was ashamed to admit that they worked in retail at all.   "Investing in your own employees as much as you invest in your customers is a huge topic that we should be spending a lot more time talking about."   Building Connections: Old Fashioned Relationships in a Digital World:   If we focus on multi-generational retail experiences that create real connections akin to those that existed in the past, then we might be able to foster relationships that strengthen brand loyalty.   Ultimately, the challenge is to bring the interactions of a pre-digital retail world into the modern era and create relationships.    If you are a luxury retailer, the challenges are only compounded because everyone has a different definition of luxury and the personal retail interactions have to be even more personalized.    It's a conversational challenge to empower retail associates to have meaningful interactions, but companies like Half Price Books are empowering their employees by allowing them to curate their own assortments.    Hiring good people and then giving them the freedom to address their customers directly in a place that they feel empowered is a key factor in creating lasting relationships.   Empowering Employees: The Key to Positive Retail Experiences:   Phillip brings up an article about Target boosting employee benefits and points out that if you want people to stay at a job for a long period of time, then you have to cater to their lives and treat them as part of your community,   This sort of positive and flexible company culture trickles all the way down to customer interactions and leads to better retail experiences.    On the other end of the spectrum, Phillip brings up Late Stage Capitalism that pretty much boils down to as the horrible things that capitalism forces people to do in order to survive. (Delightful.)   The longer that retail brands exist, the more they have to provide to shareholders and the more they have to increase their earnings, and eventually, this leads to underpaid employees.   Phillip thinks that maybe the brands that continue to thrive by prioritizing employee values are the ones that remain privately held.   As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! How can you create an environment that fosters memorable retail interactions? How do you build a strategy that uses technology that plays into actual community building? Let us know in the content section on Futurecommerce.fm, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin. Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels, we love hearing from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.

<p>Phillip and Brian get into the implications of multi-generational branding, the ever-changing face of retail interactions, and discuss how empowering employees is key to boosting customer retention. Listen now!</p> <h2>Main Takeaways:</h2> <ul> <li> <p>Retail experiences that go above and beyond the normal call of duty can lead to brand loyalty that spans several generations. </p> </li> <li> <p>Retail used to be based upon in-person interactions with shopkeepers and store owners, but how do we bring these interactions into the digital age?</p> </li> <li> <p>Multi-Generational loyalty can be achieved by empowering employees to create memorable interactions with customers. </p> </li> <li> <p>How do you make employee benefits as flexible and beneficial as possible for the complicated lives of your employees?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Beyond the Sales Floor: The Multi-Generational Nature of Retail Relationships:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian recounts two Costco associates that spent a lot of time talking with Brian's father and how their relationship transcends a typical retail relationship in which the front end retail associate considers his customer his friend. </p> </li> <li> <p>This relationship is an example of peak clienteling in which the relationships that Brian's father built with the Costco employees led to Brian having a strong affiliation witch Costco: a textbook example of <a href="https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/322144" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">multigenerational retail</a>. </p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip mentions up a conversation he had on a <a href="https://podcast.somethingdigital.com/episodes/episode-11-live-at-robert-graham-venice-beach" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Merchant to Merchant episode</a> with <a href="https://www.birdwell.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Birdwell Beach Britches</a> (say that five times fast), a company that has been around for so long that they have become a generational outpost for Venice Beach.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian brings up a <a href="https://futurecommerce.fm/capture-a-customer-capture-a-household-interview-with-michelle-cordeiro-grant-ceo-of-lively-live-at-shoptalk-2019" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">past episode with Michelle Cordeiro Grant</a> in which she spoke about catering towards multi-generational shopping trips.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brands are having to be more community-oriented and it makes sense that if you have a great experience with a brand, you will want to share that brand with your family.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Retail of the Past: The Malls Before Starcourt:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>In the past, there were shops in towns with owners that lived in those towns and were part of the community. (Did you catch the Stranger Things reference in the section title?)</p> </li> <li> <p>The relationships forged in these small-town shops lasted for generations and if you were able to recreate the brand loyalty of these old school relationships, then you would be monstrously successful. </p> </li> <li> <p>Brian brings up a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/26/business/work-friend.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">recent New York Times Article</a> in which the author enjoyed working in retail, but was ashamed to admit that they worked in retail at all.</p> </li> <li> <p>"Investing in your own employees as much as you invest in your customers is a huge topic that we should be spending a lot more time talking about."</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Building Connections: Old Fashioned Relationships in a Digital World:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>If we focus on multi-generational retail experiences that create real connections akin to those that existed in the past, then we might be able to foster relationships that strengthen brand loyalty.</p> </li> <li> <p>Ultimately, the challenge is to bring the interactions of a pre-digital retail world into the modern era and create relationships. </p> </li> <li> <p>If you are a luxury retailer, the challenges are only compounded because everyone has a different definition of luxury and the personal retail interactions have to be even more personalized. </p> </li> <li> <p>It's a conversational challenge to empower retail associates to have meaningful interactions, but companies like <a href="https://www.hpb.com/home" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Half Price Books</a> are <a href="https://www.retailtouchpoints.com/topics/store-operations/at-half-price-books-empowered-associates-create-curated-store-specific-assortments" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">empowering their employees by allowing them to curate their own assortments</a>. </p> </li> <li> <p>Hiring good people and then giving them the freedom to address their customers directly in a place that they feel empowered is a key factor in creating lasting relationships.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Empowering Employees: The Key to Positive Retail Experiences:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip brings up an article about <a href="http://www.startribune.com/target-boosts-benefits-to-store-workers-including-paid-family-leave/511068802/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Target boosting employee benefits</a> and points out that if you want people to stay at a job for a long period of time, then you have to cater to their lives and treat them as part of your community,</p> </li> <li> <p>This sort of positive and flexible company culture trickles all the way down to customer interactions and leads to better retail experiences. </p> </li> <li> <p>On the other end of the spectrum, Phillip brings up <a href="https://www.thebalance.com/late-stage-capitalism-definition-why-it-s-trending-4172369" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Late Stage Capitalism</a> that pretty much boils down to as the horrible things that capitalism forces people to do in order to survive. (Delightful.)</p> </li> <li> <p>The longer that retail brands exist, the more they have to provide to shareholders and the more they have to increase their earnings, and eventually, this leads to underpaid employees.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip thinks that maybe the brands that continue to thrive by prioritizing employee values are the ones that remain privately held.</p> </li> </ul> <p>As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! How can you create an environment that fosters memorable retail interactions? How do you build a strategy that uses technology that plays into actual community building?</p> <p>Let us know in the content section on <a href="http://Futurecommerce.fm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.fm</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/CommerceFuture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://m.com/commercefuture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Linkedin</a>.</p> <p>Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels, we love hearing from our listeners!</p> <p>Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.</p>

"Late-Stage Capitalism"

Bryan Eisenberg

We continue our NRF interview series by sitting down with Bryan Eisenberg

NRF Interview Series: Bryan Eisenberg

Cushman Wakefield

Brandon L. Singer

"Stores within stores" is a concept often spoken but seldom understood. With retail closures on the rise we look at how real estate is adapting to new digitally native brands, how flagships are shifting focus, and how companies like Cushman and Wakefield are helping brands get to market faster than ever. Listen now! Guest  Brandon L. Singer, Managing Director @ Cushman &amp; Wakefield, Inc.  Show  notes Main Takeaways:   A perfect storm in physical retail vacancies has led to an emerging retail renaissance.   Retail space is being utilized to bring a new experience to customers.   For brands to survive, retailers need to see the internet as collaborative, not competitive.   The most interesting store in the world is bringing new commerce straight to interested customers.   Community seems to be the future of commerce, can consumers bond over toilet seats?   The Retail Renaissance: The Re-Emergence of Brick-and-Mortar:   Brandon Singer of Cushman and Wakefield explains that there have been two factors that have led to an uptick in traditional retail space vacancies: The rise of the internet, and e-commerce, and an increase in the cost of renting and maintaining space in new york city.   Now, brands, as well as large tech companies and even some familiar faced traditional retailers are finding new innovative ways to utilize their space in a way that brings a sense of experience to their customers.   Brian points out that though the United States is one of the most over-retailed countries, retail is still on the rise in new and exciting ways.   Brandon makes the point that when the internet really started everyone said e-commerce was the end of brick and mortar retail.   Lots of brands are moving from online to brick and mortar even if they're traditionally online are realizing that having a brick and mortar location can help increase customer retention and in-store experience.   Phillip points out that in-store experience is also about entertainment.   Internet vs. In-Store: Collaboration Not Competition:   As Brandon points out, one of the biggest challenges for traditional retail is that they have historically seen the internet as their competition. Brick and mortar retail space with a value-added in-store experience combined with an online presence is crucial to success in commerce.   And this has actually been the downfall for those retailers who's decision makers have been unable to adapt, and consider the internet to be collaborative.   Here's looking at you Sears.   "New commerce: a new initiative that is taking advantage of the new age of commerce."   Brandon points out some brands that are doing this well:   Bonobos, a formerly e-commerce only brand turned retail space into a showroom, called a Guideshop allowing customers to achieve optimal fit and feel before having their purchase shipped to their home.   Warby Parker started out entirely online and moved into brick and mortar, and now has over 100 stores where customers can try on frames to best fit their face and their style.   Fun fact: Sears's business model actually inspired Warby Parker, which is ironic to anyone who knows anything about Sears.   Brian brings up the new Nike 68,000 sq ft flagship store, called the House of Innovation 000, which is all about the in-store experience, in just about every possible Nike-esque way.   The Most Interesting Store In the World: A New Kind of Mall:   One of Cushman and Wakefield's retail clients is Showfields, a direct to consumer retail outlet that in their own words: "We empower the brands of tomorrow with access to physical retail space at the heart of the direct-to-consumer conversation.".   Showfields is a different kind of retail experience and will be set up in a 14,700 square-foot townhouse in Noho (Manhattan) with a real focus on experience for the consumer.   A store-within-a-store retail trend.   Phillip points out that this has concept has been somewhat tried by single-owner companies like Citizen Supply, but poses the question of whether this will be an opportunity for clicks-to-bricks without a commitment by brands to a full store-front.   Brandon makes a comparison between ShowFields and co-working companies, who rent space to companies who don't want to have to make a significant investment in retail space for employees as they grow.   Phillip declares that: "experience is at the forefront and the opportunity to browse and discover is at an all-time high."   ShowFields is like the We-Work for physical retail space.   Community Driven Commerce: Making Shared Values Cool Again:   Amazon keeps trying to sell Phillip toilet seat covers because apparently, the push notifications for Chewbacca bobbleheads wasn't weird enough.   How community can really drive commerce: Phillip ponders starting a community for toilet seat seekers.   Brandon points out that community-driven commerce is becoming a huge focus in retail space.   For example Fithouse: a fitness studio on a mission to bring lovers of boutique fitness classes together at a much lower cost.   Who is the intended audience for a studio like this? People who already attend group-fitness classes, and share a love for fitness, but don't want to have to take on a hefty price tag for participating in that community.   Brian points out that Future Commerce did an entire episode on community-driven commerce.   Can Suburban &amp; Rural Commerce Keep up With Changes in Retail?   Brians asks Brandon what if anything is happening in suburban and rural areas concerning commerce?   Macerich one of the largest mall operators is actually helping e-commerce brands develop brick-and mortar spaces.   The program is called BrandBox, and it will give e-commerce brands unprecedented access to tools like foot-traffic analysis, and the lease agreement will only require a six to twelve-month commitment as opposed to a traditional lease of ten to fifteen years.   Also: Simon Property Group another major mall owner has partnered with Appear Here to bring Edit which is a new shopping experience which allows tradionally online brands to "pop-up" at their local mall.   And as Brandon says, once a brand has a successful pop-up-shop experience, it will lead to an expansion of a physical retail presence.   Brandon Singer's best advice for retailers going forward:  Brick and mortar and online are not competitive they are collaborative. Also, create the best in-store experience possible, millennials are going to want to experience your brand, so build that in for your customers in a brick-and-mortar setting. Go over to Futurecommerce.fm and give us your feedback! We love to hear from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast and Future Commerce is moving faster.

<p>"Stores within stores" is a concept often spoken but seldom understood. With retail closures on the rise we look at how real estate is adapting to new digitally native brands, how flagships are shifting focus, and how companies like Cushman and Wakefield are helping brands get to market faster than ever. Listen now!</p> <h3>Guest</h3> <ul> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-l-singer-213325b/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brandon L. Singer</a>, Managing Director @ <a href="http://cushwakenewcommerce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cushman &amp; Wakefield, Inc.</a></li> </ul> <h2>Show  notes</h2> <h3>Main Takeaways:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>A perfect storm in physical retail vacancies has led to an emerging retail renaissance.</p> </li> <li> <p>Retail space is being utilized to bring a new experience to customers.</p> </li> <li> <p>For brands to survive, retailers need to see the internet as collaborative, not competitive.</p> </li> <li> <p>The most interesting store in the world is bringing new commerce straight to interested customers.</p> </li> <li> <p>Community seems to be the future of commerce, can consumers bond over toilet seats?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Retail Renaissance: The Re-Emergence of Brick-and-Mortar:</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="http://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en/people/brandon-singer" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brandon Singer</a> of <a href="http://www.cushmanwakefield.com/en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cushman and Wakefield</a> explains that there have been two factors that have led to an <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/realestate/commercial/for-lease-vacant-storefronts-manhattan.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">uptick in traditional retail space vacancies</a>: The rise of the internet, and e-commerce, and an increase in the cost of renting and maintaining space in new york city.</p> </li> <li> <p>Now, brands, as well as large tech companies and even some familiar faced traditional retailers are finding new innovative ways to utilize their space in a way that brings a sense of experience to their customers.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian points out that though the United States is one of the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/adamhartung/2017/05/31/why-the-amazon-effect-is-so-huge-in-the-usa-and-greater-than-in-other-countries/#536b6f9daaef" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">most over-retailed countries</a>, retail is still on the rise in new and exciting ways.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brandon makes the point that when the internet really started everyone said e-commerce was the end of brick and mortar retail.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.cbinsights.com/research/online-offline-retail-ecommerce-brick-and-mortar/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Lots of brands are moving from online to brick and mortar even if they're traditionally online </a>are realizing that having a brick and mortar location can help increase customer retention and in-store experience.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip points out that in-store experience is also about entertainment.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Internet vs. In-Store: Collaboration Not Competition:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>As Brandon points out, one of the biggest challenges for traditional retail is that they have historically seen the internet as their competition. Brick and mortar retail space with a <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jiawertz/2018/05/17/how-brick-and-mortar-stores-can-compete-with-e-commerce-giants/#75c08b593cc0" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">value-added in-store experience combined with an online presence</a> is crucial to success in commerce.</p> </li> <li> <p>And this has actually been the downfall for those retailers who's decision makers have been unable to adapt, and consider the internet to be collaborative.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/business/dealbook/sears-clings-to-catalog-thinking-in-an-online-world.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Here's looking at you Sears</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>"New commerce: a new initiative that is taking advantage of the new age of commerce."</p> </li> <li> <p>Brandon points out some brands that are doing this well:</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.businessoffashion.com/articles/intelligence/how-bonobos-changed-the-way-men-shop-for-pants" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Bonobos, a formerly e-commerce only brand turned retail space into a showroom</a>, called a <a href="https://bonobos.com/guideshop" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guideshop</a> allowing customers to achieve optimal fit and feel before having their purchase shipped to their home.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/02/15/as-warby-parker-approaches-100-stores-other-internet-brands-follow.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Warby Parker started out entirely online and moved into brick and mortar</a>, and now has over 100 stores where customers can try on frames to best fit their face and their style.</p> </li> <li> <p>Fun fact: <a href="https://digiday.com/marketing/sears-inspired-warby-parkers-move-online-offline-retail/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sears's business model actually inspired Warby Parker,</a> which is ironic to anyone who knows anything about Sears.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian brings up the new Nike 68,000 sq ft flagship store, called the <a href="https://hypebeast.com/2018/11/nike-nyc-flagship-house-of-innovation-000-closer-look-inside-pictures" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">House of Innovation 000</a>, which is all about the in-store experience, in just about every possible Nike-esque way.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Most Interesting Store In the World: A New Kind of Mall:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>One of Cushman and Wakefield's retail clients is <a href="https://www.showfields.com/#/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Showfields, a direct to consumer retail outlet that in their own words: "We empower the brands of tomorrow with access to physical retail space at the heart of the direct-to-consumer conversation</a>.".</p> </li> <li> <p>Showfields is a different kind of retail experience and will be set up in a 14,700 square-foot townhouse in Noho (Manhattan) with a real focus on experience for the consumer.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://erply.com/store-within-a-store-the-next-stage-of-in-person-retail/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A store-within-a-store retail trend</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip points out that this has concept has been somewhat tried by single-owner companies like <a href="https://citizensupply.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Citizen Supply</a>, but poses the question of whether this will be an opportunity for clicks-to-bricks without a commitment by brands to a full store-front.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brandon makes a comparison between ShowFields and co-working companies, <a href="https://www.coworker.com/lab/10-ways-coworking-offices-can-save-businesses-money/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">who rent space to companies who don't want to have to make a significant investment in retail space for employees as they grow.</a></p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip declares that: "experience is at the forefront and the opportunity to browse and discover is at an all-time high."</p> </li> <li> <p>ShowFields is like the <a href="https://www.wework.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">We-Work</a> for physical retail space.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Community Driven Commerce: Making Shared Values Cool Again:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Amazon keeps trying to sell Phillip toilet seat covers because apparently, <a href="http://www.futurecommerce.fm/episode-68-push-notifications-for-chewbacca-bobble-heads" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the push notifications for Chewbacca bobbleheads wasn't weird enough</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/ecommerce-community-china/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">How community can really drive commerce</a>: Phillip ponders starting a community for toilet seat seekers.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brandon points out that community-driven commerce is becoming a huge focus in retail space.</p> </li> <li> <p>For example <a href="https://www.fit-house.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fithouse: a fitness studio on a mission</a> to bring lovers of boutique fitness classes together at a much lower cost.</p> </li> <li> <p>Who is the intended audience for a studio like this? People who already attend group-fitness classes, and share a love for fitness, but don't want to have to take on a hefty price tag for participating in that community.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian points out that <a href="http://www.futurecommerce.fm/episode-72-community-as-a-retail-differentiator" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Future Commerce did an entire episode on community-driven commerce</a>.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Can Suburban &amp; Rural Commerce Keep up With Changes in Retail?</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brians asks Brandon what if anything is happening in suburban and rural areas concerning commerce?</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://therealdeal.com/2018/11/24/how-one-reit-is-luring-online-brands-into-brick-and-mortar-stores/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Macerich one of the largest mall operators is actually helping e-commerce brands develop brick-and mortar spaces</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://thenextweb.com/insider/2016/04/12/brandbox-helps-companies-get-the-leads-theyre-looking-for/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The program is called BrandBox</a>, and it will give e-commerce brands unprecedented access to tools like <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2018/03/29/measuring-foot-traffic-trends-the-future-of-retail-marketing/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">foot-traffic analysis</a>, and the lease agreement will only require a six to twelve-month commitment as opposed to a traditional lease of ten to fifteen years.</p> </li> <li> <p>Also: <a href="https://www.appearhere.us/inspire/blog/meet-the-edit-a-new-shopping-experience-at-roosevelt-field" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Simon Property Group another major mall owner has partnered with Appear Here to bring Edit </a>which is a new shopping experience which allows tradionally online brands to "pop-up" at their local mall.</p> </li> <li> <p>And as Brandon says, once a brand has a <a href="https://emagispace.com/retail/pop-up-soft-launch/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">successful pop-up-shop experience</a>, it will lead to an expansion of a physical retail presence.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Brandon Singer's best advice for retailers going forward:  Brick and mortar and online are not competitive they are collaborative. Also, create the best in-store experience possible, millennials are going to want to experience your brand, so build that in for your customers in a brick-and-mortar setting.</p> <p>Go over to <a href="http://www.futurecommerce.fm/episodes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.fm</a> and give us your feedback! We love to hear from our listeners!</p> <p>Retail Tech is moving fast and Future Commerce is moving faster.</p>

"New Commerce" with Brandon L. Singer, Cushman Wakefield

Download the Vision 2020 Report Right now The next phase of the growth of your business will be based on your ability to plan for the changes coming over the next 10 years. Things like outsized customer expectations, online behemoths and marketplaces like Walmart and Amazon, Generation Z coming of age, aging of the Millennial population, and a whole lot more there are things to consider in the 2020s that will either put you ahead of the pack in your DTC or retail business or at the back of the pack. In this podcast, we break down what you need to succeed in the next 10 years, from our perspective as analysts. Show Notes: Main Takeaways:  It's our annual predictions episode, and 2020 is going to be quite a fascinating year for retail Relationships between company and customer are crucial to consistent retention Phillip and Brian cannot go a week without making predictions GenZ is all about building relevant and exciting skills, even if they can't afford life yet. Consumers are going to start having expectations that the products they purchase are going to improve their health, and brands are going to have to meet that demand. Future Commerce partnered with the customer-service platform Gladly to create a report on the future of retail, and it's crazy good.  Vision 2020:   Future Commerce partnered with Gladly to create a comprehensive report on what 2020 retail will look like, and it's available for download.   The report is a buffet of Future Commerce predictions all in one place   Want this report? Of course, you do, click here →   Brian and Phillip cannot go more than a week without making predictions   This is the year where profits are king   Brands Are Going To Have To Better Your Life To Retain Your Business:   Something we've seen at Future Commerce is that the relationships that retailers build with their customers can indicate if they can retain those customers long-term.   And brand trust is super important because it allows brands to take risks and loyal customers to follow that journey.   It's a new world: Zebras &gt; Unicorns   The evolution of health and wellness is going to evolve beyond what we can currently understand.   How can the products that you purchase help make your life better?   Sustainable Skill Learning: Why You Need to Tune In To CARLY:   GenZ is a totally different generation, and GenZers are interested in a very different world than Millenials.   We covered this in our Future Commerce Insiders #18, where we talked about CARLY (Can't Afford Real Life Yet), as the new generation of shopper.   And while CARLY might value a new experience, they're also natural creators, seeking out new marketable skills.   And as Brian said: "CARLYs are learning skills because one, they care about sustainably doing things. They care about the environment. And so they're patching their clothes, and they're making their art, and they're doing things for themselves. We live in a Minecraft world where people want to build out things for themselves and build experiences for themselves and use those experiences."   The Future of Retail: Sustainability is Everything:   As we learned in 2019, sustainability is a lot more than just a buzzword; it's the path forward for retail.   Second-hand commerce is more sustainable, it allows for less waste, and resellers can capitalize on this.   The story for sustainability has to continue in the 2020s   Brands that are leading the way are public-benefit corporations or B Corporations, which is always a significant focus on our show.   Want to hear the rest of the key trends for 2020? Check out our report on the Vision of 2020 with Gladly, it has all of the info that you need to be able to indeed stay on top of the future of retail. Download the Vision 2020 Report Right Here! Show notes

<p><a href="https://go.gladly.com/vision2020-futurecommerce-report?utm_campaign=Future%20Commerce%202020%20Predictions%20Program%201%2F2020&amp;utm_source=FC%20Team&amp;utm_medium=FC%20Promotion&amp;utm_term=Report" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Download the Vision 2020 Report Right now</a></p> <p>The next phase of the growth of your business will be based on your ability to plan for the changes coming over the next 10 years. Things like outsized customer expectations, online behemoths and marketplaces like Walmart and Amazon, Generation Z coming of age, aging of the Millennial population, and <em>a whole lot more</em> there are things to consider in the 2020s that will either put you ahead of the pack in your DTC or retail business or at the back of the pack. In this podcast, we break down what you need to succeed in the next 10 years, from our perspective as analysts.</p> <h3>Show Notes:</h3> <h2>Main Takeaways:</h2> <ul> <li>It's our annual predictions episode, and 2020 is going to be quite a fascinating year for retail</li> <li>Relationships between company and customer are crucial to consistent retention</li> <li>Phillip and Brian cannot go a week without making predictions</li> <li>GenZ is all about building relevant and exciting skills, even if they can't afford life yet.</li> <li>Consumers are going to start having expectations that the products they purchase are going to improve their health, and brands are going to have to meet that demand.</li> <li>Future Commerce partnered with the customer-service platform <a href="https://www.gladly.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gladly</a> to create a report on the future of retail, and it's crazy good.</li> </ul> <h3>Vision 2020:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Future Commerce partnered with Gladly to create a comprehensive report on what 2020 retail will look like, and it's available for download.</p> </li> <li> <p>The report is a buffet of Future Commerce predictions all in one place</p> </li> <li> <p>Want this report? Of course, you do, <a href="https://go.gladly.com/vision2020-futurecommerce-report?utm_campaign=Future%20Commerce%202020%20Predictions%20Program%201%2F2020&amp;utm_source=FC%20Team&amp;utm_medium=FC%20Promotion&amp;utm_term=Report" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">click here →</a></p> </li> <li> <p>Brian and Phillip cannot go more than a week without making predictions</p> </li> <li> <p>This is the year where profits are king</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Brands Are Going To Have To Better Your Life To Retain Your Business:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Something we've seen at Future Commerce is that the relationships that retailers build with their customers can indicate if they can retain those customers long-term.</p> </li> <li> <p>And brand trust is super important because it allows brands to take risks and loyal customers to follow that journey.</p> </li> <li> <p>It's a new world: Zebras &gt; Unicorns</p> </li> <li> <p>The evolution of health and wellness is going to evolve beyond what we can currently understand.</p> </li> <li> <p>How can the products that you purchase help make your life better?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Sustainable Skill Learning: Why You Need to Tune In To CARLY:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>GenZ is a totally different generation, and GenZers are interested in a very different world than Millenials.</p> </li> <li> <p>We covered this in our Future Commerce <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/insiders-018-meet-carly-phillip-jackson?articleId=6610618063081529345" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Insiders #18</a>, where we talked about CARLY (Can't Afford Real Life Yet), as the new generation of shopper.</p> </li> <li> <p>And while CARLY might value a new experience, they're also natural creators, seeking out new marketable skills.</p> </li> <li> <p>And as Brian said: "CARLYs are learning skills because one, they care about sustainably doing things. They care about the environment. And so they're patching their clothes, and they're making their art, and they're doing things for themselves. We live in a Minecraft world where people want to build out things for themselves and build experiences for themselves and use those experiences."</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Future of Retail: Sustainability is Everything:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>As we learned in 2019, sustainability is a lot more than just a buzzword; it's the path forward for retail.</p> </li> <li> <p>Second-hand commerce is more sustainable, it allows for less waste, and resellers can capitalize on this.</p> </li> <li> <p>The story for sustainability has to continue in the 2020s</p> </li> <li> <p>Brands that are leading the way are <a href="https://benefitcorp.net/businesses/benefit-corporations-and-certified-b-corps" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">public-benefit corporations or B Corporations</a>, which is always a significant focus on our show.</p> </li> </ul> <p>Want to hear the rest of the key trends for 2020? Check out our report on the Vision of 2020 with Gladly, it has all of the info that you need to be able to indeed stay on top of the future of retail.</p> <p><a href="https://go.gladly.com/vision2020-futurecommerce-report?utm_campaign=Future%20Commerce%202020%20Predictions%20Program%201%2F2020&amp;utm_source=FC%20Team&amp;utm_medium=FC%20Promotion&amp;utm_term=Report" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Download the Vision 2020 Report Right Here!</a></p> <h3>Show notes</h3>

Vision 2020: A Future Commerce Podcast on the State of Retail, presented by Gladly

Mike Lackman

Two of the smartest people we've ever had the pleasure of interviewing join the show this week! In our main interview, Mike Lackman, CEO at Trade Coffee joins the Future Commerce team to talk about how subscriptions and curation are driving user adoption and repeat business at Trade Coffee. In our "what's new and what's next" segment at the end of the show, Hitha Herzog, retail analyst and author of 'Black Market Billions' joins us to talk Nike's Amazon Exit, Coty's $600MM Kylie acquisition, and the effect of counterfeits on the marketplace during Holiday 2020. Trade Coffee Coupon Code Save 30% off your order of Trade Coffee with coupon code FUTURE Listen now! Show Notes Main Takeaways:   Mike Lackman, CEO of Trade Coffee joins Brian and Phillip on today's episode and he brings with him a coupon code.   Trade Coffee is bridging the gap between a marketplace and a retailer, and are making quite the disruption in the process.   Educating customers not only makes them happier with their shopping experiences, but also moves the success up the production funnel.    Hitha Herzog, retail analyst and author of Black Market Billions, joins us to take us through the acquisition of Kylie Cosmetics and other happenings in the world of retail.    Coffee and Vocabulary: Empowering Coffee Consumers:   Phillip was at a hipster songwriting circle in Nashville and four of the ten circle participants said that Trade Coffee was inspiring them recently.    Mike says that Trade Coffee does two things very well: it connects consumers to the country's very best roasters and craft coffee and it also helps roasters across the country reach consumers in a way that has never been done before.    In their research, Trade Coffee found that consumers are completely lacking in the vocabulary that enables them to decide the way they want their coffee to taste.   If people are more aware of their choices, they are going to be in demand of certain things that craft roasters will then be able to supply.   Unexpected Outcomes: Breaking the Mold:   All the CPG professionals that assessed Trade Coffee early on said that it was going to be a tasting journey in which consumers would find their perfect coffee and then have that coffee be delivered repeated.    In actuality, more than 95% of Trade Coffee's consumers have expressed an appetite for continual discover of new coffees rather than the ability to repeat a single SKU.    This consistent desire for discovery is the key to Trade Coffee's business.   Spotify and music streaming services have trained us to go find new things all the time, and that training is extending into consumer goods.    The Coffee Calling: How It Started:   A failed Latin teacher by training, Mike was excited by the small team at Trade Coffee when he first found the brand.    Trade needed someone who not only understood the digital marketing business but also someone who understood the hard operations side of the business.    Mike was also a very frequent drinker of coffee who knew nothing about it and the curistic process of getting to know the Trade Coffee team really highlighted the problem that needed to be solved.    Brian met Mike at Grocery Shop where they discussed marketplaces and the role of a niche marketplace in today's economy.   A Niche Marketplace Hybrid: Blurring the Lines:   The lines between what makes a retailer and what makes a marketplace are getting blurry.    Mike thinks of Trade Coffee more of a retailer because all of their product is made on demand, but there are definitely some marketplace-like dynamics.   Having differentiated inventory with reasonable availability that is unlocked by curation and matching is what Trade labels as the keys to their success.   The coffee drinker who is making coffee at home is likely a grocery shopper that shops at a brick and mortar location, so how do you convince that shopper to buy online?   Changing Habits: Taking Coffee Buying Online:   Trade's mission is to turn coffee drinkers into coffee lovers, not to be the coolest, hip store for people who already know a lot about coffee.    For the first year, establishing credibility to match consumers with their ideal coffee and removing the risk from that has been a focus.   Going one step further, being able to show the way they interpret (with granularity) the answers to the questions that Trade asks is also important.   The story of the roasters, the art on the bag, and the testimonials are all icing on the cake to get people to start trusting their coffee purchases to online retailers.   The Customer Relationship: What Does the Future Hold?:   One of the big trends that Brian and Phillip called at the beginning of the year was guided selling and the education of the customer, something that Trade is excelling at.    By adding what is traditionally considered friction to the purchase process, Trade has broken the mold regarding educating their customers, and they are looking to add even more friction in the future.    If you're figuring out how to partner with great merchants that can make your insights actionable, then all of the data you are collecting won't be used to its full potential.   Trade tests their product extensively so that they provide credible recommendations.   Choose Your Own Depth: Similarities to Spotify:   A lot of comparisons are drawn between Trade Coffee being like Spotify, but Phillip thinks it's more like Stitch Fix.   You can choose how deep you go into Spotify; you can either just push play or you can  dig into any of the additional features as well as the artist biographies.   Trade Coffee has customers that run the whole spectrum of involvement of the information at their fingertips.   You have to carefully select what group of customers you design experiences for.    Mistakes Along the Way: Personalization Woes:   With so many different flavor profiles and customer types, one of the first mistakes that Trade made was when they tried to be too exact with their product matches.    Customers like covering as much ground as possible within a tight enough circle and don't necessarily want the same type served to the over and over again.    Trade can use the data they have garnered along the way to empower roasters to create high quality product.    One of the most important forms of feedback that Trade can get from their customers if they keep buying product.    Subscriptions and Partners: Defining Important Roles:   Subscriptions are a tool and not a model and being non-discretionary is imperative to Trade Coffee.   Trade takes the role of matchmaker and the role of the craft coffee producer is to do what they're great at: producing amazing artisan coffee.   You have to recognize the limitations of the matchmaking model; Trade can't use Instagram in the way that others do because photos do not explain what they do.    Recognizing where you fit in the business model and tackling those limitations are keys to success.   Finding the Perfect Fit: Which Model Works for You?:   If you are not upsetting things from a channel conflict perspective at least a little bit, you're probably not trying hard enough.    Mike brings up that he listened to the episode with RXBAR CMO Victor Lee and says that for the consumer that wants different stuff every time, Trade is a very good fit, just like RXBAR fits so well into the grocery store model.   Trade is happy to empower their customers with their power to make their own decisions and doesn't force them to stay in the channel.    Rent the Runway is a great analogous example to what Trade Coffee is trying to do.   Armed With Knowledge: The Power of the Smart Customer:   Consumers don't have a way aside from artwork and buzzwords to differentiate between what coffees are good and which are not.    If Trade can empower their customers to determine what is good for them based on the way it tastes, then growers are roasters are able to distribute their product based on quality of taste in the eyes of the consumer.   You have to move value up the supply change, and educating your customers does just that.    Trade tries to base decisions based on behaviors and not on demographics.    The Millennial Boomer?: Or the Baby Millennial?:   Baby Boomers are starting to adopt practices and habits that they might have turned their noses up towards a few years ago.    The Millennial design aesthetic has become a stamp of approval for brands in regards to what customers are seeking out.     Brands are finding success in older generations by catering towards millennials.    How do you bridge the gap between generations?   The Next Five Years: Predictions for the Future:   Mike predicts that grocery is going to encounter some of the same disruption that retail and other industries have seen.    The model is not going to be disrupted by putting more product on shelves and letting customers sort it out themselves.    By continually improving their processes, Trade is going to be able to deliver consistently enjoyable shopping experiences to their customers.    It all depends on the market and what consumers want, but if you bundle everything under the umbrella term "grocery", you're probably on the wrong path.    Unabashedly Opinionated Opinions: Meet Hitha Herzog:   For the closing segment Brian and Phillip are joined by Hitha Herzog, retail analyst and author of Black Market Billions.   Phillip can't believe that Hitha doesn't like Jerry Seinfeld.   She would take Larry David over Jerry any day.    Hitha is here to talk us through some huge news in the world of online makeup sales.    Coty Acquires Kylie: A Makeup Giant Acquisition:   Coty, Inc. acquired a 51% stake of Kylie Cosmetics for $600 million dollars, valuing the cosmetics company at $1.2 billion.    Kylie is the most followed person on Instagram and the revenue from the makeup company was estimated at $117 million.   Kylie and her team have organized scarcity with their product which has led to an enormous demand.    When the products first launched, the Kylie Cosmetics Lipkits drove a sense of urgency by only releasing a set amount of product.    A Giant Departs: Nike Leaves Amazon:   Nike is about to stop selling on Amazon.    Nike is moving to a more direct to consumer model and cutting out the middleman.   They have the ability to reach and directly market to the consumer base that is buying their product.    Getting off of Amazon also mitigates the possibility of counterfeit product being sold through the platform.    Changing Models: How Shopping Has Evolved:   20 years ago, shopping was a destination so it was an effort to shop, but today, the mall is as close to you as your phone.    We no longer have to go to edifice to buy our stuff.    Brick and mortar is now much more geared toward experiences as opposed to the actual purchasing of products.    Nordstrom just opened a flagship store in Columbus Circle that is all about the experience of shopping.    Brands Mentioned In This Episode:   Trade Coffee   Spotify   Stitch Fix   Rent the Runway   Coty, Inc.   Nike   As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! How can you educated your customers to make them warriors for your brand and increase LTV? Let us know in the content section on Futurecommerce.fm, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin. Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels, we love hearing from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.

<p>Two of the smartest people we've ever had the pleasure of interviewing join the show this week! In our main interview, Mike Lackman, CEO at Trade Coffee joins the Future Commerce team to talk about how subscriptions and curation are driving user adoption and repeat business at Trade Coffee. In our "what's new and what's next" segment at the end of the show, Hitha Herzog, retail analyst and author of 'Black Market Billions' joins us to talk Nike's Amazon Exit, Coty's $600MM Kylie acquisition, and the effect of counterfeits on the marketplace during Holiday 2020.</p> <h3>Trade Coffee Coupon Code</h3> <p><strong>Save 30% off your order of Trade Coffee with coupon code FUTURE</strong></p> <p>Listen now!</p> <h3>Show Notes</h3> <h2>Main Takeaways:</h2> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-lackman-99173b18/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mike Lackman</a>, CEO of <a href="https://www.drinktrade.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trade Coffee</a> joins Brian and Phillip on today's episode and he brings with him a coupon code.</p> </li> <li> <p>Trade Coffee is bridging the gap between a marketplace and a retailer, and are making quite the disruption in the process.</p> </li> <li> <p>Educating customers not only makes them happier with their shopping experiences, but also moves the success up the production funnel. </p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hithaherzog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hitha Herzog</a>, retail analyst and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Market-Billions-Organized-Terrorists/dp/0132180243" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black Market Billions</a>, joins us to take us through the acquisition of Kylie Cosmetics and other happenings in the world of retail. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>Coffee and Vocabulary: Empowering Coffee Consumers:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip was at a hipster songwriting circle in Nashville and four of the ten circle participants said that Trade Coffee was inspiring them recently. </p> </li> <li> <p>Mike says that Trade Coffee does two things very well: it connects consumers to the country's very best roasters and craft coffee and it also helps roasters across the country reach consumers in a way that has never been done before. </p> </li> <li> <p>In their research, Trade Coffee found that consumers are completely lacking in the vocabulary that enables them to decide the way they want their coffee to taste.</p> </li> <li> <p>If people are more aware of their choices, they are going to be in demand of certain things that craft roasters will then be able to supply.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Unexpected Outcomes: Breaking the Mold:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>All the CPG professionals that assessed Trade Coffee early on said that it was going to be a tasting journey in which consumers would find their perfect coffee and then have that coffee be delivered repeated. </p> </li> <li> <p>In actuality, more than 95% of Trade Coffee's consumers have expressed an appetite for continual discover of new coffees rather than the ability to repeat a single SKU. </p> </li> <li> <p>This consistent desire for discovery is the key to Trade Coffee's business.</p> </li> <li> <p>Spotify and music streaming services have trained us to go find new things all the time, and that training is extending into consumer goods. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Coffee Calling: How It Started:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>A failed Latin teacher by training, Mike was excited by the small team at Trade Coffee when he first found the brand. </p> </li> <li> <p>Trade needed someone who not only understood the digital marketing business but also someone who understood the hard operations side of the business. </p> </li> <li> <p>Mike was also a very frequent drinker of coffee who knew nothing about it and the curistic process of getting to know the Trade Coffee team really highlighted the problem that needed to be solved. </p> </li> <li> <p>Brian met Mike at <a href="https://www.groceryshop.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Grocery Shop</a> where they discussed marketplaces and the role of a niche marketplace in today's economy.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>A Niche Marketplace Hybrid: Blurring the Lines:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>The lines between what makes a retailer and what makes a marketplace are getting blurry. </p> </li> <li> <p>Mike thinks of Trade Coffee more of a retailer because all of their product is made on demand, but there are definitely some marketplace-like dynamics.</p> </li> <li> <p>Having differentiated inventory with reasonable availability that is unlocked by curation and matching is what Trade labels as the keys to their success.</p> </li> <li> <p>The coffee drinker who is making coffee at home is likely a grocery shopper that shops at a brick and mortar location, so how do you convince that shopper to buy online?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Changing Habits: Taking Coffee Buying Online:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Trade's mission is to turn coffee drinkers into coffee lovers, not to be the coolest, hip store for people who already know a lot about coffee. </p> </li> <li> <p>For the first year, establishing credibility to match consumers with their ideal coffee and removing the risk from that has been a focus.</p> </li> <li> <p>Going one step further, being able to show the way they interpret (with granularity) the answers to the questions that Trade asks is also important.</p> </li> <li> <p>The story of the roasters, the art on the bag, and the testimonials are all icing on the cake to get people to start trusting their coffee purchases to online retailers.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Customer Relationship: What Does the Future Hold?:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>One of the big trends that Brian and Phillip called at the beginning of the year was guided selling and the education of the customer, something that Trade is excelling at. </p> </li> <li> <p>By adding what is traditionally considered friction to the purchase process, Trade has broken the mold regarding educating their customers, and they are looking to add even more friction in the future. </p> </li> <li> <p>If you're figuring out how to partner with great merchants that can make your insights actionable, then all of the data you are collecting won't be used to its full potential.</p> </li> <li> <p>Trade tests their product extensively so that they provide credible recommendations.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Choose Your Own Depth: Similarities to Spotify:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>A lot of comparisons are drawn between Trade Coffee being like <a href="https://www.spotify.com/us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a>, but Phillip thinks it's more like <a href="https://www.stitchfix.com/t/styling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitch Fix</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>You can choose how deep you go into Spotify; you can either just push play or you can  dig into any of the additional features as well as the artist biographies.</p> </li> <li> <p>Trade Coffee has customers that run the whole spectrum of involvement of the information at their fingertips.</p> </li> <li> <p>You have to carefully select what group of customers you design experiences for. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>Mistakes Along the Way: Personalization Woes:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>With so many different flavor profiles and customer types, one of the first mistakes that Trade made was when they tried to be too exact with their product matches. </p> </li> <li> <p>Customers like covering as much ground as possible within a tight enough circle and don't necessarily want the same type served to the over and over again. </p> </li> <li> <p>Trade can use the data they have garnered along the way to empower roasters to create high quality product. </p> </li> <li> <p>One of the most important forms of feedback that Trade can get from their customers if they keep buying product. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>Subscriptions and Partners: Defining Important Roles:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Subscriptions are a tool and not a model and being non-discretionary is imperative to Trade Coffee.</p> </li> <li> <p>Trade takes the role of matchmaker and the role of the craft coffee producer is to do what they're great at: producing amazing artisan coffee.</p> </li> <li> <p>You have to recognize the limitations of the matchmaking model; Trade can't use Instagram in the way that others do because photos do not explain what they do. </p> </li> <li> <p>Recognizing where you fit in the business model and tackling those limitations are keys to success.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Finding the Perfect Fit: Which Model Works for You?:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>If you are not upsetting things from a channel conflict perspective at least a little bit, you're probably not trying hard enough. </p> </li> <li> <p>Mike brings up that he <a href="https://www.futurecommerce.fm/rxbar-cmo-no-bullsht-is-never-going-away" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">listened to the episode with RXBAR CMO Victor Lee</a> and says that for the consumer that wants different stuff every time, Trade is a very good fit, just like RXBAR fits so well into the grocery store model.</p> </li> <li> <p>Trade is happy to empower their customers with their power to make their own decisions and doesn't force them to stay in the channel. </p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.renttherunway.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rent the Runway</a> is a great analogous example to what Trade Coffee is trying to do.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Armed With Knowledge: The Power of the Smart Customer:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Consumers don't have a way aside from artwork and buzzwords to differentiate between what coffees are good and which are not. </p> </li> <li> <p>If Trade can empower their customers to determine what is good for them based on the way it tastes, then growers are roasters are able to distribute their product based on quality of taste in the eyes of the consumer.</p> </li> <li> <p>You have to move value up the supply change, and educating your customers does just that. </p> </li> <li> <p>Trade tries to base decisions based on behaviors and not on demographics. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Millennial Boomer?: Or the Baby Millennial?:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Baby Boomers are starting to adopt practices and habits that they might have turned their noses up towards a few years ago. </p> </li> <li> <p>The Millennial design aesthetic has become a stamp of approval for brands in regards to what customers are seeking out.  </p> </li> <li> <p>Brands are finding success in older generations by catering towards millennials. </p> </li> <li> <p>How do you bridge the gap between generations?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Next Five Years: Predictions for the Future:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Mike predicts that grocery is going to encounter some of the same disruption that retail and other industries have seen. </p> </li> <li> <p>The model is not going to be disrupted by putting more product on shelves and letting customers sort it out themselves. </p> </li> <li> <p>By continually improving their processes, Trade is going to be able to deliver consistently enjoyable shopping experiences to their customers. </p> </li> <li> <p>It all depends on the market and what consumers want, but if you bundle everything under the umbrella term "grocery", you're probably on the wrong path. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>Unabashedly Opinionated Opinions: Meet Hitha Herzog:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>For the closing segment Brian and Phillip are joined by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hithaherzog/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hitha Herzog</a>, retail analyst and author of <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Black-Market-Billions-Organized-Terrorists/dp/0132180243" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Black Market Billions</a>.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip can't believe that Hitha doesn't like Jerry Seinfeld.</p> </li> <li> <p>She would take Larry David over Jerry any day. </p> </li> <li> <p>Hitha is here to talk us through some huge news in the world of online makeup sales. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>Coty Acquires Kylie: A Makeup Giant Acquisition:</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.coty.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Coty, Inc.</a> acquired a 51% stake of <a href="https://www.kyliecosmetics.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Kylie Cosmetics</a> for <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/kylie-jenner-sells-600-million-majority-stake-in-makeup-company-2019-11" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">$600 million dollars, valuing the cosmetics company at $1.2 billion. </a></p> </li> <li> <p>Kylie is the most followed person on Instagram and the revenue from the makeup company was estimated at $117 million.</p> </li> <li> <p>Kylie and her team have organized scarcity with their product which has led to an enormous demand. </p> </li> <li> <p>When the products first launched, the Kylie Cosmetics Lipkits drove a sense of urgency by only releasing a set amount of product. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>A Giant Departs: Nike Leaves Amazon:</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/11/13/brands-dont-need-amazon-nikes-departure-could-prompt-others-to-go.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nike is about to stop selling on Amazon</a>. </p> </li> <li> <p>Nike is moving to a more direct to consumer model and cutting out the middleman.</p> </li> <li> <p>They have the ability to reach and directly market to the consumer base that is buying their product. </p> </li> <li> <p>Getting off of Amazon also mitigates the possibility of counterfeit product being sold through the platform. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>Changing Models: How Shopping Has Evolved:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>20 years ago, shopping was a destination so it was an effort to shop, but today, the mall is as close to you as your phone. </p> </li> <li> <p>We no longer have to go to edifice to buy our stuff. </p> </li> <li> <p>Brick and mortar is now much more geared toward experiences as opposed to the actual purchasing of products. </p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/24/nordstroms-new-york-flagship-opens-heres-a-look-inside.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nordstrom just opened a flagship store in Columbus Circle that is all about the experience of shopping</a>. </p> </li> </ul> <h3>Brands Mentioned In This Episode:</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.drinktrade.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trade Coffee</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.spotify.com/us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Spotify</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.stitchfix.com/t/styling" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Stitch Fix</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.renttherunway.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rent the Runway</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.coty.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Coty, Inc.</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.nike.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Nike</a></p> </li> </ul> <p>As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! How can you educated your customers to make them warriors for your brand and increase LTV?</p> <p>Let us know in the content section on <a href="http://Futurecommerce.fm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.fm</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/CommerceFuture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://m.com/commercefuture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Linkedin</a>.</p> <p>Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels, we love hearing from our listeners!</p> <p>Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.</p>

"Subscriptions Are a Tool, Not a Model" (w/ Mike Lackman - CEO, Trade Coffee)

"Hopefully, GDPR is the medicine we need to start putting our customers at the center of the story, and not our conversion rates." We review Shoptalk 2018 in the wake of Cambridge Analytica with a discussion about the content, the vendors, the experience, and how merchants can take the knowledge gained at a show like Shoptalk and turn it into actionable results. "Hopefully, GDPR is the medicine we need to start putting our customers at the center of the story, and not our conversion rates." We review Shoptalk 2018 in the wake of Cambridge Analytica with a discussion about the content, the vendors, the experience, and how merchants can take the knowledge gained at a show like Shoptalk and turn it into actionable results. Main Takeaways:   Brian and Phillip recap some of the standouts of Shoptalk 2018 and how these standouts made lasting impressions.   AR and VR are being implemented in new and creative ways and could very well be shaping the future of the retail industry.   The technology that was being developed a few years ago is now being used in the state of the current retail industry but is there room for its development?   Cambridge Analytica happened and shook the public to its core but will data security regulations like GDPR be able to prevent future leaks?   One Beef, Two Beef, Red Beef, Blue Beef:   Brian and Phillip start by bringing up some beef between them that they at this year's Shoptalk Conference.   Brian registered for Press Passes for Shoptalk and listed himself as Host of Future Commerce, and Phillip as the co-host. (Scandalous!)   The Future Commerce content team accompanied Brian and Phillip this year to help capture the show and be active on social media.   Brian and Phillip went out to Red Rock Canyon, and even though they got stranded out in the desert, they can not recommend the location highly enough.   Brian's Big Shoptalk Announcement: The Career Change:   Brian made a big announcement at Shoptalk and let us know that he is now employed by Amazon (cue music)   Expect the tone of the show to shift so that now Phillip will prod Brian until he is forced to recuse himself from the conversation.   Brian is super excited to be on board at Amazon and thinks that his role working with the pay team and eCommerce platforms is a great fit.   VR in eCommerce: Separating the Virtual World from the Real World:   Brian hosted a panel at Shoptalk in which he spoke with Brian Cavanagh from the Hershey Company, Mike Festa from Wayfair Next, and Greg Jones from the Google AR Team.   The Hershey Company is partnering with goPuff to create a VR Shopping App that will allow consumers to purchase convenience store items within a VR experience.   The first thing that jumped out to Phillip as he was watching the panel was the Hershey Company's unique take on VR, which is to not replicate a commerce experience in the real world in VR.   Phillip describes the Hershey VR experience as a Willy Wonka-esque experience in which you can explore a colorful world and purchase almost everything you see.   The Retail Renaissance: A Recurring Shoptalk Theme:   Phillip recalls that a recurring theme at this year's Shoptalk was the fact that retail is not dead, but rather, we are going through a Retail Renaissance. (And thus a show title was born.)   Someone even compared the artistic progression of Picasso throughout his life to the evolution of retail to where it is today.   Digital Hurdles: Overcoming VR Roadblocks:   We still think about the online shopping experience in regards to aisles and carts, but with VR being such an expressive medium, the possibilities are endless.   What's the most efficient way to shop versus what's the most experiential way to shop?   The biggest challenge that retailers will face when trying to get into AR or VR is creating a library of 3D assets.   Brian predicts that the 3D asset problem is not a problem that retailers should have to solve, but instead, brands themselves will provide the assets from the point of origin to retailers.   Predictions Become Reality: Future Commerce at Shoptalk:   Phillip talks about how nice it was to see so many listeners at Shoptalk and brings up how, for avid listeners of the show, a lot of the topics that were brought up at Shoptalk were things that they had already heard on Future Commerce.   Iterations of things that Brian and Phillip had predicted on the show have come to fruition in the real world by brands known across the globe.   Trevor Sumner from Perch gave a rundown of the store of the future that incorporates responsive and interactive displays that interact with physical items from store shelves.   All of the information that we have available online is now available to us in new and dynamic ways right when we need it as we shop.   Trends and Topics: The Arcs of Future Commerce:   Phillip takes us back in time and talks about some of the arcs of Future Commerce as defined by the main conversation points of each year: the first year was voice and conversational technology, the second year was AR and VR, and this year's focus has been disruption and protecting our private data.   Back in October of 2017, Phillip and Brian advised a retailer that stated not to believe anyone that said they were using AI or machine learning because AI has been reduced to a marketing term without any actual functionality.   Phillip couldn't believe that Shoptalk had an entire area devoted to AI and Machine Learning and that the application of what could be a transformational technology to retail is abysmal at this point in 2018. (Phillip's feeling spicy today.)   Brian brings up a past episode with Jonathan Epstein from 2 years ago that had one of the best applications of machine learning that he's ever seen, and there hasn't been much more innovation in those two years by other players in the industry.   Making an Impression: The Standouts of Shoptalk:   Phillip did not recognize the Handy booth until around the third day at which point he saw that they were everywhere.   Handy has partnered with Walmart and will provide handyman services to Walmart customers in over 2,000 stores nationwide.   Phillip also gives accolades to the startup Hemster, a technology/services company that provides tailoring and alterations (that are incredibly cheap) to business and individuals in addition to free delivery service of the alterations.   Another standout was Mizzen+Main for the simple fact that it was an actual fashion brand at the show with clothes and that their domain name is comfortable.af. (Brian got to bring a Mizzen+Main shirt home and agrees that it is indeed Comfortable AF.)   Three Shoptalks Later: Using the Past to Predict the Future:   Brian states that we have hit a spot in technology where what is being spoken about in Shoptalk is similar to what was spoken about in Shoptalk 1 (which was two years ago).   Brian also predicts that the technology that we are using now will be used for the next 3-5 years and will power the next wave of commerce.   "There is too much to do with the technology that we have and too much opportunity to make money on it so people will put their dollars and effort towards that and we will probably see IRCE and NRF follow in this direction as well."   Is it a good thing that other conferences will start to look more like Shoptalk with the current technology stack?   Phillip Goes on a Rant: Technology is Not a Replacement for Quality:   There was more than one brand that Phillip spoke with that had filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the past 12-18 months that ranged from big-box retailers to actual fashion brands and the fact that some of these companies were looking at AR and VR as a means to save their business was terrifying to him.   The current technologies that are emerging today are not replacements for the fundamentals of being a good brand with a good product that connects with your customer.   Brian agrees that if you are looking at any one technology to save your business, you are looking in the wrong spot as you have made some bad business decisions to get where you are today.   "If you are in eCommerce and you are not connecting with your customers regularly, then you are missing out on a fundamental".   The State of Data Security: Cambridge Analytica Fallout:   Brian references Episode 55 in which predictions were made for what was going to happen in 2018 and Brian predicted the idea of giving shoppers access to their data to help them leverage that data to accomplish things and sure enough, companies are beginning to do this.   If you are affected by GDPR, you should probably consider that you don't want to run two different data strategies across channels and start planning your future data strategies now.   Data security could not be more timely as the Cambridge Analytica scandal came to light during Shoptalk.   What do you we actually need in our commerce experiences that can minimize data requirements as opposed to including everything just because we have the capability of plugging it in?   "We need to put our customers at the center of the story instead of our conversion rates at the center of our story."   Phillip predicts that in the same way that companies became "green" in response to customer demand, he sees an opportunity for companies to go private in which they will not partner with third-party companies to protect your data.   As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! Should AR and VR play a bigger role in the future of retail? Does the Cambridge Analytica breach change the face of data privacy and will GDPR be a step in the right directions towards the protection of customer data? Let us know in the content section on Futurecommerce.fm, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or Linkedin. Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels, and we love hearing from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.

<p>"Hopefully, GDPR is the medicine we need to start putting our customers at the center of the story, and not our conversion rates." We review Shoptalk 2018 in the wake of Cambridge Analytica with a discussion about the content, the vendors, the experience, and how merchants can take the knowledge gained at a show like Shoptalk and turn it into actionable results.</p> <p>"Hopefully, GDPR is the medicine we need to start putting our customers at the center of the story, and not our conversion rates." We review Shoptalk 2018 in the wake of Cambridge Analytica with a discussion about the content, the vendors, the experience, and how merchants can take the knowledge gained at a show like Shoptalk and turn it into actionable results.</p> <h2>Main Takeaways:</h2> <ul> <li> <p>Brian and Phillip recap some of the standouts of Shoptalk 2018 and how these standouts made lasting impressions.</p> </li> <li> <p>AR and VR are being implemented in new and creative ways and could very well be shaping the future of the retail industry.</p> </li> <li> <p>The technology that was being developed a few years ago is now being used in the state of the current retail industry but is there room for its development?</p> </li> <li> <p>Cambridge Analytica happened and shook the public to its core but will data security regulations like GDPR be able to prevent future leaks?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>One Beef, Two Beef, Red Beef, Blue Beef:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian and Phillip start by bringing up some beef between them that they at this year's Shoptalk Conference.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian registered for Press Passes for Shoptalk and listed himself as Host of Future Commerce, and Phillip as the co-host. (Scandalous!)</p> </li> <li> <p>The Future Commerce content team accompanied Brian and Phillip this year to help capture the show and be active on social media.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian and Phillip went out to <a href="http://www.redrockcanyonlv.org/contact-us/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Red Rock Canyon</a>, and even though they got stranded out in the desert, they can not recommend the location highly enough.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Brian's Big Shoptalk Announcement: The Career Change:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian made a big announcement at Shoptalk and let us know that he is now employed by Amazon (cue music)</p> </li> <li> <p>Expect the tone of the show to shift so that now Phillip will prod Brian until he is forced to recuse himself from the conversation.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian is super excited to be on board at Amazon and thinks that his role working with the pay team and eCommerce platforms is a great fit.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>VR in eCommerce: Separating the Virtual World from the Real World:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian hosted a panel at Shoptalk in which he spoke with <a href="https://twitter.com/gadawgnar" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Brian Cavanagh</a> from the Hershey Company, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mfesta/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mike Festa</a> from Wayfair Next, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregoryajones/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Greg Jones</a> from the Google AR Team.</p> </li> <li> <p>The Hershey Company is partnering with <a href="https://gopuff.com/home" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">goPuff</a> to create a <a href="https://www.mobilemarketer.com/news/why-hershey-is-testing-a-vr-shopping-app-with-digital-convenience-retailer/518858/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">VR Shopping App</a> that will allow consumers to purchase convenience store items within a VR experience.</p> </li> <li> <p>The first thing that jumped out to Phillip as he was watching the panel was the Hershey Company's unique take on VR, which is to not replicate a commerce experience in the real world in VR.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip describes the <a href="https://www.djshon.com/hersheys-vr" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hershey VR experience</a> as a Willy Wonka-esque experience in which you can explore a colorful world and purchase almost everything you see.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Retail Renaissance: A Recurring Shoptalk Theme:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip recalls that a recurring theme at this year's Shoptalk was the fact that retail is not dead, but rather, we are going through a Retail Renaissance. (And thus a show title was born.)</p> </li> <li> <p>Someone even compared the artistic progression of <a href="https://mymodernmet.com/pablo-picasso-self-portraits/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Picasso throughout his life</a> to the evolution of retail to where it is today.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Digital Hurdles: Overcoming VR Roadblocks:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>We still think about the online shopping experience in regards to aisles and carts, but with VR being such an expressive medium, the possibilities are endless.</p> </li> <li> <p>What's the most efficient way to shop versus what's the most experiential way to shop?</p> </li> <li> <p>The biggest challenge that retailers will face when trying to get into AR or VR is creating a library of 3D assets.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian predicts that the 3D asset problem is not a problem that retailers should have to solve, but instead, brands themselves will provide the assets from the point of origin to retailers.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Predictions Become Reality: Future Commerce at Shoptalk:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip talks about how nice it was to see so many listeners at Shoptalk and brings up how, for avid listeners of the show, a lot of the topics that were brought up at Shoptalk were things that they had already heard on Future Commerce.</p> </li> <li> <p>Iterations of things that Brian and Phillip had predicted on the show have come to fruition in the real world by brands known across the globe.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/trevorsumner/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trevor Sumner</a> from <a href="https://www.perchinteractive.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Perch</a> gave a <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/qa-trevor-sumner-ceo-perch-i-discuss-future-in-store-retail-fassati/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">rundown of the store of the future</a> that incorporates responsive and interactive displays that interact with physical items from store shelves.</p> </li> <li> <p>All of the information that we have available online is now available to us in new and dynamic ways right when we need it as we shop.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Trends and Topics: The Arcs of Future Commerce:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip takes us back in time and talks about some of the arcs of Future Commerce as defined by the main conversation points of each year: the first year was voice and conversational technology, the second year was AR and VR, and this year's focus has been disruption and protecting our private data.</p> </li> <li> <p>Back in October of 2017, Phillip and Brian advised a retailer that stated not to believe anyone that said they were using AI or machine learning because AI has been reduced to a marketing term without any actual functionality.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip couldn't believe that Shoptalk had an entire area devoted to AI and Machine Learning and that the application of what could be a transformational technology to retail is abysmal at this point in 2018. (Phillip's feeling spicy today.)</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian brings up a <a href="https://futurecommerce.fm/14" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">past episode with Jonathan Epstein</a> from 2 years ago that had one of the best applications of machine learning that he's ever seen, and there hasn't been much more innovation in those two years by other players in the industry.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Making an Impression: The Standouts of Shoptalk:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip did not recognize the <a href="https://www.handy.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Handy</a> booth until around the third day at which point he saw that they were everywhere.</p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://corporate.walmart.com/newsroom/2018/03/19/handy-to-power-furniture-and-tv-installation-and-assembly-for-walmart-customers" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Handy has partnered with Walmart</a> and will provide handyman services to Walmart customers in over 2,000 stores nationwide.</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip also gives accolades to the startup <a href="https://www.hemster.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Hemster</a>, a technology/services company that provides tailoring and alterations (that are incredibly cheap) to business and individuals in addition to free delivery service of the alterations.</p> </li> <li> <p>Another standout was <a href="https://www.mizzenandmain.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mizzen+Main</a> for the simple fact that it was an actual fashion brand at the show with clothes and that their domain name is <a href="http://comfortable.af" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">comfortable.af</a>. (Brian got to bring a Mizzen+Main shirt home and agrees that it is indeed Comfortable AF.)</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Three Shoptalks Later: Using the Past to Predict the Future:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian states that we have hit a spot in technology where what is being spoken about in Shoptalk is similar to what was spoken about in Shoptalk 1 (which was two years ago).</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian also predicts that the technology that we are using now will be used for the next 3-5 years and will power the next wave of commerce.</p> </li> <li> <p>"There is too much to do with the technology that we have and too much opportunity to make money on it so people will put their dollars and effort towards that and we will probably see <a href="https://www.irce.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">IRCE</a> and <a href="https://nrf.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">NRF</a> follow in this direction as well."</p> </li> <li> <p>Is it a good thing that other conferences will start to look more like Shoptalk with the current technology stack?</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Phillip Goes on a Rant: Technology is Not a Replacement for Quality:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>There was more than one brand that Phillip spoke with that had filed for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy in the past 12-18 months that ranged from big-box retailers to actual fashion brands and the fact that some of these companies were looking at AR and VR as a means to save their business was terrifying to him.</p> </li> <li> <p>The current technologies that are emerging today are not replacements for the fundamentals of being a good brand with a good product that connects with your customer.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian agrees that if you are looking at any one technology to save your business, you are looking in the wrong spot as you have made some bad business decisions to get where you are today.</p> </li> <li> <p>"If you are in eCommerce and you are not connecting with your customers regularly, then you are missing out on a fundamental".</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The State of Data Security: Cambridge Analytica Fallout:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Brian references <a href="https://www.futurecommerce.fm/episode-55-dont-underestimate-what-can-happen-in-just-1-year" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 55</a> in which predictions were made for what was going to happen in 2018 and Brian predicted the idea of giving shoppers access to their data to help them leverage that data to accomplish things and sure enough, companies are beginning to do this.</p> </li> <li> <p>If you are affected by GDPR, you should probably consider that you don't want to run two different data strategies across channels and start planning your future data strategies now.</p> </li> <li> <p>Data security could not be more timely as the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/19/technology/facebook-cambridge-analytica-explained.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Cambridge Analytica scandal</a> came to light during Shoptalk.</p> </li> <li> <p>What do you we actually need in our commerce experiences that can minimize data requirements as opposed to including everything just because we have the capability of plugging it in?</p> </li> <li> <p>"We need to put our customers at the center of the story instead of our conversion rates at the center of our story."</p> </li> <li> <p>Phillip predicts that in the same way that companies became "green" in response to customer demand, he sees an opportunity for companies to go private in which they will not partner with third-party companies to protect your data.</p> </li> </ul> <p>As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! Should AR and VR play a bigger role in the future of retail? Does the Cambridge Analytica breach change the face of data privacy and will GDPR be a step in the right directions towards the protection of customer data?</p> <p>Let us know in the content section on <a href="http://Futurecommerce.fm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.fm</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/CommerceFuture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://m.com/commercefuture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a> or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Linkedin</a>.</p> <p>Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels, and we love hearing from our listeners!</p> <p>Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.</p>

Retail Renaissance: A Review of Shoptalk 2018

Charlie Cole

Joseph Ansanelli

How do modern brands create joyful customer experiences that last a lifetime? Charlie Cole, Chief Digital Officer of luxury travel brand Tumi, Joseph Ansanelli, CEO of customer support platform Gladly join us to talk about how to know your customer, how to anticipate their needs, and how to stand out in a sea of startup DTC players. Listen now! Main Takeaways:   Charlie Cole (Chief Digital Officer, TUMI) and Joseph Ansanelli (CEO and Co-Founder, Gladly) join Brian and Phillip as their special guests on today's episode.   Most brands today focus on custom acquisition as opposed to focusing on the lifetime value of their customers.   Brands like TUMI are adapting their customer service to include new mediums of communication to meet customers where they want to be met.   Non-transactional experiences that exist in a single moment are what retailers are striving to capture digitally to create lasting memories and brand affiliation.   How Gladly Got Started: A Brief History:   Joseph starts by discussing how it was clear that the way in which consumers today engage, communicate, and transact has radically changed in the past decade and how this affected how companies interacted with consumers.   Gladly set out to not only transform the way people do commerce but also how a brand services, engages with and markets to its consumers.   As Joseph was coming up with Gladly, Charlie was one of the first people that he reached out to as Charlie was pushing the boundaries of what you could do in the direct-to-consumer world.   'Given his professional history, TUMI was Charlie's attempt to work for a larger company and was known for making amazing things in a remarkably customer-centric way.   Charlie recounts how Joseph's initial pitch of Gladly made a lot of sense and was better than anything else on the market and how it fit with their goal of modernizing the customer experience.   The Slippery Slope of Personalization: Customizing Customer Experience With Big Data:   Charlie mentions that many data points are collected from customers, some voluntarily and some that customers might not even know that they are volunteering.   How do brands use this data to enhance the customer experience?   Customer "value" is usually interpreted as a revenue number as opposed to quantifying a positive retail experience.   Gladly allows brands to understand the entire customer journey and leverages that data to help the customer as much as possible.   Conversion rate is such a small part of the customer journey, and it bugs Charlie when eCommerce companies brag about it.   Treating Customer Like Humans: The Value of Connection:   "The best marketing is customer service, and if you treat people as people, it will pay dividends down the road."   Joseph brings up that one of Gladly's goals is to enable brands to meet customers in places where those customers want to be reached.   TUMI's phone number is now text message enabled, meaning that customers can elect to communicate via SMS as opposed to being locked into a phone call.   Brian brings up how Ingrid Milman (in her most recent appearance on the show) said that customer relationship is an even higher priority than the brand story.   The Bigger Problem: How Retail Has Evolved to Backseat Customers:   Charlie completely agrees with Ingrid's comment and says that one of the problems that we have as retailers is that most of our incentives are based on the acquisition of customers.   Most talks at conferences are based on how to boost acquisition metrics and are rarely focused on improving customer experience.   Joseph agrees that the primary goal should be to make lifelong customers and to get the industry-wide narrative to change, we have change incentives and what we measure as points of success.   He also brings up that KPIs for customer service should also be updated to reflect the number of people spoken to as opposed to speed or efficiency because people are at the core of customer service.   "It's less about how long things go, and more about how well things go."   Finding Your Company's North Star: Using Qualitative Data to Boost Lifetime Value:   Phillip asks Charlie and Joseph if we as a community of retailers think we are capturing customers, but in reality, are only capturing transactions.   When you think of enduring brands, they understand that it is not about the transaction and is really about the long term relationship.   Companies like Apple and Harley Davidson are the pinnacles of great brands that have customers whose love for the brand goes beyond the product to the point of people even getting tattoos of the logo on their bodies.   In Charlie's first couple months at TUMI, one of the first things they had to do was revamp their marketings as everything was evaluated on a last-click basis.   If you can qualitatively identify your company's North Star, it will help to steer away from transactional-based evaluations.   Digital Empathy: Consumer Communication Through Modern Channels:   Charlie and Joseph are asked if brands are concerned about how their voice is coming across in voice and chat.   TUMI provides chat and SMS and knows that consumers want to communicate through these channels, and you can easily to deliver empathetic communication through text because we all desire to communicate in that way.   Brands tend to be deathly afraid of customer service going off script, especially when communicating through SMS.   Brian brings up the story from the "Late-Stage Capitalism" episode in which his father made some amazing connections with employees from Costco and agrees that giving customer representatives the space to get to know their customers, that's when you start to see the benefits of lifetime value.   "Give people data to help them, don't give people data to program them".   Predictions for the Future: Evolving Data Capture:   Phillip asks where we are headed and what we can expect of the next few years as reality brands are planning for the future.   Charlie foresees a world in which you never look at a screen to know the status of your orders thanks to the advances in voice technology.   Seventy-five years ago, shop owners knew who their customers were and developed personal relationships with them, and Joseph wants to be able to enable relationships like this in a remote, online world.   There's a sense that the spoken word intent of a single, actionable expression of need is the future of voice technology.   The tricky (but fun) part for brands will be capturing the experiences of in-person shopping that people didn't know they needed and delivering those memorable experiences in a digital and marketable format.   Brands Mentioned in this Episode:   TUMI   Gladly   Apple   Harley Davidson   Costco   e.l.f cosmetics   As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! How can brands envision a future where customers want to interact with them in mediums of the customers' choices? Let us know in the content section on Futurecommerce.fm, or reach out to us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, or Linkedin. Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels; we love hearing from our listeners! Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.

<p>How do modern brands create joyful customer experiences that last a lifetime? Charlie Cole, Chief Digital Officer of luxury travel brand Tumi, Joseph Ansanelli, CEO of customer support platform Gladly join us to talk about how to know your customer, how to anticipate their needs, and how to stand out in a sea of startup DTC players. Listen now!</p> <h2>Main Takeaways:</h2> <ul> <li> <p>Charlie Cole (Chief Digital Officer, <a href="https://www.tumi.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TUMI</a>) and Joseph Ansanelli (CEO and Co-Founder, <a href="https://www.gladly.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gladly</a>) join Brian and Phillip as their special guests on today's episode.</p> </li> <li> <p>Most brands today focus on custom acquisition as opposed to focusing on the lifetime value of their customers.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brands like TUMI are adapting their customer service to include new mediums of communication to meet customers where they want to be met.</p> </li> <li> <p>Non-transactional experiences that exist in a single moment are what retailers are striving to capture digitally to create lasting memories and brand affiliation.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>How Gladly Got Started: A Brief History:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Joseph starts by discussing how it was clear that the way in which consumers today engage, communicate, and transact has radically changed in the past decade and how this affected how companies interacted with consumers.</p> </li> <li> <p>Gladly set out to not only transform the way people do commerce but also how a brand services, engages with and markets to its consumers.</p> </li> <li> <p>As Joseph was coming up with Gladly, Charlie was one of the first people that he reached out to as Charlie was pushing the boundaries of what you could do in the direct-to-consumer world.</p> </li> <li> <p>'Given his professional history, TUMI was Charlie's attempt to work for a larger company and was known for making amazing things in a remarkably customer-centric way.</p> </li> <li> <p>Charlie recounts how Joseph's initial pitch of Gladly made a lot of sense and was better than anything else on the market and how it fit with their goal of modernizing the customer experience.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Slippery Slope of Personalization: Customizing Customer Experience With Big Data:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Charlie mentions that many data points are collected from customers, some voluntarily and some that customers might not even know that they are volunteering.</p> </li> <li> <p>How do brands use this data to enhance the customer experience?</p> </li> <li> <p>Customer "value" is usually interpreted as a revenue number as opposed to quantifying a positive retail experience.</p> </li> <li> <p>Gladly allows brands to understand the entire customer journey and leverages that data to help the customer as much as possible.</p> </li> <li> <p>Conversion rate is such a small part of the customer journey, and it bugs Charlie when eCommerce companies brag about it.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Treating Customer Like Humans: The Value of Connection:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>"The best marketing is customer service, and if you treat people as people, it will pay dividends down the road."</p> </li> <li> <p>Joseph brings up that one of Gladly's goals is to enable brands to meet customers in places where those customers want to be reached.</p> </li> <li> <p>TUMI's phone number is now text message enabled, meaning that customers can elect to communicate via SMS as opposed to being locked into a phone call.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian brings up how Ingrid Milman (in <a href="https://futurecommerce.fm/store-closings-in-reverse" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">her most recent appearance on the show</a>) said that customer relationship is an even higher priority than the brand story.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>The Bigger Problem: How Retail Has Evolved to Backseat Customers:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Charlie completely agrees with Ingrid's comment and says that one of the problems that we have as retailers is that most of our incentives are based on the acquisition of customers.</p> </li> <li> <p>Most talks at conferences are based on how to boost acquisition metrics and are rarely focused on improving customer experience.</p> </li> <li> <p>Joseph agrees that the primary goal should be to make lifelong customers and to get the industry-wide narrative to change, we have change incentives and what we measure as points of success.</p> </li> <li> <p>He also brings up that KPIs for customer service should also be updated to reflect the number of people spoken to as opposed to speed or efficiency because people are at the core of customer service.</p> </li> <li> <p>"It's less about how long things go, and more about how well things go."</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Finding Your Company's North Star: Using Qualitative Data to Boost Lifetime Value:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip asks Charlie and Joseph if we as a community of retailers think we are capturing customers, but in reality, are only capturing transactions.</p> </li> <li> <p>When you think of enduring brands, they understand that it is not about the transaction and is really about the long term relationship.</p> </li> <li> <p>Companies like Apple and <a href="https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harley Davidson</a> are the pinnacles of great brands that have customers whose love for the brand goes beyond the product to the point of people even getting tattoos of the logo on their bodies.</p> </li> <li> <p>In Charlie's first couple months at TUMI, one of the first things they had to do was revamp their marketings as everything was evaluated on a last-click basis.</p> </li> <li> <p>If you can qualitatively identify your company's North Star, it will help to steer away from transactional-based evaluations.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Digital Empathy: Consumer Communication Through Modern Channels:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Charlie and Joseph are asked if brands are concerned about how their voice is coming across in voice and chat.</p> </li> <li> <p>TUMI provides chat and SMS and knows that consumers want to communicate through these channels, and you can easily to deliver empathetic communication through text because we all desire to communicate in that way.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brands tend to be deathly afraid of customer service going off script, especially when communicating through SMS.</p> </li> <li> <p>Brian brings up the story from the <a href="https://futurecommerce.fm/late-stage-capitalism" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Late-Stage Capitalism" episode</a> in which his father made some amazing connections with employees from <a href="https://www.costco.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Costco</a> and agrees that giving customer representatives the space to get to know their customers, that's when you start to see the benefits of lifetime value.</p> </li> <li> <p>"Give people data to help them, don't give people data to program them".</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Predictions for the Future: Evolving Data Capture:</h3> <ul> <li> <p>Phillip asks where we are headed and what we can expect of the next few years as reality brands are planning for the future.</p> </li> <li> <p>Charlie foresees a world in which you never look at a screen to know the status of your orders thanks to the advances in voice technology.</p> </li> <li> <p>Seventy-five years ago, shop owners knew who their customers were and developed personal relationships with them, and Joseph wants to be able to enable relationships like this in a remote, online world.</p> </li> <li> <p>There's a sense that the spoken word intent of a single, actionable expression of need is the future of voice technology.</p> </li> <li> <p>The tricky (but fun) part for brands will be capturing the experiences of in-person shopping that people didn't know they needed and delivering those memorable experiences in a digital and marketable format.</p> </li> </ul> <h3>Brands Mentioned in this Episode:</h3> <ul> <li> <p><a href="https://www.tumi.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">TUMI</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.gladly.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gladly</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.apple.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Apple</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.harley-davidson.com/us/en/index.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Harley Davidson</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.costco.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Costco</a></p> </li> <li> <p><a href="https://www.elfcosmetics.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">e.l.f cosmetics</a></p> </li> </ul> <p>As always: We want to hear what our listeners think! How can brands envision a future where customers want to interact with them in mediums of the customers' choices?</p> <p>Let us know in the content section on <a href="http://Futurecommerce.fm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Futurecommerce.fm</a>, or reach out to us on <a href="https://twitter.com/CommerceFuture" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/futurecommercepodcast/?ref=br_rs" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://m.com/commercefuture/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Instagram</a>, or <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/futurecommercepodcast/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Linkedin</a>.</p> <p>Have any questions or comments about the show? You can reach out to us at info@futurecommerce.fm or any of our social channels; we love hearing from our listeners!</p> <p>Retail Tech is moving fast, but Future Commerce is moving faster.</p>

"Making a Lasting Impression in a Single Moment of Time" (w/ Charlie Cole, CDO @ Tumi and Joseph Ansanelli, CEO @ Gladly)

Jonathan Epstein

Jonathan Epstein, CMO of Sentient Technologies, joins us to talk about the advancements in Artificial Intelligence and how assistive marketing and merchandising is just the very beginning of AI for Commerce.

Artificial Intelligence in Commerce (w/ Jonathan Epstein of Sentient Technologies)

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