Download or read book The Success Guide For Developing Customers For Life Tools and Strategies For Effectively Doing Business In the Changing Marketplace written by Walter L Smith III and published by WS-3 Enterprises. This book was released on 2016-04-22 with total page 75 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: There are many experiences and people that have contributed to the publishing of this timely manuscript. My own fickle attitude about “good customer service” has consumed my focus, whether I’m shopping for groceries, or making a large purchase; I can’t help myself — I’m a stickler for an approachable, distinguishable and knowledgable customer service professional!” If You are going to be competitive in a changing and volatile marketplace, the ONLY WAY to guarantee "customer loyalty" and long-term stability is to "Develop Customers For Life"!
Download or read book Consumer Evolution written by Charles Grantham and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2002-10-15 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Consumer Evolution explores the effects of the Internet on the minds of customers and of employees and how it effectively changed the rules of business. It provides business executives with an understanding of the changing social psychology of customers, prospects, employees and markets brought about by the pervasiveness of the Internet. Consumer Evolution examines the new psychology that must be factored into the development of successful business strategies. Using specific examples and case studies, Consumer Evolution offers nine effective business strategies that take these psychological changes into account. It presents vital insight into the constantly changing buying patterns of consumers and lays the foundation for a competitive strategy in an environment in which customer relationship management has become a driving business force. Managers will find expert advice for developing branding and advertising programs that connect them more closely to their customers while also discovering fresh business strategies for maintaining market position, exploiting the business cycle, competing globally, and defining customer need.
Download or read book Digital and Social Media Marketing written by Nripendra P. Rana and published by Springer Nature. This book was released on 2019-11-11 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book examines issues and implications of digital and social media marketing for emerging markets. These markets necessitate substantial adaptations of developed theories and approaches employed in the Western world. The book investigates problems specific to emerging markets, while identifying new theoretical constructs and practical applications of digital marketing. It addresses topics such as electronic word of mouth (eWOM), demographic differences in digital marketing, mobile marketing, search engine advertising, among others. A radical increase in both temporal and geographical reach is empowering consumers to exert influence on brands, products, and services. Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and digital media are having a significant impact on the way people communicate and fulfil their socio-economic, emotional and material needs. These technologies are also being harnessed by businesses for various purposes including distribution and selling of goods, retailing of consumer services, customer relationship management, and influencing consumer behaviour by employing digital marketing practices. This book considers this, as it examines the practice and research related to digital and social media marketing.
Download or read book Customer Success written by Nick Mehta and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2016-02-29 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Your business success is now forever linked to the success of your customers Customer Success is the groundbreaking guide to the exciting new model of customer management. Business relationships are fundamentally changing. In the world B.C. (Before Cloud), companies could focus totally on sales and marketing because customers were often 'stuck' after purchasing. Therefore, all of the 'post-sale' experience was a cost center in most companies. In the world A.B. (After Benioff), with granular per-year, per-month or per-use pricing models, cloud deployments and many competitive options, customers now have the power. As such, B2B vendors must deliver success for their clients to achieve success for their own businesses. Customer success teams are being created in companies to quarterback the customer lifecycle and drive adoption, renewals, up-sell and advocacy. The Customer Success philosophy is invading the boardroom and impacting the way CEOs think about their business. Today, Customer Success is the hottest B2B movement since the advent of the subscription business model, and this book is the one-of-a-kind guide that shows you how to make it work in your company. From the initial planning stages through execution, you'll have expert guidance to help you: Understand the context that led to the start of the Customer Success movement Build a Customer Success strategy proven by the most competitive companies in the world Implement an action plan for structuring the Customer Success organization, tiering your customers, and developing the right cross-functional playbooks Customers want products that help them achieve their own business outcomes. By enabling your customers to realize value in your products, you're protecting recurring revenue and creating a customer for life. Customer Success shows you how to kick start your customer-centric revolution, and make it stick for the long term.
Download or read book Start Up Enterprises and Contemporary Innovation Strategies in the Global Marketplace written by Rajagopal, and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2017-11-30 with total page 341 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In an ever-expanding economic world, the need for new businesses with the ability to create and evolve simultaneously is paramount to ensure success. Hybrid business models are essential to foster growth and promote prosperity. Start-Up Enterprises and Contemporary Innovation Strategies in the Global Marketplace is a critical scholarly resource that examines the relationship between worldwide industry and the need for up-to-date technologies and methods to support such an inclusive market. Featuring coverage on a diverse range of topics such as corporate social responsibility, collaborator empowerment, and start-up enterprise ecosystems, this book is geared toward managers, researchers, and students seeking current research on the interaction between modernization and the expansion of markets to accommodate worldwide industry.
Download or read book Building Routes to Customers written by Peter Raulerson and published by Springer Science & Business Media. This book was released on 2009-04-05 with total page 212 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Building Routes to Customers explains the powerful “Routes-to-Market” approach for driving profitable growth. World-class organizations including IBM, Microsoft, HP, Cisco, Hitachi, Adobe and Plantronics, and hundreds of smaller companies, have adopted RTM to develop and execute highly successful go-to-market strategies and tactics. With a step-by-step approach and dozens of examples, the authors show how you can use RTM to: (1) Determine the optimal level of spending for each function in marketing, sales and customer service, for each market segment, product and service. (2) Optimize your marketing mix and sales and distribution channels to maximize revenue and profitability throughout the product life cycle. (3) Get everyone in product management, marketing, sales, customer service, and your distribution partners aligned and working together to maximize results. (4) Get the right products and services to the right customers at the right time. (5) Retain existing customers and create profitable new ones.
Download or read book Connect written by Lars Birkholm Petersen and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2014-09-05 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Connect and engage across channels with the new customers Connect is the ultimate marketing guide to becoming more relevant, effective, and successful within the new marketplace. Written by a team of marketing experts serving Fortune 500 brands, this book outlines the massive paradigm shift currently taking place within the industry, and provides the insight and perspective marketers need to stay on board. Readers will find guidance toward reaching a customer base that sees marketers as an unnecessary annoyance, and strategies for engaging those customers at touch points throughout the customer lifecycle. The book's scope encompasses both digital and real-life avenues, discussing the new ways of thinking and the new tools and processes that allow marketers to function in the new era where digital customer experiences are increasingly important. Marketing is undergoing a revolution to rival the impact of Gutenberg's printing press. Customers are in control, with more choice and more access than ever before, and they refuse to be "sold to" or "managed." Many marketing professionals are flailing for a new strategy while the winners are clearly jumping ahead – Connect takes readers inside the winners' world to learn the approach that's engaging the new consumer. Discover the technology and processes that allow marketers to remain relevant Craft a personal, relevant, and accessible customer journey that engages the connected customer Keep in touch throughout the customer's life cycle, both online and offline Link digital goals and metrics to business objectives for a more relevant strategy Smart marketers have moved to a higher level that achieves business objectives while increasing relevance to the customer. Connect provides readers a roadmap to this new approach, and the tools that make it work.
Download or read book Winning with Customers written by D. Keith Pigues and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2010-08-09 with total page 502 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do Your Customers Make More Money Doing Business With You? Knowing the answer can help you build measurable and valuable customer relationships, outperform the competition, and unlock profitable growth. Companies are blind to opportunities for profitable customer relationships without a deep understanding of how they create customer value relative to competitors. With a rigorous and measurable understanding of how customers make more money today and in the future with you, combined with supporting plans and tools to align the entire organization for success, a company can win and win big. Winning with Customers offers a step-by-step playbook to help companies develop this capability for themselves, act on it, build a culture around it and sustain it over time. The playbook includes case studies, interviews, and tools from leading B2B companies who have demonstrated success. Written by recognized business thought leaders and practitioners, this book will guide you to profitable growth. The book also serves as a launch point into a community of like-minded executives that includes a companion website which offers exercises, access to thought leaders, and other tools help you win with customers.
Download or read book Unlocking Success The Art of Strategic Marketing in the Digital Age written by Samuel Inbaraja S and published by Samuel Inbaraja S. This book was released on 2023-08-04 with total page 114 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Unlocking Success: The Art of Strategic Marketing in the Digital Age" is not just theory; it incorporates several case studies that illustrate real-world application of strategies in various business contexts. The book also offers a special section on 'Boost Your Stamina with Easyfit's Personalized Fitness Journey,' connecting the concepts of strategic marketing to personal health and wellbeing. This comprehensive guide is a valuable resource for marketers, business owners, entrepreneurs, and students who aspire to understand and succeed in the dynamic world of digital marketing. Its practical insights and case studies bring marketing strategies to life, setting you on the right path towards unlocking success.
Download or read book Reframe The Marketplace written by Jeffrey L. Bowman and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2015-09-11 with total page 195 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Increase your market share by including every customer in the conversation America and demographics in America continue to change dramatically with the population becoming increasingly more diverse each and every day. Unfortunately, many brands and businesses are just now recognizing this wave of change and not prepared to address the needs and wants of their diverse customer base. Reframe the Marketplace is your guide to modernizing your business approach and growing your business with EVERY customer in mind. Marketing and Advertising pioneer and award-winning author Jeffrey L. Bowman brings his experience working with organizations like Verizon, Prudential, IKEA, British Airways, Coca-Cola, MolsonCoors and Unilever to the masses with his inclusive Total Market approach to marketing. In Reframe the Marketplace, Bowman shows you how to identify your organization’s underserved markets, their nuanced needs, and build the best customer experiences based on research and insights. From Blacks, LatinX, women, LGBQT+, youth markets and more, you'll learn to go beyond ethnic targeting to true engagement with your customers to uncover opportunities that shape their world and inspire a love for your products. Discover how to: Modernize your marketing and communications approach to reflect the New America. Design and build a more diverse and inclusive approach to marketing planning, product design, customer experience and go-to-market. Grow your business with input from traditionally underserved markets or what was once called minorities. Effectively reach new customers and emerging markets in a personalized way. Engage in meaningful conversations with employees, consumers and drive change from the inside and outside of your organization. Your customers are diverse, they demand personalized experiences and they’re willing to evangelize for the brands they love. They will reward brands who authentically meet their needs. They are speaking up, taking action, and calling for change. It’s time to listen or lose out. Reframe the Marketplace is your key to staying relevant and in business.
Download or read book Why Startups Fail written by Tom Eisenmann and published by Currency. This book was released on 2021-03-30 with total page 370 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: If you want your startup to succeed, you need to understand why startups fail. “Whether you’re a first-time founder or looking to bring innovation into a corporate environment, Why Startups Fail is essential reading.”—Eric Ries, founder and CEO, LTSE, and New York Times bestselling author of The Lean Startup and The Startup Way Why do startups fail? That question caught Harvard Business School professor Tom Eisenmann by surprise when he realized he couldn’t answer it. So he launched a multiyear research project to find out. In Why Startups Fail, Eisenmann reveals his findings: six distinct patterns that account for the vast majority of startup failures. • Bad Bedfellows. Startup success is thought to rest largely on the founder’s talents and instincts. But the wrong team, investors, or partners can sink a venture just as quickly. • False Starts. In following the oft-cited advice to “fail fast” and to “launch before you’re ready,” founders risk wasting time and capital on the wrong solutions. • False Promises. Success with early adopters can be misleading and give founders unwarranted confidence to expand. • Speed Traps. Despite the pressure to “get big fast,” hypergrowth can spell disaster for even the most promising ventures. • Help Wanted. Rapidly scaling startups need lots of capital and talent, but they can make mistakes that leave them suddenly in short supply of both. • Cascading Miracles. Silicon Valley exhorts entrepreneurs to dream big. But the bigger the vision, the more things that can go wrong. Drawing on fascinating stories of ventures that failed to fulfill their early promise—from a home-furnishings retailer to a concierge dog-walking service, from a dating app to the inventor of a sophisticated social robot, from a fashion brand to a startup deploying a vast network of charging stations for electric vehicles—Eisenmann offers frameworks for detecting when a venture is vulnerable to these patterns, along with a wealth of strategies and tactics for avoiding them. A must-read for founders at any stage of their entrepreneurial journey, Why Startups Fail is not merely a guide to preventing failure but also a roadmap charting the path to startup success.
Download or read book Market Led Strategic Change written by Nigel F. Piercy and published by Taylor & Francis. This book was released on 2016-11-03 with total page 604 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Market-Led Strategic Change, 5th edition, has been fully revised and updated to reflect the realities of 21st century business and the practical issues for managers in the process of going to market. The world of business has changed dramatically, with a more complex environment, more demanding customers and radical new ways of going to market. This textbook develops a value-based strategy examining the roles of market sensing, customer value, organizational change and digital marketing in the implementation of strategy. This much-anticipated new edition has been carefully updated, now with Nigel Piercy’s unique and clear-sighted views on the latest developments in marketing strategy, retaining Piercy’s insightful, witty and provocative style. The text is supported throughout with brand new case studies from globally recognised companies such as Uber and Volkswagen, and covering topical issues such as the legalisation of marijuana and reinventing the healthcare business. Lecturers are assisted with a newly expanded collection of support materials including PowerPoint slides for each chapter, suggested frameworks for using the case studies in teaching, and case studies from previous editions. If you're an ambitious marketing student or practitioner, whether you are new to strategic change through marketing or just want a different view, this is the book for you. Lecturers will find this engaging, funny, thought-provoking but always practical textbook is a sure way to get your students thinking and enthused.
Download or read book Electronic Business Concepts Methodologies Tools and Applications written by Lee, In and published by IGI Global. This book was released on 2008-12-31 with total page 2838 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Enhances libraries worldwide through top research compilations from over 250 international authors in the field of e-business.
Download or read book Choose Your Customer How to Compete Against the Digital Giants and Thrive written by Jonathan L. S. Byrnes and published by McGraw-Hill Education. This book was released on 2021-05-11 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Two top specialists in profitable growth and innovative customer-supplier relationships show companies of all sizes how to compete with the tech giants―by choosing the right customer and providing peerless value to them for long-term success. Every year, managers at companies large and small are finding it harder to compete with the likes of Google and Amazon, who are muscling into their businesses, stealing their customers, and cornering every conceivable market and service. There is, however, a way for companies to survive―and win―in this era of digital behemoths. Choose Your Customer is a powerful, customer-targeted guide that can help managers level the playing field against their biggest competitors. Written by Jonathan Byrnes, the legendary MIT-based expert on profits, pricing, and strategy, and John Wass, a key member of the team that made Staples a major national brand, Choose Your Customer shows you how to: Identify the customers who are the most profitable―and focus on them Provide services and experiences that can’t be replicated by the tech giants, no matter how much data they have or how much automation they use Support your chosen customers’ diverse and rapidly evolving needs to accelerate profitability and growth Focus on your real profit core and build dominance in your specific target market These customer-focused strategies will enable you to build a uniquely targeted business that the digital giants just can’t match. From unbeatable customer service to superior pricing and product selection, Choose Your Customer provides detailed and actionable advice on how to compete successfully with the aggressive giants, grow your customer base, and increase your profits for lasting success.
Download or read book How To Win Customers Every Day written by MAX EDITORIAL and published by Max Editorial. This book was released on 2023-07-10 with total page 54 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Do you dream of skyrocketing your business to unparalleled heights? Are you tired of losing customers to your competitors, struggling to make your mark in a saturated market? Look no further, as "How to Win Customers Every Day" is the ultimate guide that will transform your business fortunes and revolutionize your customer interactions. In this groundbreaking book, you will embark on a transformative journey that unveils the secrets to building enduring relationships with your customers. With a laser focus on customer-centricity, you will learn how to not only attract customers but also retain them, converting them into your most loyal advocates. Discover the art of effective communication, as we delve into the psychology behind customer behavior, understanding their needs, desires, and pain points. Armed with this knowledge, you will gain a competitive edge by tailoring your offerings to exceed customer expectations. Learn how to craft compelling marketing messages that resonate deeply with your target audience, enticing them to choose your brand time and time again. But winning customers is only half the battle. Our expert guidance will equip you with the tools to transform satisfied customers into raving fans. Explore the power of exceptional customer service, learning how to anticipate their needs, offer personalized experiences, and address concerns swiftly. By going above and beyond, you will create an emotional connection that transcends mere transactions, fostering loyalty and driving repeat business. Moreover, "How to Win Customers Every Day" takes a holistic approach to customer-centricity, exploring the role of technology and innovation in enhancing customer experiences. Uncover the latest trends and strategies in the digital landscape, from leveraging social media platforms to creating seamless online shopping experiences. Embrace the power of data analytics to gain insights into customer preferences and behavior, enabling you to tailor your strategies for maximum impact. Through real-life case studies, practical examples, and actionable tips, this book will empower you to build a thriving business that consistently wins customers, day in and day out. It is a comprehensive blueprint that guides you towards a customer-centric mindset, where every interaction becomes an opportunity for growth and success. Join the ranks of industry leaders who have unlocked the secrets to winning customers every day. Don't settle for mediocrity; it's time to unleash the power of customer-centricity and claim your rightful place at the top. Get ready to revolutionize your business and embark on a journey towards unprecedented success. Get your copy of "How to Win Customers Every Day" today and unlock the path to a brighter future!
Download or read book Convergence Marketing written by Yoram Wind and published by Ft Press. This book was released on 2002-01 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Preface: Running with the Centaur "A businessman is a hybrid of a dancer and a calculator." —Paul Valery, French Poet and Philosopher The Internet revolution didn't turn out to be anything like we thought it would be. At the end of the 1990s, the discussion of many observers, we among them, focused on the rise of the "cyberconsumer" and the emergence of "Internet marketing." At the extreme, the image of this cyberconsumer was humorously caricatured in a series of Sprint commercials introducing its wireless web, in which people hunched over their computers in dark rooms were invited at long last to step out into the sunlit world. The business model designed for the cyberconsumer was the "pure play" Internet firm, either a separate dot-com or a stand-alone division of a larger company. But the cyberconsumer was largely a myth. Consumers didn't behave anything like we thought they would. Today, we are entering the age of the centaur. Consumers act across multiple channels. They combine timeless human needs and behaviors with new online activities. They are like the centaur of Greek mythology--half human and half horse—running with the rapid feet of new technology, yet carrying the same ancient and unpredictable human heart. This consumer is a combination of traditional and cyber, rational and emotional, wired and physical. This consumer is not either/or, but both. The authors came to this center from opposite directions. Jerry Wind was an early champion of digital marketing, highlighting the revolutionary changes of the Internet on consumer behavior, marketing and business strategy. He urged executives to consider the potential of this new technology to transform their businesses. Vijay Mahajan pointed out that not everything had changed, and that many aspects of consumer behavior and marketing remained the same. He urged executives to consider the enduring human characteristics that would continue to shape marketing and business strategy. As we discussed the issue from these two viewpoints, working on a series of projects that led to this book, we came to the conclusion that we were both right: the reality was the hybrid consumer. This is not to suggest that there are three separate segments (traditional, cyberconsumer and centaur). The reality is convergence. The entire market is becoming centaurs, either directly or indirectly (even if someone is not online, their behavior will still be affected by new technologies, channels and products, and service offerings). This is why we focus so much on the centaur. The centaurs, in turn, are heterogeneous, so there will be many segments among these hybrid consumers. Even the most tech savvy of U.S. consumers—the 18 to 25 year olds of Generation Y—are not strictly cyberconsumers. A recent survey of more than 600 Gen-Y respondents (51 percent of whom had made online purchases in the past year) found that nearly 40 percent learned about the product online, but bought at a physical store, whereas only 9.3 percent began and ended their search online. When asked where they would prefer to shop, nearly three-quarters chose a store rather than online. Across the spectrum, consumers are combining various channels and approaches, searching online to buy offline, searching offline to buy online—and everything in between. Charles Schwab found that while about 90 percent of all trades are handled online, 60-70 percent of new accounts are set up in branch offices. People want to be able to see whom they are working with when they turn over their money. Benefits of Convergence The power of hybrid models can be seen in the success of Tesco, which raced past pioneers such as Peapod and Webvan to become the largest online grocer in the world. Tesco, using its century-old platform of retail stores in the U.K. as the launching pad for its online service, created a profitable online business that was handling 70,000 orders per week by mid 2001 and had racked up more than $400 million in sales the year before. Tesco could set up its online grocery business for a fraction of the investment of Webvan because it was able to build off its existing infrastructure. Tesco has moved into the U.S. market, purchasing a 35 percent investment in Safeway's online grocery service in June 2001, and announcing plans for expansion into South Korea. The power and profit of the hybrid model can also be seen in the success of Staples.com, which expected to grow online revenues to $1 billion in 2001, nearly 10 percent of company sales. Even more significant, Staples found that the addition of the new channel is not cannibalistic, but synergistic. Overall, customers who shop in the store and catalog spend twice as much as those who shop in the store alone, and customers that shop using the store, catalog, and online channels spend an average of $2,500, nearly four times as much as store shoppers. The results achieved by Staples and other firms offer a sense of the potential return on investment from meeting the centaur. Convergence strategies offer a variety of opportunities for generating new revenues, reducing costs and creating valuable options for the future. Changing Mind Sets There is emerging evidence of the immediate benefits of convergence strategies, if investments are made strategically, but these short-term gains are not the only opportunity. Our focus is to look at the opportunities, both short- and long-term, created by the emergence of the hybrid consumer and how companies can capitalize on these opportunities. The last category may be the most important: the options that convergence strategies create for the future. This book takes a broader view of the strategic impact of the centaur for marketing and business strategy, and the architecture of the organization. If you believe, as we do, that the centaur is the future of our markets, then the ability to succeed in the future depends on understanding and "running with" the centaur. Failure to understand these changes creates the risk of significant lost opportunities. What can the integration of the offline marketplace and the online marketspace do for consumers that neither can do alone? What business principles will guide the integration? How is marketing changing? How do these shifts affect short-term and long-term profitability and growth? What Is Converging Convergence, as we discuss it here, means more than the fusion of different technologies (television, computers, wireless, PDAs) or the combination of channels (such as Tesco's or Staple's bricks-and-clicks model). We focus on a more basic convergence within the consumer—the new possibilities created by the technology and the enduring behaviors of human beings. This convergence will shape how the Internet and other new technologies unfold, and the opportunities created for companies. What can consumers do with the technology that they could not do in the past? When will they continue to do things in the way they always have? Although most of the focus in this book is on business-to-consumer interactions, many of the insights apply equally to business-to-business strategy. The line between B2B and B2C is already blurring. In an environment in which Sun Microsystems is selling products on eBay, is this B2B or B2C? In an environment in which a customer may soon be able to click an order button for an automobile and set in motion a global supply chain to deliver that car, where does B2C end and B2B begin? Lessons from the Dot-Coms This book examines the practices of a variety of companies, but we must stress at the outset that these firms are not held up as ultimate models. They all have something to teach us, but many of the successful companies of a year or two ago are now fighting for their lives. And some companies that were all but written off are back in force. We suspect the same unpredictable dynamic will be seen in the future. This is a particularly dangerous time to engage in benchmarking or to search for excellence. It is not a time for simple recipes. Instead, it is far more important to gain a deeper understanding of how consumers are changing and how they are remaining the same. The actions of these hybrid consumers will shape the way technology is adopted and, ultimately, the future of your markets. We should take a balanced view of dot-com failures. Mark Twain once said, "We should be careful to get out of an experience only the wisdom that is in it." Twain gives the example of a cat who sits on a hot stove, and learns not to sit on a hot stove again—but also won't sit on a cold stove. The failures of the first wave of dot-coms offer many lessons about what to do, and what not to do, but we need to be careful in taking lessons from them. Although some of the companies that failed had weak business models, some actually had brilliant marketing strategies and business models. The failure of the business is not necessarily an indictment of the idea. Some may have arrived slightly ahead of their time. Some may have suffered from poor execution. It may be that the time is now right for these ideas to flourish. During the Internet bubble, we have engaged in one of the most extensive, investor-financed experiments in new business models and paradigms. There has been an explosion of experimentation. Although many of these experiments proved to be unprofitable, many new ideas were developed and tested. Incumbent companies and startups that are still alive can benefit greatly from the acceleration of knowledge from this dot-com "school of hard knocks." Pick through the wreckage and look carefully at what happened. Then take away the lessons that you can use. The Implications of the Centaur In this book, we offer insights to top executives and key organizational change agents on the characteristics and behavior of these hybrid centaurs and how we need to reshape our marketing and business strategy to meet them. The book explores different intersections between the consumer, technology and company and their implications for marketing and business strategy and organizational design. We examine the emergence of the centaur, and the marketing, business and organizational challenges and opportunities created. Part I offers a portrait of this centaur, what has changed and what remains the same. We also discuss how the focus on the customer has often been lost in the emphasis on technology. These centaurs are complex beings, with a love-hate relationship with the technology, buying books from Amazon.com one day and relaxing in an armchair sipping cappuccino at Barnes & Noble the next. Part II explores issues at the intersection between the consumer and technology. We consider five key issues at the core of addressing these new hybrid consumers—customerization, communities, channel options, new competitive value propositions, and choice tools. Although these issues have been discussed in the context of the cyberconsumer, they are quite different from the perspective of the centaur. Sometimes consumers want customerization (customized products and services as well as customized marketing), but other times they want to pull standard products off the shelf and receive mass marketing messages. Consumers are members of both physical and virtual communities. The hybrid consumers want to be able—in the words of Fidelity—to "call, click, or visit." They are redefining the traditional sources of value, buying products by auction or fixed price or name-your-own price depending on their mood and purchase situation, creating a new value equation. Finally, the Internet offers powerful tools to find information, make decisions, and manage one's life. These tools empower consumers, changing the way they interact with the company. How can you create convergence strategies to address these interrelated issues? Part III examines the impact of the centaur on marketing and business strategies. As the consumer connects much more directly to companies, marketing has a deeper role to play. Marketing creates new opportunities for growth and rethinking the company's offering, pricing and market boundaries. The centaur has also transformed the traditional 4 Ps of marketing, along with strategies for segmentation, positioning, customer relationships, branding, and marketing research. As these changes send shockwaves through the organization, another type of convergence is called for—in organizational design. Part IV explores some of the fundamental transformations established organizations need to undergo to meet the centaur. To navigate the whitewater rapids of convergence and change, organizations need new organizational architectures. They need to change their architectures, creating a broader "c-change" to facilitate convergence across the organization and its ecosystem. The overall objective is to suggest a new consumer-centric mental model through which to examine the entire business. The kind of shift we are talking about is what Bill Gates describes in the transformation of Microsoft's original mission of "a PC on every desk" to its current mission to "empower people through great software, any time, any place and on any device." The focus is on the convergence of technology and consumer needs. This book is designed to be an interactive experience. Each chapter begins with a dialogue representing different viewpoints on convergence. Callouts highlight key convergence questions that you can use to challenge yourself and to assess your company's progress. Finally, the close of every chapter offers an "action memo," a set of illustrative hands-on experiments for exploring and applying convergence strategies. We have found the only way to master these new technologies and strategies is to actually experience them and apply them to your own business. These "action memos" are not intended to be exhaustive or to summarize key themes of the chapter, but represent a starting point for your own experiments. We encourage you to share those experiments with us, and other readers, at the Convergence Marketing Forum (convergencemarketingforum.com). The Relentless March of the Centaur As Internet penetration increases—and new technologies emerge—we are seeing a relentless march of these new hybrid centaurs. We cannot judge the potential of the Internet and other technologies by their current primitive level of development. John Hagel, author of Net Gain and Net Worth, says if we compare the Internet to a ballgame, we are still waiting for the national anthem to finish. Michael Nelson, Director of Internet Technology and Strategy at IBM, estimated in 2000 that we were maybe 3 percent of the way into the Internet revolution. He also points out that increased speed of connection, which has been a central focus of attention in the evolution of the Internet, is only a small part of the power of the emerging online world. In addition to raw speed, the fact that the Internet will be always on, everywhere, natural, intelligent, easy, and trusted, will deepen the role of the Internet in our lives. Nelson compares the development of the Internet to the early days of the electric grid. "The Internet right now is at the light bulb stage," Nelson said. "The light bulb is very useful, but it is only one of thousands of uses of electricity. Similarly, when the next-generation Internet is fully deployed, we will use it in thousands of different ways, many of which we can't even imagine now. It will just be part of everyday life—like electricity or plumbing is today. We'll know we've achieved this when we stop talking about 'going on the Internet.' When you blow dry your hair, you don't talk about 'going on' the electric grid." There will be naysayers who will use the limitations of the current state of technology as a reason for inaction. Customization is often neither cheap nor simple. Early interfaces with online sites were clunky at best and many home connections remain slow. Throughout this book, we look at the current and future potential of technology and explore how the consumer will interact with it. We won't waste your time giving you a repair manual for a Model T, but instead explore how motor vehicles (particularly newer, more reliable versions) create opportunities for activities such as commerce and family vacations by car. While we must be realistic, we cannot become too mired in the past when the future is so rapidly emerging. Children of Centaurs: In the Forests of the North It is clear that we are just getting started with the Internet, and we are even earlier on the learning curve for the new wireless consumers beginning to emerge. Even as businesses are scurrying to absorb the revolution of the Internet, teenagers in Europe and Asia are already shaping the next revolution in mobile communication and commerce. This revolution will play out differently in different parts of the world, and it will probably play out differently than we expect, unless we truly understand the new hybrid consumer. It poses new convergence challenges, but raises the same timeless questions: How will consumers interact with the technology? Again, this interaction between people and technology will not always be as businesses anticipated. Helsinki teenager Lauri Taehtinen, speaking on a panel of Finnish teenagers at the Wharton Fellows in e-Business Program, said that when he goes out on a Friday night, he doesn't make plans anymore. Instead the 19-year-old goes downtown and starts sending short messages on his mobile phone, pinging his friends to see who's out there. They connect by cell phone and then decide where they want to go for the evening. While companies are excited about developing mobile information services that might help customers identify night clubs or order fast food, Taehtinen and his peers are more interested in connection. In an environment in which virtually every teenager carries a mobile phone (Finnish market penetration of 78 percent means almost every citizen above the age of 10 carries at least one mobile phone), the mobile conversation is continuous and ubiquitous. Among U.K. teens, short messages outnumber phone conversations three to one, and the parallel phenomenon of instant messaging is one of the most popular applications of teenagers on the PC in the United States and other parts of the world. The very fact that short messages (SMS) are the top application of mobile phones in Finland is, at first, a surprising thing. The handsets, designed for voice, are not friendly to the process of messaging. Users tap out their 160-word messages on numeric keyboards through complex, rapid-fire keystrokes, smart systems, and creative workarounds. With users paying a charge to send each message on most systems, it would seem unlikely that SMS would be a central part of the mobile phone business. But these young centaurs want to communicate, and they don't let the technology get in their way. It was only in the interaction between consumers and technology that that power of short messages became apparent. Just as email has been the killer application of the Internet, mobile technology is being bent to the human desire to communicate and connect. "People don't want to be entertained," Taehtinen bluntly states. "They don't want information. If you go into Internet cafes, you see people are not reading the news; they are all sending email or chatting online. They are willing to pay for social interaction. People want to belong to something." Enduring Lessons While communications and information technology may be ephemeral and uncertain, there are at least two enduring lessons: The first is that the new technologies, as much as their proponents may want them to, do not replace the old. They live side by side, and they converge. The second is that people are complex, retaining the same enduring human needs even as they adapt to new technologies and behaviors. These may seem like fairly obvious, even simplistic, statements. But they have been overlooked more often than recognized in the mad rush to adopt new technology. These realities have fundamental implications for marketing and business strategy. What they mean is that there needs to be a convergence of the old technology and the new to create a portfolio of technologies and channels. The storefront and catalog don't go away when you add the Internet. And, even more important, there is an interaction between humans and technology that changes both. There is a convergence of old consumer behaviors and new behaviors that affects the trajectory of technology, the strategies for marketing and, ultimately, the design of the business. More Human The wonderful thing about our interactions with machines is not in the ways machines can be made to behave in more human ways, but in the way these interactions make it easier for us to see what distinguishes us as humans. The more we move to machine-mediated interactions, the more we see the fundamental and enduring behaviors that are at the core of marketing and business strategy. It is this interaction between man and machine that is changing us, transforming the practice of marketing and our organizations. In this book, we examine how we need to transform our thinking about the nature of these emerging consumers. We explore how to reach these centaurs and establish long-lasting relationships with them. We look at the ways that they remain the same and the ways that they are fundamentally different in their expectations and behaviors. And we consider how they have irrevocably changed—and continue to change—the theory and practice of marketing, and the design of our organizations.
Download or read book The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Print On Demand T Shirt Business written by Barrett Williams and published by Barrett Williams. This book was released on 2024-08-19 with total page 137 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Unlock Your Entrepreneurial Potential with **The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Print On Demand T-Shirt Business**! Are you ready to dive into the world of e-commerce and build a thriving t-shirt business from scratch? Look no further! This comprehensive eBook is your essential roadmap to mastering the art and science of Print On Demand (POD) tailored explicitly for the booming fitness apparel market. ### Whatâs Inside? #### **Chapter 1. Introduction to Print On Demand (POD)** Discover the fundamentals of the POD model, and why itâs an ideal choice for launching a t-shirt business. Unveil the secrets behind the low-risk, high-reward potentials of the t-shirt industry. #### **Chapter 2. Choosing Your Niche** The riches are in the niches! Learn how to conduct market research, identify profitable niche markets, and gain insights from successful case studies of t-shirt brands that have nailed their niche. #### **Chapter 3. Drilling Down Micro-Niches** Go deeper into micro-niches to find your Unique Selling Proposition (USP). Stand out from the competition by mastering the art of narrowing down your focus to cater to specific, highly-targeted groups. #### **Chapter 4. T-shirt Designs for Fitness Enthusiasts** Tap into the lucrative fitness market! Understand preferences, gather design inspiration, and create custom artwork that speaks to fitness enthusiasts. #### **Chapter 5. Market Research for Fitness T-shirt Lines** Stay ahead with thorough market research. Analyze trends, study the competition, conduct surveys, and interpret data to make informed design decisions. #### **Chapter 6. Setting Up Your POD Business** From choosing a POD platform to pricing strategies and legal considerations, this chapter will set you on the path to a seamless business setup. #### **Chapter 7. Creating Compelling T-shirt Designs** Master design software and tools, explore color theory, impactful typography, and ensure your print files meet the highest quality standards. #### **Chapter 8. Branding Your POD Fitness T-shirt Business** Create a memorable brand identity with a compelling logo and cohesive style guide. Learn techniques to build and maintain brand loyalty. #### **Chapter 9. Launch Strategies** Execute a perfect launch by leveraging pre-launch marketing, social media buzz, influencer partnerships, and strategic launch day activities. #### **Chapter 10. Marketing and Promotion** Harness the power of social media, email marketing, PPC advertising, and SEO to drive traffic and sales. #### **Chapter 11. Engaging with Your Audience** Foster a vibrant community, respond to customer feedback, and leverage user-generated content to build strong relationships with your audience. #### **Chapter 12. Managing Your POD Operations** Streamline your operations, integrate with POD suppliers, manage orders, and handle returns with ease. #### **Chapter 13. Scaling Your Business** Expand your product line, enter new markets, automate processes, and build a team to take your business to new heights. #### **Chapter 14. Trends and Innovations in POD** Stay ahead of the curve with insights into sustainability, new printing technologies, and the latest trends in customization and personalization. #### **Chapter 15. Real-Life Success Stories** Be inspired by interviews with successful POD entrepreneurs, learn from their experiences, and discover the future outlook and opportunities in the POD industry. Transform your passion for t-shirts into a profitable business venture. Get your copy of **The Ultimate Guide to Starting a Print On Demand T-Shirt Business** today and start your journey to entrepreneurial success!
