Self-Branding for Personal and Career Success

Posted on August 15, 2014 by bermanevansretail
Recently, I did a full-length radio interview with Dr. Suzanne Phillips for her CoSozo Psych Up Show  on the topic of self-branding for personal and career success. In this interview, the discussion goes far beyond the concept of self-branding for career success, the subject of earlier posts at this blog.
Self-branding is relevant for every role in which we engage — family member, friend, boss, employee, etc. And (1) our persona varies for each role and (2) we need to understand how others perceive us in these various roles. If we are not perceived as we would like, maybe we need to sharpen our messages and/or change our behavior.
If you have a few minutes (48 overall 🙂 ), then click on the play button.
 
http://www.cosozo.com/sites/default/files/radio/audio/full/pu0039_podcast.mp3

 

Posted in Career Useful Information, Careers in Retailing, Part 1: Overview/Planning, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Amazon Battles On

Posted on August 14, 2014 by bermanevansretail
As the world’s largest book seller and online merchant, Amazon is never afraid to flex its muscles with regard to its suppliers. So, this question comes into play: Is Amazon acting as an advocate for lower consumer prices (as the retailer claims) OR is Amazon an unrestrained bully trying to increase its margins at the expense of its content providers (as critics claim)?
WHAT IS YOUR CONCLUSION?
For several months, Amazon has been  battling with publisher Hachette. Consider this observation in Catey Hill’s report for MarketWatch:
“Amazon and book behemoth Hachette — along with some publishers’ groups and writers — are at one another’s throats, in a fight that’s escalated just within the past week. Amazon, which accounts for about 60% of the digital-book market, wants to use its market power to get Hachette to lower E-book prices, while Hachette says that this is ‘punitive,’ hurts authors and bookstores, and doesn’t take into account the costs — like royalties, marketing and expenses — that go into creating books. Hachette also notes that 80% of its books are already selling online for $9.99 or less, which is the price at which Amazon hopes to sell many of its E-books. For its part, Amazon has used its leverage against Hachette by delaying shipping and stopping pre-orders on some Hachette books.”
Now, Amazon has also decided to do battle with the Walt Disney Co., another behemoth content provider. Consider this observation in Greg Bensinger’s report for the Wall Street Journal:
“When Amazon.com Inc. wants to fight, it turns to a familiar playbook. The latest to feel the Seattle retailer’s sting is Walt Disney Co. Amazon isn’t accepting pre-orders of forthcoming Disney DVD and Blu-ray titles including Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Maleficent. As Amazon continues its well-publicized battle with Hachette over E-book costs, it has now engaged in a battle with Disney. It is the same tactic Amazon has employed in a bitter four-month spat with Hachette Book Group over E-book pricing. To press its point, Amazon suspended pre-orders for physical copies of many Hachette titles and lengthened shipping times or pared discounts for others. The tactics underscore Amazon’s unusual sway in E-commerce, where it is by far the dominant player, particularly for books and media.”
Click the image to see a Wall Street Journal video on this battle.

Photo by Associated Press

 

Posted in Online Retailing, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 5: Managing a Retail Business, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Multichannel Merchant’s New Study of Global E-Commerce

Posted on August 13, 2014 by bermanevansretail
Due to its growing importance, we have posted several times about the changing face of global E-commerce (see, for example, 1, 2, 3).
According to Mike O’Brien, writing for Multichannel Merchant (MCM):
“If you’re a merchant and you’re not engaged in global E-commerce, you’re
missing out on a massive opportunity. Trends like slower growth in domestic
E-commerce relative to other countries and increased Web site traffic from non-U.S.
IP addresses are clear signals that legions of ready and willing online buyers await
across the globe.”
“While the opportunity is clearly there, a number of obstacles need to be addressed,
and engaging with solution partners experienced in cross-border trade is often a
wise course of action. Overall, merchants need to enter global E-commerce with a
clear plan and strategy in place, starting slowly and building on successes.”
Click the image to read MCM’s “Outlook 2014: Global E-Commerce Opportunity Beckons — But Do Your Preparation.”

 

 

Posted in Global Retailing, Online Retailing, Part 2: Ownership, Strategy Mix, Online, Nontraditional, Part 3: Targeting Customers and Gathering Information, Part 6: Merchandise Management and Pricing, Part 7: Communicating with the Customer | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments