Commerce Experience

As eCommerce accelerated in the wake of the pandemic, a shift in focus away from branch sales saw B2B manufacturers facing huge disruption to their traditional distribution model. To delve deeper into what's been happening in B2B manufacturing over the past year, Brian Walker speaks to Randy Higgins, Chief Strategy Officer at Shift7 Digital, the leading digital agency for manufacturers. Together, they discuss the changing roles of manufacturers and distributors, how the B2B sales process has been transformed, and the opportunities this has created, including: - How the increase in self-service is pushing manufacturers to improve their digital experiences and what the best in the sector are doing to stand out from the crowd. - Why B2B buyers are willing to pay more for a better commerce experience, and how manufacturers can adjust for this. - And why manufacturers need to be considering the impact that Amazon Business and other marketplace channels could have on their sales strategy and what they should do to respond. This episode offers many fascinating insights on how the B2B manufacturing space is changing and what manufacturers need to do to adapt to rapidly changing consumer behaviors. If you’re a manufacturer looking for best practice insights on how to effectively sell your products in a post-covid world, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode. We’d love to hear your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Randy a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/randy-higgins-8620413/ Find out more about Shift7 Digital at: https://www.shift7digital.com/

Like many in online retail, BigCommerce saw incredible year-on-year revenue growth during 2020, the year that was ‘make or break’ for so many businesses out there. But it didn’t come easy. To find out how they transformed their strategy to respond to the pandemic and were able to successfully complete an IPO in the midst of the downturn, Brian Walker speaks to Brent Bellm, CEO at BigCommerce. Together they discuss the impact of the pandemic, the shape of the eCommerce market today, and the opportunities open to small businesses, including: - The biggest benefits that brands get from having a direct-to-consumer relationship and a digital-first strategy. - How BigCommerce overcame its two biggest challenges in the early days of Covid-19. - And the top three things consumer packaged goods business leaders need to think about as they lean into digital commerce. This episode offers many fascinating insights into how BigCommerce have successfully navigated the pandemic as well as a unique ‘behind the curtain’ look at how the business has had to evolve since going public. If you’re considering your investment options and thinking of listing, or you want to know what you should be thinking about to transform your eCommerce strategy, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Brent a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brent-bellm-3b305214/ Find out more about BigCommerce at: https://www.bigcommerce.com/

As one of the world’s leading organizations, Amazon’s approach to culture, leadership and best practices are unlike any other company out there. Brian speaks to Colin Bryar, former Technical Advisor to Jeff Bezos, to discuss what’s driven the incredible success of the eCommerce giant over the past three decades. Co-Author of Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon, released today, Colin reveals the unique principles and processes that have led to Amazon’s meteoric rise. Brian and Colin go into detail on Amazon’s relentless focus on the customer and the key elements that underpin its phenomenal strategy, including: - How Amazon ensures customer-centric product design by starting with an idealized future Press Release that would accompany a product on its launch. - Why the company replaced PowerPoint presentations with laser-focused 6-page narratives to communicate complex ideas more efficiently. - And how it has managed to reinforce ‘Amazonian’ culture so consistently, by instilling 14 leadership principles into everything it does. This episode offers many never-before-heard insights into how Amazon has become one of the world’s greatest innovators and the leading light in eCommerce. And as Colin explains in today’s show, much of its approach can be applied to your own business, giving you a repeatable and scalable model for success. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Colin a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colinbryar/

“The companies that are becoming the future unicorns have the best data about their customers. We have clients that are 6X up, year-over-year. You can’t do that without knowledge of your customers.” Collecting customer data is key to any successful business that is looking to scale. But simply collecting masses of data won’t give you a competitive advantage – you have to truly understand that data in order to make the most of it through digital marketing. In the latest episode of the ‘The State of Commerce Experience’ podcast, host Brian Walker speaks to Peter Irikovsky, CEO at Exponea to discuss the evolution of customer data, and ways forward-thinking eCommerce brands are using it to build better relationships with their customers, including: - How companies that had the best customer data during Covid were able to change their business models overnight and still drive growth. - The role of the Customer Data Experience Platform (CDXP) in 2021, what it enables your business to do, and the challenges you face if your customer data is too siloed. - How the imminent elimination of third-party cookies will shake up the market, and how zero-party data will improve customers’ experiences with brands they trust. This episode gives some brilliant insights into the power of the ‘single customer view’, and the benefits of investing in a customer data platform for your own business as data regulations evolve. If you’ve been thinking about shaking up your approach to customer data and experience, you’ll want to listen to this episode to hear what’s worked for some of Exponea’s most successful clients. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Peter a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/irikovsky/ And find out more about Exponea by visiting: https://exponea.com/

“Stop thinking the only way you can make money is by selling assets that you make or buy. You can also make money by mutualising and monetising assets you have built over time, whether it's your brand, your partner network, your customer base or your access to markets.” Today’s customers expect to be able to buy exactly what they want, when they want it and for the best price available. This rise in hyper personalized shopping has led to a boom in online marketplaces, and the trend for these platforms seems to only be going in one direction, up. To help you navigate this growing channel, Brian sought out one of the industry’s leading figures to share his perspective on marketplaces and what you really need to know. In this episode, Brian speaks to Adrien Nussenbaum, CEO and Co-founder of Mirakl, the leader of online marketplace solutions. They discuss the transformative impact marketplaces can have on a company and how to successfully integrate one into your business, including: - The efficiencies marketplaces can generate in both B2B and B2C by allowing brands to build their value chains around their specific needs. - Why making a marketplace a core part of your business requires buy in from the very top and is a long-term commitment that may take time to pay off. - How marketplaces enable companies to be resilient, agile and innovative, putting them in a strong position to thrive during times of upheaval and uncertainty. The move towards digital marketplaces has accelerated during the coronavirus pandemic and with more countries heading into a second lockdown, now is the perfect time to explore the opportunities a digital marketplace could offer your business. So, if you’re looking for more insights into what you need to consider before implementing a digital marketplace in your business, you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Adrien a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anussenbaum/ And find out more about Mirakl by visiting: https://www.mirakl.com/

"In customer experience, you have to tell a story. And that story is not just a customer story. It's an operational story, a cost story or a technology story that takes pretty sophisticated individuals to pull together. Tools are not going to help you as much as you might hope." When bank branches suddenly closed during the pandemic, it left many customers with no option but to try digital banking channels for the very first time. To discuss the impact this overnight change had on one of the world’s largest banks, and what the future holds for traditional and digital banking, Brian Walker speaks to Brad Strothkamp - Senior VP of Customer Experience, Corporate Strategy, Innovation and Digital at Wells Fargo. In this episode, they discuss how digital channels and customer experience are evolving in the world of banking, including: - How the role of the branch will become more focused on financial health education and investment advice than day-to-day transactions. - Why challenger banks face an uphill struggle if they prioritize deposit relationships over lending products where the real profits are made. - How voice-to-text AI tools present the biggest opportunity to banks looking to enhance customer experience by discovering trends in sentiment and reacting to negativity at speed. This episode gives some brilliant insights into how the banking industry has moved forward in recent months, and the tools and approaches that might help if you’re looking to invest in digital channels for your own business. If you’re looking to enhance your customer experience and differentiate yourself from your competitors, you won’t want to miss Brad’s fantastic advice in this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Brad a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bstrothkamp/ And find out more about Wells Fargo by visiting: https://www.wellsfargo.com/

"In about a year and a half, Amazon Business will be the biggest industrial distributor in the US by sheer product volume alone." Covid-19 has driven the fastest ever growth in eCommerce, but it alone isn’t the only factor behind shifting behaviours in B2B transactions. To explore how the market is evolving and find out more about how businesses can keep pace with ever-increasing customer demands, Brian speaks to Mark Brohan - Vice President at Digital Commerce 360, in the latest episode of ‘The State of Commerce Experience’ podcast. Mark and Brian discuss what the future holds for B2B digital commerce, and how companies must adapt to avoid being left behind, including: - Why B2B is much more than just eCommerce and how EDI still has a big role to play. - Why over half of B2B buyers would pay for a better user experience, and how you can deliver it. - What B2B merchants really think about the potential of Amazon Business, and why you need a strategy that allows your business to compete. This episode gives some brilliant insights into the opportunities and challenges anyone in the B2B commerce world can expect in the upcoming months and how you can ensure your business is ready for the changes ahead. If you’ve been thinking about how you can sharpen up all your touchpoints as B2B competition increases, you won’t want to miss Mark’s great advice in this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Mark a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-brohan-86b53a93/ And find out more about Digital Commerce 360 by visiting: https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/

“Retail sites are a very static framework… they don’t represent at all how you walk into a mall or walk into a store and discover a product. To me, it's been an area begging for evolution for quite some time.” Digital marketplaces and eCommerce specialists were already forcing traditional stores to move from brick-and-mortar to a virtual world, but Covid-19 has dramatically accelerated the pace of change. Successfully making this transformation is challenging, but for the businesses that do it well, there are huge opportunities. To explore these opportunities and find out more about how businesses can overcome the most common challenges faced when going through a digital transformation, Brian talks to Carrie Tharp, Vice President of Retail and Consumer at Google Cloud. In this episode, Carrie and Brian discuss how retailers can weather the current storm and make the most of the digital tools available to them, including: - How the pandemic has changed consumer behavior and the way physical stores will be used by consumers as we move towards Christmas. - How brands can use tools like Machine Learning to transition from brick-and-mortar retail to digital commerce, without loosing that personal touch. - The value of working with partners such as Google to build your digital presence and offer, rather than starting from scratch. This episode gives some brilliant insights into how retailers of every variety and size can take advantage of eCommerce. If you’re currently leading a store-first business and considering how you make the move into digital or you’re looking for ways to boost your existing online offering, you won’t want to miss Carrie’s great advice in this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Carrie a little better by checking out her LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carrie-tharp/. And find out more about Google Cloud by visiting: https://cloud.google.com/

"As an agency there was a time when you could just be tech focused and not worry about the creative design or the business strategy or how a particular solution was going to be operated. But now organisations are expecting those multi-disciplinary capabilities." The world of eCommerce is constantly evolving, and the pace of change has accelerated like never before during Covid-19 as the whole economy shifts further online. In turn this has had a profound impact on the digital marketing agencies working in this space. To keep up with their clients they’ve had to move beyond marketing to become multi-disciplinary service providers. Having held senior leadership roles at both Adobe and Accenture, Jay Dettling has witnessed the evolution of digital first-hand. He’s now leading the global marketing and technology firm Ansira, as CEO, and we couldn’t have spoken to a better person to check in on regarding the latest developments of the ever-changing landscape of digital marketing agencies. In this episode Jay and Brian discuss how marketing and technology are two sides of the same coin that go hand in hand. They cover lots of interesting topics, including: - The challenges of meeting your consumers’ high eCommerce expectations and the opportunities this presents. - How the needs of eCommerce clients have grown and how digital agencies need to respond to that through strategy and supply chain knowhow. - The value of working in partnerships in the relentlessly innovative technology market and the things you can do to make sure collaboration is fruitful for both parties. This episode really shines a light on the growing influence and scope of digital, which is so integral to the success of many businesses. If you’re working with eCommerce clients or you’re looking to grow your own eCommerce business, you’ll definitely want to listen to Jay’s critical insights. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. Get to know Jay a little better by checking out his LinkedIn profile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaydettling/ And find out more about Ansira by visiting: https://ansira.com/

“The way to handle customer mythology is not to gather data first. Stop for a second and illuminate that mythology, get it out on the table, because it doesn't match leader to leader to leader. And those mismatches cause misunderstandings and misalignments that are invisible to the people who are making these decisions that are now pulling the organization in slightly different directions.” Most of the big user design questions have already been answered. But as the pandemic has completely shifted eCommerce priorities, it has raised a new question that’s top of many eCommerce executives’ lists - “can and will customers happily do the things that make your business thrive?” To find out more about the changing questions that eCommerce leaders are asking and to get a candid insight into the challenges of aligning executives for design change, Brian speaks with Tamara Adlin, the President of customer experience strategy consultancy, Adlin Inc. Tamara has previously helped bring cutting-edge user centred design methods to Amazon and has consulted dozens of others, from leading industry players, like Apple and Microsoft, and international organizations like the United Nations. She doesn’t just share her expertise with her own clients but is also the author of the hugely influential Persona Lifecycle book series and a sought-after speaker for events and conferences. In this episode, Brian and Tamara discuss how UX design has evolved and explore some of the more practical approaches to delivering a great eCommerce experiences, including: - How to articulate the business benefit of a UX design journey by putting yourself in your customers’ shoes. - The quick and easy ways to challenge your customer mythology and gain a deeper understanding of the people buying your products. - And how to achieve executive alignment by asking the basic questions that the rest of the organization won’t ask. If you’re trying to get to grips with what post-Covid UX design will look like or want to find out what aspects of UX your eCommerce business should be focusing on next, then you’ll definitely want to listen to this episode. We’d love to get your thoughts on this episode, as well as any recommendations for future guests, so please get in touch at https://www.bloomreach.com/en/about/contact-us. To learn more about Tamara, check out her LinkedIn profile at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamara-adlin-4a6a2/. To learn more about Tamara’s company, visit: https://adlininc.com/