The Big Bridge: Retail's New Sweet Spot

In her latest article for the International Licensing Industry Merchandiser's Association (LIMA), Carol Spieckerman reveals why capitalizing on the space between early adoption and the next big thing is retail's new sweet spot.

In retail, it can seem as though the movement from early adoption to the next big thing occurs at the speed of light. No sooner does a new product, innovation or technology hit the scene than version 2.0 is announced, beginning a quickening race to obsolescence. In many cases, however, transitions still drag on longer than anyone thought, particularly when it comes to solutions involving many moving parts and stakeholders (RFID anyone?). In fact, they sometimes never actually happen. Brick and mortar stores are alive and well, not despite the Internet, but arguably because of it.

Staying mired in the solutions of the past and waiting for others to take the lead can feel like watching grass grow, as lost revenue from the road not taken is painfully underlined with each passing day. This is also true for those who lunge ahead into early adoption then wait for demand to catch up. No wonder capitalizing on the space between these two is becoming retail’s new sweet spot.

Walmart’s debut of its Disc-to-Digital service this past week is a great example...

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Carol Spieckerman's Brain On ...Verizon's Hook Up with Redbox

In her latest contribution as a Retail Wire panelist, Carol homes in on home entertainment as streaming content's sweet spot.

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Here's what she had to say ... 

Verizon knows that content, especially entertainment, is what makes mobile devices desirable, and on-demand content makes them downright sexy. Verizon's partnership with Redbox isn't limited to mobile entertainment delivery (phone or tablet) -- harnessing the integration of mobile devices into the overall home or personal entertainment environment will be the real sweet spot. It's currently possible to stream iTunes movies and music from your iPad to your HDTV and (AirPlay-enabled) home entertainment systems but similar tech from other companies is proliferating quickly. On-demand content is the key to staying competitive.

Riche Niches: No Time to Freak Over Media Fragmentation

In Carol's latest article for the International Licensing Merchandiser's Association (LIMA), she explains why brand marketers can't afford to be freaked out by media fragmentation.

Just when you thought the cost of television airtime couldn’t climb any higher, thirty-second spots for last Sunday’s Super Bowl XLVI clocked in at a record average of $3.5 million. Although stratospheric, these bucks came with a huge bang, as the NFL anticipated scoring its largest television audience ever with a projected viewership of more than 111 million. While the go-big-or-go-home spend for primetime Super Bowl ads is a top story every February, it’s the NFL’s decision to stream the game live online for the first time that may provide the most interesting subtext from Sunday’s game.

In recent years, the NFL, like many brands, has been aggressive in its efforts to expand globally. By streaming the action online, it will open the door to millions of fans abroad and allow social media to play an even larger role across its viewership. That’s a stark contrast from the days when brands built value by funneling fans’ rapt attention into a single medium. How well the mindshare game is played across different platforms will set the tone for media spends for the rest of the year — and not just for the NFL.

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Mobile Carriers Not Getting the Signal

Check out Carol Spieckerman's comments in Forbes magazine on why platforms and networks aren't really the key to differentiation for mobile phone carries.

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Article by: Pete Healy for Forbes, 01/05/2012

Copyright 2012 Forbes All rights reserved.

Heading to CES? Carol will be participating in the conference panel, Electronic Retailing in the 21st Century on January 11th at 1:30 (North Hall, room N260) and conducting private corporate presentations throughout the week.

To schedule a meeting with Carol at CES to discuss your 2012 retail and brand strategy, contact her directly at carol@newmarketbuilders.com