The mood at the recent shop.org Annual Summit in Dallas was grounded euphoria. It was by far the most well attended and engaged summit in shop.org history. It also ranks as one of the most well-produced shows in content, event planning and overall value that I have had the pleasure of not only attending but participating in. I have been involved on and off with shop.org since it’s early beginnings… Currently I serve on the content committee and have been a speaker on social media/commerce for the past 3 years. It is a group that I am distinctly proud to be a part of and contribute to.
I continue to be impressed with the level of dedication of all those involved and their keen sense as well as unrelenting focus on what is valuable to their membership. It always showed but it really shined this year. Close to 3400 attendees converged to discuss, debate and learn about critical issues and trends that directly impact their business. All in an outstanding setting and format conducive to digesting the robust content. And a party on the Cowboys stadium field wasn’t too shabby either.
If you missed the summit you can catch an overview on their site at: http://bit.ly/9MNaSg
If you are not a retailer, this is a unique and wired bunch. Retail alone is an intense, competitive business. When ecommerce was added to the mix oh so many years ago -the debates ran on – but today there is no debating the financial contribution and yes even the growth opportunities there are in ecommerce – with social commerce being a particularly hot topic.
If the mood here is any indication of the year to come; 2011 is going to kick some major ecommerce butt.
I had the distinct joy and privilege to lead a roundtable on “How Social Drives SEO” as well as serve as a “social media” Doctor for one on one sessions with retailers.
It was outstanding. The shared dialogue, the voracious appetite for knowledge – oh joy!
There was tons of opportunities to learn more, validate what you “think you know”, connect, chat, visit and so forth – all that makes these sorts of events so worthwhile. The only complaint I have is – there wasn’t enough time to get it all in.
But I did pick up a pair of spectacular silver and white calfskin cowgirlboots. When in Texas — YeeHa!
This morning I had a lively chat with Jeffrey Grau, senior analyst from eMarketer on the current and future state of social commerce. Interestingly enough, it seems that an article I wrote way back in March 18, 2008, “Get in the Social Shopping Craze” caught his eye. I think it was the nostalgia for Tupperware that did it 
I found this particularly interesting and yes, flattering that he thought it was one of the more interesting articles on the topic even this many months later. I think what was most compelling for him and we talked a bit about it was the historical context that framed and gave context to all the seemingly newfangled “stuff” around social shopping. As we discussed, it really is quite simple –
Socializing is an inherent human behavior. Shopping is not only a pasttime and activity in our culture but a major part of our economic and cultural fiber. The advance of technology, social networks, apps, sites and so forth captures these inherent behaviors, brings them together, enables and advances our behaviors in ways that were never before possible. But the behaviors themselves at their core, the desire and actions around socialization and commerce really haven’t changed.. So while in many ways it’s a different, wild and woolly world out there – it many ways it always has been….and at the core nothing has really changed much at all.
Figuring out what this means for your business is also not so mystical. Key issues are: understanding your customers, reaching and engaging them where they are, creating experiences that addresses their needs, interests and wants — as we move towards an anywhere, anytime shopping experience. Now while this might not be so mysterious…executing successfully is a whole other universe to tackle.
Bucking the retail slump, Amazon.com posted a 9% profit rise. Net sales jumped 18% to $6.70 billion amid gains in both its U.S. and overseas businesses. The Web retailer, which expanded its product selection and aggressively cut prices to lure shoppers during the holidays, said sales rose 24% from a year earlier excluding currency effects. Shares rose in after-hours trading.
