Tags on Wheaties boxes.  iPhone applications at the shopper’s fingertips. Focused communities on Facebook. The voice of the customer is rising: blogs, customer reviews, and community dialogue.  The shopper dial-tone is rising.  They want to belong. All want to be heard.  They crave a better buying experience.
The power is shifting from the retailer to the shopper.  Social commerce is filling the void between clicks and bricks to deliver a personalized experience.  To answer the challenge and thirst for knowledge, Altimeter Group is announcing their first conference on October 6^th and 7^thin Palo Alto, CA. to understand how to leverage these shifts to improve your brand.  The theme?  Rise of Social Commerce.
Why social commerce?  Social commerce redefines the buying experience. When it is done right, customers have a voice.  They are connected in new and exciting ways.  Brands become more personal. The supply chain response is tailored and personalized. Mobile offers shape demand in new and exciting ways.  Guided shopping and virtual reality become a new reality.
New technologies are emerging to answer the challenge.  Point of Presence (POP) is combining with Point of Sale (POS) to influence, persuade, and guide shopping.  Artificial reality and virtualization is enhancing interaction.  Social media is evolving to social commerce to improve the in-store experience.  At the event, new technologies will be showcased.  It is also a great opportunity to network with peers on how these trends to influence shopping on mobile devices, automate check-out and link the voice of the customer to the value chain.
What stories do you think that we should showcase at this conference?  Which technologies excite you?  I look forward to hearing your ideas and your stories.