Boujee Blockchain, Nespresso Speedballing, and a Garth-quake
In case you missed it this week:
This week on the podcast we discussed The Fascination’s quick acquisition turnaround, the concept of DTC Theory, and how religions are becoming brands, while brands are becoming religions. Listen here or wherever podcasts are found.
Ingrid Cordy put pen to paper to unpack the largest misconception in eCom today: eCom success does not have to be in contention with The Brand. They can coexist. She tells you how, in practical terms, in this week’s Future Commerce Insiders.
Join us at RICE 2022! The Future Commerce team is headed to the Retail Innovation Conference and Expo in Chicao next week. Use promo code RICE50P07 for 50% off your tickets for RICE and register over here.
The Thunder Rolls. Last weekend at a Garth Brooks concert in Louisiana, the force of his fans dancing and singing actually registered as a small earthquake on the campus seismograph at LSU where the concert was held. Could it be that fan power is even stronger than star power?
Fishy Firings. Amazon has fired multiple senior managers with ties to the union victory on Staten Island, though the company itself states that this move was because of an “organizational change.” More than one of the managers had received positive reviews in recent evaluations.
More Sights & Sounds. Wayfair is getting a new CFO. Apple, Google, and Microsoft have all announced plans to support passwordless sign-ins across all their platforms.
Boujee Blockchain. In a stunning move, Gucci is embracing new tech and plans to accept cryptocurrency as payment in five pilot stores starting this month.
Editor’s note: In a prior era, we might have described brands as having “sold out” when engaging in activations like Gucci has done here. Similar activations in Roblox, and in Snapchat, skew the luxury brand younger and more technically-savvy audiences. in our forthcoming VISIONS report, we discuss the concept of the plurality of brands. But rather than thinking of Gucci as “selling out”, we reframe this as forming facets. The brand is now a plurality of things to many consumers. The power dynamic is now in the hands of the consumer rather than the brand, and brands are being torn apart trying to live up to the consumer expectations that exist.
For more on power dynamics, see Brian Lange’s seminal piece in Insiders #080, Rethinking Brand Power Structures.
Mixing Uppers. Swiss police seized more than half a ton of cocaine after the drug was discovered hidden in a coffee bean shipment at a Nespresso plant. Destined for Europe, the “mysterious powder” is said to have originated in Brazil. Is this why our very own Brian Lange tends to drink 5-6 cups of Nespresso a day, when given the choice between that and his fancy aeropress?
Lunch options. Grubhub will soon offer a corporate card that is ideal for hybrid workers. Account holders can use the pay card to order food for delivery at home or in the office. One step closer to the “company store” that Johnny Cash warned us about.
Selling Stripes. For mental health awareness month, Dear Evan Hansen is partnering with Roblox and Bored Ape NFTs. In both cases, digital versions of Evan’s blue striped polo shirt will raise money for childrens’ mental health. The venn diagram of Bored Ape holders and theater geeks is two independent circles.
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