The Five Powers of the Connected Co

The Five Powers of the Connected Consumer

Before the Internet liberated information, companies could do everything — choose materials used in products, design production processes, craft marketing messages, control sales channels — with no interference. Now, consumers exercise their influence in every part of the business system. Nevertheless, companies should welcome, not resist, the consumer powers detailed below.

1. Information Access. With access to unprecedented amounts of information, consumers have knowledge to make much more informed decisions. This is causing companies across industries to cede control over value creation and develop new ways of doing business. Consider health care. More than 70 million Americans have reportedly used the Internet to learn about diseases and treatment options and investigate how to get involved in clinical drug trials. Consumers now question their physicians more aggressively and participate more fully in choosing treatments. This is dramatically altering traditional pharmaceutical sales practices. In the U.S., it is driving consumer-centric “defined-contribution” health-care reform wherein companies give employees information and ask them to assume more responsibility for selecting and managing their own health-care benefits.

2. Global View. The Internet is the first single source of information that gives consumers the ability, 24 hours a day, to see what is happening around the world. That is changing the rules for how companies compete. For example, multinationals are more exposed to consumer scrutiny of product price and performance across geographies, which means those businesses have less latitude to vary the price or quality of products sold in multiple regions. But it also means companies have more information to sharpen global strategies. New competitors and potential partners for large companies are also emerging in the global marketplace. Even poor artisans in Rajasthan, India, can sell high-quality table linen on the Web for $10 and deliver it to buyers in the U.S. in about a week, and for one-tenth the cost of comparable linen in the United States.

3. Networking. Consumers naturally coalesce around common skills, interests, and experiences. The Internet amplifies this by encouraging an unparalleled ease and openness of communication among perfect strangers. Indeed, “communities of interest,” where individuals confabulate and commiserate without geographic constraints and with few social barriers, exist all over the Web. People participating in a chat area may know nothing more about those they’re chatting with than the interest they share. The power of consumer networks is that they’re independent and based on real consumer experiences, not what the company tells them they will experience.

Such networking among consumers turns traditional company-controlled marketing and advertising upside down. For example, rather than attempt to shut down unofficial Hobbit fan sites, New Line Cinema co-opted them, to help spread word of mouth and create buzz about its movie The Lord of the Rings. Gordon Paddison, senior vice president of worldwide interactive marketing, reached out to the more than 400 fan sites before the movie was released to communicate with the early influencers and give them insider tips.

Consumer education and feedback sites are struggling to prove themselves as viable businesses. But this does not diminish their utility as places where consumers can compare and share information, and places where companies can learn what consumers are thinking.

4. Experimentation. Consumers use the Internet to experiment with and develop products, especially digital ones. The German research company Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering released MP3 as a freely available compression standard that accelerated the transmission of digital audio.

The collective competence of software users has enabled the codevelopment of popular products, such as the Apache Web server software and the Linux operating system.

The ability of consumers to experiment with each other goes beyond software and digital products. Cooks can share recipes. Gardening enthusiasts can share tips on growing organic vegetables. Homeowners can share stories about their home improvement projects. The list goes on. Companies that choose the path of co-creation can tap into consumers’ creativity for the development of products and services.

5. Activism. As people learn, they become more discriminating in their choices about what they buy, and as they network, they become emboldened to speak out. Now consumers provide unsolicited feedback to companies and to each other. There are hundreds of “sounding-off sites” on the Web that target specific companies and brands. AOL Watch, for example, publishes complaints from former and current AOL customers. The Web has also become an influential tool for social groups focused on such issues as child labor and environmental protection to get corporate attention and promote reform. Although activism might seem menacing to companies, it also opens the door to competitive opportunity.

— C.K.P and V.R

ผลลัพธ์ (ไทย) 2:

The Five Powers of the Connected Consumer information liberated Before the internet, companies could do everything - choose Materials used in Products, Production Design processes, Messages Craft Marketing, Sales Channels Control - with no interference. Now, consumers exercise their influence in every part of the business system. Nevertheless, companies should Welcome, not resist, the Consumer powers detailed Below. 1. Information Access. With access to unprecedented amounts of information, consumers have knowledge to make much more informed decisions. This is causing companies across industries to cede control over value creation and develop new ways of doing business. Consider health care. More than 70 million Americans have reportedly used the Internet to learn about diseases and treatment options and investigate how to get involved in clinical drug trials. Consumers now question their physicians more aggressively and participate more fully in choosing treatments. This is dramatically altering traditional pharmaceutical sales practices. In the US, it is Driving Consumer-Centric "defined-contribution" Health-Care Reform wherein companies give employees information and ask them to assume more and Managing Responsibility for selecting their own Health-Care Benefits. 2. Global View. The Internet is the first single source of information that gives consumers the ability, 24 hours a day, to see what is happening around the world. That is changing the rules for how companies compete. For example, multinationals are more exposed to consumer scrutiny of product price and performance across geographies, which means those businesses have less latitude to vary the price or quality of products sold in multiple regions. But it also means companies have more information to sharpen global strategies. New competitors and potential partners for large companies are also emerging in the global marketplace. Even poor artisans in Rajasthan, India, Can sell High-quality Table linen on the Web for $ 10 and deliver it to buyers in the US in About a Week, and for one-TENTH the cost of comparable linen in the United States. 3. Networking. Consumers naturally coalesce around common skills, interests, and experiences. The Internet amplifies this by encouraging an unparalleled ease and openness of communication among perfect strangers. Indeed, "communities of interest," where individuals confabulate and commiserate without geographic constraints and with few social barriers, exist all over the Web. People participating in a chat area may know nothing more about those they're chatting with than the interest they share. Power of the Consumer Networks is that they're based on Real Independent Consumer and experiences, not what the Company tells them they Will Experience. Such networking among traditional Consumers Turns Marketing and Advertising Company-controlled upside down. For example, rather than attempt to shut down unofficial Hobbit fan sites, New Line Cinema co-opted them, to help spread word of mouth and create buzz about its movie The Lord of the Rings. Gordon Paddison, senior Vice President of Worldwide Interactive Marketing, reached out to the more than 400 Fan sites before the movie was Released to Communicate with the Early influencers and give them Insider Tips. Consumer Education and Feedback sites are struggling to prove themselves as viable Businesses. . But this does not Diminish as Places where their Utility Consumers Can compare and share information, and where companies Can Learn what Places Consumers are thinking. 4. Experimentation. Consumers use the Internet to experiment with and develop products, especially digital ones. The German Research Company Fraunhofer Institute for Experimental Software Engineering Released MP3 as a freely available compression standard that accelerated the Transmission of Digital audio. The Collective COMPETENCE of Software Users has enabled the codevelopment of popular Products, such as the Apache Web Server Software and the Linux. operating System. The ability to experiment with each of Consumers Other Goes Beyond Software and Digital Products. Cooks can share recipes. Gardening enthusiasts can share tips on growing organic vegetables. Homeowners can share stories about their home improvement projects. The list goes on. Companies that choose the path of co-Creation Can Tap Into Consumers' creativity for the Development of Products and Services. 5. Activism. As people learn, they become more discriminating in their choices about what they buy, and as they network, they become emboldened to speak out. Now consumers provide unsolicited feedback to companies and to each other. There are hundreds of "sounding-off sites" on the Web that target specific companies and brands. AOL Watch, for example, publishes complaints from former and current AOL customers. The Web has also become an influential tool for social groups focused on such issues as child labor and environmental protection to get corporate attention and promote reform. Although activism Might seem menacing to companies, it also opens the door to competitive opportunity. - CKP and VR.

ผลลัพธ์ (ไทย) 3:

The Five Powers of the Connected Consumer

Before the Internet liberated information companies could, do everything - Choose materials used in products design processes, production, marketing, craft messages control sales channels - with. No interference. Now consumers exercise, their influence in every part of the business system. Nevertheless companies should,, Welcome not resist,,The consumer powers detailed below.

1. Information Access. With access to unprecedented amounts, of information consumers. Have knowledge to make much more informed decisions. This is causing companies across industries to cede control over value. Creation and develop new ways of doing business. Consider health care.More than 70 million Americans have reportedly used the Internet to learn about diseases and treatment options and investigate. How to get involved in clinical drug trials. Consumers now question their physicians more aggressively and participate more. Fully in choosing treatments. This is dramatically altering traditional pharmaceutical sales practices. In the, U.S.It is driving consumer-centric "defined-contribution." health-care reform wherein companies give employees information and. Ask them to assume more responsibility for selecting and managing their own health-care benefits.

2. Global View. The Internet. Is the first single source of information that gives consumers the ability 24 hours, a day to see, what is happening around. The world.That is changing the rules for how companies compete. For example multinationals are, more exposed to consumer scrutiny. Of product price and performance across geographies which means, those businesses have less latitude to vary the price or. Quality of products sold in multiple regions. But it also means companies have more information to sharpen global strategies.New competitors and potential partners for large companies are also emerging in the global marketplace. Even poor artisans. In, Rajasthan India can sell, high-quality table linen on the Web for $10 and deliver it to buyers in the U.S. In about. A week and for, one-tenth the cost of comparable linen in the United States.

3. Networking. Consumers naturally coalesce. Around common skills interests,,And experiences. The Internet amplifies this by encouraging an unparalleled ease and openness of communication among perfect. Strangers. Indeed, "communities of interest," where individuals confabulate and commiserate without geographic constraints. And with few social barriers exist all, over the Web.People participating in a chat area may know nothing more about those they 're chatting with than the interest they, share. The power of consumer networks is that they 're independent and based on real consumer experiences not what, the company. Tells them they will experience.

Such networking among consumers turns traditional company-controlled marketing and advertising. Upside down, For example.Rather than attempt to shut down unofficial Hobbit fan sites New Line, Cinema co-opted them to help, spread word of mouth. And create buzz about its movie The Lord of the Rings. Gordon Paddison senior vice, President of worldwide, interactive marketing. Reached out to the more than 400 fan sites before the movie was released to communicate with the early influencers and give. Them insider tips.

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