the convergence of content+commerce
DESCRIPTION
The majority (92%) of consumers say they trust word-of-mouth and recommendations more than traditional advertisements, according to Nielsen. However, brands also can drive customer engagement and long-term loyalty by creating compelling stories with content marketing. With this e-book you will learn how to create a multi-dimensional experience by converging content and commerceTRANSCRIPT
THE CONVERGENCE OF CONTENT + COMMERCEA Digital Hybrid to Reach the Connected Consumer
2
Table of Contents
01 Introduction: Content + Commerce: It’s Complicated..........................................................................................................3
02 The Rise and Role of Content.......................................................................................................................................................6
03 The Transformation of Digital Commerce.................................................................................................................................9
04 How Content + Commerce Converge.......................................................................................................................................15
05 Looking into the Content + Commerce Crystal Ball..........................................................................................................18
06 Closing the Content + Commerce Gap: Convergence in Practice...............................................................................20
01 Content + Commerce: It’s complicated
4
01 Content + Commerce: It’s complicated
Your business has settled for far too long. You’ve had to
compromise vision, strategy and customer experience because
of fragmented, incomplete tools and strained resources. Content
and commerce have always had a complicated relationship
that is now transforming. The connection between content
and commerce has always existed, but never before has there
been such a need for integration. Traditionally, web content
management (WCM) tools—also known as content management
systems (CMS)—and commerce platforms have each served
different masters within a business. Each environment demands
different tools, uses different success metrics and views the
customer’s journey through different lenses.
Content is how online consumers explore their world. Words,
images, video, and the interaction of these essential digital
building blocks make up the essence of online communication.
Customers increasingly rely on various mobile technologies to
develop relationships with brands as they compare their retail
options. They now engage with products and companies from
multiple devices and platforms, with nearly 40% of mobile
phone users now expected to become regular mobile phone
shoppers by 2017.1 The relationship between online content and
digital commerce is powered by these Connected Consumers.
There exists an evolving interaction between consumers and
brands, and companies have the unending imperative to meet
consumers on their own terms. Businesses can no longer
afford to waste time and resources in their own tumult of siloed
departments and roles as consumers unify channels through
device usage.
The Connected Consumer is redefining how products and services
are bought and sold and, in the long run, how we build brands
and relationships. And until very recently, content and commerce
have existed in very separate worlds, using separate tools and
measuring separate successes. But the rapid adoption of personal
mobile technology and the subsequent rise of the Connected
Consumer have changed the rules forever.
The Connected Consumer is the Informed Consumer
Promoting your products—even with sales, discounts and
seasonal promotions—is no longer enough; the traditional habit
of marketing driving towards a sales engagement is rapidly
becoming extinct. Whether it’s B2C or B2B transactions, sales
is no longer in charge. According to Forrester Research, 69% of
U.S. online consumers have researched products online in just the
past three months, 47% credit personal relationships for helping
them discover new brands and products, and more importantly:
of those respondents actually
purchased or tried a new brand
or product after hearing about it
through their personal network.294%
5
01 Content + Commerce: It’s complicated
“Commerce, done right is content...It’s not a flat sales page, it’s storytelling. It’s not about what you’re selling, it’s about why you’re selling it.”
—Ben Lerer, Thrillist Group
As products become increasingly commoditized, consumers
will become increasingly fascinated by the story that brands tell.
Narrative will become key, and customers will crave fluid access
from story to store.
When a business can create a multi-dimensional experience,
allowing consumers to learn about products—whether it’s user-
generated content, editorial commentary, product tutorials
or adding social enterprise into products’ value—and then
immediately access the purchase path on their terms, value is
intrinsic and the brand promise is delivered. “Commerce, done
right, is content,” innovator and Thrillist Group co-founder Ben
Lerer argues, “It’s not a flat sales page, it’s storytelling. It’s not
about what you’re selling, it’s about why you’re selling it.”3
Like two sides of a coin, content and commerce have the
potential to work together to drive Connected Consumers to
the sale. Creating and sharing relevant, valuable information that
attracts people to your products, creates trust, credibility and
builds ethos for your brand will convert visitors and prospects
into customers. However, a complicated relationship between
content and commerce, including business silos, limited
collaboration, separate teams and separate tools has created,
according to Forrester Research, “inconsistent customer
experiences, disconnected business processes and goals, and
the inability to realize clear customer insights. Consumers
bear the brunt of this divide, suffering as a result of message
integrations on the front and/or back ends.”4
We want these two crazy kids to get together and live
happily ever after.
02 The Rise and Role of Content
7
02 The Rise and Role of Content
The new wave of Connected Consumers is not just connecting to
your products digitally—they also crave meaningful and relevant
connections to your product and your brand. As Joe Pulizzi,
author of Epic Content Marketing, states, “The one who has
the most engaging content wins, because frequent and regular
contact builds a relationship…Advertising is a luxury, but content
is survival.”5 Done well, content positions your company as a
provider of information and an expert in the field.
You not only build relationships with customers who can
potentially evolve into brand advocates, you also fortify your
own company with a wealth of content that builds SEO,
competitive advantage and provides sales teams with consulting
tools. A brand’s ability to manage how that content is used will
largely determine and impact their success.
The Age of the Connected Consumer
Access to information is access to power. And no one knows
this better than the Connected Consumer. The DIY movement
is no longer for those brave souls who want to tile their own
bathrooms, DIY has rapidly taken on a broader meaning to
include film, crafts, music and many other creative outlets
too numerous to list. Instant access to authentic, entertaining,
crowd-sourced information empowers individuals to self-serve
their worlds on their terms, however they choose. And the
sources for this information—blogs, YouTube, social media, and
other online platforms—are providing businesses just like yours an
enormous opportunity to connect with potential customers.
How have today’s buyers evolved?
The Role of Content in Modern Sales
Content is a fluid and dynamic interplay with consumers and
it is a free market. Connected Consumers rely so heavily on
their self-serve behaviors—including word-of-mouth and peer
recommendations, and social media—that the ROI on cold calling
has decreased so drastically that this practice is essentially dead.
According to a recent study by MarketForce, 81% of U.S. online
consumers’ purchasing decisions are influenced by friends’ social
media posts versus 78% who are influenced by the posts of the
brands they follow on social media.9
75%57% 98%of B2B purchases
are influenced by
social media7
of buying decisions
are made before a
sales rep is involved6
of CEOs say that
they do not respond
to cold calls8
8
02 The Rise and Role of Content
As trust in both sales and advertising declines, word-of-mouth
marketing, user communities and social networks are rapidly
rising as the best ways to build engagement, loyal customers
and more revenue over time. Whether if you’re selling B2B or
B2C, your prospects are online and getting younger each day
due to the power of the 80MIL strong Millennial Generation.
These digital natives are especially adept at using online channels
to independently research information and discover brands,
heavily relying on social media and online platforms. According
to Forrester Research, 43% of users ages 24 to 32 use social
networks as their go-to internet discovery resource.10 In fact,
social networks are the preferred means of discovery for nearly
one-third of all Americans, and regardless of age, that number is
up from 18% in 2010.11
Clearly, the rules have changed and consumers are looking for
new ways to learn about your products—but sales isn’t always
invited to the party, and if they are, your customer wants
to determine the terms. As the lines continue to blur, new
generations of content forms are rising in both prevalence and
power. Customer communities, user-generated content and word-
of-mouth marketing are just a few examples of this new breed
of rich, dynamic information that reaches deep into the heart of
customer stories to make the sale.
GAME-CHANGER: SOCIAL ENTERPRISE
Tell a different story with Social Enterprise: the power of integrating social responsibility in the fabric of our business models, creating new types of organizations that not only drive profit, but drive social meaning and societal benefit as well.
03 The Transformation of Digital Commerce
10
03 The Transformation of Digital Commerce
One of the most overwhelming challenges impacting a business’s ability to deliver commerce at the speed of the Connected Consumers’
desires is the silo effect: the lack of integration within companies to move prospective customers through a coordinated and complete
marketing and sales process. Business turns into busy work, and smart, strategic minds end up blindsided. Specifically, content silos
address the consumers’ consideration process while commerce silos focus on the endgame and the buying phase of the customer cycle.
The challenge of content and commerce silos magnify as customers increasingly demand both content and commerce on their terms.
Omni-channel is Now Uni-channel
While businesses still struggle with silos, consumers regularly defy them. Customers intrinsically reject the notion of a business-directed
channel and demand visibility and interactivity at all touchpoints during their commerce experience. They now expect to be identified when
purchasing—regardless of device or environment—and demand real-time access to product inventory and data. Contemporary businesses
must reflect the omni-channel experience so seamlessly that there are no distinguishable channels to consumers.
Forget about a mobile strategy—in order to
engage the Connected Consumer, content
marketers now need an “everything
strategy” that encompasses multiple
channels at once. In this new world of
content-driven commerce, your go-to-
market strategy has less to do with the
channel—and everything to do with the
customer. According to an IDC study, by
2017, 87% of Internet-enabled device
sales will be made up of smartphones
and tablets.12 Additionally, smartphones
will continue to ship in high volumes,
surpassing 1.4BIL units in 2015, accounting
for 69% of all smart connected device
shipments worldwide.13
SMART CONNECTED DEVICE MARKET BY PRODUCT CATEGORY,
UNIT SHIPMENTS AND MARKET SHARE, 2013 AND 2017 (SHIPMENTS IN MILLIONS)
PRODUCT CATEGORY
2013 UNIT SHIPMENTS
2013 MARKET SHARE
2017 MARKET SHARE
2013-2017 GROWTH
2017 UNIT SHIPMENTS
DESKTOP PC
PORTABLE PC
TABLET
SMART PHONE
TOTAL
134.4
180.9
227.3
1,013.2
1,556
8.6%
11.6%
14.6%
65.1%
100%
123.11
196.6
406.8
1,733.9
2,460.5
5%
8%
16.5%
70.5%
100%
-8.4%
8.7%
78.9%
71.1%
58.1%
Source: IDC Worldwide Quarterly Smart Connected Device Tracker.14
11
03 The Transformation of Digital Commerce
Without a strategy in place to address the online consumption
behaviors of your audience, you might as well be providing both
content and commerce in a silo with little hope of making it
engaging and shareable.
If commerce is content as Thrillist Group’s Lerer asserts, then
retailers must consider what kind of content their customers want
to consume as they develop product descriptions. As customers
browse, search and shop your site, all those cross- and up-sell
products are content too. But you must present content within
a consumer-centric context, for the consumer, how does your
product make him or her better at something they care about?
The Connected Consumers’ never-ending quest for engaging,
sharable information is a company’s opportunity to build the
connection between content and commerce and nurture the
brand relationship. The question is no longer, “What do I do for
advertising?” but instead, “How do I better connect with my
customer and provide a relevant experience throughout the
entire engagement process?”
Unfortunately, while commerce moves at lightning speed,
most commerce platforms do not. According to an IDG
Communications survey of information technology (IT)
professionals, about half the time buyers aren’t finding
the information they need while researching products and
purchasing decisions.15 Yet as eCommerce and marketing
functions continue to converge, the benefits of a perfected
omni-channel experience will provide:
• Consumers with a consistent brand experience across
all platforms;
• Businesses with a better understanding of customers
needs and behaviors; and
• A quick ramp-up to test new markets, benefiting both
consumers and businesses alike.
However, businesses must be prepared to respond quickly in this
new marketplace of consumer-driven needs. As distribution and
purchasing channels continue to consolidate, the possibilities
become limitless. But in order to develop long-term relationships
with customers, enterprises must be able to create connections
between both content and commerce, and remove silos within
the business and between the business and the consumer.
“This notion of content being here and commerce being there doesn’t really exist any more. Everyone has become a publisher.”
—Eric Hippeau, Lerer Ventures
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03 The Transformation of Digital Commerce
Content as a Consulting Opportunity
Businesses and brands are increasingly taking on the role of
publisher as the increasing demand for content plays a role in
both building relationships with customers and building to the
sale. According to Lerer Ventures partner and former Huffington
Post CEO Eric Hippeau, “This notion of content being here and
commerce being there doesn’t really exist any more. Everyone
has become a publisher.”16 As companies search for tools that
bridge the distance between content and commerce, a single
platform that remove obstacles and streamlines processes by
directly empowering the business user will expand opportunities
for both the Connected Consumer and the enterprise alike.
GAME-CHANGER: CHALLENGER SELLING
As content becomes increasingly important (and prevalent) in digital commerce environments, consider how your sales teams can use content to act as advisors and consult prospects. The ability to teach customers something unique and valuable perspectives about how to compete in their market sets apart a business and a brand. Think about how these perspectives apply not to your products, but how the customers can compete more effectively. Think first about what you’re going to give to your target, then circle back to how you can associate your product with that benefit.
13
reviewing online
customer reviews first
when they consider
a brand.19
of consumers believe
that customer
testimonials are the
most effective content
with
84% of online shoppers use
social media sites.21
69% 89%
70%
of consumers say a
source is trustworthy
when the expert has
used the product and
service before.17
A one-star increase in Yelp
rating leads to a 5-9%
increase in revenue.22 4 out of 5 consumers reverse purchase
decisions based on negative online reviews.18
Positive word-of-mouth outweighs
negative by a 6 to 1 margin.20
Online consumer reviews are the second most
trusted form of advertising with 70% of global
consumers surveyed online indicating they trust
this platform.25
92% of consumers around the world say they
trust earned media, such as word-of-mouth and
recommendations from friends and family, above
all other forms of advertising.24 word-of-mouth
customer reviews
92%
70%
The Power of Word-of-Mouth
$ $$ $
+$5-9%
70%of all UGC is contributed by consumers
between 25-54 yrs old, with the most
contributions coming from ages 35-4523
The UGC Sweet Spot
Consider the Consumer Voice The Impact of UGC on Commerce
03 The Transformation of Digital Commerce
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Customer Journey: Widget Co.
03 The Transformation of Digital Commerce
1 RESEARCHSTAGES
ACTIVITIES/
INTERACTIONS
EMOTIONS
PAIN POINTS &
OPPORTUNITIES
2 PURCHASE 3 USAGE 4 SUPPORT 5 ADVOCACY
SHARES EXPERIENCES
Tells those who ask about
the widget they choose
Submits an online review
Follows the brand via
social channels
ASSEMBLES WIDGET
Uses instruction manual
Goes online for
additional help
with assembly
USES WIDGET
PRICE SHOPPING
Looks for best
prices online
Calls local stores to see
if they will price match
DECIDES WHERE TO BUY WIDGET
MAKES PURCHASE
• store
• desktop
• mobile
• phone
RECEIVES WIDGET
Broken widget needs
to be exchanged
POTENTIAL CUSTOMER WANTS TO BUY A WIDGET
SOLICITS RECOMMENDATIONS
Get suggestions from
friends and family on
widgets to consider
NARROWS SELECTION
Reads and watches
online reviews
Test drives
widget in stores
Visits mfr websites and
uses comparison tools
DECIDES WHICH WIDGET TO BUY
REGISTERS PRODUCT
• desktop
• mobile
WIDGETS STOPS WORKING
• desktop
• mobile
• phone
PAIN POINTS
1 Wading though reviews on third-party websites,
it’s hard to tell if they apply to the exact product
the customers is considering, and if they are
more about the service of the third party than
the site itself.
2 Customers tend to have very specific questions.
Right now, they have to fill out a form, call a
hotline, or go to a store.
3 When comparing prices for widgets, it’s hard to
line up hidden costs like shipping and handling,
removal of the old widget, taxes, etc.
4 Cart experience is not optimized for mobile—
customers often switch to desktop site to
complete purchase.
5 Replacement/exchange process is not clear and
frustrated customers are more likely to ask for
a refund.
6 Customers have a low opinion of the manual
(which they voice in forums online). It is
accurate, but the pictures without text are hard
to follow.
7 Official online support is lacking—customers
spend time looking for it on the mfr site, then
just Google it.
8 Online form has a lot of fields to fill out—
many people abandon and don’t complete
registration.
9 Customers who mail in their registration don’t
receive any confirmation.
OPPORTUNITIES
A Add reviews to manufacturer site with verified
purchase icons corresponding to customers’
registered products.
B Leverage mobile capabilities to enhance and
store product research done in-store.
C Implement a chat option that allows customers
to ask questions and get answers in real time.
D Promote free shipping and widget removal
service visibility across site and wherever
pricing is listed. Include zip code search box for
tax information and estimating on all product
pages and comparison pages.
E Optimize cart for mobile and other touch
environments.
F Create cross-channel, “simple exchange”
process that makes it easy for customers to
get a replacement widget instead of asking for
a refund.
G Create a digital companion to the instruction
manual with animated drawings, video
demonstrations and a moderated area where
specific user questions are answered.
H Create a one-step registration process
leveraging mobile and/or unique registration
codes and simplify the form—offer incentives
to customers who provide additional, optional
personal information.
I Facilitate online sharing of widget users with
user submitted photos.
+2
+1
0
-1
-2
1
2
A
B
C
4
5
E
F
3 D6
7
8
7
9
G
C H
C
GI
A
04 How Content + Commerce Converge
16
04 How Content + Commerce Converge
Uniting content with commerce has long challenged businesses and the technology tools on which they rely. Commerce platforms
typically manage product and inventory and pricing information, but their editorial functionality and ease of use cannot compare to
CMS tools. However, CMSs are equally hobbled, for as they easily build rich content experiences, they lack shopping cart and
catalog functionality.
This disparity between tools mirrors the intrinsic differences between the larger goals of content-driven media sites versus commerce-
driven product sites. The current dissonance stems from the reality that commerce sites must quickly drive customers to the sale, while
content-based sites want visitors to be engaged for as long as possible in non-transactional interactive experiences. As content and
commerce converge, some argue that it may be easier for product brands to evolve into publishers of authentic and engaging content
than for media companies to add commerce successfully without sacrificing readers or brand integrity.
Content, Commerce and the Customer Lifecycle
Connected Consumers are not only driving a retail revolution, they
are dramatically transforming the customer lifecycle. Previously,
businesses drove customers and prospects to a specific sales
experience. Because sales used to own, manage and broker
the dissemination of content to the target audience, marketers
had much shorter life cycles with which to contend. A dialog
existed, but it was led and conducted by sales. In the old era of
mass marketing, businesses could get away with close-enough
approximations and market to a “persona.” But today, you must
market to a person—and this fundamental shift has changed
the role of marketing forever. Businesses no longer manage the
customer lifecycle but now participate in a complex customer
ecosystem, exchanging content and commerce by invitation.
Customer lifecycles and campaigns are no longer fully architected
by businesses but have instead evolved into rich, two-way dialogs,
integrated with pricing and customer behavior data.
GAME-CHANGER: RICH MEDIA AS THE NEW CONSUMER STORYBOOK
With competition for online attention becoming increasingly cutthroat, rich media plays a vital role in digital storytelling. Video, eBooks and infographics are just a few of the ways businesses can capture the Connected Consumers’ imagination.
17
04 How Content + Commerce Converge
The Give and Take of Content + Commerce
Convergence Tool Trends
According to Forrester Research, companies can look forward
to the convergence between content and commerce as
new platforms arise to meet the needs of the Connected
Consumers as well as competitive market opportunities. This
overlap is “most pronounced around the features that control
customer engagement, such as page templates, navigation
tools, site search, personalization, content targeting, and
recommendations.”26
According to StyleCaster spokesperson Meghan Cross,
“advertising and affiliate revenue models don’t conflict because
increasing engagement actually helps drive purchases, and this
makes the purchasing process more organic.
The more engaged the consumer is, whether that consumer is
trying on product or clicking on more articles, the more likely
he or she is to purchase a product then and there.”27 Though
skeptical, educated consumers see content originating from
companies as just increasingly sophisticated marketing
rather than authentic dialog, enterprises should still strive
to be credible sources within their own industries. However,
appropriate messaging and coordinating timing with your
consumer targets is key. As MarketingProfs shows in their recent
survey, most consumers (74%) generally trust educational
material from a business as long as it appears objective and
“doesn’t explicitly try to sell a product/service,” as adding your
product pitch at the end shows to cut credibility below half
(45%).28 And, as Eric Hippeau astutely remarks, “social platforms
turn everyone into some kind of publisher, the definition of
‘content’ itself is changing, in turn altering what it means to be in
the media business.”29
As we mentioned earlier, it’s a toss of the coin for IT
professionals when they research products to purchase—
half the time they aren’t finding the information they need.
And often, the information that potential customers are looking
for is not the “speeds and feeds” of your product, but rather for
the context, solutions and opportunity you provide. As a result,
product reviews, user-generated content and vibrant, shared
communities that answer the question, “How has someone
used this product to do X?” make an emotional connection with
consumers and create a significant impact; so prepare tools and
content accordingly for this is where the true convergence of
content, commerce and the Connected Consumer happens.
CONTENT
BUSINESS CUSTOMER
COMMERCE
• eBooks
• How-to Guides
• Videos
• Social media
• Images
• White Papers
• Checklists
• Infographics
• Likes
• Comments
• Pins
• Reviews
• WOM
• Tweets/Retweets
• Memes
• Money• Products
• Services
• Promotions
• Discounts
• Loyalty programs
05 Looking into the Content + Commerce Crystal Ball
19
05 Looking into the Content + Commerce Crystal Ball
Today’s Connected Consumers buy from and build loyalties with businesses that nurture emotional connection and anticipate their
personal preferences. Their customer journey is ideally a rewarding one as they explore, interact, purchase and develop mutually
beneficial brand advocacy over time. But where will content and commerce go from here? How will the technology and business
strategies develop to catch up to the needs and desires of Connected Consumers to communicate a fully integrated vision that forwards
brand value and meaning across all customer touchpoints? Here are a few predictions of the future of content and commerce to whet
your appetite and turn the wheels of your business strategies:
1 Commerce and content will become seamless.
2 Technology will evolve to meet the needs of both content creators and commerce drivers, and these tools will
become more powerful and easier to use.
3 Content will do more to build brands than any other single type of marketing.
4 Traditional content and social content will combine forces: “content marketing” will become simply “marketing”
and “social media” will become simply “media.”
5 We will see a shift in power as user-generated content, personal brands and online communities command greater
respect and take over digital environments.
6 Trust among corporate content creators will increase as content—especially user-generated content—builds
greater monetization opportunities.
7 Consumers, particularly the Millennial generation, will redefine narrative in commerce as it applies to social good.
Brands that do not stand for something will not stand the test of time.
06 Closing the Content + Commerce Gap: Convergence in Practice
21
06 Closing the Content + Commerce Gap: Convergence in Practice
Engaging customers consistently in both content and
commerce requires a powerful and intuitive Web technology
solution that enables your business teams to deliver a unified
content experience to multiple channels simultaneously and
in real time. Recent research from Forrester Research shows
that 53% of B2B companies are planning to invest in WCMs
within the next 18 months, and that 64% plan to invest in a
commerce technology platform.30
By humanizing a brand with compelling content, companies
can build a framework of trust and dialog within the customer
journey that is meaningful and directs the purchasing decision.
Commerce becomes more fluid and efficient as businesses
maximize their inventory investments, streamline back-end
processes and plan for the future as devices evolve. Ensuring
that your business delivers seamless integration across content,
commerce and delivery channels—whether desktop, mobile,
or kiosk—is paramount in this new age of the Connected
Consumer. And choosing a commerce platform that unites
both content and commerce together creates a consistent
experience for both consumers as well as business users,
fulfilling the promise of connection and brand credibility.
MEET MOZU: WHERE CONTENT AND COMMERCE COMBINE
The Mozu multi-tenant SaaS commerce platform makes it easy to manage content, products and brands across multiple sites. Purpose-built for enterprise environments, Mozu blends content, commerce and custom site building tools to enable rapid collaboration between front-end development and back-end management. Businesses can use Mozu to “create once and deploy many,” consolidating products into a single catalog and publish to multiple brands, multiple products, or multiple offers on multiple sites. And with its intuitive interface, Merchandizing and Marketing teams can use Mozu to quickly launch or modify sites. With Mozu, businesses can simplify the creation and management of content and while delivering a rich digital brand experience within multiple sites, multiple catalogs—all while reducing time, cost and risk.
22
1. Reitsma, R. Forrester Research, Inc. The Data Digest: US Consumers’ Mobile
Shopping Behaviors. (26 April 2013). Retrieved at: http://blogs.forrester.com/
reineke_reitsma/13-04-26-the_data_digest_us_consumers_mobile_shopping_
behaviors
2. Munchbach, C. Forrester Research, Inc. The Customer Life Cycle: A Blueprint
for Customer-Obsessed Enterprises. (14 April 2014). Retrieved at http://www.
forrester.com (subscription required)
3. Huffpost Live. (11 March 2014). Lerer At SXSW: On The Future of Content
And Commerce. Retrieved at: http://live.huffingtonpost.com/r/archive/
segment/531f3f3678c90a1a5a000eea
4. Powers, S., Sheldon, P. Forrester Research, Inc. Commerce and Content: The
Perfect Couple Or A Tumultuous Affair? Choosing Between eCommerce and
Web Content Management Solutions. (19 November 2013). Retrieved at http://
www.forrester.com (subscription required)
5. Pulizzi, J. Content Marketing: Publishing is the New Marketing. (2010) Retrieved
at: http://www.slideshare.net/juntajoe/content-marketing-for-the-wine-industry
6. Corporate Executive Board Study via The End of Solution Sales. (2013).
Retrieved at http://www.executiveboard.com/exbd/sales-service/the-end-of-
solution-sales/index.page
7. IBM Buyers Preference Study. (2011). IBM’s Social Selling: The Computer Giant
Finds B2B Leads in Social Media as quoted on ChiefMarketer.com. Retrieved at
http://www.chiefmarketer.com/b2b/ibms-social-selling-the-computer-giant-
finds-b2b-leads-in-social-media-25012012#_
8. Fidelman, M. The Rise of Social Salespeople. (2012). Retrieved at http://www.
forbes.com/sites/markfidelman/2012/11/05/the-rise-of-social-salespeople/
9. Market Force. Market Force Study Shows Companies Wield Comparable Social
Media Influence to Friends. (1 May 2012). Retrieved at http://www.marketforce.
com/press-releases/item/research-social-media-influence/
10. Forrester Research, Inc. via Entrepreneur.com, Kabin, Benjamin. Social Media May
Soon Drive More Traffic to Your Website Than Search Engines. (25 June 2013).
Retrieved at http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/227178#ixzz2XYyszA6m
11. Ibid.
12. IDC. Tablet Shipments Forecast to Top Total PC Shipments in the Fourth Quarter
of 2013 and Annually by 2015, According to IDC. (11 September 2013). Retrieved
at http://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24314413
13. Ibid.
14. Ibid.
15. Handley, A. and C.C. Chapman. Technology Vendors May Be Losing Close to 50%
of Their Potential Sales Due to Inadequate Information. IDG via Content Rules.
(2012). Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
16. Heussner, K. Content and commerce collide: is it harder for publishers or
e-tailers? (4 December 2013). Retrieved at http://gigaom.com/2012/12/04/
content-and-commerce-collide-is-it-harder-for-publishers-or-e-tailers/
17. Cone Communications. Game Changer: Cone Survey Finds 4-out-of-5
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online_influence_trend_tracker_release_and_fact_sheet.pdf
18. Ibid.
19. Gunelius, Susan. Newstex. Data Proves Word-of-Mouth Marketing Works—
Infographic. (12 February 2014). Retrieved at http://newstex.com/2014/02/12/
data-proves-word-of-mouth-marketing-works-infographic/
20. Keller Fay Research. 3 Billion Word of Mouth Impressions About Brands Each
Week in UK, According to Keller Fay Research. (8 November 2011). Retrieved at
http://www.kellerfay.com/3-billion-word-of-mouth-impressions-about-brands-
each-week-in-uk-according-to-keller-fay-research/
21. Tierney, J. Customers Want Online Shopping Options. (3 June 2013). Retrieved
at http://loyalty360.org/resources/article/customers-want-online-shopping-
options
22. Luca, Michael. Reviews, Reputation, and Revenue: The Case of Yelp.com. (16
September 2011). Retrieved at http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20
Files/12-016.pdf
23. BazaarVoice. The Conversation Index, Volume 1. (2011). Retrieved at
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Bazaarvoice_20111010b.pdf
24. Nielsen. Nielsen: Global Consumers’ Trust in “Earned” Advertising Grows in
Importance. (10 April 2012). Retrieved at http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/press-
room/2012/nielsen-global-consumers-trust-in-earned-advertising-grows.html
25. Ibid.
26. Powers, S., Sheldon, P. Forrester Research, Inc. Commerce and Content: The
Perfect Couple Or A Tumultuous Affair? Choosing Between eCommerce and
Web Content Management Solutions. (19 November 2013). Retrieved at http://
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27. Griffith, E. This whole “content and commerce trend isn’t dead yet, according to
StyleCaster. (31 October 2013). Retrieved at http://pando.com/2013/10/31/this-
whole-content-and-commerce-trend-isnt-dead-yet-according-to-stylecaster/
28. Nanji, Ayaz. Do People Trust Content From Marketers? (2014). Retrieved at
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from-marketers?adref=nlt061014 (registration required)
29. Heussner, K. Content and commerce collide: is it harder for publishers or
e-tailers? (4 December 2013) Retrieved at http://gigaom.com/2012/12/04/
content-and-commerce-collide-is-it-harder-for-publishers-or-e-tailers/
30. Demery, P. B2B sites increasingly marry content and commerce. (18 February
2014). Retrieved at http://www.internetretailer.com/2014/02/18/b2b-sites-
increasingly-marry-content-and-commerce
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References
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