The 2020 premiere of DMEXCO @home set a global benchmark for online events, attracting over 20,000 participants with more than 160 hours of content. This year’s event took the theme of 'Setting new priorities' and it couldn’t have come at a better time - with brands, retailers, and service providers facing ever more complex paths between products, services, and consumers.
As part of the event, Productsup held a series of short sessions to discuss how successful brands are navigating their way through this commerce anarchy. Each session will be available to watch on-demand. This is the first one.
Omnichannel. Omni-challenges.
We live in a connected world. But when it comes to omnichannel ecommerce, the reality hasn’t quite caught up with the ideal. Commerce anarchy is everywhere and it's a challenge for all of us. And because the topic aligns so nicely with this year’s DMEXCO, our first masterclass explored the idea of commerce anarchy and how to tackle it in the right way. You can now watch the entire 25-minute discussion. But first, here’s a brief overview.
Meet the guests
Productsup CMO Lisette Huyskamp hosted a highly insightful session joined by:
- Margit Gosau, CEO of SPORT2000
- Thomas Heuchert, Data Distribution & Publication Manager at Grundfos
- Dietmar Rietsch, CEO of Pimcore
The age of commerce anarchy
Commerce anarchy is a new term in the industry, so Lisette kicked off the conversation by asking our guests what it actually means in practice.
For Thomas, the phenomenon stems from a complex world of processes, data systems, sources, channels, and interfaces. He pointed out that inconsistent standards across various channels mean teams often struggle to meet goals that can be, quite frankly, overwhelming.
Margit added that, as a marketplace platform, SPORT2000 must also juggle the needs of two different target groups, with the consumer on one hand and the retailer on the other.
Dietmar then spoke about the challenge faced by siloed organizations in overcoming disconnected systems, slow and painful processes, and fragmented data. He also framed commerce anarchy as a game-changer for customers, a catalyst for true digital transformation in the commerce industry.
Bringing order to chaos
Without going into the detail (we’ll save that for the recorded masterclass you can watch right now) it's about focusing your data, your processes, and your channels on the customer experience - wherever that experience takes place. Other measures up for discussion included building the foundation for proper data management, promoting both a common standard and a minimum requirement for data, and working with technical partners to bring order to this overwhelming complexity of data.
Putting the pieces together
The session also covered the importance of understanding end-to-end customer journeys, in which businesses need to excel at every step and each touchpoint. Ecommerce. PIM. Logistics. Customer care. Return management. Marketing. Production. To conquer global challenges and compete in global markets, organizations need to gain complete control of every aspect of their underlying business models, then seamlessly fit them together.
“Reducing complexity is a key priority and one of the most pressing challenges for businesses in a high stakes game that will decide the future.” - Lisette Huyskamp, CMO, Productsup
It comes from the top
Our experts all agreed that overcoming the challenge of commerce anarchy also means thinking beyond the operational side of things. For them, this is a strategic issue that requires a significant transformation backed with the full support of leadership - not just C-level executives, but also boards of directors and even supervisory boards in a top-down approach that flows throughout the entire organization.
It’s a high-stake game. Ready to play?
What we saw was that commercial anarchy is certainly real. It’s urgent. And it’s having a big impact on business. Watch our masterclass video to see why this is a high-stakes game in which brands, retailers, and service providers stand to win – or lose - not just in the short-term, but for good. And why learning how to successfully manage and navigate this complex space requires a new kind of radical thinking - and a resetting of priorities.