A Look Ahead into 2012: Smart Commerce Takes Hold

With 2011 coming to a quick and demanding close, I offer my perspective on the imperatives of 2012, which promises to be the year that several significant advances of the past five or so years finally take their foothold.  As I see it, this is the year that the Smart Web — specifically Smart Commerce — is realized.

Here’s what I’m most looking forward to in 2012:

1. Relevant Commerce will Emerge: The data-driven ‘Net is here, but the overall industry has not yet fully evolved to leverage the capabilities of big data, statistical modeling and semantic science to help consumers navigate the Web in a way that is useful and relevant to them as individuals. The opportunity to provide truly individualized and contextual offers has yet to be seized fully — but technologists and marketers recognize there is a massive disruption opportunity by delivering offers for products/services in a truly relevant way. Paul Todd said it well in his recent Fortune Brainstorm piece: “Relevance-powered search is the future, and it’s already taking hold in travel and online retail.”
2. Collaborative Travel Planning will (Finally) Take Hold: As Tnooz’s Kevin May predicted, “With a dizzying number of trip planning sites either up and running or in beta, 2012 will be the year that defines the sustainability of the [social travel] model.” Those with established roots will best succeed in truly integrating social commerce into business travel, fundamentally reshaping the way colleagues travel together. Travelers will be able to surface personalized travel options and enable travelers to collect, organize, collaborate and purchase a trip that best fits their collective needs. The romance just might make its way back into travel.
3. Social Commerce: In 2012, White Label Will Rule: Credible brands with engaged audiences are leveraging Deem Offers to provide their audiences with relevant, contextual deals. Folio.com cites Yipit research, which predicts that overall white label social commerce transaction volume will double to as much as 20% of overall volume in 2012. In consumer-fatigued 2012, it’s no longer quantity but quality of the deal – and the more that merchant offers can be personalized to the specific customer, the more they will “buy” in. We’re certain to see more Offers consolidation accompanied by significant developments in offer targeting and the introduction of new deal delivery technology in 2012.
4. It’s All about Mobile: I must quote Marc Andreessen on the smartphone revolution: “Most of the people in the world still don’t have a personal computer, whereas in three to five years, most people in the world will have a smartphone…. If you’ve got a smartphone, then I can build a business in any domain or category and serve you as a customer no matter where you are in the world.” The potential of mobile is incredible, especially in an industry like travel, where users rely so heavily on real-time updates. Feature-rich mobile applications (like CWT To Go) are emerging to make the hectic life of the business traveler easier — enabling travelers to access their travel itineraries, verify flight status, check in, research alternate flights, review and select dining options, and find destination weather information, etc.
5. The Business Web will be Consumerized: Financial services organizations and B2B retailers are leveraging ecommerce platforms to bring Business Travelers the benefits of a world-class consumer experience … but in the context of their company’s policies. In 2012, the focus will become even more on the individual buyer—as ecommerce platforms will help merchants understand patterns and preferences of the individual, whether they be transacting on behalf of their business or personal lives. The next phase of the Web will be one that is much, much smarter.

I have high expectations for what we, as an industry, can accomplish in 2012.  And it will take some incredibly smart people to make this happen. In closing, I want to thank my amazing Deem Team, who together have worked to give Rearden Commerce another year of hyper-growth.

Happy New Year to all of you!