Adobe Summit Session Recap | Accelerate Customer Engagement with B2B2C Commerce
Did you miss our recent Adobe Summit session, Accelerate Customer Engagement with B2B2C Commerce? Not a problem, you can listen to the recording from the link above or read the recap below to learn how brands can handle channel conflict and create impactful omnichannel strategies.
Session Speakers:
- Jonathan Burdette, Industry Strategy & Marketing Director – Industrial Mfg. & Auto, Adobe
- Shridhar Iyengar Raman, VP Digital Experience, Infosys x Blue Acorn iCi
- Marc Cohen, Chief Strategy Officer, Infosys x Blue Acorn iCi
Understanding the Trends
B2B2C commerce enablement is key to connecting with the customer at all touch points. A recent Adobe study on B2B commerce found:
- 11% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) expected for B2B commerce from 2022 through 2027
- +10% B2B commerce CAGR compared to offline B2B sales
- 50% of B2B sellers are looking to invest in online sales channels
- 41% of B2B sellers are investing in new segments, geos, or products
- $130 Million B2B marketplace sales in 2023
“Dealerships are here to stay, but at the same time, it will be a very different experience,” said Shridhar Iyengar Raman.
Key opportunities include:
Resilience: In changing market conditions, having the ability to provide offers to customers that were previously unavailable to the brand
Revenue Streams: Value-add or add-on services like subscriptions or transaction fees create new, fast revenue opportunities
Customer Acquisition: Commerce networks provide instant access to new customers at a lower acquisition cost
Data & Insights: Observability of consumer behavior and preferences gives way to brand and product improvements and expansion
When Creating an Omnichannel Strategy, Who Owns the Inventory Across Models?
When YOU own the inventory
- You can experiment with fulfillment: direct or through the marketplace
- You can experiment with pricing, marketing copy, content, and images
- You can experiment with post-sale customer engagement
When a DISTRIBUTOR owns the inventory
- You have gotten paid
- The distributor has limited pricing power
- The distributor has the carrying costs
Channel Conflict Explained
The expert panel expressed how channel conflict cannot (and should not) be avoided; it can only be managed. Channel conflict occurs naturally and resolving it takes work.
“It almost shouldn’t be named channel conflict. It should be channel friction or something like that because conflict denotes a winner and a loser. If you don’t have it, it’s because you’re not maximizing distribution. This is a problem you should have if you are maximizing distribution,” explained Jonathan Burdette.
Key points to keep in mind:
- If a manufacturer is not experiencing channel conflict, then the firm has not yet maximized or diversified distribution
- A key imperative is to define a clear use case for each of your channels (e.g. white glove experience); channel curation exercise
The Automotive Journey
The automotive journey has many customer touchpoints in its lifecycle. Brands should want to determine the customer’s propensity to buy or spend.
“Your car is one of the biggest purchases you make on a recurring basis. It’s expensive, and you need it fixed. There’s an opportunity for data along the pathway,” Burdette explained.
There are many friction points in the car buying process, and OEMs are focused on reducing that via digital experiences to reach customers in many channels.
Unified Reseller Network
“We have a framework for B2B2C deployment that is based on a model where you have a reseller in the middle and a manufacturer who wants to take ownership and offer a platform as a service to a dealer network and have that brand unification,” Marc Cohen explained.
The Unified Reseller Network solution has been deployed for one of the largest global automakers for parts and accessories and after-sales business. This framework has a unique point of view on brand experience and roles and permissions. Dealers can now manage pricing and promotions on a new content platform that allows them to interact with customers.
Is your organization looking for a true B2B2C model? Contact the Blue Acorn iCi team to learn more about unifying your network with our best-in-class solution, Unified Reseller Network, built on the Adobe Experience Cloud.
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