Main Takeaways - Bringing the brand to the user through advanced targeting - Driving conversion through aspiration - Curing shopper analysis paralysis

1. www.productschool.com
The Future of Ecommerce by CNN
Director of Product

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5. SIMONE NILI
The
future of
ecommerce

6. HI! I’m simone.
CURRENTLY
Product Director, Commerce @ CNN
RECENTLY
Product Director, Commerce @ Food Network, HGTV,
Discovery
FORMERLY
Product @ People, Sports Illustrated, Warner Bros.,
Sundance Now

7. SOME CONTEXT
● Discussion is mostly focused on US-based insights
● Rapidly changing state of the world and
marketplace
● The pandemic didn’t invent shift towards online
shopping, but definitely accelerated it

8. 150
MILLION
people worldwide bought
something online for the
first time in 2020

9. +44%
growth in YoY revenue in
US ecommerce, vs +15%
increase from 2019-2020

10. WHAT WERE AMERICANS
BUYING ONLINE?

11. FUTURE-THINKING COMMERCE TRENDS
Bring the brand to the user through targeting
Drive conversion through aspiration
1
2
Cure shopping analysis paralysis
3

12. Social media, D2C and shopping giants
have normalized brand aggregation,
making targeting and personalization
more important than ever.
BRING
THE BRAND TO
THE USER
01

13. CHANGING TRENDS IN BRAND LOYALTY
Searches start with products, not brands
63% of ecommerce searches start on Amazon, and only
22% of those searches include a brand name
Generational divides align with ad blitzes
51% of Millennials have “no real preference” between
private-label and national brands vs. only 39% of
Boomers who said the same
High loyalty, most likely to
prefer name-brand coffee,
frozen/fast foods, and paper
products
Medium loyalty, most like to prefer
name-brand junk food, particularly
soda and snacks, from kids
advertising in 80’s & 90’s
BOOMERS 1946-1964 GENERATION X 1946-1980 MILLENNIAL 1981-1996
Low loyalty, less likely to care if
their clothes are brand name, and
save money to invest more in
travel and experiences than
things
GENERATION Z 1996-2012
Lowest loyalty, price is biggest
driver and wealth of reviews and
user generated content puts trust
in experience vs. ads

14. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Develop a data
management strategy that
will allow you to bring
brands to users, not the
other way around.
Methods include:
● Ad targeting
● Machine learning
● Sophisticated filtering
Highly targeted advertising
based on user interests and
internet behavior pair with
interactive shopping ads with
videos, hot spots, Instagram
direct checkout and more.
INSTAGRAM
• Custom audiences
• Personalized ad creative
• Cart drop-off retargeting
• Recent Purchasing Behavior
• Life event targeting
EXAMPLES

15. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Develop a data
management strategy that
will allow you to bring
brands to users, not the
other way around.
Methods include:
● Ad targeting
● Machine learning
● Sophisticated filtering
Machine learning algorithms
power the D2C retailer’s
clothing personalization and
marketing
STITCHFIX
• Recommendation engines
• Coupons for high LTV
customers
• Marketing personalization
• Homepage personalization
• Better search results
EXAMPLES

16. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Develop a data
management strategy that
will allow you to bring
brands to users, not the
other way around.
Methods include:
● Ad targeting
● Machine learning
● Sophisticated filtering
22MM products from
thousands of brands, filterable
by every characteristic
imaginable
WAYFAIR
• Dynamic sales components
• Improved search
• Editorialized experiences
based on filters
• Filter-based destination URLs
• Quizzes, guides and games
EXAMPLES

17. Inspiration drives purchasing decisions
to help shoppers meet their goals and
live the lives they aspire to live.
02
DRIVE CONVERSION
THROUGH ASPIRATION

18. THE POWER OF PRODUCT CONTEXT
Demonstrate shopper value beyond product metadata
Commerce experiences that appeal to a person’s
psychological, social or economic aspirations rather than
realities sell. In particular, social-affirming platforms like social
commerce are on the rise. 60% of Gen Z’ers use Instagram to
discover new brands, and 48% of Americans 18-34 have
purchased through social media.
Sell products in context, not in a vacuum
Recreating full experiences of environments surrounding a
product increases shopper education, but more importantly,
shopper aspiration and propensity to purchase.

19. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Demonstrate shopper value
through aspirational
experiences, go beyond
product metadata
Methods include:
● Inspirational placement
● Goal-based shopping
● Environmental context
360 shoppable rooms allow
shoppers not only to see
products in context, but find
inspiration in how products
work together.
TARGET
• Hotspot photos and videos
• Products featured in user
reviews & photos
EXAMPLES

20. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Demonstrate shopper value
through aspirational
experiences, go beyond
product metadata
Methods include:
● Inspirational placement
● Goal-based shopping
● Environmental context
Shoppable tools and groceries
are sprinkled throughout a
robust archive of hands-on
baking lessons that inspire
shoppers to create their next
masterpiece
KING ARTHUR FLOUR
• Learning gamification
• Tutorials
• Lifestyle 101s
EXAMPLES

21. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Demonstrate shopper value
through aspirational
experiences, go beyond
product metadata
Methods include:
● Inspirational placement
● Goal-based shopping
● Environmental context
• AR, VR, 360 integration
• Try at home
• Virtual customizers and
organizers
EXAMPLES
By leveraging Augmented
Reality, the brand allows
shoppers to see how an item
will fit in their home to the
exact dimension, without
needing to pull out a
measuring tape
IKEA

22. The ‘infinite shelf’ of online shopping
introduces information overload.
Product Managers can help indecisive,
overwhelmed shoppers confidently
pull the trigger on a purchase.
CURE
SHOPPING
ANALYSIS PARALYSIS
03

23. THE IMPORTANCE OF CONSUMER EDUCATION
Online shoppers are pickier and more savvy than ever
Shoppers compare features and benefits against competitors.
Top influencing factors are:
● competitive pricing (70%)
● free shipping (62%)
● wide selection (50%)
● shopper reviews & UGC (25%)
● accurate product descriptions (22%)
● free returns (21%).
Ecommerce edges closer to replicating in-person benefits
Experiences like try-before-you-buy, physically interacting
with a product, seeing in-person quality and size and talking
with an in-store associate are making their way to
ecommerce.

24. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Build experiences that address
both the online and in-store
factors that drive conversion.
Methods include:
● Price confidence
● Easy feature comparisons
● Reassuring reviews & UGC
● Sampling
● Contextual sizing
Hunting for coupons and
rewards for customers helps
them feel reassured they’re
making the right choice
HONEY
• Price drop alerts
• In stock alerts
• Pricing charts
• Discount indicators
• Pay as you go options
EXAMPLES

25. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Build experiences that address
both the online and in-store
factors that drive conversion.
Methods include:
● Price confidence
● Easy feature comparisons
● Reassuring reviews & UGC
● Sampling
● Contextual sizing
Well-researched charts of
feature comparisons help
shoppers find the perfect
product or service for their
particular needs
CNN UNDERSCORED
• Testing videos
• Comparison charts
• Star reviews by
feature
• Editorialized
recommendations by
life circumstance
• Quizzes for filtering
down best product
• Chatbot or customer
service helpers
EXAMPLES

26. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Build experiences that address
both the online and in-store
factors that drive conversion.
Methods include:
● Price confidence
● Easy feature comparisons
● Reassuring reviews & UGC
● Sampling
● Contextual sizing
Real clothing reviews with
personal user information like
measurements and style help
others find clothes that will fit
them best.
RENT THE RUNWAY
• User photos & reviews
• Testimonials
• Reviews from category
authorities
• Social media
affirmation
EXAMPLES

27. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Build experiences that address
both the online and in-store
factors that drive conversion.
Methods include:
● Price confidence
● Easy feature comparisons
● Reassuring reviews & UGC
● Sampling
● Contextual sizing
The anxiety of not testing a
mattress in-store is relieved by
a 100 night free trial and free
shipping promise
CASPER
• Offer to try multiple
sizes or styles at home
• Pay for only what you
keep
• Offer product samples
for next purchase
EXAMPLES

28. WHAT THIS MEANS FOR PRODUCT MANAGERS
Build experiences that address
both the online and in-store
factors that drive conversion.
Methods include:
● Price confidence
● Easy feature comparisons
● Reviews & UGC
● Sampling
● Contextual sizing
• Photos in scale of
common items or
people
• In depth videos
• AR, VR and 3D tours
A simple gif helps Away
customers conceptualize how
much and what type of
clothing a product can fit,
without having to try it
themselves.
AWAY
EXAMPLES

29. FUTURE-THINKING COMMERCE TRENDS
Bring the brand to the user through targeting
Drive conversion through aspiration
1
2
Cure shopping analysis paralysis
3

30. CREDITS: This presentation template was created by Slidesgo, including icons
by Flaticon, and infographics & images by Freepik
Do you have any questions?
THANKS
@simonenili linkedin.com/in/simone-barsky-nili

31. RESOURCES
● Shopify, Ecommerce boom fuels record online competition:
https://www.shopify.com/enterprise/the-future-of-ecommerce/omnichannel
● New York Times, How the Virus Transformed the Way Americans Spend Their
Money:
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2020/04/11/business/economy/coronavirus-us
-economy-spending.html
● Marketing Charts, Where Shoppers Say They Start Their Product Hunt: Amazon >
Search:
https://www.marketingcharts.com/industries/retail-and-e-commerce-113138
● Marketplace Pulse, Only 22% of Searches on Amazon Include a Brand Name:
https://www.marketplacepulse.com/articles/only-22-of-searches-on-amazon-inclu
de-a-brand-name
● Nordic Page, What’s with All the Hype – a Look at Aspirational Marketing,
https://www.tnp.no/norway/global/3059-whats-with-all-the-hype-a-look-at-aspirati
onal-marketing

32. RESOURCES
● Business Insider, Gen Z is leading an evolution in shopping that could kill brands
as we know them:
https://www.businessinsider.com/gen-z-shopping-habits-kill-brands-2019-7
● Digital Commerce 360, US ecommerce grows 44.0% in 2020:
digitalcommerce360.com/article/us-ecommerce-sales/
● Statista, When shopping online, what are the most important factors that
influence you to shop at a particular retailer?
https://www.statista.com/statistics/800547/us-shoppers-important-factors-shoppi
ng-product-online/

33. www.productschool.com
Part-time Product Management Training Courses
and
Corporate Training