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Summary: READY for a WEB LIFESTYLE? ... for WebPhones and WebMobiles?
Review: ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****ASK YOURSELF, WHICH YOU WOULD RATHER DO: (a) Drag the kids to the store, shove a laden shopping cart with a wobbly wheel up and down crowded aisles, and then hump the stuff home; or (b) Drag the stuff into an online shopping cart with your mouse -- and then kick back with the kids until it arrives on your doorstep, at the time you select. No-brainer, right? THE INTERNET IS FAST-BECOMING A SHOPPER'S PARADISE. It is changing not only where people buy, but how often, when, what, why, and from where. BY 2010, A MAJORITY OF NORTH AMERICANS will live what Bill Gates calls a "Web Lifestyle" where they carry out most everyday activities through the Web -- as I describe in the book. For sure, they will do at least some e-shopping and most of them will do most shopping online. Already, people are buying everything from luxury automobiles to the drug zantac over the Web. And in the near future the question will be, "What isn't selling online?" AS I WRITE IN THE FOREWORD of "FutureConsumer.Com," the Web takes shopping out of the shops. By 2010, the Internet will gobble up 31 percent of retail spendng, leaving most brick-and-mortar retailers in rubble. THE HEAD-SPINNING INTERNET REVOLUTION, or "Webolution," is not easy to forecast. However, before it's done -- around 2018 -- it will reverse and unwind virtually eveything that the Industrial Revolution put into place. It will smash the mass consumption economy to smithereens and re-center it on the home. THE WEBOLUTION WILL ROCK THE WORLD, utterly transforming life and commerce. Indeed, e-Commerce will soon become m-Commerce (Mobile Commerce) where increasing communication and commercial transactions will take place over WebPhones and WebMobiles that are connected to an always-on Internet. And the rewards will accrue fastest to those who embrace the Webolution first. THE BOOK REVIEWS THE ONLINE SALES PROSPECTS OF 12 PRODUCT CATEGORIES. It devotes a full chapter to each and cites numerous examples of who is doing well and who is doing not so well, and why. These 12 product categories are: * Apparel & Footwear; * Automobiles; * Books; * Education; * Entertainment & Sports; * Expressions; * Financial Services; * Groceries; * Health & Beauty; * Homes & Home Improvement; * Newspapers; and * Mass Merchandisers. THE BOOK FORECASTS WHAT PERCENTAGE OF EACH CATEGORY'S SALES will be made online by 2005 and 2010. As well, I go out on a limb and forecast WHICH WEB SITES WILL DOMINATE each category by 2010, concluding with a list of the "TOP 50" e-tail web sites by 2010. THROUGHOUT THE BOOK and in the final section, I draw out strategic implications for business marketers, ending with a "TO DO" LIST of "50 Random Questions for Monday Morning." HOW DID I COME TO WRITE THIS BOOK? I was a strategic planning and marketing executive for many years and became a full-time consulting business futurist in 1981. I have written two previous books: * "G-Forces: The 35 Global Forces Restructuring Our Future" (1980; now out of print); and * "The Future Consumer: Predictable Developments in Personal Shopping and Customer-Centered Marketing on the Information Superhighway" (1993 and re-issued 1997; now out of print). THIS BOOK IS TOTALLY DIFFERENT from "The Future Consumer" but builds upon it. "FutureConsumer.Com" is based on 5 years of intensive research carried out on the Internet itself. The research and forecasting techniques that I have used are detailed in the book's two appendices. MANY CONCEPTS IN THIS BOOK were prompted by several thought leaders, particularly by the farsighted media guru Marshall McLuhan and the pioneer futurist Alvin Toffler. I make it a yearly habit to re-read the deeply penetrating and perceptive writings of these mental giants, particularly their "Understanding Media" and "The Third Wave" respectively. These two great guides to the 21st century were written decades ago. Yet they provide all the essential keys to understanding the evolving global village and its third wave transformation by today's Internet Revolution -- or Webolution, as I prefer to call it. IN CONCLUSION, I hope you decide to buy -- and enjoy reading -- this book. And I will be delighted to hear your reactions. If you would like to see a detailed TABLE OF CONTENTS and CHAPTER SUMMARIES, please e-mail me and I will gladly send them to you. THANK YOU for your interest in "FutureConsumer.Com" ! ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** ***** *****
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Summary: A TRULY REMARKABLE BOOK (Warwick Publishing, May 2000)
Review: ***** ***** This presentation has 4 sections: (1) Brief Overview; (2) "Advance Praise"; (3) Table of Contents; (4) Author's Bio-data. . ***** BRIEF OVERVIEW ***** FutureConsumer.Com provides invaluable foresight and actionable knowledge, such as: - Astute analysis of trends in work, business, family life, and society; - Forecasts of online sales to 2010 -- six years further out than any published elsewhere -- in 12 product categories; - The Top 50 retail Web sites in 2010; - Why some Web sites succeed and why others fail; - The one Web strategy that every organization absolutely must pursue. . ***** ADVANCE PRAISE ***** "Frank Feather is an encyclopedic genius. This amazing journey into the future is a seriously wonderful book. Every page is filled with insightful nuggets. Try it. You'll love it!" - Stan Davis, best-selling author of FUTURE WEALTH and BLUR "You say you want a webolution? Read this book." - Don Tapscott, best-selling author of THE DIGITAL ECONOMY and GROWING UP DIGITAL; co-author of DIGITAL CAPITAL "A fantastic painting of mind-boggling pictures. Excellent bedtime reading - except it prevents you from sleeping!" - Yrjo Neuvo, EVP & Chief Technical Officer, NOKIA MOBILE PHONES "A pleasure to read, providing new insights into the future impact of the Internet on our personal and professional lives." - Janice M. Scites, VP, Internet Implementation Strategy, AT&T CORP. "First-rate compendium of Net-driven changes to come. Frank Feather knows how to get under the skin of every consumer company with the message: change or suffer." - Kevin Maney, Technology Columnist, USA TODAY "Weaves extraordinary scenarios as ordinary events, bringing shocking trends to life so we can better exploit a future where everyone will be a dot-com consumer." - Walid Mougayar, author, OPENING DIGITAL MARKETS; Vision Columnist, BUSINESS 2.0 "Frank Feather has an eye for telling anecdotes and a knack for fearless predictions. This is a 'must read' for any executive who expects to be employed in 2010." - John Brandt, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief, INDUSTRY WEEK and IndustryWeek.com "The new 'retail train' is leaving the station. And this highly accurate, aptly named snapshot is essential for those scurrying to scramble aboard." - William H. Baxter, CAE, President & CEO, RETAIL MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION of GREATER RICHMOND "A compelling look into an 'WWW=MMM' world of exponential possibilities. If you're a CEO, strategist, or investor, this is a 'must read.'" - Lee K. Dailey, Director of Education & Development, UTC Leadership Center, UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP. "Frank has once again displayed his incredible insight and remarkable perspective, providing not only a glimpse of the future but a clairvoyant panorama." - C. Dennis Bausch, EVP-Marketing & Planning, MAGNA INTL Inc. "Frank Feather has done it again! This information gold mine is a priceless roadmap through the 'www-dot-com' maze to help people arrange their lives and investments." - Angela M. Cocomile, Investment Advisor, GOEPEL McDERMID Inc. "This book is the portal to 'what's next' in eCom, and Frank's 'banker in your pocket' warning of online consumer power should give everyone pause, not just bankers." - David Wano, EVP, BANK ADMINISTRATION INSTITUTE (BAI) . ***** TABLE OF CONTENTS ***** Foreword: The "Webolution" of Shopping to 2010 PART 1: THE "WEBOLUTION" -- 1. Web Lifestyles; 2. The Webolution; 3. Web Economics. PART II: WHO WILL SHOP ONLINE -- 4. Demographics; 5. Psychographics; 6. Webographics. PART III: WHAT WILL THEY BUY -- 7. Apparel & Footwear; 8. Automobiles; 9. Books; 10. Education; 11. Entertainment & Sports; 12. Expressions; 13. Financial Services; 14. Groceries; 15. Health & Beauty; 16. Homes & Home Improvement; 17. Newspapers; 18. Mass Merchandisers; 19. Total e-Tail Sales to 2010 and "Top 50" Sites. PART IV: e-MARKETING STRATEGY -- 20. Bricks vs. Clicks; 21. Digital Rules; 22. Advertising; 23. Branding the Web; 24. Customer Service Management. Afterword: The "6Ps" of e-Marketing. "To Do" List: 50 Random Questions for Monday Morning. Appendix A -- Web-Based Research Methodology Appendix B - Forecasting Online Sales . ***** ABOUT THE AUTHOR ***** Frank Feather is a global business futurist and public speaker who, in 1979, coined the now well-known phrase, "Thinking Globally, Acting Locally." Formerly a strategic planning executive with three of the world's biggest banks, in 1981 he founded Glocal Marketing Consultants. In 1980 he was the organizing Chairman & Director General of the 1st Global Conference on the Future, and he is ranked by Macmillan's Encyclopedia of the Future (1996) among the "Top 100 Futurists of All Time." Having amassed an uncannily accurate forecasting track record that often upturns the conventional wisdom, he is in demand worldwide across all industries by global corporations. As well, he has advised the Chinese government on market reforms since 1984 and even the world's big consulting firms regularly pick his brain. .
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Summary: GREAT VALUE: Updated 2nd Edition is EVEN BETTER than the 1st
Review: .
This book is a winner and well worth your time and money. I found the 1st edition of "Future Consumer.Com" extremely useful in my work as a strategic planning and marketing consultant, referring to it often. And so did my clients. But I just read the new, updated, 2nd Edition (in softcover), and it is even better! I fully agree that the first book was worth *5 Stars* but this is worth more and is bound to be successful. I remember the 1st edition was on Amazon's business best-seller lists for several weeks when it first came out. This one should do even better. Not only has the material been updated to account for the dot-com shakeout (with the author explains in compelling detail) but new case study material has been added. As well, Feather has updated all his forecasts for e-commerce sales, by category, and basically is sticking with his original forecasts to 2010. And, based on the ongoing trend in e-commerce, I think he will be proven correct. The 2nd edition also has some brand new material in the form of an Introduction that was not in the 1st edition. This 20-odd page chapter alone is worth the modest price of the book. It is an articulate, well-argued, but blistering critique of Harvard strategy guru Michael Porter who, in 2001, wrote a strategy paper in Harvard Business Review that basically claimed that the Internet changes nothing as far as strategy goes. When I read Porter's piece, I felt he was being very defensive of his own strategy model and failed to support his arguments, dismissing succesful online business models such as AOL and Amazon as exceptions to the rule. Feather brilliantly takes Porter's feeble argument apart, and shows why and how the Internet changes the rules of competition and, hence, business models and marketing strategy -- both in the online and offline world. I repeat, this chapter alone is worth the price of the ticket. One final point worth noting is that the new 2nd edition retains the excellent layout and design of the 1st edition. So it is relatively easy to compare the two texts to see what's new and different. As well, the few typos that one reviewer found annoying in the earlier edition have all been fixed. In short, this is a crisp, clean, up-to-date and easy-to-read book that everybody in business strategy and marketing should be reading. Feather's out-of-the box thinking not only stretches your mind but suggests concrete ways to achieve greater marketplace success. Whether you're selling products and services on Main Street or over the Web, this book points the way. I would give it "7 Stars out of 5" but I am restricted to 5. Do yourself a favor and put this book, not on your bookshelf, but on your desktop. And get your colleagues to buy one too. Your business will only benefit.
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Summary: Open your mind and buckle your seat belt!
Review: Books on future economics are interesting reading and require an open mind given that the author is providing assistance to the reader to think in another dimension. Author Feather does an excellent job of providing an understandable framework for his futuristic economy. Most books on future economics are seemingly quite strange and require a big stretch in reader imagination (e.g. "The Third Wave"). Other books on the Internet predict the Internet will be everything to everybody, an obvious hyperbole. Feather walks the line between a George Jetson-like future and overblown exaggeration of the Internet. From this reader's perspective, Feather's observations and/or predictions make a great deal of sense and seem to fit a resonable extrapolation of today's events in the crucible of the free market and the unfolding of time. No, you won't find Feather predicting that all products and services will sell extremely well over the Internet and you won't find a death sentence for bricks and mortar retailing. What you will find, however, is a thoughtful analysis of broad product lines and a different expected outcome of these product lines based on current and predicted consumer behavior. Sometimes the analysis is in favor of an Internet solution (with say 50% of the sales from the Internet) and sometimes the Internet is expected to be less prone to be the "ultimate" selling machine (with say 10% of the sales from the Internet). Don't think the book is just a big broad stroke either; Feather breaks down each of the product lines into sub-groups so that you are not only clear as to his thought process but also find yourself searching the sub-groups for your own industry or market to determine Feather's prognostication. If you have a business today, or you are employed by a business today, a small investment in this title could stimulate thinking that can assist in positioning you and your business for future success. It's a very stimulating ride and one that should contribute to creative thought on the impact of the Internet in the reader's private and business life.
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Summary: To caught up in the hupe
Review: Despite all the glowing reviews for this book, it is fairly average. The author writes about how the internet will become an essential par of our lifestyles. Some of his notions are very interesting and could very well come true. But others are caught up in the hype surrounding the internet. One example is that furniture.com will be one of the 5 main retailers on the internet for home furnishings. He must have only read their press releases because this company has since filed for bankruptcy. This is an ok book that could have a must read if the author had been a bit more objective. I suppose only time will tell ...
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Summary: THE FUTURE IS HERE
Review: FRANK FEATHER HAS BEEN A VISIONARY FOR MANY YEARS. THIS BOOK PROVES HE HASN'T LOST HIS TALENT! HE EXPLAINS WHAT HAS BECOME OF OUR NATIONS CONSUMERS AND WHAT IS YET TO COME - VERY EXCITING PREDICTIONS - I LOOK FORWARD TO EXPERIENCING THE FUTURE CONSUMER.COM PHENOMENON -
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Summary: THE FUTURE IS HERE
Review: FRANK FEATHER HAS BEEN A VISIONARY FOR MANY YEARS. THIS BOOK PROVES HE HASN'T LOST HIS TALENT! HE EXPLAINS WHAT HAS BECOME OF OUR NATIONS CONSUMERS AND WHAT IS YET TO COME - VERY EXCITING PREDICTIONS - I LOOK FORWARD TO EXPERIENCING THE FUTURE CONSUMER.COM PHENOMENON -
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Summary: The Real Horizon Of The Future
Review: Frank Feather has done it again. His analytical skills and ability to integrate prophecies and projections makes him a "wizard" of some stature. One must be impressed with his understanding of the future trends based on real numbers and moving them into a model that can be easily interpreted and applied. As a community development consultantI have moved into the "webolution"age with some trepidation coming from an environment that was based on seeing faces and mobilizing their energy. This book futureconsumer.com clearly identifies the "new way" Frank Feather has influenced me in past with his excellent book in 1989;G-Forces: The 35 Global Forces Restructuring Our Future and this new proclamation allows me to substantiate the new message that all communities need to embrace if they are to be enterprising The following quotes from his book are now part of my "mantra" as I work within communities. "the main principle is "reversal"-you don't go to work, work comes to you" "the Internet is a network of opportunity where those who conduct commerce in novel ways will reap huge rewards" "consumers are voting, not with their feet but with their mouse clicks and digital wallets, for the Web economy" "once a PC enters the household, life at home is never the same" "the term "online newspaper is as unimaginative as horseless carriage" "by 2010,telemedicine will be a routine part of daily life and health maintenance" Frank Feather is fearless and he moves beyond the normal and jumps headlong in his book into the future horizon with comments -"online learning won't just replace schools. but will render them irrelevant." The book is difficult to put down with its easy flowing statistics and futurisms. One aspect of the book, futureconsumer.com that intrigued me was Mr. Feather's projections on which web sites will win the "webolution" in the final analysis. If you are interested in what will happen to your family, home, business and community in the next few years, you need to read this book. You may not believe in all its projections but it will make you think about the future.
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Summary: Great E-Biz reference book!
Review: I have my own internet business and I use this book to promote the future of the internet and business. It is a great window into the future! Great E-Biz book!
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Summary: The Global "Webolution"
Review: Long ago when I was a high school student, one of my teachers explained that "a liquid always assumes the shape of its container." I was reminded of that comment as I began to read Feather's thought-provoking book. He examines what he calls "the Webolution of Shopping to 2010" which is perhaps best indicated by the transition from WWW to MMM (ie WorldWideWeb to MobileMediaMode). Once we understand the capabilities of a given device, we discover all manner of uses for it. That is, we fill the "container" of possibilities with the "liquid" of our ingenuity. Feather organizes his material as follows: a Foreword, 24 Chapters divided among four Parts (The "Webolution", Who Will Shop Online, What They Will Buy, and e-Marketing Strategy: From Mall to "Mallennium"), an Afterword -- The "6-Ps" of Marketing: Value Web and Flow Experience, a "To Do" List: 50 Random Questions for Monday Morning, Appendix A -- Web-Based Research Methodology, Appendix B -- Forecasting Online Sales, and his suggestions for Further Reading. I include this information because those who read one of my reviews for Amazon.com do not have direct access to the table of contents of the book discussed. In this instance, I especially want to indicate how comprehensive and thorough Feather is. I also want to add that this book is exceptionally well-written. Unlike so many polemics of futurism, collapsing under the weight of their bloated prose and statistics, FutureConsumer.Com is enjoyable to read. Credit Feather with having a delightful sense of humor. In a previous work (The Future Consumer, 1993), Feather forecast how the traditional "4 Ps" of a marketing mix would be transformed (by what was then called the information highway") into a new "4 Ps" of marketing: * Product becomes Mass-Customized Product * Place becomes AnyTime + AnyPlace * Price becomes Total Value Price * Promotion becomes Precise (1:1) Positioning To these four Feather now adds two other Ps. Personalized Service involves "high tech/high touch service to anticipate each customer's `Web Lifestyle' needs and aspirations via personalized, customized lifestyle solutions. Profound Experience involves "a Web site design that optimizes the `flow experience' to ensure a bookmark on customer's favorite list." Feather is a courageous fellow to suggest in such detail how the "Webolution" will dramatically reshape the retailing industry over the next decade. At least some readers will disagree with him about certain details concerning what will or will not occur, what will or will not be available, by the year 2010. However, all readers will enjoy this book and most will learn a great deal while reading it. Who will derive the greatest benefit from it? I suggest two separate but related groups: Individual consumers who now wonder what may await them during the next decade, and, those who will be selling goods and services to them. For either group, I think FutureConsumer.Com is a "must read." Those who share my high regard for it are urged to check out B. Joseph Pine & James H. Gilmore's The Experience Economy, Bernd H. Schmitt's Experiential Marketing, Peter Schwartz's The Art of the Long View, and Michael J. Wolf's The Entertainment Economy.
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