COMMERCE AT A CROSSROADS
A new marketing playbook for a quickly changing world.
In this week's episode of Commerce Beyond Border, Renee Hartmann and I took a closer look at the rapidly changing state of marketing ...comparing Europe, North America and Asia/China.
One quarter of the way through 2025, and its clear that global commerce is being rapidly reshuffled and different regions around the world are forming into more discrete silos.
Two critical trends stood out from our one-on-one discussion:
𝟭. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
Brands in Europe and North America are FINALLY starting to experiment and innovate with marketing.
As Renee observed, "I do see things starting to change and brands are moving faster than they used to. This shift is largely fueled by TikTok's introduction of new commerce models to Western markets – from live selling to AI-enhanced shopping experiences."
𝟮. 𝗕𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗶𝗱𝗱𝗹𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵
With customer acquisition costs soaring on Meta and Google, marketers are being forced to adapt. "Pre-pandemic, you could just shovel money into them and get results. But now it's not working that way anymore," Renee noted.
The solution?
𝑨 "𝒎𝒊𝒅𝒅𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒊𝒕" 𝒂𝒑𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒂𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕:
Cuts a new path between traditional and performance marketing
Creates memorable brand moments through experiential marketing
Leverages influencers and communities to rally around big brand moments
Supported by livestreaming, virtualization, brand collaborations ...etc.
This approach, which mirrors strategies long successful in markets like China, may provide the agility brands need in our increasingly fragmented global marketplace.
Social Commerce is starting to really break through in Europe and North America!
🚀 Listen to the full episode on Commerce Beyond Borders. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and wherever you listen.
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Commerce Beyond Borders - Decoding the Future of Commerce & Retail
Hosted by marketing, retail and ecommerce vets, Renee Hartmann & Chris Baker, “Commerce Beyond Borders” offers global audiences a pithy glimpse into key strategies for success.
Each episode focuses on two key questions:
”What’s one thing in commerce and retail that most people are overlooking?”
“What’s something you know is happening right now that few others in the industry can see?”
…Maintaining a sharp focus on mission critical insights and actionable strategies for senior managers.
DATA VISUALIZATION
AND DASHBOARDS
Totem works with a range of brands globally on business intelligence solutions.
Our clients rang across industries; from retail/fashion to beauty, from travel to finance.
Business intelligence and data visualization projects for our clients address critical issues including:
Sales performance, marketing ROI, and social media optimization.