The traditional big retail chain—like Walmart in the United States, Carrefour in France, and Kaufland in Germany—is a brand aggregator. It offers a range of branded products in multiple categories and provides information that allows consumers to make comparisons. Other retailers are more focused on particular categories—say, groceries, clothing, or furniture. Some branded goods manufacturers, such as Hugo Boss and Dyson, have successfully created their own stores to capture the trade of their loyalists. But single-brand stores tend not to be a good way to expand the customer base, at least not in the short term, so for product brands, selling via retail aggregators remains the dominant source of revenue.
Building Your Own Brand Platform
To sidestep the big online marketplaces, consider these four approaches.
From the Magazine (September–October 2022)
· Long read
Summary.
Some branded product companies are sidestepping digital aggregators like Amazon and Google Shopping and instead building their own brand flagship platforms. These platforms are more than just a direct sales channel. They provide a mix of specialized products, services, and content by involving participants—consumers and third-party businesses—in the value creation process, as both receivers and providers of value.
In this article, the authors introduce four types of brand flagship platforms: platform as instrument, as guide, as canvas, and as companion. They describe the relationship style, risks, and opportunities associated with each one.
A version of this article appeared in the September–October 2022 issue of Harvard Business Review.
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