Adios, Middleman: The Rise of Direct-to-Consumer Platforms

Posted by Luke Dringoli, 25 Apr 2012

Turning a great idea into a reality is getting easier by the minute. Small businesses and individuals can pitch, barter and sell straight to the masses. The audience is connected directly to the creator, sans middleman. With the help of platforms like Kickstarter, Kiva and Etsy, funding any number of projects has become a democratic, and virtually seamless, process. More and more the crowd is enabling individuals to make great things happen. If this is the marketplace of the future, how do already established brands fit in? Let’s delve deeper.

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Social As We See It: Digital Trends For 2012

Posted by Jon Thomas, 19 Jan 2012

This post originally appeared in our January issue of "Live Report from the Future of Marketing," our monthly Post-Advertising newsletter. Subscribe for free here.

In the marketing world, getting in on the ground floor of the latest digital trend can pay huge dividends for users, particularly if they’re brands. But it’s difficult to know exactly which emerging site or app to dive into with both feet. Not every idea pans out, regardless of how much VC funding is acquired. True success depends on widespread adoption of the masses, or at least a dedicated community who simply can’t do without that service.

So for marketers planning for 2012 (maybe a bit late), where should they start?

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