Mastering the Digital Marketplace: Practical Strategies for Competitiveness in the New Economy

By Douglas F. Aldrich

This accessible and concise book describes the value chain created by electronic commerce and the emerging digital economy. The author identifies three key strategic considerations - customer value focus, integration of physical containers the company sells with their intellectual or digital content, and a strategic emphasis on saving customers' time. He then provides practical ways to develop business strategies around these concepts and organise them for their implementation, illustrating his arguments with case studies of both successes and failures.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0471345466
• ISBN13: 9780471345466
• Release Date: October 1999
• Publisher: John Wiley & Sons Inc
• Length: 321 Pages
• Weight: 1.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.5" x 1.3" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

An Intelligent and Useful Guide to the New Economy

As a regular reader of technology books, I have yet to come across a work that cuts through all of the e-cliches and e-hype. In Mastering the Digital Marketplace, Douglas Aldrich does a masterful job of explaining how the digital economy affects real businesses in the real world. I believe this is a must read for any executive responsible for making his company competitive in the new economy. The cases that Mr. Aldrich draws upon as examples provide clear and compelling illustrations of his thesis.

An easy read yet full of inciteful and tangible how-to steps

Mr. Aldrich has provided us with a well-written, unique perspective on a subject that is fast becoming an integral part of all of our lives. Since we all will certainly be impacted by the digital marketplace, it is imperative that we gain a better understanding of this phenomenon. Aldrich makes it easy to understand and provides some concrete tools to better prepare us. The case studies were particularly interesting and seemed to be applicable to a cross-section of industries. Anyone who reads this will certainly benefit from the investment in time.

Finally a long-term strategic approach to the digital econ.

Doug Aldrich highlights the fact that the digital economy is much more than just eCommerce or eBusiness, it is a revolutionary force that will alter the ways in which companies compete and collaborate to a degree never seen before. Many leading experts today point to symptoms of the change wrought by the new economy, but few have taken the time to understand the root causes as Doug has done here. Thought-provoking discussions around melding traditional containers and digital content, the time-value proposition, and an array of additional factors and forces - from transaction costs to the role of brands in the new economy - take the reader through forming a frame of reference for thinking about the new economy all the way to understanding the steps executives must take to transform their organizations into fast, nimble, proactive companies which are fully prepared to excel in the new marketplace. In summary, an interesting, engaging and relatively easy to read handbook for business executives interested in leading the companies of the future.

Aldrich's ideas help you escape traditional 1980s paradigms.

As an executive recruiter I work in an industry where many still operate under archaic concepts and attitudes. Aldrich's book made me realize the importance of preparing for a digitally-focused marketplace."Mastering the Digital Marketplace" is a comprehensive and fresh look at the fundamental principles and concepts that any middle or senior level manager must incorporate to succeed in the new millennium.I thought the book included many interesting case studies that bore relevance to any business or industry. Aldrich did a fine job of explaining the changing dynamics that will force us to rethink our decisions on strategy and planning. And I didn't feel bogged down in techno-language even though the book is filled with detail and analysis.As Aldrich stated, the future marketplace is "definitely a revolution not an evolution," and I strongly encourage any executive to make this book a must read. It certainly has opened my eyes to the possibilities, and I believe will help my business grow rather than become a 21st century casuality of the digital reformation.