Now that 2012 is over and the New Year has begun I have put together some notes on what I think will be significant in Digital Commerce this year. Communities are a fantastic way to cultivate 'superfans' because they allow brands to reward the full range of socially beneficial behaviours, they motivate with progressively difficult levels of achievement, confer meaningful privileges to top contributors and offer multiple paths for brand success.

Innovation in e-commerce is a series of articles that will help retailers gain competitive advantage. This is the second part of a two-part series where we are going to discuss the loyalty and brand advocacy through the customer journey. Every brand needs a good story, that is how a strong brand personality is created and with it a value perception among customers. We buy perceived ideals not products, so customers need to be entertained with stories that draw their attention and allow them to continue the conversation with your brand.

Back in the 80s Esso started giving people Tiger Tokens every time they bought petrol. These tokens could be redeemed against a number of exciting items, and one of the most popular was a very desirable set of china mugs. Far from being viewed as a tacky free gift I remember seeing many sets of these mugs proudly displayed in the houses of my parents' friends. These mugs were a literal embodiment of your smart shopping, advertising that you managed your money wisely through the medium of pottery. This was one of the first successful loyalty schemes, but how *did* Esso's china mugs make your friends nicer?

On 26 May 2012 the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) will start to gather evidence that companies are taking steps to comply with the new Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations that came into force on 26 May 2011. There is a lot of discussion about the so called EU Cookie Law and what steps website owners must take to be compliant. We have summarised the key information that website owners need to ensure that they stay on the right side of the ICO.

Innovation in e-commerce is a series of articles that will help retailers gain competitive advantage. In this article I am focusing on the need for customers' demands and expectations to drive brand commerce strategy. Customers as the ultimate source of revenue have always been important for brands, however customers have been considered only as the final link in a very complex supply chain. The opportunity for multichannel commerce strategy is to make customers part of the brand journey, rather than the end of the line.