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.

Online merchandising is a subject we discuss frequently. Our latest findings reveal that presently, as many retailers struggle to get back into profit, it's important to build strong foundations because consumers don't distinguish between channels. All they see are multiple contact points and they expect brand consistency, which means that retailers need to provide customer-centric strategies consistently, including across partners.

I don't think anyone would argue against the need for standards regarding payment methods, and the PCI Data Security Standards (DSS) introduced over the last few years are well intentioned. In essence they say that in order to handle sensitive customer data a strict set of security criteria must be met. The introduction of these standards has taken that sensitive information out of the hands of some parties who may not have taken keeping it a secret as seriously as you do, and this is a good thing.

Innovation in today's e-commerce landscape through multichannel e-commerce has been a catalyst for the evolution of online retail, leading retailers to jump ahead of other vertical markets. Despite this, there are key differences between the retailers who really provide a successful and integrated multichannel experience and the ones who don't. This article looks at the characteristics of retailers who are succeeding through an integrated multichannel approach. These retailers have three main characteristics that differentiate them from their peers: They know who their customers are, they integrate all channels and all technologies into one consistent user experience and they know how to measure their own success.

hybris have named neoworks as their Most Innovative Partner for the second consecutive year at their partner summit in Munich, Germany. The award recognises neoworks' contribution to innovation in the development of the hybris product and delivery of services to the hybris customer and partner communities.

hybris name neoworks as their Most Innovative Partner 2010