iStrategy 2010 Sold Out in Chicago: Paradigm shift in Social Media significance

We all know that time is money and understand that Social Media Marketing is a real-time, targeted way of communicating with an engaged and active demographic, one that gives as much feedback to the company in question as it provides to the demographic; hence its usefulness and transcendent ability.

Most companies, both on the business and consumer sides know and try to practice this, however success has not been equally quick for all enterprises. One of the reasons may be the lack of training within today's companies. The iStrategy Chicago conference, taking place at the the Hotel Allegro this week, packages this expertise in a way that all marketing and managerial professionals can utilize, no matter the company size, budget, or experience.

For a company, a single tweet, blog post or YouTube video can spread in a matter of hours, naturally finding its way into the attention of potential customers and clients. Even the most traditional CEOs are accepting the power of the tweet.
The event is sold out, adding a further confirmation stamp to the popularity and importance of social media to all businesses. Amongst the brands confirmed are representatives from Disney, Sony, Ebay, Microsoft, Coca-Cola, Pfizer, Cisco, Universal, Linkedin and Novartis eager to see the B2B and B2C capabilities of the right social media marketing package. They will be working with the leading social media experts from companies such as Adidas, Cisco, MTV, HSBC, Roche and Vodafone, amongst many others.

The success of these companies is obvious; their brands are synonymous within their relevant sectors; yet to be successful in an ever changing environment like social media, flagship companies understand the need to be flexible, adaptable and sympathetic to differing trends and movements, which is where iStrategy Chicago comes in.

Despite the simplicity of a social idea, the impact is incomparable; creating brand awareness money can't buy. Their relationship with iStrategy Chicago 2010 means that the power of social media marketing is now available to all, from the minds of some of the sectors best innovators and architects.

Although iStrategy Chicago 2010 is Sold Out, you can still get a piece of the action by registering todat at Fora.tv to watch the debates through a live online stream.

Customer is Key for Retail Growth

US retail sales have seen a rise for the seventh consecutive month in April amid economic recovery. Sales picked up 0.4 percent, higher than the 0.2 percent expected by most economists, according to data from the Commerce Department.

A new research study shows retail demand intelligence (RDI) as the most pressing investment issue currently facing retailers and this is agreed by the elite members who form the NGR US committee. According to the new report, retailers are not only implementing advanced demand-forecasting tools, but are using RDI as a foundational retail technology, tightly integrated with retail planning systems, supply chain applications, and customer selling systems.

In today’s economy, consumers are increasingly demanding. They require customized, targeted promotions carrying personalized benefits and incentives, highly automated and easy-to-use multi-channel technology, and rapid response times to their changing preferences. The retailer needs to be apparent, with accessible product information, clear communications, brand-appropriate service levels, and consumer-centric multi-channel support – all without being intrusive.

To properly address these requirements executives which make up the NG Retail US summit (hosted by GDS International) will look at the best way to deliver a truly improved shopping experience, and gain competitive advantage, retailers must fine-tune their business processes to be able to make quick decisions. Demand trends change rapidly, and consumers expect companies to be always up to date and ready to deliver whatever they want in the shortest amount of time.

Representatives from Amazon - Rick Batye, VP Retail Systems, eBay - James Barrese, VP Architecture, Platforms, Systems, Best Buy - Jeff Peterson, VP Store Operations, Lowes - Ron Blahnik, VP IT Engineering and Starbucks - Elizabeth King, VP Global HR Solutions & Services hope to discuss practical steps and approaches for RDI, identifying common failings to ensure success and how to initiate RDI programs.

With the retail sectors future already picking up it is now to invest in securing growth and remembering the customer is always right.