Hi, I’ve been building out visual models of platform businesses for like 4 years. From Alibaba and JD to Google and MasterCard. The goal is to visually show the key interactions and sources of competitive strength. For simple marketplace platforms, like EBay, my pictures are pretty simple. But for companies like Alibaba and JD, they […]
I keep an eye out for digital phenomena where China / Asia is on the frontier. We’ve seen this sort of digital leadership in mobile apps, mobile payments and e-commerce. And after meeting with head of smart cities at Huawei, I am convinced we are seeing the same phenomenon in smart cities. Below is my […]
In this class, I discuss my visit to JD’s new 50,000 sqm e-space in Chongqing – and the question of what new retail (i.e., online-merge-offline) will mean for department stores and shopping malls. You can listen here or at iTunes and Himalaya. Articles / podcasts cited in this class: JD’s E-Space Is a Fascinating New […]
Jeff Towson, a specialist in digital strategy, discusses the game-changing potential of JD’s E-space in China’s department store industry. With his rich insights, unravel the complexities of the digital transformation in retail and understand its implications for businesses across the globe. Don’t miss this comprehensive exploration of a significant shift in the retail sector.
This is Part 2 on my list of cool stuff JD is doing. Not necessarily the big initiatives – but the smaller and often more inventive ideas. In Part 1, I talked about their farming initiative, which is pretty intriguing. In this part, I look at their trash sorting program and how China’s smart cities […]
I keep a short list of cool stuff China’s digital giants are doing. Not just the big initiatives – but the smaller and often more inventive ideas. And JD tends to have a lot of these. From building their own robotics and drones to trash sorting / redemption programs and farming initiatives, JD has lots […]
Hi everyone, My apologies for being silent for a couple of days. I was teaching my digital strategy class at CEIBS (China Europe International Business School) in Shanghai. And I have been running around to various speaking engagements. I was wiped out. I spent all afternoon watching Netflix and ordering food delivery. FYI: Watching Netflix […]
Good morning everyone. This is the daily update for Jeff’s Asia Tech Class, with two points. Facebook is increasingly citing China in their lobbying. Are they behind Tiktok’s CFIUS review? Alibaba and Mobike have digital superpowers. Cheers from the Shanghai airport, jeff Is Facebook behind Tiktok’s CFIUS review? In the last week, CFIUS announced that […]
Jeffrey Towson discusses how Alibaba has beaten out its competitors by focusing on digital transformation. He explains how the company has created a marketplace for buyers and sellers to connect, and how this has helped it to grow rapidly and become one of the most successful e-commerce companies in the world.
Jeffrey Towson discusses what Starbucks China could have done to respond to the rise of Luckin Coffee. He argues that Starbucks should have focused on its strengths, such as its brand and its loyalty program, and that it should have been more aggressive in expanding its store network. He also notes that Starbucks could have learned from Luckin’s innovative marketing and pricing strategies.