The Cyber Monday Raindance

Since Cyber Monday's inception in 2005, the online retail's alternative to Black Friday has experienced explosive growth. With the news this week by ComScore that 2011 Cyber Monday sales surpassed $1.3 billion -- more than $300,000 million generated last year -- it's clear that the Digital Raindance is working. Cyber Monday 2011 was the biggest day for online shopping in U.S. history and marked the launch of the most fruitful retail period of the year. Traditionally, more than 80 percent of retail stores annual sales are generated between Cyber Monday and Christmas Day. But online retail is changing the game. This year online shopping generated more than $15 billion -- up by 15 percent -- in the four weeks of November before the bricks-and-mortar Black Friday bonanza.  And even on Black Friday, more than $800 million in sales were accounted for online. It's obvious that shoppers are becoming more comfortable buying online, but the "digitizing" of goods has also fueled online retail. E-readers are replacing the production of physical books and digital music and movie downloads are replacing the production and shipping of CDs and DVDs. The good news for grocery stores is that our digestive system hasn't yet figured out how to absorb "digital nourishment".



Ping My Motown Friends

You know social networking and the success of Facebook  has come of age when Apple, which usually charts its own unique path, has jumped into the social-media fray with an iTunes-based network called Ping.

It's understandable and makes good business sense. It's where consumers are spending most of their Internet time, and Apple has millions (160 million) of iTunes customers who can engage right away. But the creation of Ping puts Apple in an entirely new market, one dominated today by Facebook. Ping will have all the social-networking features we have come to expect, such as friends, photo and video sharing. The biggest allure of Ping is the way it's centered around sharing and shopping for music. 
So with Ping you can know what your friends are listening to, where your favorite musicians are performing, all with a lot of "buy" buttons. You can express your appreciate for a certain music genre and make new friends based on common music interests and groups. That's a powerful, social feature. Rainmakers are banking on the fact that most consumers would want to socialize with others that share interests in favorite songs, music eras and artists.
Once again, Apple's innovation leads the way. Can't wait to find all my Earth, Wind & Fire Motown buddies on Ping. What music groups will you join on Ping ?