MAM
The Wal-Martization of E-Commerce
The self-replication of e-commerce has already started, and like an alien blob from another planet it is re-generating and multiplying itself in a fast self-repro-replication-mode. Now all you need is a good idea to make some good money. You can start right away by getting a dot-com domain name registration for a year for much less than US$1 a month, and get a sparkling Web site for under $5 per month. For an additional $3 a month, get an encryption capability on the same site so you can offer secure online credit card transactions. Cha-ching. Plus e-mail and many other things thrown in for free.
In principal you will have almost the same basic e-commerce tools as any other large-size corporation. All that power and those business tools for under $10 per month.
This is not a fiction; it’s a reality at www.godaddy.com the fastest growing domain registrar in the world. CEO Bob Parsons, the boy-wonder among the hundreds of www.icann.org domain registrars, is not only very aggressive but also very business savvy: “if you don’t have a web site, then obviously there is something seriously wrong with you.”
Everyone Can Play
He believes in making e-commerce functionalities very easy and very cheap so every single person can play the game. E-commerce is no longer an expensive process or an exclusive club. These phenomenal cost reductions compounded by the awareness of e-commerce explain the new worldwide boost in the domain name activity.
Think, just a few years ago, BooBoo.com paid $170 million to get its Web site finished. Of course, it went belly-up in the first 100-plus days before the site could go up. In those days, there were ChooChoo’s and FooFoo’s, everyone needed millions start any type of an e-commerce project, thousands of shocking stories floated around the globe. Corporate identity practices got kicked for creating too many silly name brands. Big bucks created that short boom time, but now pennies are going to create long-lasting good times.
It’s cyber time, and once again a different kind of a boom overtakes America. This time, it might be in pennies, but its big economical impact will be felt much later. The influx of new business sites with new ideas, the new entrepreneurial spirit and the new exposure to innovation are fuelling this American grass root revolution in silence. Until each and every one of us ends up with a site, a portal with full e-commerce tools making us fully equipped citizens of an e-commerce-driven society, then and only then will we hear its thunder.
Simplification of Services
We have no option but to do this, as other nations are also in the same race. Very soon, some smart cities and towns, and eventually countries, will be offering all this and more for free to the entire population — guaranteed.
During all this, those support services, which were feeding on the earlier boom and offered super expensive deals, are in a deep freeze. Only very pragmatic and highly measurable ROI support services are left in the game. Traditional branding and big budget advertising is gasping in need of oxygen. The Internet is littered with services offering logos and branding at prices that are only pennies. The future clearly points to a Wal-Martization of overall corporate services. Imagine, now, $10 per month makes you a serious player in e-commerce.
Of course, this figure is just to make a point, as many businesses still require millions at the starting gate.
Grass Root Cyber Branding Revolution
Now that the tools are in place, it also opens a brand new door to educate and improve the functionality of Web site holders so they can advance to higher grounds. Flat and boring, the first generation websites and old-fashioned designs are over.
Also the earlier generation, long and twisted domain names are now requiring some educational support to make them highly transactional and, most importantly, proprietary and globally brandable in nature. This can be achieved very easily via distant learning, web-conferencing and other e-commerce tools.
The replication of e-commerce has already started, and like an alien blob from another planet it is re-generating and multiplying itself and in a fast repro-replication-mode.
With some sophisticated contents and educational components, it can exponentially increase the visibility for these millions of operators of brands and marketers of services, all projecting their growth from the grass roots. Not bad at all, in contrast to the old-style, slow-paced business cycles, measured only in decades and for economists to later chew about.
E-commerce’s gatekeepers, the domain registrar face these new challenges to provide more and more value-added services while the customer’s challenge is to optimize the exposure of their goods and services.
Both goals are not only doable but also rather very logical. Registrars must become more sophisticated than just a hit-and-run registration. Value-added services not only bring in higher margins but also turn them into real players. Corporate branding, global naming expertise and sharper strategies for higher exposure and visibility will fill the vacuum, like the newspapers of the early days and how they later became top media companies.
E-commerce is about to engross all of us, and for anyone to play, all that is needed is an idea, $10 and some brains on the go.
Brands
Malaika Arora launches Maejoy accessories brand with Myntra partnership
New label debuts with 250 plus handbags and lab grown diamond jewellery.
MUMBAI: When style meets sparkle, a new brand is ready to take centre stage. Actor and entrepreneur Malaika Arora has launched a lifestyle accessories label called Maejoy, developed in collaboration with Exceed Entertainment and Myntra Jabong India Private Limited (MJIPL), the B2B wholesale arm of Myntra. The brand enters the market with a debut collection of more than 250 styles spanning handbags and lab grown diamond jewellery, two categories that continue to define everyday personal style for modern consumers.
The handbag lineup includes crossbody bags, structured shoulder bags, bucket bags, totes, backpacks, clutches and workwear inspired designs. The pieces are crafted using materials such as synthetic leather, raffia, braids, satin, rhinestones and metallic finishes.
Alongside the bags, Maejoy has introduced a jewellery range featuring lab grown diamond rings, earrings, pendants, bracelets and tennis bracelets. The pieces are set in 925 sterling silver bases with gold, silver and rose gold tones, and include diamonds certified by IGI and GCI.
Positioned as a premium yet accessible accessories label, Maejoy is built around the philosophy “The Joy of Being Me”, aiming to blend aspirational fashion with everyday usability. The brand’s positioning centres on three pillars: authenticity, empowerment and accessibility.
Arora described the venture as a natural extension of her long association with fashion and personal style.
“Maejoy is a labour of love. Throughout my career, whether on screen, in business or through personal style, I have always believed fashion should feel empowering yet effortless. The Joy of Being Me celebrates individuality while making global fashion trends more accessible,” she said.
MJIPL, CXO and head of house of brands Suman Saha said the brand brings together Arora’s style perspective with a strong opportunity in the accessible premium accessories segment.
“Maejoy combines Malaika Arora’s distinctive style sensibility with fashion forward designs that we believe will resonate strongly with consumers looking for elevated yet wearable accessories,” he said.
Exceed Entertainment CEO Afsar Zaidi added that building celebrity led brands requires balancing authenticity with market viability.
“Malaika commands respect both as a fashion icon and a businesswoman. Bringing her creative vision together with Myntra’s brand building expertise creates a strong foundation for Maejoy,” he said.
The collection is available exclusively on Myntra through its website and mobile app, making the brand accessible to millions of shoppers across India as it steps into the competitive lifestyle accessories space.
