The identity of the messenger is more important than the message itself. In other words, it’s crucial to consider whether the messenger’s identity is reliable. It matters more to others that they know who I am and recognize me than how well I have built relationships and interacted with them. Identity begins with my proclamation, and credibility only emerges when others acknowledge that proclamation. If there is a significant gap between my declaration and how others perceive me, I will need to invest considerable time and money to bridge that gap. Similarly, if there is a significant discrepancy between the message I intend to convey and my declared identity, it also requires a substantial amount of time and money. Consumers are acutely aware of these differences, yet they often remain silent about them. Asking others to share their inner self-assessment is as burdensome as expecting them to reveal their true selves. - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”
Offline retailers are going to be ruined. People assume the cause might be Internet commerce. But if you analyze the data, it doesn't make sense. In the U.S., online sales have grown more than 30-fold over the past two decades, but Internet shopping accounts for only 11% of total consumer sales. According to U.S. government statistics, Americans spend most of their income on SERVICES, NOT GOODS. This means they purchase a car rental service instead of possessing a car, a cloud service instead of having computer software and hard drives, and a fresh food delivery service every morning instead of buying the ingredients for food. It also means that people avoid buying manufactured or harvested goods, but want to buy the servitization goods in the categories of manufacturing and agriculture. This phenomenon is called " Servitization of Manufacturing". - Joseph’s “just my thoughts”