Ecommerce and marketing consultancy Entropy, is our exclusive partner for the new series of Ecommerce Hero on ECA.
As well as showcasing industry talent, participants will be sharing how their ecommerce strategies have adapted in 2021 as we come out of lockdown. Next up is Jacqueline Gilbert, Co-founder, Beaudurof.
Who is your ecommerce hero?
My ecommerce hero is Scott Flear, CEO of Rugby Warfare and Co-founder of Live Like Louise (now Trtle.com).
What has he she done to win hero status in your eyes?
My company, Beaudurof is hungry to continue to accelerate our strong growth and to achieve this we are always looking for values driven partners who can help us maintain a world class position.
We especially look for those who are happy to invest in future shared success and demonstrate belief in our ambition and potential so that we can grow together. Scott lives true to these values — I recall him using the analogy that he is interested in using his expertise to help build the “biggest city (shared success) not the tallest tower (individual profit)”. His expertise in the e-commerce space and generosity in utilising that for emergent brands has been second to none in my experience.
How has his heroism helped drive ecommerce?
I have been hungry for extremely practical yet holistic support on how to build an e-commerce proposition that puts us on the front foot of ecommerce of tomorrow. We don’t want to meet the market, as a next generation brand we have the agility and expectation to do things differently and beat the market.
There is a wealth of generic coaching and traditional advice based on theory available but in my experience, not much practical support and coaching. Scott’s e-commerce heroism was evidenced for me in two clear moments: 1. I discovered him and his team at the start of the pandemic by chance from his initiative in setting up a small business coronavirus crisis group supported by expert advisors on social media.
He was the first to step forward to support others at a time of extreme uncertainty and we at Beaudurof benefited greatly. 2. His constant innovation in finding ways to role model and coach ecommerce growth to SMEs has had exceptional utility for us at Beaudurof. It is world class theory but it is uniquely translated to action, and therefore his heroism drives us forward.
What are the biggest challenges in ecommerce we need another hero to solve?
We achieved a staggering shift in our ecommerce sales internationally when we opened a premium physical store locally. To me this signals that customers feel more secure when they know that there is an authenticated, tangible, “home” to your brand, even if they are abroad from it.
I haven’t yet observed a solution on authenticity and tangibility that meets that customer need. It is interesting to see how live-streaming into physical stores in the Asian region is growing, and we are keen to see if it does drive that increased sense of permanence and trust from customers.
How has your business changed its use of ecommerce over the Covid period?
Prior to the Covid period we had a very traditional and almost “static” ecommerce approach. It covered multiple channels but in silos. We are now trying to integrate our ecommerce and “real world” propositions in a more meaningful way for our customers.
What’s an interesting ecommerce innovation you’ve seen as businesses have had to adapt?
I am very interested in blockchain technology and how that is evolving to aid traceability and authentication. We invest a huge amount in quality of materials and production, in operating in an ethical sustainable way, and in our unique IP and brand. It is our belief that blockchain technology may be the tool we need to achieve a step change in transparency, traceability and trust.
