You know what it really is about ? Control.

Just like many content producers (record industry, movies, newspapers, photographers), brands are afraid of loosing control of the message, their brand. So.. instead of creating evangelists out of their biggest fans, and letting the internet do the work for them.. they try to restrain it.

Guess what.. yeah.. you know the answer. Music is never being ripped right ? Watches are never being sold online outside the official dealer network. Right ?

But you know.. you just need a very different breed of people to try to manage “anarchy”…. or better said: to try to organize yourself in a networked environment. That’s what Web 2.0 is about.

The whole industry is led by older men who are not always to new ideas. Peter Drucker wrote a cool article with an extensive analysis of the jewelry industry much like the ongoing discussion for the watch industry. I believe it was publised in JCK Journal, Winter 2006.

I THINK you can find it after the jump (their site was down when I tried it)
http://www.jckonline.com/article/CA6320875.html

We think that the younger generation is a very different breed however. Unfortunately they didn’t make it to CEO yet.

About web 2.0. Web 2.0 goes a bit further than what you describe it is, or could be. While I agree it’s about building communities, it’s equally about creating different business models and I would say “Communication models”. We’re working on some “stuff” ourselves, so obviously we cannot mention all our ideas.

But think about what a social graph can do for items/topics people are passionate about. Such as sports. Or Fashion. Think about what branding can do: from introducing into a social graph to advergames.

Or better even.. just give me what I need and I will make my own branding and marketing message by meshing the cool videos, images, information of my favorite brand into whatever I like: from fashion trends to seasonal holidays. Who needs some cookie-cutter marketing bullshit movie anyway ? Perhaps the baby boomers do… brings me back to old men… (jussstt kidding…..)

Chief Internet Evangelist
Stealth Jewelry and Watch start-up.
Amsterdam-San Francisco

excellent post! We have discussed this subject already couple of times and I have several hats on: an authorized dealer, WatchFreak and TechFan.

As authorized retailer I am VERY frustrated that we are not permitted to sell online. I wrote several posts about it on our companies blog (www.aceblog.info) and we decided this year that we are going to be the first Dutch jeweler that will have a luxury eBoutique. Unfortunately we will NOT be able to sell, all the brands we represent in our physical stores, online.

As a WatchFreak, I am amazed by the fact that the watch industry is completely ignorant about internet… Especially Web 2.0! Not only is a fraction of their marketing budget allocated to online advertisement/marketing, although almost every consumer starts watch shopping online. Besides that, all the brands stick their heads in the sand like an ostrich and do not want to see what is happening outside the doors of their factories. This in relation to so-called grey-markets, fake watches and/or online sales, but also to innovations in other industries that compete with the watch industry if it comes to consumer spendings (think of Apple-products/Flat-screen tv/etc).

As as a TechFan (Technology Fan) I am amazed by the fact how watch brands neglect the fact to exploit the possibilities of internet to the fullest! None of them let authorized retailers sell online, but none of them sell online themselves! I understand the fact that they don’t sell online (yet), but at least learn from other (industries). I won’t start about after-sales services… That we can write a complete article about (hint )

Manufacturers who truly understand how powerful the Internet and web 2.0 are, are definitely using this to their advantage and benefiting greatly from it.

-JP

Jason Rakowski