Molson Hart

Are brands more or less powerful in the e-commerce era? I bet most people would say that they're less powerful because we have more choice. I think that's the wrong answer. Distribution is less important because is much more easily accessible.

Today, there is no 8 ft shelf-space. There is infinite shelf-space. If you want some sort of obscure item, you can get it and can easily. In the days of stores, that wasn't possible, unless perhaps you lived in a market like New York city and then, you would have to travel.

So back to original question: are brands more or less powerful in the e-commerce era? It's 1980. You want to buy some Tide because it's your favorite brand. You call your local store "Hey, do you have Tide?" "Uhh...what's that?" "Laundry detergent." "Oh, I think we have that."

Tide is pretty much everywhere, so it's pretty likely that the store's got it, but if you're going after a more obscure brand, say "Tom's" Deoderant - you may not drie over to that store to pick up some because you're not confident as to whether they stock it.