Disruption is Here

Every year seems like an accelerated version of the previous one. Every year we think we have reached the peak and then following year comes, paling everything before it.

Will 2018-9 be the same? Every available sign suggests so. We might be worried about a potential new bubble burst or slowdown on stock markets, but this will not stop new ideas, business models, or new opportunities from emerging.

Here are my nine bets - what will change in 2018 in the wine business, technology and social. 

Doing the same thing over and over again will never take you to new places

In 2018, we will see more and more organizations focus on profit compression and look for new markets and opportunities. This will require oppositional thinking - looking for radically different ways of running a wine business, for instance: paying your customers rather than charging them, or both! 

The gig economy train is not slowing down

Newly emerging business models will only get stronger in 2018. The gig economy will continue and will go well beyond house rentals and transportation. This continued progress will provide the means for individuals to offer their products and services in an easier way. Some wineries and collections have embraced this, has your?

Resolution for 2018: consider becoming a stronger platform for the gig economy. I already am one.

Delight your customers by predicting and meeting their needs ahead of time

We will see a rise in proactive organizations, that is, organizations that are able to offer products and services the moment the need for them arises or often even before the customer realizes there is a need. Think of the ancient Henry Ford model. His famous quote saying, "If I would asked my customers, they would have said they needed a faster horse."

We could see the first commercial examples of predictive Wine Club delivery (“your allocation is at the doorstep, would you like to buy it, or shall we take it back?”).

If the world around you moves faster than you do, the end is near

Long-standing families in the wine industry will be challenged by technological advances even more than in previous years. Changes keep accelerating, new wineries and buying co-ops keep forming, it is extremely difficult for an old established winery to adapt. Buyers will flock to those who are continuing to grow.

Digital capital is an enabler of social good

Existing technologies will mature and be used in critical situations. We will retain control of our digital selves and at the same time be able to “share our digital capital” Facebook mentions, Instagram, You Tube, etc. whenever it may be helpful. This digital mindset will also be applied by organizations, looking for options to digitize idle assets using new technologies.

Resolution for 2018-9: have a close look at my digital assets. Can they deliver new value in the digital economy?

Digital intelligence is the new black

Society will continue to learn how to deal with digital economy trends. We will move from digital literacy through digital behaviour to digital elegance. And we will see growing interest in cybersecurity, despite numerous governments trying to discourage citizens from using data encryption tools.