(Original * Early + Prolific)^Practical
Why does Stratably have double the open rates compared to the industry?
Led by a founder with a reputation for developing recommendations that are months to years ahead of the field
Deep understanding of eCommerce teams’ challenges and key questions
Rigorous research process that combines multiple sources, both qualitative and quantitative
Research provides context rather than “more data”
Easily digestible research, delivered consistently
Large breadth of coverage capturing all major forces impacting digital commerce
Practical research designed to be applied
Research Methodology
Stratably’s research methodology is multi-faceted, combining both qualitative and quantitative insights to formulate a vision of the marketplace as it exists today and where it is heading in the future. Stratably’s thorough research process includes a time-intensive process for uncovering the most important market developments each week, proprietary data-driven studies of the consumer and manufacturers, insights from thought leaders in the industry, and public company data.
Weekly Market Developments
Russ has developed a rigorous process to uncover the most impactful market developments each week.
He then applies a sharp editor’s knife to only include the most important highlights, recognizing his readers have minutes, rather than hours to read. This means there is a deep trust between Russ and his readers, as they are rely on him to not just surface what matters, but cut the rest.
Consumer Studies
Stratably taps into different consumer panels to help answer near-term questions around consumer behavior.
For instance, how are consumers changing their behavior as COVID-19 cases ebb and flow? What social platforms are best used to target Prime members or Walmart+ members? How is Amazon’s role on the path to purchase evolving?
Smart Network
Stratably regularly engages with subscribers to discuss key pain points, strategies, investments and best practices, incorporating this data into future areas of research.
This is a two-way street, helping industry practioners better understand Russ’ perspective, while helping point Russ in the right direction for future research.
Public Company Data
Stratably analyzes large retailers and large consumer brands earnings results, including conference calls.
Key themes are distilled each quarter for Amazon, Walmart, Target, large CPG brands, DoorDash, and others.
The research process leads to insights that are original, early, prolific and practical.
Counter-intuitive ideas and contrarian perspectives are often highlighted to help challenge commonly held ideas. This is all about maintaining intellectual curiosity and an openness to new ideas.
Stratably does not have a monopoly on good ideas or research. That’s why we curate and add context to outside insights to complement Stratably’s own proprietary work. There are so many impactful studies, unique perspectives, and helpful inputs to digital excellence, it would be irresponsible to those in our regular updates.
What Does Stratably Cover?
Stratably covers the big, needle moving areas of digital commerce in addition to exploring emerging areas, the breadth of coverage a function of what eCommerce teams inside consumer brands need to understand.
Core
Insights on big accounts and topics that matter like Amazon, Instacart, Walmart, retail media, and supply chain.
Emerging
Analysis on topics like social commerce, livestreaming, and new business models raising venture funding.
Case Studies
Identify great examples of retailers and brands trying new things.
Brevity as a feature, not a bug
As Mark Twain said, “I didn’t have time to write a short letter, so I wrote a long one instead”. Unfortunately, no one has time to read a long letter anymore. It’s either short or it’s not read.
Russ recognizes this, understanding report length often correlates to a poor understanding of what actually matters. There is no way your counterpart running Kroger is going to read a 20-page report on Amazon. But they might look at a diagram of the online grocery market and understand in 60 seconds what matters to their strategy.
We need more context, not more datapoints. This approach allows for the compounding of knowledge at the organizational level, and it aligns with the maxim that consistent education on eCommerce is the most practical way to elevate an organization’s digital IQ.
Of course, it can’t all be surface level. There has to be fleshy meat underlying the crisp takeaways. That’s why Stratably has a research library and includes related topics in its messaging, offering a way to dive deeper into any topic that’s covered.
Research library use cases include putting together a top-to-top summary before heading into Amazon negotiations with your CEO, or highlighting five interesting case studies in how brands are leveraging TikTok for commerce.