In one of the final phases of the social web he talks about social commerce. In that he means that communities will come together to define the products and features they want and companies in turn will bid to fulfill these needs. In essence flipping the current model of a company bringing a product to market and encouraging/hoping that you’ll buy it.

Well, that era of social commerce may be official upon us. Today, Walmart Labs (the digital division of Walmart) is launching an initiative which crowdsources a handfull of the products it will stock on its shelves. Now, it’s just a start, but can you imagine how this could evolve? You could have pop-up stores that only carry items that their followers have requested. Inventories will get smarter based on sentiment and what the crowd wants. You could even eventually see PR agencies representing large groups of people rather than large companies.

I’m sure social commerce will move quickly through various phases and iterations as the web continues to evolve. What comes next though?

The era of social commerce is here is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!

You’re going to use Google+ and like it is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!

The last few times I’ve tried to go to an Apple retail store, I’ve been met with a barage of customers waiting around for an employee to basically hold their hand reset their iPhone. You’re herded into a queue as soon as you enter and store employees no longer have time to get to know you or ask you about your needs. In my opinion, it’s difficult to experiment and test products anymore because all the popular products and accessories are packed into one main corner and the folks waiting around are usually fiddling on a device just to pass the time. I used to spend hours in their stores, but now I get easily frustrated and walk out.  Maybe I’m just getting old and cranky. Pay attention next time you go to an Apple store and tell me if I’m way off base.

Have you been to an Apple store lately? is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!

Can I pick your brain? is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!

This past year saw a number of high profile brands attempt to implement fees or raise prices, only to backpedal and grovel after facing a scathing flood of angry and vocal customers.

Great advice from Experience.

How to raise prices and avoid a social media backlash is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!

PS – All of the photos in my Instagram stream have been shot and edited with an iPhone.

iPhoneography workshop is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!

If you make just one resolution in 2012 it should be to take some time to slow down, think and pay attention to the moment. Refreshing article by Pico Iyer on “The Joy of Quiet”. 

Slow down, think and be in the moment is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!

One thing I know for certain: A leader must emerge from Happy Valley to tie our community together again, and it won’t come from our parents’ generation.

They have failed us, over and over and over again.

I speak not specifically of our parents — I have two loving ones — but of the public leaders our parents’ generation has produced. With the demise of my own community’s two most revered leaders, Sandusky and Joe Paterno, I have decided to continue to respect my elders, but to politely tell them, “Out of my way.”

They have had their time to lead. Time’s up. I’m tired of waiting for them to live up to obligations.

Growing up (and even today), I always deferred to my elders for advice leadership. I’ve been taught that you have to put in lots of hard work and an even greater amount of time to be recognized as a leader. This call to arms piece by Thomas Day of the Washington Post just threw my prior notions out window.

This isn’t about Penn State. This is a rallying cry.

I’m tired of waiting for them to live up to obligations is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!

Trends in technology, media and creativity is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!

Part two.

On a side note, Confab, The Content Strategy Conference, has opened registration for their 2012 conference.

Coca-Cola embraces liquid content is a post from Bob Hazlett, a digital marketer who writes at One Half Amazing!