SPARK: AMAZON CONTINUES TO BUILD ITS DIGITAL ECOSYSTEM

There it is - the next step in the logical evolution of Amazon towards a coherent digital world. To catch real fire, Amazon will have to nurture its Spark. Featuring ("inofficial") sneak previews (like the next Samsung or Apple iphone) or some exclusive new product introductions like on yoox net-a-porter would be a way. And to leverage social influencers, of course. It is actually going to be interesting to see what type of community will develop and whether an own type of influencers will emerge on Spark.

I am a little surprised to see that Amazon launches this service first which generally resonates more with a younger crowd, before launching its own (multichannel) Home-Order ip/cable TV service (or did I just miss that?).

In any case, this is once again a clear demonstration of leadership. It shows that there is no crisis of retail, there is just a crisis in (transformational) leadership (qualities and courage). Good to see that pioneering, entrepreneurial companies can outpace even bigger politically-driven corporate players. In that sense let's hope that Amazon keeps that spirit alive and prevents itself from losing momentum and turning into a typical "corporate" himself. Can Bezos build to last?

http://www.barrons.com/articles/the-instagram-ization-of-amazon-1500411561