Marketplace 3.0: Rewriting the Rules for Borderless Business

by Hiroshi Mikitani Narrated by Jun Naito

Overview

Hiroshi Mikitani, founder of e-commerce giant Rakuten, has seen the next battleground in the fight for the future of the Internet. Today's major e-commerce players are quietly building borderless platforms that are overturning the global brick-and-mortar model, and changing the way local businesses think about their customers. But is this good or bad? Rejecting the zero-sum model practiced by some global retailers, who view the Internet purely as a facilitator of speed and profit, Mikitani argues for an alternate model that benefits vendors, customers, and communities alike by empowering players at every step in the process. He shows why emphasizing collaboration over competition, customization over top-down control, and long-term growth over short-term revenue is by far the best use of the Internet's power.

Rakuten is already pioneering this new model, and Marketplace 3.0 offers colorful examples of its success in Japan and around the world. Marketplace 3.0 is an exciting new vision for global commerce, from a company that's challenging all the accepted wisdom.

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

Naito’s intonation creates an easy-to-understand and relatable delivery. . . . [His] brisk pace keeps the story moving while reflecting the businesslike tone of the material.”
—AudioFile

“Narrator Jun Naito’s clear, steady-paced performance helps convey the Rakuten effort to empower its online merchants to deliver . . . the Japenese hospitality concept. . . . A useful addition to the genre of e-commerce business.”
—Library Journal

Bloomberg Business Week

Japanese executives aren’t known for bucking the establishment. Hiroshi Mikitani is a rare exception at a time when rebellion is most needed.”
—Bloomberg BusinessWeek

Library Journal - Audio

Founder and CEO of Japanese firm Rakuten, the third largest e-commerce marketplace company in the world, Mikitani here presents an interesting perspective on global e-commerce. He explains his 2010 decision to require that all Rakuten employees speak English, and he suggests ways companies can empower sellers to create lasting relationships with customers. He discusses the importance of empowerment and goal setting, the global mind-set, and how to make online shopping an entertaining experience. Narrator Jun Naito's clear, steady-paced performance helps convey the Rakuten effort to empower its online merchants to deliver "Omotenashi," the Japanese hospitality concept. VERDICT While not necessarily offering groundbreaking ideas, Mikitani manages to present a useful addition to the genre of e-commerce business with this detailed look at how his company has become the primary competition to Amazon.com.—Dale Farris, Groves, TX

APRIL 2013 - AudioFile

In 2010, Japanese entrepreneur Hiroshi Mikitani, founder and CEO of Rakuten, Inc., an electronics firm, announced that the company would conduct business in Japan in English. Some found his decision controversial; others found it groundbreaking. But Mikitani was crystal clear in his vision—a quality that comes alive through the narration of Jun Naito. Naito’s intonation creates an easy-to-understand and relatable delivery without the heavy-handed accent that is often used to mimic English as spoken by Asians. Those who enjoy nonfiction titles won't mind the lack of variety in the narration, particularly the repetitive cadence used for emphasis in many sentences. Overall, Naito’s brisk pace keeps the story moving while reflecting the businesslike tone of the material. M.R. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine

Product Details

BN ID:	2940171648619
Publisher:	HighBridge Company
Publication date:	03/26/2013
Edition description:	Unabridged

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