The Platformization of Brands

The academic article "The Platformization of Brands" examines how traditional product brands are responding to the challenge posed by digital aggregation platforms like Amazon and Google Shopping, which have usurped direct access to consumers. The authors propose that brands can counteract this by creating their own brand flagship platforms, which foster versatile and ongoing interactions, moving beyond simple commercial transactions. A key element of this strategy is the concept of consumer crowdsourcing and crowdsending—consumers drawing value from and contributing value to the platform community—which helps define a framework for assembling different platform types. The research introduces a typology of four archetypical consumer-platform relationship states (ad hoc, capitalizing, catalyzing, and nurturing partnership) based on the intensity of crowdsourcing and crowdsending, providing guidance for brands to successfully navigate this digital transformation. The discussion concludes by outlining the necessary managerial shifts in market thinking, performance measurement, and resource allocation required for brands to thrive through platformization.