The application of Web 2.0 technologies and infrastructures to e-commerce and the growing expansion of social media have radically transformed companies’ business models, significantly affecting their online sales activities. In fact today, companies are looking for more social and interactive ways to stimulate engagement and the emotional and experiential responses of their online customers.

E-commerce and social media today represent essential touchstones for businesses wishing to create a value-added offer. In this context, CRIET, the ‘FAC-TBS Group’ and ‘IPSOS’ have analyzed the evolution of e-commerce to the ‘social commerce’ phenomenon, a study involving more than 300 companies operating in Italy, France, Germany and Spain. The research seeks to investigate the impact of current e-commerce strategies on the performance of businesses.

During the ‘CRIET Meets’ conference the elements on which today’s widespread e-strategies are based, namely, the role of social media and the benefits to be gained from social commerce, will be presented in a nation-wide context.

The research is part of the ‘Marketing innovation hub’ project – a professional and academic think tank, which provides access to the knowledge and experiences of businesses, media centres and the academic world.