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This book is the manifesto for a new generation
of competitors who want to reap the elusive rewards of the
on-line economy. Like no other book, Net Gain identifies
where the real value lies on the Internet and on other networks.
It is the first to give you the strategic tools for determining
how much your company will need to invest -- and how much
and where it stands to gain -- by building a successful
virtual community.
The rise over the past decade of virtual
communities in on-line networks has set in motion an unprecedented
shift in power from the producers of goods and services
to the customers who buy them. Companies that understand
this transfer and learn how to leverage the commercial power
of virtual communities will be able to take customer loyalty
to fundamentally new levels. What is more, the race belongs
to the swift: those who move quickly and aggressively can
establish an insurmountable lead.
From the offerings of commercial on-line
services like the Motley Fool investment community to Internet
communities of book lovers who gather at Amazon.com, Net
Gain offers real-world scenarios and lessons for building
value and creating competitive advantage. The authors --
on the cutting edge of the on-line economy as leaders of
McKinsey & Company's multimedia practice -- explain
why some ventures -- like Apple's on-line service, e-World
-- failed and why the Walt Disney Company cannot afford
not to organize an on-line community that targets children.
They suggest that to compete in the on-line economy, you
must establish an entirely new organizational mindset toward
product development, marketing, customer service, and distribution
and rethink your company's relationships to customers, suppliers,
and competitors.
Net Gain is a strategic road map
for competing in electronic markets, where your creativity
and ability to leverage the communal ethos of the marketspace
dictate whether you win or lose. Whether you lead a small
start-up company or work in a Fortune 500 firm, whether
your company has an established on-line presence or is just
starting out, Net Gain may be the most important
book you read this year.
John Hagel III is a principal in McKinsey
& Company, Inc.'s, Silicon Valley office and leader
of the firm's Interactive Multimedia Practice. Arthur G.
Armstrong is a manager in McKinsey's New York office. The
two have served a broad range of clients on virtual community
initiatives.
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