In this article we introduce the Internet of Things to the broad managerial community and explore one of its central tensions: convenience vs. privacy and secrecy. We clarify the ways in which IoT differs from Web 2.0 and then highlight opportunities, challenges, and managerial guidance. In addition, we explore the prominent issue of privacy and secrecy. Due to substantial increases in amounts of consumer-related data and their accessibility as well as potential tradeoffs in benefits associated with IoT and in properties of humanness associated with the consumer experience, the managerial issue of privacy is elevated to a level never before realized-perhaps on par with, or worthy of inclusion as an element of, the classic marketing mix.

Having analyzed more than 1,100 companies across a range of industries and geographies, the authors outline four strategies firms are using to make smart use of new forms of communication, depending on their tolerance for uncertainty and the levels of results sought.

There is incessant demand for 'proof' of return on investment (ROI) for social media spending, and a significant degree of uncertainty among marketers with respect to allocating effort and budget to social media. In this article, we address these issues by identifying different ways that organizations use social media, highlighting important distinctions in these approaches and describing how to frame the spending decision for social media. Additionally, we identify dimensions that can be used to differentiate important types of social media in a social media mix, and relate this to tactical marketing execution. We also highlight the different nature of social objectives, the 'backward' process for meeting them, and the importance of establishing a social media 'mission control' as part of that process.

Individual consumers have quickly embraced the practice of using a variety of channels through which to make their purchases, as evidenced by the current multichannel shopping average of 65-70%. Indeed, multichannel shoppers (defined as those who utilize a variety of different purchasing channels, including bricks-and-mortar stores, the telephone, and the Internet) are now in the majority, and spend significantly more than single-channel shoppers. Given this reality, it is critical that organizations adopt a multichannel mindset and effectively employ a multichannel marketing program, as they can enhance profitability, the customer experience, and customer satisfaction. Provides firms with guidance in developing an effective multichannel mindset, and in designing a multichannel marketing program for serving end-consumers in Business-to-Consumer (B2C) situations.