4 BAT Acquisitions, Objectives & Strategies -"Multi-Channel Innovation lecture at Peking University"

Qusai Sarraf - CEO & Founder of IVIS Group - considers the acquisition frenzy currently taking place in the Chinese Internet market. The strategies and tactics of China's three Internet giants Baidu, Ali Baba and Tencent, each sitting comfortably in the global top ten Internet leaders, are positioned within the bigger picture of dominating the Chinese consumers' market. The fast pace of development in China is set to catch-up and exceed Western retail models which have been maturing over the past two decades. However, unlike the evolution in Europe which is based on strong retail foundations, the revolution in China is using a different vehicle, Innovation! The innovation in China is not only about the technology, but it is also about the business models and a deep understanding of the market and consumer's trends. The evolving changes in market/consumer's trends, advent of technology and economic downturn have all contributed in creating a new paradigm forcing businesses to change their approach and embrace innovation. Organizations have to identify their competitive advantage to gain differentiation by continually pushing the standards higher and finding ways to innovate in winning market-share, delivering their offerings and defining new business models. This lecture introduces Innovation from a Multi-Channel perspective where the focus is on the key driver of "Customer Centricity" and how this is shaping Retail business today and impacting on other sectors. Qusai will be discussing the topic from his own experience of working with some of the world's leading retailers. He will draw parallels between Chinese and European markets in an attempt to understand the wider picture and to provide insights and tips on incubating innovation within organisations.