Doug Stephens

The time has come to think of competitive advantage in a much different light. The old rules no longer apply. And, no, this is not about technology disruption, brand positioning, or customer experience. You won’t have the luxury of thinking about such things if your customer, your business, and the free market no longer exist.

With fresh research from his soon to be released book, The Future of Competitive Advantage, Doug Stephens takes audiences on a compelling exploration of how today’s political, economic, and academic crises are poised to impact every market, every business, and every economy. But, as you’ll discover, these very challenges also comprise the new frontiers of an unprecedented competitive opportunity for all businesses willing to seize it.

Stephens will spotlight the champions of this new era — from Walmart and PayPal to Google and Publix — brands that are not just adapting for this future but actively shaping it. Audiences will leave with a blueprint for what it will mean to compete in the 21st century.

Geopolitical tensions, social unrest, economic upheaval, and rapid technological shifts have all combined to create tremendous disruption and change for businesses across categories. Some might call it chaos.

However, if viewed through a different lens, such moments of intense change can unlock breakthrough strategies and competitive opportunities for those with the courage to seize them. Bestselling author and global industry futurist Doug Stephens presents an inspiring, new way of thinking about the chaos in your market and lays out a means of turning it into your competitive superpower.

AI is no longer a competitive edge — it’s the cost of entry. Every business has it. Every competitor is deploying it. And yet, most companies are about to discover that more intelligence doesn’t automatically mean more advantage.

The businesses that win with AI won’t be the ones with the best models. They’ll be the ones most trusted to use them — by their customers, their employees, their suppliers, and the communities they operate in.

Retail futurist and author Doug Stephens provides a provocative look at why the true competitive advantage of the future isn’t artificial intelligence. It’s something far deeper, far more human — and conspicuously absent from most business strategies today. He will reveal the contours of that new competitive superpower and the concrete steps any company, large or small, can take to seize it before their competitors do.

There may be no other time in history when business has been rife with so much change. Permanent shifts in consumer behaviour and societal norms, a rapidly transforming technological landscape, and unpredictable economic conditions present extraordinary challenges for organizations across sectors and geographies.

Against this already volatile background, global competition has reached unprecedented levels. Between direct-to-consumer players, global e-commerce giants, hyper-discounters, and third-party marketplaces, the consumer has never had more choice. Thus, making the traditional strategic cornerstones of convenience, selection, price, and even product exclusivity shaky footholds from which to achieve enduring competitive success. So how can the average leader win?

Based on research from his most recent book, Resurrecting Retail, futurist Doug Stephens will share a simple, yet profound strategy framework that enables companies and brands to cut through the chaos in their market, prioritize investments, forge radical consumer value, and achieve uncontested dominance in their marketplace.

Technology has undeniably changed how we shop — but has it changed why we buy? How have consumers’ needs for novelty, connection, escape, and magic been satisfied? And is there more they need? In this remarkably inspiring talk, Doug Stephens explores how the world’s most amazing retailers and brands are delighting customers through sensory experience differentiation — the art of retail — in a world where hyper-technologized consumerism is ubiquitous. Re-discover how design, creativity, and content are once-again breathing magic into retail and driving bottom-line profitability.

We live in a world where “the store” is now everywhere. In every marketing text, every direct mail, every QR code, and URL. The store, as we once knew it, now rests in the palm of our hand. So, against the backdrop of this reality, what is the purpose and value of physical retail?

Doug Stephens reveals the surprising new frontier of physical retail, and the fundamental mindset shift required to unlock its new and historic value. With up-to-the-minute research, Stephens will demonstrate how everything about how we plan, build, manage, and measure retail is changing and the cutting-edge companies leading the revolution.

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How do you unleash the creative forces within your organization? How do you break the inertia of inaction? These are the challenges that organizations face, and that’s exactly why Doug Stephens created the Rapid Innovation Lab. Over two days, using a proprietary model, he will help your team understand the current and future state of retail and harness the creative forces within your organization to develop breakthrough ideas and innovative concepts.

A Rapid Innovation Lab is a fit for you if your organization is:

Frustrated with the lack of internal innovation.
Looking to reinvent your brand, positioning, and value.
Eager to generate new, creative, and prototype-able ideas quickly and effectively.