Concept creator, designer and promoter.
In 2014 eBay had began a concerted and costly effort to rebrand its public image. At the heart of this strategy was to distance itself from the being commonly perceived as a marketplace for “used goods”. This call for action had been prompted by a stream of compelling industry data showing the pressing need for this remodel. Among the factors was profitability data, where eBay’s and Amazon’s financial outlook vectors were rapidly approaching an intersection point. Predictably, there were investor pressures directed at influencing eBay’s overarching strategy and the urgent need to re-think our public image and consumer perception.
Being deeply involved in the product development and roadmapping, I saw long-term risks with the way eBay approached the execution of this strategy. One of them was the active promotion of all things new at all L1 nodes at the great expense of multiple categories including Art and Collectibles. Entire modules and sections that had long given eBay its unique market positioning had begun to disappear. The home page was quickly filled with compelling imagery of attractive new tech and items listed as “new in box” began to dominate the search experience.
This was the time when I realized that eBay is in danger of losing its one-of-a-kind character and identity. While I supported all efforts in righting the revenue outlook, I proposed that we do it in a more thoughtful and sensible way. I have actively pushed against the active suppression of a number of eBay’s traditional categories and made a case where they could be repositioned and effectively support the new direction from a specific angle. My goal was to remind my partners and the leadership that eBay is not one thing. That is infinitely more that just another glossy storefront for common mass-produced goods. That our ability to compete long-term was rooted in retaining the “soul” of the company and it’s origins.
My vision was to juxtapose eBay at the intersection of the old and the new, highlighting it’s longevity and the built-in resilience to passing trends. My plan involved amplification of selected collectibles into Unique to eBay category. By doing so, we would retain the unique market role and differentiate eBay from all others right from the first moment of engagement on the Home Page.
To do this, I’ve redesigned the Home Page to include a curated section highlighting a series of engaging editorials. These stories would offer our users an easy ingress into the world of art, craft and history. These stories would be created and curated by prominent and knowledgeable sellers in their respective categories and to create a self-sustaining “wiki”, a portal into the world of living history.
Explore captivating editorials crafted by expert seller groups. These short articles invite you into the enchanting realms of craftsmanship and passion, accompanied by vivid imagery and easily digestible content. The page also provides contextual links to collections and current listings on eBay, serving as a natural ingress points into into curators’ listings.
When it comes to collectibles and art, this functionality solves the key problem with access to a trusted experts in a timely manner. Many would be buyers who are shopping antique stores and garage sales could benefit from on-the-go expert advise. eBay, with its abundance of expert sellers could benefit from influx of social connections while offering real value to both parties. Buyers would receive a much needed guidance when it is needed the most. Expert sellers would drive additional traffic to their stores.
The project sent a strong signal to the product and business ledership on the need for balanced approach while entering a new phase of eBay’s market presence. We have been able to ensure that categories which are intrinsic to eBay’s core brand remain a key part of browsing and shopping experience.
In parallel, the qualitative data we have accumulated, uncovered multiple gaps in the present buyer end-to-end experience. These lessons have been subsequently turned into multiple sub-tracks aiming to improve buyer-to-seller communication, evolution of eBay Stores and afforder sellers a better ability to drive traffic to collections from View Item pages.
Global strategic decisions are often made outside out direct area of influence and it feels right to step aside from the path of a moving train. But there are moments when all our instincts and knowledge tell us that what we’re seeing is just wrong. Take the risk, gather evidence, compile data and put up a good fight. It is better to have fought and lost than to perpetually carry the burden of a missed opportunity.
How I think. How I lead. How I deliver. The mistakes I make and how I recover. All in one 5-year long case study.