How the Pan-Industrial Revolution, Pricing Power & Digital Forces Are Reshaping Business | DisrupTV Ep. 127

In this episode of DisrupTV (Episode 127), hosts R “Ray” Wang and Vala Afshar are joined by Richard D’Aveni (Professor & Author of The Pan-Industrial Revolution: How New Manufacturing Titans will Transform the World), Celia Fleischaker (Chief Marketing Officer at PROS), and Jon Reed (Co-Founder at Diginomica). The discussion ranges across how new manufacturing powerhouses are emerging, how pricing strategies are evolving, and what digital pressures companies must navigate to stay competitive.

Guest Insights

Richard D’Aveni explores the concept of the Pan-Industrial Revolution — how multiple shifts in manufacturing, automation, supply chain localization, and digitalization are creating new “industrial titans” that compete across old industry boundaries. He argues that firms must re-think competitive advantage in a world of rapid change. 

Celia Fleischaker brings forward the role of pricing power in this new environment — how data, analytics, and dynamic pricing (or value-based pricing) will be critical for companies to capture value, counter margin pressures, and differentiate themselves. She emphasizes the importance of pricing being strategic, responsive, and integrated with digital customer experience.

Jon Reed comments on how media, analysts, and tech infrastructure must adapt — not just in reporting or commentary, but in how companies build platforms, engage customers, and shift legacy models toward subscription/digital-first models. He points out how speed of change in digital ecosystems demands agility.

Key Takeaways

  • Manufacturing & Industry Boundaries Are Blurring. As manufacturing becomes more digitized, cross-industry competition intensifies. Firms need strategies that anticipate disruption from unexpected players.
  • Pricing Is Becoming a Strategic Weapon. Companies that embed real-time or dynamic pricing tools and align pricing with customer value (not just cost plus) will gain competitive advantage.
  • Digitalization & Customer Experience Must Coalesce With Operations. It’s not enough to digitize front-end experiences; the back-office, supply chain, and production systems must evolve in sync.
  • Adaptability & Agility Are Table Stakes. In this Pan-Industrial era, change is continuous. Firms must build flexible business models, culture, and technologies that can pivot.

Final Thoughts

Episode 127 delivers a call to action for leaders: the convergence of manufacturing shifts, digital pricing strategies, and customer-centric digital models means that static or legacy businesses risk obsolescence. To thrive, companies must:

  • anticipate cross-industry disruption,
  • reimagine pricing as value creation,
  • build agility into both operations & customer engagement, and
  • embed digital at every level of the business — not just in marketing or growth functions.

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Business Research Themes

Future of Work, Marketing Transformation, New C-Suite, Next-Generation Customer Experience, Tech Optimization

Roles

Chief Customer Officer, Chief Digital Officer, Chief Executive Officer, Chief People Officer, Chief Technology Officer