Times have changed. The way we absorb information, browse the internet and purchase goods is dramatically different from even just a few years ago.
So why is it that companies are still talking about ‘doing digital’? Fine, 5 years ago it could be split out between online and offline, but surely this should now just be part of their core marketing strategy?
Just as social stopped being a ‘nice to have’ to a necessity, to integrated in everything companies do… so is having a fully integrated O + O (online + offline) approach to marketing.
It’s not quite that easy though
You obviously can’t just stop ‘doing digital’. The point is, there is a mind-set shift within the company and its employees to imbue the understanding that it is all connected.
But, understanding your audience will always be a priority. Knowing their habits and making data-driven, and insight led decisions is an absolute must… so that we meet them where they are, and create experiences that drive them back to us.
Having the objective of creating a seamless experience for the customer through personalisation and relevance will allow companies to start focussing on the bigger picture, rather than isolating activities into two different camps.
There’s an app for that…
Ok, maybe not an app per se, but new tech is being developed on a regular basis which can be used to help create this new way of integrating on and offline activities. Customers can easily get overwhelmed by the multitude of ways companies try to reach out to them.
It isn’t always the person who yells the loudest who gets the most attention. It is the one who knows where to yell who will be heard. (Brandon Pazitka)
Voice control tech (Siri, Alexa etc) is becoming an increasingly more popular way of searching for information. The percentage of people using voice to search is set to increase from 22% (today) to 40% by the end of 2018 (Marketing Week, 2017).
Being able to leverage that technology, and the habits of your customer can open up new doors which previously hadn’t been available. It is all about being relevant to your customer.
Digital is not the answer. Transformation is.
Technology’s value comes from doing business differently because technology makes it possible. (George Westerman)
In the digital world, a strategic focus on digital sends the wrong message. Creating a “digital strategy” can focus the organization in ways that don’t capture the true value of digital transformation. (MIT Sloan, 2017)
