Good morning Marketer, what does your company’s digital transformation look like?
Digital transformation is no longer just a buzzword. With the global crisis, companies are pivoting in big ways – shaking up their business models and launching digital activations with little time and few resources. Where ‘digital transformation’ was once just an ethereal talking point on a marketer’s wishlist, it’s now on our punch list of urgent priorities. Here’s what a few experts at Discover MarTech had to say about it during their sessions last week:
Digital transformation doesn’t have to take years. Lytics President Jascha Kaykas-Wolff addressed a number of misconceptions during his presentation “Digital Survival. Right Now.” One, in particular, was the idea that digital transformation must be led by IT, involve a comprehensive data initiative mapping a 360-degree view of the customer, and come with long, complicated RFPs. “You do not need to connect together all of your customer data,” said Kaykas-Wolff. In other words, digital transformation doesn’t have to be a multi-year, or even multi-month, initiative.
Teams play a pivotal role. Widen Director of Customer Success Michael Shattuck noted how projects that used to be a year-long process are now being rolled out in two to three weeks’ time. “It’s happening faster than we ever thought,” said Shattuck, highlighting the importance of turning toward your people during his “From 0 to 60: Digital Transformation in the Age of Coronavirus” presentation. He also emphasized the importance of paying attention to your employees’ needs, especially now as physical interactions have been cut-off.
The biggest challenge. Shattuck says breakdowns in communication are the biggest deterrent to digital transformation. To limit communication missteps, he recommends forming a “digital transformation coalition” made up of team members from different levels within the business. The coalition’s top priority should be identifying barriers across the company’s culture, technology, and process.
Keep scrolling for more news, including the scoop on Amazon’s new Instant Customer Feedback tool.
Taylor Peterson,
Deputy Editor
