If you are reading this you are probably online, you checked you mail, looked at your social media posts and you will read this short note, because you have a task: digitalize your business. Today, many C-level leaders have this challenge.
Many of us had their own digital moment of truth, we are on the way to the digital economy and if we want to part of it we need to let the digital world into our social, economic and physical networks. For some it happens on the beach, at the shop floor or in the class room. At my last class of the Mannheim-Tongji eMBA in Shanghai, I had to realize at every moment I was connected and enhanced by the new digitalized instruments. Every participant had all the class materials in what every medium they chose. The class discussion was enhanced by videos, shared immediately and supplemented by colleagues and friends. I could connect with my family and felt as a part of the global village. A student documented the lecture with the iPhone and the video became part of the post-assignment and ongoing communication on WeChat.
Inspiring Customers in a Digital World
Thinking in digital terms is not about living with digital gadgets, it is about creating an entirely new customer experience for students and customers. Institutions and corporations have a great opportunity to be part of the digital economy that creates this new experiences and where your firm can capitalize from this huge global opportunity. Having a seamless and connected experience is vital for all future interactions with your customers, and data-driven decisions are needed. Digital leaders must change their company before it is too late. SAP predicts a US$90 trillion opportunity over the next decade and John Chambers from Cisco estimates that 40% of the global companies will not survive and only 30% will achieve the successful digital transformation. You want to be part of them?
So the question is where to start. I suggest, start with your brand management. You need to be digital present anyway and communicating with the customers and employees is vital for your success. But you may remember: “Brand follows strategy”, this means you have to determine the digital elements of your corporate strategy first.
To master the challenges of the digital brand management, we can support you by assisting you to develop the concept, select the agencies, assist at the implementation and measure the results.