Confessions of an eBiz Junkie

The Organizationally Agnostic Digital Strategy

2013-01-14T14:09:07-08:00

Moving from the brand side to a consulting role has really helped shape my perspective on how companies develop, align and execute their digital strategies.

As a Marketer, I would focus much of my energy on leveraging digital to generate buzz and drive awareness. Meanwhile, the folks down the hall in Services had their own digital agenda, and were busy building out online artifacts designed to help customers solve problems quickly.

Of course, we weren't alone. The Sales folks were investing in digital to meet their objectives, as was Channels, and so on.

Like good soldiers, we would all march towards the organizational objectives in which we were assigned. While we'd come together every-so-often via a 'Steering Committee', the discussions usually centered around jockeying for IT resources.

By no means is this an uncommon scenario. Unfortunately, by taking an organizational approach to digital engagement, companies risk convoluting the very experience that these functions are trying to protect.

It's a bottoms up approach to the challenge - or opportunity - at hand.

What I've come to realize is that, while there are departmental level objectives that drive local strategy, there's also a common thread that usually spans functions. What do these folks have in common? They're all trying to delight the customer.

The most rewarding discussions I've had in the last year are when I'm able to bring leaders from each of these functions (and more!) together to talk about the opportunity at hand. While we always start off talking about the micro, we inevitably get to the macro opportunity.

Magic inevitably happens when people in the room realize they're chasing similar goals, and begin to rally around a common vision.

Unifying teams around common objectives and measurements can truly elevate the discussion to the right place - Building engaging, effective and measurable experiences that cater to the one person that matter most here - The customer.

How are you driving alignment across your company? Drop me a comment below or let me know via Twitter.

@LenDevanna

Ant's Eye View joins PwC: The Journey Continues

2012-08-14T06:23:52-07:00

I joined Ant's Eye View earlier this year for two simple reasons - I wanted to work with the best in the industry and I wanted to help transform some of the worlds top brands into highly-engaged, customer centric organizations. Mission accomplished on both counts and it's been a tremendously rewarding journey already.

If there's been a challenge, it's been one of scale. Even with the incredible growth of the company, the demand for our work has been nothing short of staggering. That challenge has now been solved. I'm thrilled to share that we've entered into an agreement to join PwC to help advance their digital and social capabilities. PwC provides us with a tremendous platform to accelerate our vision and scale to levels that wouldn't have been possible through organic growth. In addition, we now have access to an enormous set of complimentary capabilities that truly round out the transformative nature of our work.

Ant's Eye View CEO and co-founder Sean O'Driscoll shares his perspective on the days news. As you'll see, the Anthills are united in their enthusiasm and excitement.

Update: "The Forrester Wave™: Business Technology Transformation, Q3 2012” provides a good indicator as to why this move makes so much sense.

Customer Loyalty - An Endangered Species?

2012-07-03T10:38:54-07:00

For me, making a significant purchase is an emotional decision. I do my research, I check out different brands, I compare products, and ultimately decide to give my hard-earned money to a particular company.

Once I make that decision, I'm entering into a relationship with the brand. I'm giving them my trust.

Based on several recent experiences, I'm left questioning the extent in which companies understand the modern consumer. I'd argue it's the single most important lesson for future success.

If you simplify it a bit, Marketing teams spend every cent trying to get in front of you. Print, broadcast, digital... Any tactic possible to get your attention and pull you in.

Juxtapose that with the good folks in Service / Support functions who do almost the exact opposite. While a simplification, these folks are often measured on how quickly they can get off the phone with customers.

All too frequently, these organizations aren't talking to one-another. What's the impact? No one is looking at the end-to-end customer experience.

This graphic from HBR does a nice job of illustrating the point. In our digitally enabled world, the post-purchase experience is as, if not more important, than the act of purchase itself.

Why? Because the consumer can be your most powerful marketing tool... Assuming you treat them well.

If a brand delights me as a consumer, make no mistake, I'll tell everyone I know. I'll uncover opportunities that you never knew existed, and couldn't discover even with an endless budget.

Do the opposite and you'll breach that trust that I've placed in you.

In a recent Nilesen survey, 58% of respondents suggest they share their brand experiences via social to "protect others". As peer sentiment continues to be among the most trusted online sources of information, you can see the risks associated with not properly focusing on the post-purchase experience.

In the past, I've discussed the emerging need for a CCO role, or Chief Customer Officer... Someone to rise above the functions of any one organization, and advocate for the most important audience out there... The consumer.

At the end of the day, we're talking about a fundamental shift in how brands engage consumers, and also about an enormous opportunity. Social has given consumers an extremely powerful voice, enabling them to serve as your biggest advocates, or your most critical detractors.

Now's the time to look at your end-to-end customer journey, and set the standard in which you want to be measured by the modern digital consumer.

@LenDevanna

The Power of the Narrative

2012-05-10T17:10:32-07:00

What do you suppose this small corked bottle filled with sand is worth?

It was purchased at a yard sale for 33 cents.

It was later sold for $59.50 on eBay.

How's this possible? The power of the narrative.

We've been telling one another stories since we figured out how to carve pictures into rocks thousands of years ago. Stories can serve as a powerful tool to teach, entertain, or simply activate our imaginations.

But storytelling isn't restricted to the 'once upon a time' variety. Stories can be used to engage your audience on virtually any topic, and can offer a far more interesting means of sharing your message than the more mundane and traditional means we often use today.

Joshua Glenn and Rob Walker set out to determine if stories (even fictional stories) could add significant value to an object. The team purchased a couple hundred small items at yard sales, dollar stores, and the like for $1.25 or less. They then recruited a group of writers to create interesting yet fictional stories about each object.

The objects were then put up for sale on eBay, where they brought in a total of $8,000.00 - a profit of over 2,700 percent per object.

This project provides a wonderful reminder of the power of the narrative and I simply had to share. Head on over to the Significant Objects website for much more information on this fascinating topic.