Ronan Massez is a passionate and results-oriented marketing director and digital transformation leader with over 15 years of experience in the field. He has a proven track record of success in developing and executing marketing strategies that drive brand awareness, growth, and customer engagement. He is skilled in a variety of marketing disciplines, including brand management, product marketing, digital marketing, and omnichannel marketing.
Digital transformation is a hot topic. You know it. That is why you are very likely reading this book right now. Maybe it is just a trend that will slowly fade away or maybe this is what will revolutionize the world as we know it. Personally, I’ll be more of an advocate of the second option. Our world is getting digitized at a very strong pace and inevitably we have to embrace it.
First, we have to clarify what Digital transformation really means. Sometimes we get confused on the terminology and this can lead to misinterpretation. Most of the time, this is how I started my conferences just to be sure we all talk about the same thing.
Let us begin with the word Digital. When we talked of Digital, most leaders interpret that to go live on social media. I think most of us have been in that meeting where someone said “we need to go digital. Let us create a brand/company account on LinkedIn or Facebook”. Social media is just a part of Digital. The term is actually a lot broader. We could sum it up as how technology changes the conditions under which business is done. What are we saying by that? There are a lot of disruptive companies that can make you understand better. We could mention how Uber has changed the taxi industry by creating a new business model offering a more convenient, cost-effective alternative to traditional taxis. By leveraging technology and data, how Netflix has disrupted the entertainment industry by offering a more convenient, personalized alternative to traditional cable TV. They entered a market using technology and rewrote the rule of their industries finding this “blue ocean” solution. This is what digital is offering you. New tools to respond better to your consumer unmet needs.
And if we change the conditions of business, we can do it mostly in three ways.
1. Generating innovation: Digital tools and services with physical offerings, introducing digital products, and utilizing technology to provide global shared services. This allows companies to generate awareness in a differentiated way, to create new revenue streams, or reach a wider audience. I love the example of Nike Training Club app. The workout app launched in 2011 not only helped them to connect better with their customers maintaining brand awareness and positioning high but helped them also gather information data to create more targeted campaigns.
2. Improving the customer experience: Using Digital and all the data we can generate a better understanding of our customers and use the digital tools to deliver a better experience to them. By leveraging digital technology, we are able to provide a seamless customer experience. Through its website and mobile app, Amazon has made it easy for customers to search for and purchase products, track shipments, and access customer service. Amazon has also introduced innovative features like one-click ordering and Alexa, the voice-activated assistant that enables customers to make purchases and access information hands-free.
3. Refining operational processes to obtain a competitive advantage: Through digitization and automation, companies can enable employees with digital tools, and collect data to monitor performance and make more informed business decisions. This applies to all dimensions of the business from the supply chain to marketing, HR, and so on. This approach optimizes internal processes, increasing efficiency, reducing costs, and improving overall business performance. For example, Siemens is one of those companies that recognized the importance of digital transformation early on and developed a roadmap to guide their transformation journey. They understood that digital transformation was not just about implementing new technologies, but it was about transforming the organization from within. Siemens focused on streamlining its operations and improving its efficiency by leveraging digital tools and technologies. The company also recognized the importance of collaboration and knowledge-sharing across the organization. They introduced a digital platform that allowed their employees to collaborate more effectively and share best practices and knowledge across the organization. This enhanced the quality and value of their services and ultimately helped them to stay ahead of the competition.
What about Transformation?
We cannot leave away the word transformation, and here, also we need to rethink the word transformation. It generally means “the process of changing the character or appearance of something completely in order to improve it,” but when it comes to Digital Transformation, we are talking more about adaptation.
The concept of adaptation is relevant in the broader context of social and cultural change. Digital transformation is more related to the capacity of companies to adapt and change fast to remain, as technology continues to evolve and shape society. As would say C. Darwin “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is the most adaptable to change.”
In the context of digital transformation, we are in perpetual movement system, constantly evolving. We were just starting to understand how social media worked and now we have the metaverse at our doors, we were beginning to get Search Engine Optimization and we are facing the revolution of tools like Chatgpt or Bard. By embracing adaptation as a key element of digital transformation, companies can position themselves for long-term success and growth.
To adapt, we need to understand what are the tools to support us to predominate in the “natural selection.”
When we talk about the Digital Transformation, we must leave behind the mindset that it is an end by itself. Too often, people implement new technologies, new tools just for the sake of it without any true idea on what do with it.
We have to rethink our approach, focusing first on the strategy and our (or our customers) needs and then on what we can achieve with the technology available.
Digtial transformation is about strategically leveraging technology to fundamentally change how you operate and deliver value.
It’s about rewriting the rules of your industry!