Well−versed in what’s now,
ever–ready for what’s next.
NOW & NEXT
-
The Digital Waves Came Crashing Down
Posted by Sam Meers on Monday | February 13th, 2012
There’s an ongoing discussion in advertising agency land about traditional shops migrating toward digital and digital shops hoping to figure out traditional. If you have hung around me very long, you have likely heard me say that digital is not a department, it’s a mindset. And unless the CEO of any given agency has a digital mindset, the agency is not going to get there.
This discussion presented itself again this week during a conversation with a friend. We were discussing various agencies and digital shops, and where they stand on their respective journeys toward a digital mindset. It was a lively conversation, weighing the pros and cons of how everyone is doing. Kansas City is a small town when it comes to the advertising community. Everyone knows everyone.
Then I realized something. The challenge is not if or when the various agencies and digital production shops will figure out how to “get there.” No, there’s a much more important audience that has to gain a digital mindset.
The clients.
Digital has been around for a long time. Agencies have been producing web pages, mobile apps and disparate digital tactics for over a decade. But today, the digital waves are coming faster and larger than ever before. People are connecting the dots between digital ideas and creating newer, faster and better experiences. Consumers test, adopt and abandon technology at a maddening pace.
We live in a world where we have come to expect this pace. We expect to be challenged each day. When we are immersed in that environment, change and adopting new technology comes easily. Not true in corporate America.
The people with the greatest challenge in the digital age are corporations that must adopt and adapt to the pace of digital. They must come to understand that whatever they are building today will be changed in less than six months. They must know their customers expect their web experience to be like Zappos or Amazon. They must anticipate 24/7 customer service — no matter the industry. Everything in digital is continuous beta. Constantly learning, constantly changing.
Corporations must begin to think about how to reallocate resources from more traditional areas that are not terribly efficient. They must move from where paper pushing, phone answering and cold calling is the norm and refocus those dollars to digital. It is a mind shift to a digital mindset.
Agencies can discuss the transition taking place in our business, but the real story is the one that is just beginning to take shape on the corporate side. It’s going to be much larger, and a much more painful evolution.
You may not be able to stop the digital waves, but you can learn how to surf.
Leave a Reply
February 13, 2012 | 5:15 am
And it is a global phenomenon. I see it around the world. I just got back from Mexico and the backs of delivery trucks have twitter and Facebook addresses. Hope you and Julie are doing well my friend
February 16, 2012 | 5:39 pm
Amy, also, what I have seen is companies fall in love with their various digital accounts, but they fail to develop a strong response and follow up system. It isn’t good enough to be good enough at ressponding, Zappos is a prime example of outstanding customer service built on the digital platform.