Sometimes success is a poor teacher. It lulls us into contentment and complacency. Instead of always striving for greatness and relevance, we’re instead focused on iteration and incrementalism, improving what is, to progressively grow our success rather than concurrently challenging what works today to innovate and create new opportunities for tomorrow. Your greatest enemies in breaking new ground are those who have have already benefitted from previous success. They want more and their experience validates their path. But that was…
The Purpose of Brand and CX in the Era of Human Experience
It’s time to design experiences you want people to have, remember and share. Customer experience is the new marketing and customer experiences (what they have, feel and share) become the new “BX” (brand experience). More importantly, CX becomes a way of doing business that permeates and reshapes every facet of how and why companies operate. It’s about purpose, vision and meaningful engagement…not corporate mission and vision statements, taglines and creative campaigns. Image courtesy of RantandRave. About Brian Brian Solis is…
The Future of Experience Design
It’s amazing to me how many companies still don’t “see” the customer when it comes to customer experience. While everyone talks about Customer Experience (CX) as the new black, most companies miss the real opportunity to be customer-centric. They don’t actually think about experiences from the perspective of the people they want to reach. Customers are evolving. Business processes and mindsets are not keeping up. As a result, they’re limited in the ability to design experiences that matter to an…
Paris Built a Mini Silicon Valley with STATION F, a Massive Startup Campus Housed in an Abandoned Train Station
you’re a geek, entrepreneur, investor, tech reporter or analyst, startup or all of the above, make the trek to STATION F in Paris. If you could take the best of Silicon Valley and put it in one massive, and I mean massive, connected and glorious campus, it would be STATION F. It is by far, the most ambitious, yet incredibly thoughtful, architecture and assembly for cultivating a startup ecosystem under one roof. The brainchild of French billionaire and Iliad founder…
The technology behind psychographic marketing can be used for good, evil or…advertising
This year, I was given the opportunity to present in Dubai at OMD Predicts, an event that explores the future of media, consumerism and brand. To be honest, it was my first time stepping out of the Dubai airport. In the past, Dubai was only a stop over en route to other countries. Needless to say, I was excited. Following my presentation, I met with Austyn Allison from Campaign Middle East in the lobby of the Westin Dubai Mina Seyahi…
The Past, Present and Future of Social Media
A big part of my work as a digital analyst and anthropologist is to track emerging and disruptive technology trends and study their impact on business and society. In the early 2000s, much of that work was focused on what was Web 2.0, collaboration (office 2.0) and the rise of social media. It was a very special time in my career. I had the good fortune to be in the center of a very important shift in technology and culture….
Why Your Brand Needs Vidcon and the Rise of Creator Influence and Trust
For the last three years, I’ve made it a point to attend Vidcon, even if that meant missing the prestigious Cannes Lions. Why? Because the roots of shifting consumer behavior, trust and influence are evident to those paying attention. For those who are tracking what’s next, the future of entertainment and engagement is taking shape online and live in Anaheim every summer. Thousands upon thousands of young adults, children and supportive parents convene upon Vidcon every year in the hopes…
Customer Experience is Defined by the Experience Customer’s Have, Remember and Share
The funny thing about customer experience is that, for all of its good intentions, it is a bit ironic. Many businesses talk about the importance of customer experience (CX). At the same time, many are prioritizing investments in new technologies and touchpoints to improve engagement. But, when asked about their understanding of modern customer behaviors, expectations, preferences and which experiences in their life they love and don’t love…you get crickets. All too often, customer experience doesn’t really start with the…
Business Innovation, Culture 2.0 and the Importance of Shared Experiences
Leo Bottary is a well-known author and keynote speaker. He’s also a long-time friend of mine. For several years, I had the opportunity to tour the Vistage conferences as they toured the U.S. I nope to experience the opportunity to meet CEOs and senior executives on their home turf and hear their challenges and accomplishments again soon. Since I last spent time with him, Leo has launched a popular podcast, Year of the Peer, that explores the latest trends driving…
The Construct for Digital Transformation and Business Model Innovation
Digital transformation is the new black. It is one of those catch-all terms that seems to describe any investment in trending digital technologies and modern processes and philosophies. Depending on the role, department and mindset, digital transformation means many things to many different people But, digital transformation is much more than just “digital.” It is also the construct for the future of business. I recently appeared on CIO Talk Network with host Sanjog Aul and Steven John, Global CIO of H.B. Fuller, a…
