“Digital transformation isn’t a trendy moniker to signify an increase in technology investment,” says Brian Solis, principal analyst at Altimeter. “It’s a renewed focus on the customer and the human side of business.”

In this recent TheStreet article, Brian Solis comments on Digital Flywheel, a new AI-powered technology that Starbucks is using to suggest products to its retail customers. According to Solis “Starbucks is one of the best companies in the world that connects brand, user and consumer experience between digital mobile and the real world.”

Brian Solis, principal analyst and futurist at Altimeter (the digital analyst group at Prophet), is an award-winning author and sought-after keynote speaker. Solis has worked with many leading brands, start-ups and celebrities to help them develop innovative digital strategies for a 2.0 culture. Here he talks to Content Magazine about the impact digital has had on marketing, how customer experiences can help marketers differentiate their brands, and why websites suck.

Technology futurist Brian Solis developed a framework that he calls the “Wheel of Disruption.” I strongly encourage any marketer who’s feeling overwhelmed to take a deeper dive into it, but here’s the fundamental idea: In the field of marketing, there are disruptive technologies that come along and disrupt everything else.

In this recent article, Spanish marketing site Marketing Directo featured Brian Solis’ social network infographic “Conversation Prism 5.0.” Solis explains the thinking behind the influential infographic: “It’s about reminding users that social media focuses on people as the center of online experiences. These platforms are much more than a series of broadcasting networks. Each of us is part of the experiences of others in this environment.”

Small Biz Tools named Brian Solis as having one of their Top 50 Blogs for Entrepreneurs. “What’s the Future for Business: Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences” is a book by Brian Solis that explores business relationships and digital analyzing. His blog covers his specialty field of the influences on business and marketing today.

“Yesterday is not tomorrow; we can’t innovate, we can’t do new things by opening old doors.” – Brian Solis

According to The State of Autonomous Vehicles, by Brian Solis, Principal Analyst at Altimeter, we are in the mist of a “transportation renaissance that will effect every industry.”

At the heart of the transformation, as well documented in this Influencer 2.0 report by Brian Solis (with Traackr), the process is about moving from a brand-centric to a customer-centric approach.

Leadtail determined the most influential CMOs on Twitter by analyzing tweets, hashtags, mentions, shared links, replies, and retweets sent in the 2016 calendar year. Brian Solis comes in at number 11 on the list.