We live in an era of what I refer to as Digital Darwinism, a time when technology and society are evolving faster than the ability of many organizations to adapt. Over the years, I’ve studied how disruptive technology affects consumer behavior and decision-making. I’ve also researched how businesses react (or don’t) to these changes. What I’ve learned is that barring a few exceptional instances of complete ignorance, organizations are open to adaptation if there’s indeed a case made for it…
10 Trends to Beat Digital Darwinism
The digital landscape continues to undergo a significant shift that will have profound effects on business this year. The challenge is that hardly any business leaders noticed. That’s not their fault however. Even through the impact of technology on business and consumer behavior was widely reported, in depth reports on what to do next or how this will affect their business specifically were scant at best. I’m sure you heard it from “experts” everywhere, “You need a Facebook brand page!…
In an era of Digital Darwinism, no business is too big to fail or too small to succeed
In an era of Digital Darwinism, no business is too big to fail or too small to succeed…this is your time. Many follow, but very few lead. Many compete to survive, but few compete for relevance. Do we listen to our customers? Do we truly understand them? Do we create experiences or do we simply react? The future of business comes down to one word…change. This is a new era that redefines everything. An era of empowered consumers and employees….
The Importance of Brand in an Era of Digital Darwinism
Part of an unpublished appendix for The End of Business as Usual… Think of your favorite brand, and the first thing to come to mind is likely a logo, such as the Coca-Cola scripting, a tag-line, such as Nike’s “Just do it,” or a jingle – remember the Oscar Meyer Wiener song? These may be the aspects of a brand you remember, but they are no longer the most important aspects of branding today. Identity, persona, essence and promise, are…
Sorry, We’re Closed: The Rise of Digital Darwinism
I am not a social media expert and my new book, The End of Business as Usual, is not about Social Media. If you’re looking for the Top 10 ways your business can succeed on Facebook or Twitter, secrets to attracting more followers or likes, creating viral videos, or the best practices for creating infographics that over simplify the complex world of business, save your money. There is no shortage of useful books and resources out there. Don’t get me…
Digital Trends: Strategies for Reaching and Influencing Connected Consumers
In 2011, the digital landscape underwent a significant shift that will have profound effects on business in 2012. The challenge is that hardly any business leaders noticed. That’s not their fault however. Although the impact of technology on business and consumer behavior was widely reported, in-depth reports on what to do next or how this will affect their business specifically were scant at best. I’m sure you heard it from experts everywhere, “You need a Facebook brand page! Why are…
Leadership in an Era of Digital Darwinism
As I think about disruptive technology, it’s clear that as an industry, we often get stuck in conversations about products, services, and features. In social media for example, we are enamored with Twitter, Facebook, Foursquare, and the like. At the same time, we tend to confuse emerging with disruptive technologies and overly invest in rising stars such as Instagram, Quora and to some extent Google+ before we understand the impact they have on our world and the impact we can…
The Rules of Smarter Engagement
To celebrate the release of my new book, The End of Business as Usual, I recently hosted a discussion on behalf of Vocus on how businesses should rethink a marketing-driven social media approach by not just engaging, but activating a market-driven strategy defined by smarter, more meaningful engagement. More than 1,000 people attended the event and while I tried to answer every question, many were left unaddressed because of time constraints. This post tackles some of the recurring questions we…
Digital Darwinism: Who’s Next?
This is the first part in a short series to introduce The End of Business as Usual… Change is inevitable, but it is rarely easy. Among the greatest difficulties associated with change is the ability to even recognize its need at a time when we can actually do something about it. Sometimes, when we finally realize that change is inevitable, the vision or energy needed to push forward in a new direction is elusive. Or worse, when competitors recognize the…
