In an earlier post, Emakina and I explored the depths what it takes for businesses to become “the light in times of darkness.” Following the event, we received additional questions that we deemed were worth follow up. So, we scheduled a second recording to address all that we could. We wanted to share the conversation with you here… Extra Q&A Session with Brian Solis Last June, Emakina organised a webinar with 8-time bestselling author and digital anthropologist Brian Solis to…
This is not the new normal or the next normal: that’s for everyone else
We talk about the ‘new normal’ or the ‘next normal’, but for world-renowned digital anthropologist and author Brian Solis, ‘normal’ was part of the problem. In this powerful talk, he explains how the pandemic has accelerated digital transformation for the better and paved the way for disruptive innovation with technologies like 5G. Now more than ever, we need new ideas, partnerships and mindsets that unlock creativity and imagination to deliver sophisticated new experiences for business customers and consumers. I recently…
May I Have Your Attention, No, May I Have Your Intention Please?
My friend Stephen Denny asked me if I would write the foreword for his new book, “Unfiltered Marketing: 5 Rules to Win Back Trust, Credibility, and Customers in a Digitally Distracted World.” It meant a lot to me. Having the ability to set the stage for someone’s passion and hard work is not something I take lightly. I asked if it would be okay to share the foreword upon release of the book and he said, “of course.” Unfiltered Marketing…
Retail Just Experienced Its Ctrl-Alt-Del Moment
Denyse Drummond-Dunn explores the state and future of retail in Customer Think—features Brian Solis. Will the future of retail be without physical outlets? Brian Solis wrote a great article also in early 2017 on the “11 Trends Shaping The Future Of Retail” based on a presentation he wrote back in 2015! However, despite their age, I feel that they remain as true today as when he wrote it. He says that retail continues to suffer from what he calls the new “Kodak…
Introducing a new live video series, Intersections: Where Ideas and Possibility Converge
The new media world is simply incredible. It’s rich with opportunities to learn and share with platforms that make onboarding, creating, publishing and consuming content approachable by just about anyone. I’ve been blogging since about 2004, producing online videos shortly thereafter and podcasting for the last few years. It wasn’t until recently however that I started to experiment with live-streaming as a host. In development for about six months, I’m proud to announce “Intersections: Where Ideas and Possibility Converge,” a…
The Future of Retail: Inspiring Innovation In The Novel Economy
Since the dawn of COVID-19, brick-and-mortar retail has been thrust into yet another level of disruption. From e-commerce to mobile to social media to apps to a global pandemic, retail can’t seem to catch a break. But now, maybe they can. Consumers are now, not only increasingly digital first, they’re bound by a somatic marker that is COVID-19. The future of retail isn’t what it used to be. In this 50 minute, yes, almost one hour, conversation with Alicia Esposito…
Imagining a New Era of Restaurant Experiences by Reinventing the Restaurant Industry
How different could the restaurant scene look in just the next handful of years? Let’s find out… Today’s customers live a connected lifestyle, more so now with a global pandemic shutting normal life down. Connected customers expect all of the conveniences and perks that come with the on-demand economy. They’re not only connected and always-on, they’re impatient, self-interested, distracted, and seeking experiences that mirror their favorite services and apps across every industry. If you opened a restaurant today, what could…
Designing for Digital-First Customers: Focus on experience as a driver for breakthrough innovation
Just months before the pandemic, I joined Comcast innovation executives, eWeek, and a host of CX experts to explore the next trends in CX and digital innovation. Following the roundtable discussion, I joined my friends at The Cube and Silicon Angle to dive deeper into conversations about shifting consumerism, the role of innovation in digital products and services and also digital experience design, as well as measuring ROE (return on experiences). Post Pandemic, the conversation seems like it happened a…
COVID-19 Gives Rise to the Novel Economy – Not Yet a New Normal
When COVID-19 started to shut down the world and rock humanity to its core, the world was left without a defense mechanism or a playbook. Suddenly, everything was thrust into disarray with organizations and leaders alike scrambling to respond, to find stability, and ensure business continuity. In my research at Salesforce, I focused on how customers (and employees) were evolving as a result of pandemic disruption and how businesses could use these real-time insights to guide organizational and digital transformation…
Innovation, personalisation, resilience: Keys to accelerating in the novel economy
Last week’s Salesforce Live for Retail and Consumer Goods event was packed with great advice to help consumer goods companies and retailers accelerate out of crisis and to growth. Here we’re sharing the highlights. Retail and consumer goods companies face very different challenges and opportunities at the moment, dictated by both a business’s ability to move quickly and innovate, and whether its target industries are distressed or surging. But regardless of a retail or CG brands’ current opportunities or challenges,…
