A Brand for social justice
In 2020, brands did something they’d never done before: They spoke up about race.
Is your interpretation of digital disruption leading you astray? Here, Chris Riddell shares his advice on how to reposition your business for the digital opportunity
Digital disruption: There is no doubt this was the buzz-phrase of 2014. There is no doubt it is going to be the hot topic for CMOs and all c-level executives in 2015.
But there’s a problem. ‘Disruption’ isn’t ‘disruption’ any more – it’s an earthquake. I believe the label we have put on this phenomenon is distorting our perception of its magnitude and impact. And that’s dangerous for you as a leader, and dangerous for the future of your business.
So how should we respond? How do we ensure our current understanding of digital disruption isn’t leading us astray? How do we avoid taking our eyes off the main game and being distracted by the latest shiny object to appear in our field of view? Good questions!
To look forward into the future, we need to begin with a quick look backwards to the rise of digital disruption.
The initial concept of digital disruption emerged almost 20 years ago and was introduced by Harvard Business School professor, Clayton Christensen. His original theory related to ‘disruptive innovation’ and referred to the way new ideas and technologies could be deliberately employed to upset the status quo, redefine industry best practice and change the very rules of the game. Of course, emerging digital technologies, as primitive as they look to us today, were the keys to creating this rapid and disruptive innovation.
Fast-forward to 2015 and the meaning of the term ‘digital disruption’ has morphed significantly. Now it’s a buzz-phrase used to describe the impact new digital technologies are having across all industries and sectors.
There’s a problem though. Forgive me for being a ‘buzz-kill’, but I’d argue that while the phenomenon of digital disruption is real, the term itself is no longer a helpful way of labelling what is happening. In fact, focusing on digital disruption could be damaging your organisation’s ability to respond to future challenges. At the heart of this issue is our understanding of what ‘disruption’ actually is.
The seismic upheaval that is occurring is massive. The tectonic plates of society and business are being shifted and shaken. However, for many of us, our understanding of ‘disruption’ does not align with change of this magnitude.
You could argue, “That’s just semantics” and you would be absolutely right. What’s in a word? Everything! Shakespeare’s Juliet argued that, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. The semiotics experts would beg to differ.
The way we conceptualise an issue has a huge impact on the way we react to that issue. The label we attach to it affects both our intellectual and our emotional responses to it. Those labels are either meaningful and helpful, or misleading and damaging.
So what exactly is wrong with ‘digital disruption’?
Here are three reasons why labelling this phenomenon as digital disruption is potentially dangerous:
If businesses and executives think of this new state of being as a damaging situation, rather than a positive opportunity to be grasped, they immediately get defensive. They batten down the hatches to weather the ‘storm’. Often, the thinking and action taken to tackle ‘problems’ is much less creative than that applied to ‘new initiatives’. Thinking is often based around restoring the status quo or ‘holding on, until the storm passes’. In a rapidly changing environment, these attitudes and actions are recipes for disaster.
This is not a temporary disruption to service – the old models and methods of doing business have largely been superseded. Failing to recognise this could put you and your organisation at a huge disadvantage.
So, forget thinking about ‘disruption’. This evolving digital revolution is neither minor nor temporary. And rather than creating problems, it continues to create exciting opportunities and solutions across the board for all industries. Increasing efficiencies, improving access to customers, speeding up communication, opening up new markets, reinvigorating existing markets… the list goes on.
How then should we conceptualise this social and technological tidal wave? My suggestion is to call it a digital redistribution. And at the heart of this is a redistribution of power. Understanding this is the first step to refocusing your thinking and your marketing strategy and positioning yourself to ride this wave of change.
New digital technologies and tools have increased access to information, improved connectivity and speeded up the communication process. In addition, more people have more access to more information more quickly.
Access to information and new technologies mean power. Here are three ways digital redistribution has created a power shift:
Those businesses that still have a ‘broadcast’ model of marketing will continue to lose market share to those businesses using new technologies to develop a relationship with the customer (a two-way interaction with benefits to both parties).
Massive change is both disturbing and disorientating. So what are some principles to help you as a CMO to surf this tidal wave of change? Here are four suggestions:
You can safely assume three things – people will continue to get greater access to information, connectivity (of everything with everything) will increase, and the speed of communication will accelerate.
Don’t let the talk about digital disruption lead you and your organisation astray. The key is to recognise it for what it is – a paradigm shift that is here to stay. It’s a fundamental redistribution of power that is changing the game.
Best of all, as a CMO, it can open up a brave new world of opportunity for you and your business. So, don’t panic. Refocus your mission, clarify your message and then confidently harness the power of this digital redistribution as it carries us into the future.
About the author
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Chris is a globally recognised futurist, media commentator, and digital expert with unparalleled insights into emerging trends and behaviours. Chris was recently voted as one of Australia's top 20 most inspirational speakers in 2014.
He has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world including Pedigree, Wrigley, Starburst and Snickers.
You can find him online via Twitter: @chrisriddell , or visit him online at: www.chrisriddell.
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