On the Road Again; Digital Clarity in High Demand

By Dave Wieneke | in About this blog, Why Marketing Must Change | 26 Apr 2011 | One Comment

Management Consulting for Digital Marketing
In the month since I departed my work as a brand marketer, my travel schedule has taken off. Many companies are facing significant challenges as they embrace more technology-driven business models and are looking for leadership on how to solve their issues. So thankfully my phone has been ringing and now my suitcase stays partially packed.

I’m advising net-savvy CMOs and VPs of Digital who are creating digital market leaders.  Though I can’t go into specifics, I wanted to share a few thoughts from my recent work.

There’s a Premium on Setting Digital Marketing Priorities
Today, I’m headed west to work on a strategy project with a friend I met when we were both speaking at a conference in the Midwest.  A big part of our discussion will be how digital strategy can simplify the increasingly fragmented world of digital marketers – and how to spot must-win battles, and prioritize them over interesting but fruitless distractions.

That’s key, because new initiatives require staffing up, adding systems, and (if they work), continuing them in perpetuity.  Winning the wrong battles is a risk, as it can permanently divert resources from efforts that could deliver a real payoff to the business.

Rubrics Help Acceleration
If you’re interested in this digital strategy, I’ve developed a set of rubrics to help organizations think about where they are, and what’s next.  I’m weighing whether it’s more useful to put these out as finished and tested work, or whether they’d connect with more organizations by being developed as open-source strategy right from the start.

Recruiters like Spencer Stuart are focused on finding the talent this growth sector needs.  I’m more focused on connecting their work to the businesses core needs, and opportunities to move markets toward their firm’s advantage.

Personalization + Context from Location = Precision Marketing
Last week I was in Cleveland to help a household-name manufacturer develop new ways to take its digital marketing right to the store shelf.

After all, if you knew which customers were making decisions right at the retail shelf, or on a showroom floor, and they were using mobile devices, wouldn’t you talk to them differently than someone doing research from home? You bet. The context of the situation sets up a different kind of exchange. And for retailers, this brings digital to the very front lines of selling.

And for a lot of people in retail, QR codes are seen as the next big thing. In the next few days I’ll share some practical insights on them. While they’re valuable, right now they’re about as far up the hype cycle as a technology can get.  Yep, they’re useful, but too often they’re being used as a stunt. More on this shortly.

If you have thoughts on how your work is pushing our digital future forward, join the conversation. And if you need traction on digital strategy, get in touch.