Get the basics right

With the developments in digital technology, media, and marketing moving ahead at a breakneck pace, it is hard to keep up, and easy to stumble.

• New media/channels are popping up faster than others are being dropped: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, TikTok.
• More content is getting produced for more media/channels, all clamoring for reach and attention.
• Customers are more demanding, requiring specific custom / personalized content and services, but at the same time they are showing less trust and attention.
• New technologies are becoming available faster and faster: AI/ML, voice, AR/VR, bots.

That is why I call for more focus and attention on getting the basics right. Without a solid digital foundation, organizations will keep on stumbling.

Mind you, this is not about slowing down, and also not about ignoring the need for agility, innovation and transformational change. But if you intend to speed up, you first need traction. And that requires having a solid foundation in place.

Customer focus + tasks

This starts with a clear focus on, and understanding of, customer requirements. Focus on delivering what your customers or your audience need, instead of what your organization wants/needs to do digitally. Customers are looking to complete tasks online, they do not just want to browse/consume content. Organizations should continuously listen to and interact with their audiences to better understand customer requirements, goals and tasks, to be able to deliver on that.

Content + service

Closely related to focusing on the customer requirements and specifically his/her tasks, is delivering and managing the ‘stuff’ that matters to the customers, in other words the content and services that they need to complete their tasks. Digital media/channels should primarily be seen as ways to serve and support your customers, not just as ways to sell/market to customers.

Strategy + governance + operations

Supporting these basics are digital & content strategy + governance + operations, laying the groundwork to ensure a consistent structure, approach, and continued / ongoing process of maintaining and improving digital performance is in place.