Loading ...“Digabilities”: Essential “Abilities” for Thriving in The Digital Age
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Will the current version of the Ad industry business model survive? Bob Garfield of Advertising Age doesn’t seem to think so. And while he simplifies the issues and offers solutions like blogger outreach programs—he may be on to something. One of the many problems that the Ad industry faces is that some organizations have massive, well oiled machines in place that produce a product. The product is called advertising—it usually starts with a print or video and the Ad factories across the world has gotten very good at manufacturing mass Advertisements in all shapes and sizes.
But by and large, what Garfield is tapping into is the fact that many agencies haven’t re-configured their “Ad factories”. Billing models and structures are still based on producing advertising-like objects and rely heavily on keeping bodies as billable as possible. Media buys have up until recently been a predictable model. Buy spots for Ads. Make a profit. Lather, rinse and repeat.
But I think that some agencies have really struggled with the fact that unlike traditional advertising tactics digital isn’t a channel—it’s a lifestyle. I’m currently working a through a set of “Digabilities”—a collection of essential “abilities” for thriving in the digital age. Right now it’s an incomplete work in progress. But given Garfield’s statement and the state of advertising in general—what do you think? What “Digability” have I missed? What would you add, subtract or swap? Inquiring minds want to know.
1. Digability
Is digital in your DNA? Is it a core part of your marketing thinking—or merely another “channel”? The world’s gone digital and it’s not another touch point—it’s a way of life. With every new birth on planet earth—there is another individual who will live their lives never knowing what the world was like before the existence of digital technologies. The digital lifestyle is here to stay, and digital literacy has become a global language essential to the success of brands and businesses that desire to not only survive—but thrive in this new world order.
2. Experienceability
Customers are people and people demand great experiences. Great experiences which make their heads and hearts happy. Provide a meaningful experience and you’ll be rewarded with praise, adoration and affection—fall short and you put your brand and business at the mercy of an empowered consumer class, able to take you down with the click of a mouse and the stroke of a keypad. In the digital age, talk is cheap—experiences rule.
3. Accessibility
The gig is up. Your brand isn’t something you can control. It doesn’t live in a vacuum. It lives in the hearts, minds and gut of the consumer—and guess what? They want a piece of it. No longer content to devour the messages you’ve broadcast to them over the past 40 years, consumers have become participants. Today’s power consumer wants to have a say in what your brand is. Digital makes it possible, giving the average Joe and Jane virtual microphones, soapboxes and platforms. Brands who make themselves accessible to consumers thrive in the digital age. Those who obsess over complete control may find themselves fighting for survival.
4. Flexibility
Agile is the new rigid. In order to thrive in the digital age—individuals, brands and business must adapt, evolve and demonstrate a nimble flexibility that bends rather than breaks. Flexibility rules in the form of never-ending beta releases, experimentation and innovation. In the digital age—planning will be essential, but improvisation will be required.
5. Portability
Widgets, gadgets and mobile. They all have one thing in common—they bring content and connectivity to you, on your terms where and when you want it. The user experience is mobile, it’s portable and it’s everywhere. Phones are becoming digital lifestyle assistants—the worldwide Web in our pockets. The days of centralized content are over—individuals will digest content on their terms. Customizable, personal, portable and everywhere and anywhere the consumer wants it to be. In the digital age, valuable content is the next killer app. And consumers dictate where and when they will they will engage with their content of choice.
6. Talkability
In the digital age customers get to talk back. Monologue dies while dialogue thrives. Customers demand to have a say, and want to hear back from the brands they empower. Conversation rules—dictation slowly erodes away. If you want to get customers talking about you—talk with them and help facilitate how they can better talk to each other.
7. Listenability
While the digital age empowers consumers with new tools and technologies to converse and connect—marketers are empowered to listen. There are more ways than ever to hear the customer out, listen to what they are saying—and discover the patterns. In the digital age listening becomes more important than talking. Understanding replaces mass-market communications and relationships take the place of messages.
8. Usability
In the digital age we witness an abundance of complexity and a scarcity of simplicity. Features lead to frustration and options paralyze. The demand to humanize technology reaches critical mass—usability becomes a key differentiator as consumers cry out for the conversion of complex to simple.
9. Shareability
Hoarding is out—sharing is in. In a connected network and human web woven by individuals thirsty for knowledge, information is currency. Brands who figure out how to crack the code of how much to share will establish the “exchange rates” within their industries. Open source turns into open for business as new opportunities emerge and new business models are built.
10. Sustainability
In an ever-changing digital landscape, new products services and experiences will continue to emerge. But few will be sustainable. Sustainability translates to peace of mind—customers knowing that you will be around tomorrow translates to commitment and ultimately loyalty.
11. Desirability
When useful and usable isn’t enough—desirable speaks to our emotions. Experiences that appeal to the senses make our hearts beat faster. These are the ones to stand out in a digital economy filled with an excess of ambient noise and constant clutter.
12. Measurability
Digital = measurable, period end of story. Or is it? Digital media has allowed us to track clicks, page views and measure time, but the engaged consumer is another story. Regardless of algorithms and analytics—engaged consumers, users and participants will continue to fuel the digital evolution. More engagement leads to more affinity—and more affinity results in genuine relationships between your brand or business and the people who matter most to you—your customers.
This is a great list for companies to use in changing their online presence to be more customer-friendly. One point that is not mentioned, but that fits into Shareability is facilitating interaction. Connecting individuals in a social network is one thing, but bringing like-minded consumers together to interact over a brand or product takes it to a much richer level. By listening to the sharing of information, it’s possible to learn about the insights of customers, going beyond messages that are directed to the company.
I would add Interactability or change shareability to encompass this.
One may add ‘relevance’ in the list. Digital that is not personal and intimate (emotional/strong engagement)makes sense.
Also, in the context of ’sharability’ one could also emphasize ‘Viral’ which enhances and extends the power of digital content.
Dan,
Thanks for that thought. It dovetails nicely with one of the comments over at BusinessWeek. I’m currently working on a point that addresses putting customers, users, people first through acting upon what we can learn from them,
Karl,
Gah! I’m not font of “viral” but let me think about this a bit more. I hear what you are saying…
nice post thanks for your insights
i wrote a piece last month
http://www.talentzoo.com/website/columns/ColumnContent.aspx?Id=1958
that talks about what i feel is a critical moment we are at
which is the handshake
the addressing of the nuances of audiences and the invitation across the digital divide
take care
I think the “viral” comment stems from both the “Shareability” AND the “Experienceability” points… People love to be the guy who forwards that cool/funny/poignant e-mail — to share their experience(s) not just with the brand or product itself, but those experiences that surround or accompany it… Particularly with the ease with which digital information can be shared, Brands have to consider, “How readily will consumers want to share this ad [video/article/blog]?”
Which may beg the question: Is it possible to deliberately viralize a Brand?
Thanks for a great article…
“Integration isn’t key,” anymore. It’s more about convergence across platforms, and less about disseminating the same message multi-channel. While I don’t agree with Garfield in that the business model will not survive, the industry needs to do a better job at adapting to consumer behavior and how they relate to brands and their messages. I think your 12 points of digibility lays the groundwork for developing a solid brand strategy. And if 12 points is too hard to remember, I think a baby step to convergence is remembering the big 4: content, community, personalization and usability.
Hey Dave, this is a wonderful and thoughtful post. Just wondering if an “ability” that addresses client service in terms of concerns, documentation, reassurance, and follow-up, wouldn’t also be an “ability to thrive in the digital age”?
That is, if by thrive, we mean continue to earn a living?
David wrote: Brands who make themselves accessible to consumers thrive in the digital age. Those who obsess over complete control may find themselves fighting for survival.
I think this is the biggest obstacle to both brands and many “traditional” marketers. The idea that you have to let go of your content seems to freak people out, but guess what: it happens with or without you. Anyone with access to your content and an Internet connection can distribute now. Music labels are learning (or not, at their peril) this the hard way. The old models of distribution are blwon out and the consumer now decides how, when, and where they get content. So what’s a company to do?
I think companies who embrace this new dynamic are the ones who will thrive. ENGAGE your customer. There’s a lot of talk in our industry about having conversations with your customer, but can you recommend some companies that are doing it the best?
Great post. I’ll be watching how you develop the rest of the Digabilites.
“There’s a lot of talk in our industry about having conversations with your customer, but can you recommend some companies that are doing it the best?”
Dan,
I’ve been using Dell as an example well before I ever came to Critical Mass. And after seeing them in action last week, it confirmed my position that they are breaking new ground. The tools that they use to listen to customers are very sophisticated. They can respond very quickly. Also, they are one of the most aggressive in this space will multiple social initiatives being evolved in real time.
I enjoyed your post and list of points. As a person that has digital in my DNA I’m always interested in expanding my knowledge base. Can you imagine life without the web? I simply couldn’t function.
One of my areas of interests is e-commerce; the tools and psychology of why or why people don’t purchase online. I understand this is a big topic, but I feel one of the opportunities that a lot of companies miss is not having a tool to communicate real time with their potential customers.
We can do a lot through ensuring the content is good. We can learn a lot through analytics. There are different methods of creating trust.
Ahh, “Creating Trust”. When we think about Experienceability, Accessibility, Talkability, Listenability, Usability and Measurability being able to interact in real time with potential clients fits into all of those topics. First, it allows us to “listen” to potential clients and find out what they’re “thinking” and searching for.
The information we gather through real time interaction is priceless. Not only can the potential buyer’s questions be answered in real time we can lead them through the buying process before they leave the site … and we may never see them again. This information can, also be used to improve the site and customer experience for future customers.
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