Solis researched and interviewed 500 digital transformation strategists, executives, and change agents, and Vala Afshar, a thought leader on the topic of digital transformation, delivers a concise break-down of the key findings in Huffington Post. Among the insights, “The No. 1 challenge facing executives (71 percent) is understanding behavior or impact of the new customer,” yet, “55 percent of those responsible for digital transformation cite ‘evolving customer behaviors and preferences’ as the primary catalyst for change.”

Although digital transformation is a tech-reliant process, CMOs are more likely than CIOs to lead this journey, indicates new research from the Altimeter Group.

Social media, especially around election time, has a tendency to become an “ugly soapbox” for people of all political leanings, Brian Solis, principal analyst at the research firm Altimeter Group, told CIO: “It brings out the darker side of digital introverts in that we are willing to say anything … without logically thinking about its impact on what’s reality and what people will think about us beyond this election.”

“When it comes to digital transformation, we’re just not as far along as we think we are,” Solis, principal analyst…
“There’s very little digital maturity.”

Here is another brilliant piece from CMO Perspectives regular, Vala Afshar talking about digital transformation, defined by Brian Solis as, “The realignment of or investment in new technology, business models, and processes to drive value for customers and employees and more effectively compete in an ever-changing digital economy.”

he WTM Leaders’ Lunch is an exclusive invitation-only networking event with 200 pre-eminent heads of commercial travel organisations.

Solis studies the impact of emerging technologies on business, marketing and culture and, in his role as Principal Analyst at Altimeter Group, advises companies on marketing strategy and change management.

by Shama Hyder, Inc.   CREDIT: Getty Images   Since both my books, Momentum: How to Propel Your Marketing and Transform Your Brand in the Digital Age, and The Zen of Social Media Marketing (4th Edition), are on bookshelves now, I’ve finally turned towards curating my own reading list for the fall. For the ideal reading recommendations, I turned to some leading CMOs. Here are what 19 CMOs are eager to read this season: […] 12. Lisa Petrilli – CMO…

Brian’s experience as a digital strategist, an award-winning author, and a blogger came together really well, and he shared a valuable perspective on branding.

We live in a customer-centric world where consumers increasingly want to experience things – whether that’s in-store or online. Meaningful experiences will shape the success of tomorrow’s businesses. This book could be interpreted as a book for large organizations looking for marginal gains over competitors, however we can all learn from this book. If your customer service hasn’t been deliberately mapped and designed, you’re already behind the curve. This book is a comprehensive ‘step by step’ guide to achieving world-class customer experience. It took Brian 2 years to write and produce and I read this book 3 times over and over when I first bought it. It’s a modern business “must-read.”

Spectacles, which he predicts will be “on everyone’s Christmas list,” are “a pair of sunglasses with wifi, a camera and the ability to share memories,” he says.