Since the dawn of COVID-19, brick-and-mortar retail has been thrust into yet another level of disruption. From e-commerce to mobile to social media to apps to a global pandemic, retail can’t seem to catch a break. But now, maybe they can. Consumers are now, not only increasingly digital first, they’re bound by a somatic marker that is COVID-19. The future of retail isn’t what it used to be. In this 50 minute, yes, almost one hour, conversation with Alicia Esposito…
Imagining a New Era of Restaurant Experiences by Reinventing the Restaurant Industry
How different could the restaurant scene look in just the next handful of years? Let’s find out… Today’s customers live a connected lifestyle, more so now with a global pandemic shutting normal life down. Connected customers expect all of the conveniences and perks that come with the on-demand economy. They’re not only connected and always-on, they’re impatient, self-interested, distracted, and seeking experiences that mirror their favorite services and apps across every industry. If you opened a restaurant today, what could…
Building Trust in Digital Business
It now seems like a lifetime ago. Shortly before the onset of COVID-19 and my joining Salesforce as the Global Innovation Evangelist, I flew to London to participate in an expert panel on software defined networking (SDN) and the future of digital transformation. While digital transformation itself has been disrupted in the time since, SDN, like many enabling and mission-critical technologies are more important now than ever. I recently stumbled across unpublished material that I wanted to share with you…
Designing for Digital-First Customers: Focus on experience as a driver for breakthrough innovation
Just months before the pandemic, I joined Comcast innovation executives, eWeek, and a host of CX experts to explore the next trends in CX and digital innovation. Following the roundtable discussion, I joined my friends at The Cube and Silicon Angle to dive deeper into conversations about shifting consumerism, the role of innovation in digital products and services and also digital experience design, as well as measuring ROE (return on experiences). Post Pandemic, the conversation seems like it happened a…
The age of tech-enabled trust
Shortly before I joined Salesforce as the Global Innovation Evangelist, I was asked to write the forward to Vodafone Business’ report on software defined networking (SDN) and the role of trust in digital businesses. I wanted to share the foreword with you here… Introduction We live and work in an era of what I call “digital Darwinism,” when disruptive technology is rapidly evolving and so are its effects on markets and society. Over the past decade, digital transformation has emerged…
The COVID-19 pandemic led to a seismic shift in consumer behavior and the future of brand
The first issue of CORE Magazine published by Epsilon features some of my new research on disruption, the Novel Economy and new consumerism. I’d like to share it with you below… The Ultimate Disruption: The COVID-19 pandemic led to a seismic shift in consumer behavior As the virus swept the globe, brands changed how they inter- acted with customers due to social distancing and stay-at- home orders. Consumer perspectives about making purchases also shifted with fluctuations in the stock market, skyrocket-…
COVID-19 Gives Rise to the Novel Economy – Not Yet a New Normal
When COVID-19 started to shut down the world and rock humanity to its core, the world was left without a defense mechanism or a playbook. Suddenly, everything was thrust into disarray with organizations and leaders alike scrambling to respond, to find stability, and ensure business continuity. In my research at Salesforce, I focused on how customers (and employees) were evolving as a result of pandemic disruption and how businesses could use these real-time insights to guide organizational and digital transformation…
The Rise of the ‘Novel Economy’ and the Three Phases to Thrive Against COVID-19 Disruption
I joined Salesforce as Global Innovation Evangelist just as the global pandemic was soaring. The world was unified in its sudden devastation and its urgency to respond to COVID-19 across multiple, critical fronts. As the innovation “evangelist” for one of the most innovative companies in the world, during a worldwide disruptive event, my work seemed inconsequential. It’s been said to never let a crisis go to waste. The only way forward was to start anew. My most pressing agenda was…
Digital transformation: Inventing the Future We Want
Karen Roby is a long-time friend and also a reporter for TechRepublic/CBS Interactive. Every now and then, we spend time together exploring the future of digital transformation and innovation. After I joined Salesforce, she invited me on her show to talk about my new areas of research and thought leadership. I wanted to share our conversation with you here. TechRepublic’s Karen Roby talked with analyst Brian Solis about the impact of COVID-19 on digital transformation. The following is an edited…
The Future Needs a Hero
My friend Nick Davis leads innovation and customer experience at Reaching the Future Faster and faculty chair for corporate innovation at Singularity University. Late in 2019, Nick and I were talking about his upcoming book, “Future Ready: A Changemaker’s Guide to the Exponential Revolution.” When I read the draft, I immediately had an idea for a foreword. We agreed. My request was that I could share it here with upon release. Future Ready is a how-to guide for changemakers who are…
