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…
2020 Enterprise Technology Trends: Digital Transformation, AI, Cognitive Automation and Quantum Computing
Karen Roby is a veteran reporter for TechRepublic and ZDNet. Every so often, we get together to talk the latest tech trends and explore how organizations can successfully navigate their path forward. In our latest conversation, we talk about the state of digital transformation, quantum computing, customer experience, and enterprise innovation. Please watch the video here. Full article here. Analyst Brian Solis explains why he is also excited about quantum computing, cognitive automation, and robotic process automation. Karen Roby: You…
Google’s Meena Chatbot Could Humanize Conversational AI, But Are Enterprises Ready to Invest in More Intuitive Digital Customer Experiences
TechTarget’s Don Fluckinger is a friend and a highly regarded tech journalist. He recently rounded up dome of the industry’s leading CX and AI experts to explore Google Meena’s next-generation conversational AI. He always brings together a great group for a productive and thoughtful conversation! For context, chatbots today are largely used in rule-based engagements, sitting on top of structured data to perform a set of focused operations. They connect customers to common information or facilitate everyday transactions. In the more effective…
The Role Boards of Directors and Shareholders Should Play in Guiding Business Innovation and Digital Transformation
My friend Raj Singh is the Chair of the Institute of Directors (IoD)Â in the UK. IoD has over 30,000 directors as members serving as board members for listed and unlisted companies. For one of its quarterly breakfast club meetings, I was asked to share my views on the role boards of directors need to play in guiding digital transformation and business innovation. Raj also asked for me to discuss the role of customer experience as a catalyst for change. I…
The 11 Digital Trends Shaping CX and Marketing in 2020
Each year, I help kick-off Brand Innovators Mega-Trends event during CES. In the opening keynote, I share the trends (and hopes) I would love brand executives to embrace in the new year. In 2020, the presentation focused on “11 Digital Trends Shaping CX and Marketing.” There are certainly more than 11 trends to follow, but in the context of this conversation, I focused on the convergence of AI, customer empathy, digital distractions and intentions, and the technology that connects the…
2020 CX and Marketing Prediction: Shift from Tracking Trends to Creating Possibilities
I’d like to think of 2020 as we think about it with vision, 20/20, which means normal visual acuity. Marketing and CX in 2020 will be a lot like marketing and CX in 2019 (not a bad thing necessarily.) As we kickoff the new year, we’re already talking about hot new trends and how to integrate shiny new tech into existing thinking, processes and programs, doing cool things, without really changing the game. If 2020 can stand for something, make…
2020 Trends: Mobile, Voice, Mixed Reality and 5G Set the Stage for Next Generation Customer Experiences
My friends at Keap asked me to share my predictions for the annual, “2020 Small Business Marketing Trends Report.” I wanted to share my ideas with you here as well… Next Generation CX Must Be Designed as Native Experiences for Emerging Platforms Search and content are more important than ever when it comes to the customer journey. Beyond digital and social media, mobile was a complete game changer. But many businesses have yet to catch up with how mobile changed…
The Digital Change Agent’s Manifesto; Empowering Tomorrow’s Leaders from Within
In a world where digital technology is evolving faster than organizations can adapt, it’s no secret that companies are investing in digital transformation and corporate innovation. But who is leading the charge? Often, it’s the individuals who share a deep expertise and passion for digital. And while these “digital change agents” are striving to bring change from within their respective group in the organization, they aren’t necessarily seasoned or trained at navigating the cultural dynamics that drive change throughout an…
Personal Innovation During Times of Digital Disruption
Note: For mobile users, please subscribe to my new feed here and unsubscribe from the old Feedburner feed. Ever have one of those conversations with someone you care about where you’re left feeling inspired and motivated? They’re rare occurrences in my life. I can count on one hand how many people I’m lucky to know who leave me feeling this way. One recent conversation was with Jim Marous, Publisher at The Financial Brand. If you’d like to listen to that conversation,…
