I was in New York recently meeting with the IBM Watson team. While there, I had the the opportunity to sit with Robert Schwartz in the company’s Astor Place studio to record a podcast for a new series, “THINK Leaders,” which provides insights and advice on data-driven leadership for the C-suite. The conversation and the topics were quite provocative and eye-opening. So much so, that I wanted to share it with you here so that it may help, in some way,…
The Human Dimension of Digital Transformation
Seems that everyone is talking about digital transformation these days. Not a day goes by when I don’t hear a new voice or see a new book, post, report or conference on the subject. It would be wonderful if all work in digital transformation was aligned. But it’s not. With every expert that joins the conversation, it becomes increasingly difficult to sort the signal from the noise. I suppose that’s not unlike everything in life. The challenge is that those learning about or trying to…
12 Innovation Imperatives
Innovation suffocates in a culture of mediocrity. Here’s how to breathe life into company culture to compete for the future. Ideas are a dime a dozen. Everyone seems to have one or more. I just wish that more organizations would appreciate how plentiful and beneficial ideas are to the future of their business. The challenges are all too common. Often, ideas are shared in fleeting moments with the same zeal as observing the weather. Once expressed they recede from view,…
To improve CX, companies must rethink the customer journey to cater to Gen C
A (r)evolution is brewing, and most companies are not prepared for it. It’s no secret how, with an overabundance of new devices and platforms available every day, customers are more empowered and finding new ways to either hack or completely ignore company touchpoints. With this complex customer journey unfolding, great marketing, products and services are not enough to win. Now, companies need to create and cultivate meaningful experiences for their customers. This starts with designing a more intuitive and efficient…
26 Disruptive Tech Trends for 2016 – 2018
Each year at this time, I read all of the predictions for the new year plus the “top X” lists wrapping out the previous year. Add to that the first week of chaos that is CES and all of the new tech debuting in Las Vegas. And each year, I’m left wanting more substance as I plan my research. So, in 2015, I officially threw my hat into the mix with my inaugural look at “25 Disruptive Technology Trends in 2015 –…
In 2016, Resolve to ‘Disrupt Yourself’
Guest post by Whitney Johnson (@johnsonwhitney), author of Disrupt Yourself Oft-spoken though it is, ‘disruption’ is not a catchword; it’s a powerful force transforming organizations, communities, and ultimately the world. But it starts small, as an individual choice to change. Companies and organizations don’t disrupt unless their people do. Individual disruptors upend their companies in ways not always welcomed by their associates. Disruptors can be seen as a fifth column, undermining the familiar and comfortable status quo, not to mention their colleagues’…
The Future of Retail: Stop Iterating and Start Innovating
The team at OneStop invited me to Los Angeles to speak to a wonderful group of digital marketers, etailer/retailer, search and commerce strategists. Among the many things I’m studying and speaking about these days, the future of retail is fascinating to me personally and professionally. The future of retail isn’t just about new technology, the latest gadgets and all of the incredible startups that are pushing retail, commerce and everything else forward. It’s also shaped by connected/mobile customers who are more…
Customer Experience is the Sum of Emotional Reactions
As 2015 drew to a close, I flew to Düsseldorf from London to close out NEOCOM, an annual event for multichannel retail and commerce. There I spoke about “retail re-imagined,” redesigning the online and offline shopping experience based on the incredible technology and behavioral trends playing out now and over the next few years. Following the event, I met with the NEOCOM team to shoot a short three-minute video that I would love for you to see. Video Topics/Questions: –…
The Insider’s Guide to Digital Transformation and the Path to Innovation
For those who do not know, Altimeter Group was acquired by Prophet, a brand strategy consultancy, in July 2015. The partnership doesn’t change Altimeter’s agenda. In fact, our research will only expand and scale. Recently Prophet hosted an event to discuss trends in customer experience and digital transformation. It was held in Minneapolis with some of the top local companies in attendance. Co-presenting with me was Chris Finlay, Director of Experience Design and Product Innovation UnitedHealth Group, and author of…
Why Customer Experience is The Catalyst for Digital Transformation
As a digital analyst, I spend a lot of his time thinking about the future of customer experience. So much so that my next book attempts to rethink the term “experience,” X:The Experience of Business Meets Design. “X” explores experience architecture the various ways companies can design meaningful and shareable experiences in every moment of truth. I recently spent time with the team at VisionCritical as part of the prep for its their upcoming conference in Chicago, 2015 Vision Critical…
