Information handling as part of the Digital Transformation process

We live and work using buzzwords.

One basic set of buzzwords we frequently combine is "martech" and its role into the "Digital transformation" process .

In particular, when trying to deliver greater value to the customer while improving the competitive position of the organization, we see the highly upgraded role of CMO combined with that of the CEO. According to "The 2016 State of Digital Transformation" by Altimeter Group, a Prophet company, this is due to the fact that customer experience is a critical priority for the business,. Yet, the same study acknowledges that substantial progress is being achieved by cross-functional groups, "technical" and "commercial".

Moreover, in Gartner's "CMO Spend Survey 2016-2017", we see that CMO spending gradually goes up to that of CIOs in relation to the organization's total revenue (3.24% vs. 3.4%), with a major investment in marketing technologies. These technologies primarily include digital commerce (2nd), analytics (4th) and content management (with ~ 6% of the total martech budget).

[Note: in case you haven't seen the chaos we, marketers, work with :-) , just check out the most recent "MarTech landscape" graph , as published by Mr. Scott Brinker, Editor of chiefmartech.com. ]

The second set of buzzwords we see to regularly mee is "omnichannel" and "content". These 2 strategies need to work together, determining what content should be used to capture the interest of potential customers in different touchpoints. In this context, we've seen experts talk about "micro moments", and the specific management that needs to be done at content level for each of them.

But, why companies invest in content-related strategies & technologies?

The main reason is strategic and associated with their own digital marketers. Their vast majority believe that the most effective "logic" in digital marketing is a balanced mix of content marketing, SEO, social media, and link building; yet, they stress that content is leading "the herd". Recognizing that, 53% say there is a clear content strategy. This is confirmed by Gartner, where 51% responds that it intends to increase its investment in content technologies (some a little significantly).

Strengthening content as a tool / method / form of communication certainly goes a little deeper. The steady rise in the use of smartphones for information changes data, undermining traditional business models in the space. Especially for Greece, social media 'hit' record according to the Reuters Institute DNR. In 2016, we had the highest social media usage rate for news among 26 countries, something that did not drastically altered in 2017. In addition, a close look at users' reactions and feelings towards online advertising as Kantar records them, it is obvious why brands are turning to creating the right content for the right people on the right platform and at the right time.

The 2nd reason relates to the extensive use of content for purposes beyond promotion, coupled with its in-house design torque. In more detail, Altimer's 2016 measurements (The 2016 State of Digital Content) show how content is generated primarily in-house (68%), with significant utilization of user-generated content (62%). The contribution of the agencies apparently remains high (43%). Moreover, almost all of the companies (99%) use some form of data to produce content, with social media being the main source (65%) of "inspiration".

However, same study indicated that the ability to collect content from multiple channels, as well as the ability to coordinate different groups within the organization, remain at a low level. The latest findings are also highlighted as priorities or invitations for organizations, highlighting, among other things, the critical need for systems that normalize workflows and workloads, and for generating large volumes of content.

The third set of buzzwords is "fragmentation" & "integration". The fragmentation of information, data, systems and processes has long been stepping up the shift in providing integrated solutions for collecting, processing and distributing content through a common platform for all corporate users, which can also act as a collaborative environment with external partners (journalists, agencies, etc.), integrating the required workflows and access permissions per user.

Hence, it seems that what we actually need is a modular solution that covers end to end

1. the ability to collect content from multiple sources,
2. the need to easily access archive material via sophisticated digital asset management tools
3. the process of configuring new content via specific workflows
4. the need to distribute versions of content on different channels.

This platform should also adapt comfortably to organization processes, connects easily with existing systems such as inbound marketing (automation etc) or CRM platforms, and can be a common interface with partners from advertising, PR agencies, media etc. (for example, setting up an online newsroom or Brand portal).

Credit for Cover photo: https://oss.adm.ntu.edu.sg/wheng004/2015/09/14/project-1b-fire-and-ice/