Many moons ago I wrote an article entitled simply Are You Disruptive? In that piece I openly questioned if marketers or business owners, brands, etc., were in fact, disruptive. As I wrote then which is still very true today. I myself am “disruptive” by nature, disruptive not in the breaking mom’s china manner, but rather questioning the accepted norms. Or as Howard Jones would put it, “challenging preconceived ideas.”
I was reminded of my earlier piece while reading something from Forrester Analyst Corinne Munchbach. In a blog post she used the term “Embrace digital disruption.” Now she was using it in the context of something CMOs need to do in 2013 and she was in fact referring specifically to B2C CMOs but I absolutely believe it applies to ALL CMOs – B2C and B2B CMOs alike.
Munchbach writes “Digital disruption has remarkable strength. It’s able to bulldoze traditional sources of competitive advantage faster, with greater power, at less cost than any force that came before it — and no business is immune. CMOs must make a strategic commitment to innovation and stop thinking about digital as another media channel. Digital is everywhere and should elevate marketing and business priorities for consumer benefit.”
To me some of the key words she uses are “no business is immune” and “stop thinking about digital as another media channel.” Very powerful words indeed and ones that I agree with wholeheartedly.
It”s time for all marketers at all levels to stop thinking of digital as another media channel or platform. Our world is a digital one and is going to stay that way. Period. Yes, offline marketing and advertising, i.e. direct mail, will always have a place at the advertising and marketing table but make no mistake about it, seated at the head of the table, is digital marketing.
Digital marketing and digital disruption affords a speed, a real-time use with lesser cost for marketers. “Digital disruption moves faster with more power at less cost than any force before it, tearing down boundaries to meet consumers’ needs more fully than we could have ever imagined five years ago,” says Munchbach who is also a fan apparently of a certain Eleven Letter Word That Continues To Elude All CMOs And Marketers.
“CMOs should move marketing budgets out of channel silos and into new cross-platform teams organized around consumer segments, with experts on the relevant media, channels, and devices for that particular segment.”
The eleven-letter word of course is, integration. Breaking the silos and creating the cross-platform teams which in turn create campaigns directed squarely at a given segment(s) or demographic(s) is paramount for ultimate success in the digital world.
So Mr. and Mrs. CMO, it’s time to get disruptive. It’s time to shake things up, to break free from the norm and to finally accept the fact that digital marketing is not just another media channel.
Are you disruptive?
Yes? No? Maybe so?
If yes how are you disruptive?
Sources: Forrester, MediaPost, Google Images
Named one of the Top 100 Influencers In Social Media (#41) by Social Technology Review and a Top 50 Social Media Blogger by Kred, Steve Olenski is a senior content strategist at Responsys, a leading global provider of on-demand email and cross-channel marketing solutions.