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It’s obvious the world is rapidly changing all around us, and much of this change is fueled by technological growth. Customers are constantly expecting new and personalized experiences, all brought about by the visionary pioneers who are embracing the digital activation of their brands. Before answering the pertinent question, What is digital activation? let’s take a brief look at how we’re getting to this new age.
Ten thousand years ago, one caveman in the tribe would wander over to a bush and eat the berries first. Morbid as this analogy might sound, when he collapsed, that caveman became something of a martyr for his group as they then knew he sacrificed himself so the rest of them knew what not to eat.
While the tragedy we have experienced can and should in no way be dismissed, one silver lining is that if another virus invades the entire globe like COVID-19 has—heaven forbid, one that is even deadlier—we are going to be far more prepared for it the next time around.
Now imagine if the pandemic had occurred 20 years ago as opposed to 2020. In the year 2000, our digital infrastructure could not have self-contained. Thanks to existing technology, we were able to quickly maximize our situation.
Back in 1996 when Tiger Woods splashed onto the golf scene in a historic manner, he was driving the ball an average of 285 yards per tee-off. Young Tiger was so far beyond everyone else on the PGA Tour that his competitors had to scramble for all they were worth in order to catch up.
Indirectly, Tiger disrupted an entire infrastructure that had slumped into a pace of slow growth. TV ratings for golf began to soar. Most importantly, other players improved because they were forced to do so. Today, the average driving distance among players in professional golf is 295 yards, beyond even Tiger’s average.
Does your brand have the potential to be a Tiger Woods?
Prominent examples include Uber and Lyft, who turned the taxi-driving industry on its head. They understood that what customers want is not a taxi, but a safe, easy way to request transportation that did not require you to carry around cash all the time. They realized it was about an easy, repeatable, experience that enabled and gave a sense of control to both to the driver and passenger. Gone are the days of calling up a telephone number, then waiting far too long and overpaying for a costly car ride. No longer is racial discrimination possible when needing a quick fare or a need for someone to fear for their physical safety. Uber/Lyft successfully activated technology to the benefit of a customer base that is everywhere.
We will still have plenty of employees, as machines cannot take care of themselves. While we’re in a way robbing Peter to pay Paul, the need is growing for coders, designers, developers, and other career paths now dominating the industry.
We shifted from having to meet in person to using Zoom and MS Office and other conferencing software. Uber Eats, Doordash, and more delivery services have begun extending their service offerings. You can have just about anything delivered to your home, from groceries, medicines, and alcohol to ink cartridges, flowers – you name it.
At Navstella, we have been 100% remote since the start of the Pandemic last year. How have we adapted and modified how we do business? Invoicing, payments, file sharing, meetings, and everything from research to delivery – we are leveraging the tools and technologies available to ensure we continue meaningfully serving our customers.
Almost all of our clients have adapted to the digital way of doing things. Some of them are manufacturers, while others design and deploy software products. Some are in the service business, but they have all figured out ways to keep their employees safe and connected while still running their business. Where they need our help is in not only figuring out how to continue attracting new customers and talent, but also in retaining these customers and talent. To ensure long term growth, differentiating themselves from the pack is an ongoing must, and all of our clients need our help cracking the Customer Experience code that is best for them, their leadership, their employees, and ultimately their customers.
We’ve talked a lot about the idea of a “new normal” over the past year, and many of these revolutionary new practices are now becoming normal, born out of frustration with outdated processes.
That is digital activation.
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