digital disruption

Do you see the chief digital officer (CDO) as some kind of digital superhero, swooping in to rescue a dysfunctional business and transform it into a digital powerhouse? The truth is that chief digital officers can be very effective with strong CEO backing, but they are not always necessary. A business-savvy, customer-obsessed CIO can be […]

Disrupt or be disrupted. That’s the name of the game when it comes to market leadership today. It’s also what Levi’s did by using innovation to create its Bluetooth-enabled jean jacket designed for the growing community of commuter bicyclists. This jacket gives commuters hands-free control over their electronic devices by integrating Google’s Jacquard technology into […]

JPMorgan enters the retail investing price war.

“Insurance is sold, not bought.” This industrywide perception has gone unchallenged for decades, reaffirming agent- and advisor-based distribution models. But now a plethora of insurtech startups such as Brolly in the UK, Gabi in the US, and PolicyPal in Singapore aim to help customers find suitable cover. A newcomer among the firms digitalizing insurance distribution […]

Financial services firms are on the hunt. They’re hunting unicorns. As firms like Revolut and TransferWise attain valuations of $1 billion or more, the pressure to find the Stripes of this world before their value skyrockets has never been stronger. But it’s not just the unicorns that firms are hunting. They’re also chasing the wolpertinger. […]

Best Buy has made yet another startup acquisition that enriches its customer value with innovative digital products: GreatCall, a San Diego-based startup offering health and medical alert devices and services. Most retailers’ “innovations” have been incremental digital tech investments that extend their retail value proposition and customer value. It’s great to see Best Buy investing […]

Since I first wrote about digital transformation back at the end of 2012, the term has become wildly overhyped. Since CEOs are now at least asking about digital transformation, and every technology vendor now claims expertise in digital transformation, it’s time to burst a few of the myths surrounding digital transformation. But first, let’s recap […]

Are you future-ready? Your body contains the secrets to your behavior, including future readiness. Though obvious, most of us fail to recognize this day to day. We think that our brains — our minds — make decisions about how we should feel and what we should do. But the decision of what to wear to work today, […]

The internet has enabled brands to sell more of their products to an ever-expanding universe of shoppers, but digital distribution has also added complexity to the relationship between brands and retailers and other channel partners. All brands need to set parameters around the digital sales of their goods, regardless of the type of brand or […]

In digital transformation, there’s a fine line between fearlessness and foolishness. Bad decisions can have all the trappings of a bold new strategy: a costly acquisition suddenly pivoting to an unexpected new product offering that’s an ambitious new vision for the future. Similarly, when consumer media hypes a new business model that will “disrupt” an […]

Outage management is a defining moment for utilities and thus provides a great way to reimagine the relationship between utilities and their customers. Absent an outage, most consumers don’t give a whole lot of thought to their utility company — flip a switch, and the expected happens. The outage — especially prolonged outages — changes everything. No electricity […]

TL;DR: It has been a slow, fragmented start to open banking, but the pace will accelerate. Fintechs are forging ahead with innovation, and a new set of intermediary service providers is growing. Banks need to become outside-in fast to thrive with open banking, building operating model competence for an externally oriented business. Few Banks Place […]

Do you want to be like Apple? In 2010, Apple ranked as the 17th most valuable brand in the world. Just three years later, it had garnered the top spot and has remained there. Since 2010, Apple’s brand value has increased at a compound annual growth rate of 36%, while the entire “brandscape” has grown […]

Like a football team captain at a junior high dance, Amazon just sauntered up to a big group of people and started dropping hints about its sweet moves on the dance floor . . . Okay, that’s not exactly what’s happening here, but it sure felt like that to many bank executives who heard the […]

Direct-to-consumer (D2C) commerce is not a new concept for branded manufacturers, but there is certainly renewed interest and more options to choose from. With consumers ever more digitally connected, branded manufacturers are enticed by direct digital commerce benefits, like better sales margins, increased product control, and richer customer relationships. A new Q&A report explores questions […]

Having trekked between the ExCel convention center and central London for most of last week – Finovate Europe moved to this larger and more remote location from the historical Old Billingsgate Hall this year – I can’t help but think that the changed location and format of the event reflect the wider changes happening in […]

Challenge Thinking, Lead Change! I take very seriously my role in delivering on our company tagline – “Challenge Thinking, Lead Change” – especially the “challenge thinking” piece. In some companies, challenging thinking can get you into trouble fast, especially if you challenge leadership thinking. Some might describe this as “a career-limiting move.” But not leaders […]

Top Technologies By Maturity While the scope of business strategy is increasingly defined by technology, not all technologies are equally important. To help digital leaders think about where to place their future technology bets, we published “The Top Emerging Technologies For Digital Predators” in 2017. More recently, as I was examining our latest digital survey […]

P&G CMO Marc Pritchard keynoted today’s ANA Media Conference and exhorted the marketing industry to disrupt and reinvent the craft of marketing: Quote #1: “Disrupt mass marketing.” Yes, you’re reading that right. The company that is if not the inventor of mass marketing, certainly the company known for perfecting it, says its time has passed. […]