Lack of Digital Strategy & Accountability is Killing Brands - Steve Parker, Jr.-Levelwing

39Doing39 is not strategic insight Just because it is measurable does not mean it is accountableIf you are reading this and don39t own a smartphone you might as well stop right now You won39t understand nor can you be helped at this point amp8211 the technology world has passed you by To the rest of you who have an iPhone or another 39super39 smartphone such as a Droid or Blackberry read on Many of you are probably reading this from your mobile phone as we speak In fact I39m doubtful you could put it down for a day or even a few hours We have all become heavily reliant on our mobile devices amp8211 and for great reason Mobile phones don39t just make calls anymore they actually help us in our daily lives In your personal life you have bought this device so you could have the 39Power of the Best39 amp8211 best technology best experience best of everything So why in your business life are you settling for something that only makes calls Seriously why have you settled for the basics knowing very well there is something much better and much more powerful In the business world this mindset goes way beyond phones using Google Analytics when you could be using Omniture or simply reporting on campaigns vs uncovering true business intelligenceSmartphones have apps for seemingly everything amp8211 simple tools we use nearly every day for things like travel directions games photos and social experiences We use our phones to talk write chat video conference listen to music check blood pressure buy products sell products check email do our online bankingamp8230In short smartphones and apps are all around us and engrained in our daily lives But there are some things an iPhone or Droid just can39t do Contrary to popular belief 39there39s an app for that39 doesn39t actually apply to everythingDigital StrategySorry there is not actually a digital strategy app However most businesses are treating digital as though there is some magical strategic app that will make it easy to grow a business Facebook is not a strategy Twitter is not a strategy Search engine marketing is not a strategy Most companies from the Fortune 500 to the local dry cleaner do not have a sound digital strategy You could argue this but you would be wrong It39s true many businesses are implementing digital activities and in some cases doing a lot and seeing success However a solid wellplanned strategy is lacking in most every case Executing upon paid search marketing campaigns communicating via Twitter or delivering a set of viral videos online is not strategy I will clarify that I do believe in strategy for each of those separate executional elements solid planning measurement and management process if you will but an overarching strategy is still of most significant importanceMeasurement ampamp AccountabilitySorry no app here either Most businesses in the digital world fail to achieve true measurement and accountability amp8211 it39s arguably one of areas most wrought with error Many companies simply choose not to hold their investments in digital accountable Let me be clear measuring and reporting on clicks likes fans site traffic sales share of voice and ad rates on some nifty dashboard is not the same thing as holding your marketing investments accountable Those metrics and many others like them provide your business with little more than false hope and misdirection Measurement and accountability are not quite so convenient and easy to attain True accountability takes dedication hardnosed planning and a keen focus on goalsWhy Do Businesses Fail at Strategy or AccountabilityThe answer is an inability to answer a simple question 39why39 Most businesses do not know WHY they are doing the things they are doing in digital No the answer is not as simple as 39to sell more stuff39 That39s the derivative amp8211 it is always the derivative or the expected outcome But WHY are businesses doing the things they are doing Are they doing them because of economic indicators weather patters overall demand in the marketplace to provide better service to customers to refine customer channel strategy to define patterns in the business that can be shared throughout the organizational hierarchy WHY An honest and clear digital strategy answers these questions provides clarity and then allows the business to execute strategically against them Just because a million dollars was spent and a study shows brand awareness increased by four points does not mean the campaign was a success Similarly just because that 1 million in media sold 2 million of products does not mean it was successful either You must understand why that happened and how you can improve from there 39Doing39 is not strategic insight Just because it is measurable does not mean it is accountablePeople Are the Only Apps of Strategy and AccountabilityPeople are the real applications that drive a business Driving strategy and critical thinking while holding a business accountable starts with people People have the power to create guide teach define measure and hold accountable that which is meaningful Without true strategy and accountability most well intended efforts will fail You and your team of coworkers senior leadership and thirdparty partners should fight for the hard answers to define strategic vision and hold accountable all tactics and people involved It39s not easy but it is rightI39ve read that Steve Jobs didn39t believe in the whole concept of apps initially Good thing he got on board though They have helped to transform Apple and the ways we interact with our devices However one thing I am certain of is that he did not rely on an app to plan his business nor let something that is measured define accountability Steve Jobs understood the complexity of strategy held the business accountable and delivered well against that strategy and accountability plan Sometimes our apps need updating amp8211 and frankly we are those appsPlease feel free to comment belowSteve Parker Jr is a CoFounder and Managing Partner of Levelwing a digital advertising agency that provides datadriven marketing solutions Steve can be reached at sparkerlevelwingcom Follow me on Twitter at sparkerjrRead all Steve39s MediaBizBloggers commentaries at AskingSmarterQuestionscomCheck us out on Facebook at MediaBizBloggerscomFollow our Twitter updates MediaBizBloggerThe opinions and points of view expressed in this commentary are exclusively the views of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaBizBloggerscom management or associated bloggers MediaBizBloggers is an open thought leadership platform and readers may share their comments and opinions in response to all commentaries

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Lack of Digital Strategy & Accountability is Killing Brands - Steve Parker, Jr.-Levelwing

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