Technology trends

At a time when innovation in devices, mobility and connectivity continue to drive the way we use everyday services, socialise and communicate, there are many trends that we are starting to see below is a sypnosis on how technology and digital is likely to evolve in 2012/13

The cloud

This year I've started to see cloud-based solutions creeping into mainstream consumer usage. Offering internet-based computing where shared information, software, and resources are accessible on demand, this trend is largely driven by the ever-increasing use of smartphones, connected devices and other advanced mobile applications. As such, it is an essential for all brands digital development to complement the ecosystem as it facilitates consistent service usage and storage across any device. However, these solutions must go hand-in-hand with educating consumers on how they can organise their increasingly complex digital lives, with simplicity and value being key. As such, we may see the rise of a new business opportunity around the management of digital life for a fee, as tech companies translate technology solutions into consumer benefits.

  2 – Excellence as standard

Well-managed, easily-accessible content is no longer enough – consumers really want consistent high quality and seamless user experience's. With more consumers accessing content from a greater range of devices, from smartphones to tablets, HTML5 looks to be the computer language of the future. It's worth its weight in gold for the consumer experience, it is simple for developers and therefore easily-accessible for all. The use of this code alongside cloud technology to create app-like functionality for browsers is a real significant shift in 2012, as apps continue to be popular and integral for driving loyalty to operating systems, thereby dictating device choice. In this light, the high expectations of consumers should not be taken lightly. The use of blogs, forums and review sites provides products and services with a whole new world of influence, so brands should beware.

  3 – Seamless existence

 The internet has emerged as the key enabler in a wireless ecosystem based on mobile devices being connected to facilitate real-time communication. The importance of being connected socially and having a constant connection has implications for providers. Brands now have the chance to take advantage of their relationship with the consumer by offering enhanced data connectivity by subscription rather than by device. Of course, device refers not only to mobiles – the desire for fully integrated in-home experience is set to rise in the coming months, with laptops and tablets becoming increasingly housebound and rising faster than any other platform, channel fragmentation is now apparent in all walks of life, Brands need to understand where the consumers are and the context of the setting, to fully understand emotional and digital behaviour.

  4 – Right here, right now

Demand for instant gratification is not a new trend, but advances in technology enabling tailored, instant and relevant information means that expectations are on the rise for instant everywhere. Location-based service (LBS) is likely to change the way we buy as technology provides relevant content consumers based on this latest geo-marketing trend. Near Field Communication (NFC) will additionally enhance the consumer experience, empowering devices to immediately and securely pass information over a short distance, authorising payment by simply ‘tapping’ a reader. Concern for consumers is likely to focus on security. Providers will effectively be able to map the lives of consumers by piecing together the detailed information to which they increasingly have access. 5 – Gate keepers Consumers are becoming more aware of the scale of personal information they store online. While consumers expect tailored content and recommendations, security will be a key driver of loyalty in the future. Trusted brands will be in a strong position to balance ease of access and usability with growing security concerns. A completely new revenue stream may also be available to these ‘trusted’ brands, with operators in a strong position to affiliate with partners who will help to streamline consumer experience whilst additionally providing customers with a safe and secure solution to their digital lives. Finally, the EU is currently revising its privacy policy which is likely to have significant implications for consumers and businesses alike.

Nasa astronaut launches Angry Birds in space

Astronaut Don Pettit teaches some basic physics principles using Angry Birds as Nasa help to promote the launch of a new space-based version of the popular game.

Using characters from the hit game as props, Nasa astronaut Don Pettit, gave a simple lesson in trajectory within zero-gravity on-board the International Space Station.

The physics lesson was a marketing ploy on behalf of Rovio, the Finnish company which produces the smartphone application, as they promoted a new version - Angry Birds Space - which is scheduled for release later this month.

The latest Apple App Store figures showed that Angry Birds, which a flock of irate wingless birds fired at pigs using a slingshot, was the most popular paid-for app during 2011 and two of its spin-offs - Angry Birds Seasons and Angry Birds Rio - also featured in the top 10.

As well as astronaut Mr Petitt, the app can also count Prime Minister David Cameron among its many millions of fans worldwide and it is estimated hugely popular mobile phone game, is played by 30 million people every day for a total of 300 million minutes.

How businesses should recruit a digital director

I was asked recently as part of my digital role for one of Europes leading brands to help them recruit a new head of digital, and here are my thoughts:

As digital technology continues to shape Europeans’ daily lives, corporate Steercos have taken notice of the undeniable shift in how consumers interact with both businesses and one another.

To get a sense of the impact that digital and mobile technologies and social media are having on business, the business will need to consider the following:

• Nine out of 10 European Internet users now visit a social networking site each month.
• Online retail sales are growing at five times the pace of traditional retail and are projected to overtake traditional retail sales in less than 10 years.
• Global e-commerce sales are growing at 19.4 percent a year and are expected to reach nearly $1 trillion by 2013.

The implications of these trends for business strategy, distribution, the competitive landscape, customer relationships and the type of talent and leadership companies need are profound, and the stakes are highest for consumer-driven businesses.  Digital has simply become a priority at the very highest levels of corporate leadership.

Global brands has an important role to play in ensuring that the management team is examining the threats and opportunities digital presents — and devoting appropriate resources to digital initiatives. Consequently, the demand for directors with an in-depth understanding of the trends and technologies shaping the digital landscape has risen substantially in the past 12 months.

While demand for directors with digital expertise is on the rise, the supply of qualified candidates is very small and those candidates are more likely to have non-traditional backgrounds. This can make recruiting directors with these profiles especially challenging and may require the business to reconsider their perceptions about what an ideal Head of Digital looks like. While recruiting digital knowledge to the Steerco is a worthwhile undertaking for any company, there are a number of realities brands must consider before tapping into this increasingly in-demand talent pool.

The following model will help you to successfully recruit directors with digital expertise and think through the trade-offs that may be required to attract a recruit with the right set of experiences.

Define digital for the company

The first step in recruiting a Head of Digital with digital expertise is to clearly articulate the ways digital is affecting the business. To do this, the Steerco and management team should understand how customers and employees interact with digital technologies and set a forward-looking digital strategy, which could involve improving worker productivity, enhancing the company’s sales and marketing presence or better leveraging social media channels.

Once the company’s specific strategic digital opportunities and challenges are identified, directors can consider the type of digital expertise that would add the most value to the Steerco. A director who brings the right digital expertise will help the Steerco and CEO frame the strategic and organizational issues by asking detailed questions about the opportunities and risks, the company’s digital capabilities and whether the organisation is being as aggressive as it should be in this area.

Understand the talent trade-offs

In addition to identifying the areas of digital expertise that would be most valuable to add, Steerco need to develop a comprehensive understanding of the digital talent landscape before they recruit. Whether through independent research or partnering with a recruitment agency, Marketing comms teams should know what the top talent in these fields looks like and how it differs from more traditional Steerco candidate pools.

Recruitment from the digital, consumer Internet or technology fields may mean compromising on conventional benchmarks, such as prior experience or international expertise, in favor of more contemporary skill-sets, for example, experience with social media platforms or digital advertising.

Additionally, Marketing Comms teams should understand that Head of Digital with digital expertise may not have achieved the same stature as candidates from more traditional fields. These young, ambitious and, oftentimes, time-starved executives can be more transient than more established executives, and they may be less familiar with the customs of a corporate environment.

As part of the recruiting process, you should consider the potential trade-offs and determine which ones they are willing to make. They can do this by exploring several questions:

• Is public or private company experience critical?
• Which areas of the consumer Internet are most critical to the future of the business?
• What are the expectations of candidates with digital expertise about their role on the Steerco?
• What are the core competencies the Steerco requires?
• Is prior governance experience required?
• How important is experience with the hot technology of the day (i.e., social networking) versus a broad and seasoned perspective on digital issues?

Answering each of these questions will allow the Steerco to focus their search on those candidates that will be most in line with the company’s immediate needs and long-term strategy.

Position the digital director for success

A critical next-step in recruiting A head of digital is planning for their long-term success on the Steerco. As previously noted, many of these candidates are likely to have little or no Steerco type experience.

Therefore, it is essential that the Steerco carefully define the role that the new position is expected to play within the team. Is the new director expected to contribute in the same manner as other members of the team, or is there a digital-specific function he or she is expected to fill? Is the new position expected to chair a committee?

Answering these questions is important when recruiting any new head of digital, but especially so when dealing with a new position who lacks Steerco room experience but may be expected to play a unique role in leading the Steerco’s discussions around digital.

It also is important that the Steerco identify gaps in the new head of digitals understanding of governance or the business, which can be addressed through Steerco education or assimilation programs.

The digital difference

Successfully recruiting a digital director can seem as complicated as understanding the very technologies these individuals embrace, but doing so will reap substantial rewards for the business if it is serious about its commitment to digital. While some industries, such as retail and hospitality, have enthusiastically embraced the digital age in their business strategies and business composition, others have been slower to move into digital.

While digital is perhaps most applicable to consumer-facing businesses, other industries should not overlook the opportunities these technologies offer. If recent trends are any indication, digital e-commerce and social media will soon touch all aspects of European’ lives, and nearly every industry — even those that today seem well outside the scope of the consumer Internet — will have to respond or risk becoming obsolete.

My Social Infographic