What is Digital Strategy?

by Kelly Kubrick on November 9, 2012

Originally published on the Digital Strategy Conference blog; republished with permission from dStrategy Media.

Defining Digital Strategy: Finding Common Ground

As a relatively new concept, there is no commonly understood definition of digital strategy. Many would say that digital strategy has to do with incorporating email, websites and social networks into marketing and communications efforts. Some might say it has to do with accepting electronic payment, registrations or donations. Others would say that it relates to going mobile.

Depending on your sector and industry, the perception and role of digital changes radically. To some, it’s disruptive in the worst possible way. To digital–first companies, it is their native habitat. To many, it hints at new opportunities – and to far too many, it is threatening, impacting roles and job expectations.

To muddy the waters further, the rationale for digital is ever evolving. Initial efforts focused on substitution – uncovering cost savings and improved efficiency. Then, focus shifted to identifying what we could sell online. And today, focus has shifted again, as we find ourselves asking how to use digital to improve the overall business.

Which brings us to this:

Digital Strategy Leads to Competitive Advantage

Digital strategy is the process of identifying, articulating and executing on digital opportunities that will increase your organization’s competitive advantage.

A competitive advantage is found when your organization “acquires or develops abilities” – such as technology or people – that allows you to create value, which no other organization is capable of. Those in the public or not for profit sectors might bristle at the term competitive, but we believe it still applies when seen through the lens of a competitive–comparative set.

A critical word in our definition is “process”. If a digital strategy is a process, remember that a process presumes a progression – from an initial starting point, to the approach of and overtaking of milestones to destinations both identified and unknown.

A practical and efficient way to do this is to take advantage of established planning tools such as maturity models. In our next post, we’ll introduce you to the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model.

We look forward to discussing our definition with you at at Digital Strategy Conference.

Introducing Digital Strategy Conference

by Kelly Kubrick on October 19, 2012

I’m very proud to announce Online Authority’s involvement in the launch of Digital Strategy Conference, an in-depth educational experience developed for managers and directors of marketing, communications, sales, customer service and information technology.

The inaugural conference will be held in Vancouver April 23-25, 2013 at the University of British Columbia’s Robson Square facility. Imagine a 3-day, deep dive into digital strategy with industry experts to teach you the essentials of planning, organizing, integrating and implementing digital initiatives.

In addition to the introductory sessions in Defining Digital Strategy and Establishing Digital Maturity, there are five key areas of learning:

Organizational and Operational Readiness;
Digging into Content Strategy;
Mobile to Multiscreen;
Social Strategy: Earned Media for Community Development; and
Making Sense of Advertising / Paid Media.

Through the three days of content, there will be several digital strategy case studies presented to you from those who are ‘walking the digital strategy walk” today – peers who are grappling with the very same issues you are.

The conference came about through conversations with my colleague, Andrea Hadley, based on our observations of our collective need for “digital de-fragmentation” – or an opportunity to step back and get perspective on the never-ending demands for organizations to embrace digital. We are very fortunate to have a strong Advisory Board that provides a much-appreciated guiding hand.

For more information on the logistics of the conference itself, please take a look at answers to our Frequently Asked Questions for Vancouver.

Finally, if you’re game – why don’t you consider submitting a Case Study proposal? The Call for Speakers is open until November 30th, 2012.

See you in Vancouver!

Updated: The detailed Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2013 agenda is now available

Feeling fragmented by digital?

by Kelly Kubrick on October 15, 2012

Working in digital is like being caught in a earthquake of change.

Late in April 2011, after many conversations with my web analytics industry colleague, Andrea Hadley, I made a fateful comment. Since first meeting in 2008 and as a past member of her advisory boards for Internet Marketing Conference, SMX Canada and eMetrics Canada, we had spent many hours debating the future of our industry.

Kelly Kubrick, Vice-President and Partner, dStrategy Media, producers of Digital Strategy Conference

Andrea Hadley, President and Partner, dStrategy Media, producers of Digital Strategy Conference

Andrea is as passionate as I am about digital, and also happens to be a conference producer, based in Vancouver. She and I regularly discussed how it seemed that everyone we spoke to felt increasingly overwhelmed by the never-ending tactical options in digital.

The only advice out there seemed to be “You should quit; go work for someone who ‘gets’ digital”.

We didn’t like that advice. How could our industry build capacity in digital if the only advice was to encourage churn? We’d get nowhere as an industry or country.

“You should bring a conference to Ottawa”, I said. Innocently. Not understanding the significance of the gleam in her eye…

Within the year, we formed dStrategy Media, producers of the about-to-be-launched Digital Strategy Conference.

Introducing Digital Strategy Conference

In digital, not only are we challenged by the need to juggle multiple dimensions – our people resources, our technology resources, our data, our content and social strategies…but on top of it, there’s non-stop fragmentation: new platforms, new channels and new business models.

What do do? Join us at Digital Strategy Conference. It will be a deep dive into digital strategy, bringing together senior directors and managers with industry leaders to learn the essentials of planning, organizing, integrating and implementing digital initiatives.

Digital Strategy Conference is an instructor-led, three day educational event intended to explore the fundamentals of digital strategy. We’ve outlined the key areas of learning so you know what to expect. Learn more here:

The first Digital Strategy Conference will take place in Vancouver, British Columbia in April 2013 followed by Ottawa, Ontario in June 2013. In each city, we’ll be tackling the following topics:

Defining Digital Strategy
Establishing Your Digital Maturity
Data Strategy and Performance Measurement
Digging into Content Strategy
Mobile to Multiscreen Strategy
Social Strategy
Making Sense of Paid Media

The call for speakers for both Vancouver and Ottawa is now open, and we look forward to reviewing your submissions. We hope you can join us!

About dStrategy Media

by Kelly Kubrick on August 15, 2012

Digital Strategy Conference is produced by dStrategy Media, co-founded by entrepreneur, marketer and industry advocate Andrea Hadley, and digital analytics professional Kelly Kubrick, President of Online Authority.

Andrea Hadley, Partner and President, dStrategy Media

Kelly Kubrick, Partner and Vice President, dStrategy Media

dStrategy Media resulted from our shared observation of a need for “digital defragmentation”.

We watched senior managers and directors become increasingly overwhelmed by never-ending tactical opportunities for digital, and noted a lack of framework to address organizational expectations and readiness around digital.

As experienced digital practitioners, we believe there is an opportunity for our collective community to bring perspective across the digital landscape.

We believe in in-depth educational experiences that bring together – and resolve the conflicts between – business, marketing, communications and technology groups.

We believe that digital impacts horizontally across function, and that its lessons can be leveraged across sector and industry.

[slogan]We provide practical, relevant and applicable insights and education, while encouraging discussion, knowledge and solution sharing with peers.[/slogan]

dStrategy Media produces events that help our audiences achieve perspective. dStrategy Media was created to provide you with perspective so that you can better execute, take action and deliver success within your organization. We achieve this through our brands including:

Digital Strategy Conference; and
dStrategy Media

In addition to our in-depth domain expertise – from the early days of e-commerce, online customer service, email and search marketing, community management right through to today’s world of content strategy, the social business and 24/7 anywhere and everywhere connectivity, we have developed bench-strength in producing events and developing communities – finding and bringing together those who can change the direction of an industry for the better of all.