Ask yourself: From a digital marketing perspective, what role should digital strategy play in 2023? How can agencies get more involved in the businesses of the brands they serve?
In this article, I’ll share some key learnings from the first quarter of 2023 regarding digital strategy, the client’s expectations for it and most importantly, how we need to go about it as an overall industry.
From the digital strategy perspective, digital marketing (and others) is no longer just about basic communication strategies. It is about the entire customer experience and how to use technology to reach and engage customers better.
As we move into the year 2023 and beyond, digital marketers will need to consider a more comprehensive array of strategic considerations when it comes to digital marketing, including:
- Overall Business Models: Digital strategy should encompass the general business models of the clients. This means looking at customer segmentation, journey mapping, customer experience management, and analytics. The process should also include a focus on data-driven marketing and customer segmentation.
- Digital Transformation: Digital strategy should also focus on the client’s digital transformation. This entails looking at their IT systems, the customer’s digital assets and customer experience. The process should also focus on customer service, customer loyalty and retention, and engagement.
- AI and Automation: AI and automation are increasingly important in digital marketing. Digital strategy should consider how people and organizations use AI and automation to maximize customer experience. Doing so includes using AI for personalization, automation for customer service, and other automation tools to help make the customer experience seamless.
- Online Sales and Experience: Digital strategy should also look at the opportunities for increasing online sales and experiences. This means looking at e-commerce, online marketing, and the customer experience. The plan should also focus on customer service, customer loyalty, retention and engagement.
From a digital marketing perspective, digital strategy is increasingly essential for businesses looking to succeed in 2023 and beyond. It should encompass the overall business models of the clients, their digital transformation, the use of AI and automation, and opportunities for increasing online sales and experiences. By focusing on these areas, businesses can ensure that their digital marketing strategy is up-to-date and effective in the years to come.
Another critical aspect that deserves attention concerning what I’ve written about is that companies that are constantly adapting — I was saying recently that the only constant in today’s business reality will be change and constant adapting — is with brands using more of the digital skills of agencies to accelerate their internal changes and evolution too.
There are several ways organizations can (and should) approach this aspect:
- Digital agencies can bring their experience to bear when working with companies on internal communication projects. This can significantly boost a company’s change management efforts as digital transformation and adopting new technologies and tools become increasingly important to stay competitive. A digital agency can help a company understand the necessary steps in transitioning to digital processes and tools and provide advice on ensuring a smooth transition. They can also assist in creating effective internal communication plans to ensure that employees are kept informed of changes and are encouraged to adopt new technologies and processes.
- A digital agency can also help a company identify the right tools and technologies to support its change management efforts. They can advise on the best platform to use, the types of tools that will best suit the company’s needs, and how to integrate them into existing processes. By understanding the company’s goals, the agency can recommend options tailored to meet the organization’s needs. This can include everything from introducing new software and developing a system for tracking progress to creating an online forum for employees to collaborate and get feedback on changes.
- By utilizing the experience and expertise of a digital agency, companies can be better equipped to handle their change management projects. This can help companies to avoid costly mistakes and ensure a successful transition to the new technology and processes. A digital agency can guide how to adopt new tools and provide advice on how to ensure employees are kept informed and motivated to use new tools. They can also assist in setting up a system to track progress, measure success, and provide feedback on how different tools and processes perform. Companies can ensure successful change management projects and digital transformation with proper support and guidance.
In conclusion, we are living in atypical times. Still, we need to be optimistic and see the bright side of this, too. Currently, we are learning alongside our partners and clients and utilizing the co-creation philosophy of our group, along with the incredible opportunities provided by current technologies to continually increase our value to clients and enable them to do the same for their customers.
About Alex:
Alex Cernatescu is currently:
- CEO, Co-Founder & Global Head of Strategy at Stefanini Infinit (proudly part of Stefanini Group) – US & EMEA
- Executive MBA Professor
- Experienced Business Strategist, Marketer & Digital Transformation Expert
- Internationally Recognized Speaker, Consultant & (Corporate Teams) Trainer
- Serial Entrepreneur & Investor in Technology, Advertising, Marketing, Education & Digital Products
He specializes in and is experienced in creating and running agile teams, adapted to the current business context, that put together STRATEGY, CREATIVITY, DATA & TECHNOLOGY to help brands and businesses become closer to their consumers and their employees but also be more adaptable to change.
Awarded the Forbes 30 under 30 for Innovation, Digital and Media Award and featured on the Forbes Magazine Cover.
Passionate and experienced in entrepreneurship, global business development, C-Level management, digital transformation, product development, change management and leadership in Digital Advertising, Advertising, Software and Technology companies.
A seasoned international CEO, serial entrepreneur, public speaker, consultant, trainer and a tradigital strategist with extensive experience in major brands and helping them face the challenges they face in the digital age, Alex is currently focused on developing the business in United States & EMEA.