The Importance of Digital Transformation

The Importance of Digital Transformation
This post was published on the now-closed HuffPost Contributor platform. Contributors control their own work and posted freely to our site. If you need to flag this entry as abusive, send us an email.

In his post last month, Tom Lounibos wrote that "it is increasingly clear that we are at the beginning of a massive, disruptive digital transformation that is fundamentally changing the way we live, work and consume."

Last September in a piece for Forbes Steve Andriole wrote that "everyone wants to transform their businesses, and everyone who's alive knows that transformation now depends on digital technology." He also cited an Altimeter report, which essentially revealed that while many marketers say they are digitally transforming, as it were, very few of them even know what the term means.

I liken it to all the marketers out there who claim to be doing mobile marketing yet in reality their idea of mobile is having an optimized site. You know those marketers I refer to. They're the same ones who said they "in social media" when that came into vogue when it reality all it meant was they had created a Twitter account.

It is quite clear, however, that many marketers are finally waking up the fact that digital and the impact it has on pretty much everything is here to stay. Quite frankly I am surprised it has taken so many so long to awaken to what's been going on around them for the past 10+ years.

Daniel Newman, in a piece this past March, referenced Forrester research that showed that only 27% of brands actually have a real life, functional digital strategy. However, Newman also pointed out that according to Gartner and the IDC, there will be a large growth in digital initiatives and revenue over the next four years.

So What Is Digital Transformation?

In his piece Andriole said "digital transformation refers to the changes associated with the application of digital technology in all aspects of human society."

Lluís Altés believes digital transformation is the path that any company and public institution wishing to survive in today's world must follow. "Every day thousands of technological solutions appear as a response to the needs of SMEs and large corporations," he says. "Sectors like agriculture, health, banking, industry, retail and tourism are exploring challenges and opportunities that have come with the digital revolution. As a result of this and thanks to innovation, new business models have appeared while IT departments have become the focus of digital transformation in the business world."

Altés is the Strategy Director of the Digital Enterprise Show, which will be held later this month in Madrid. The show will be open to all organizations and leaders that are facing the challenges of digitally transforming their businesses and becoming part of the new digital economy.

Not to beat a dead horse here, but again, I have to say how surprised I am to learn that a digital transformation is still something even being discussed let alone the need to have an entire event on it.

But perhaps I am in the minority.

Perhaps, as Lounibos says, there is a "narrow-minded view that digital transformation and automation kill jobs." And as such many have been fearful of admitting the truth, which is digital marketing is no longer a type of marketing. It is the type of marketing.

All marketing is digital.

Deal with it.

Popular in the Community

Close

What's Hot