Digital Strategy Conference

Six Dimensions of Digital maturity podcast episode with Mr Marketology

by Kelly Kubrick on October 11, 2016

What are the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity?

Recently, I had the pleasure of chattting with Jeff Beale, aka Mr. Marketology as part of his Marketing Strategy Sessions podcast and YouTube channel. Jeff and I discussed the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity, the business planning model we first proposed at Digital Strategy Conference.

Watch our conversation on YouTube (20 minutes, 47 seconds) by clicking the video embedded below:

In this episode, Jeff and I discuss how the digital maturity model came about and how organizations can use it to their advantage. In particular, we talked about:Image of the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity - the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model

My thanks to Jeff Beale for his interest in sharing the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity the larger Mr Marketology community! Learn more at the Mr Marketology website, on Facebook, @mrmarketology on Twitter or Google Plus.

read more
Kelly KubrickSix Dimensions of Digital maturity podcast episode with Mr Marketology

Digital Strategy Conference: Our Journey Comes to a Close

by Kelly Kubrick on August 31, 2015

Thank you for participating in Digital Strategy Conference

Although Digital Strategy Conferences are no longer being produced, we invite you to continue learning how to increase your organizations’ level of digital maturity using the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model.

In 2013, the journey began with a model and framework for understanding the six key dimensions of digital maturity.

The goal of Digital Strategy Conference was to provide inspiring examples of digital strategy; while the goal of our Mapping Digital Maturity workshop was to provide a process for establishing your organizations’ level of digital maturity by giving you benchmarks from industry.

We met those goals and so did you.

Since then, hundreds of organizations and over 1,000 attendees from across sector and industry have helped their organizations increase competitive advantage and/or succeed in delivering on its mission.

Who Attended:

Senior directors and managers from across the organization responsible for planning, managing or integrating digital initiatives, along with their digital team.

Successful digital initiatives are due to the effort of high functioning teams, therefore, we encourage a team approach to your conference education.

Today’s opportunities for business improvement using digital processes and technologies extend across the organization. In addition to sales, marketing and communications, Digital Strategy Conference informs and educates those responsible for internal communications, social business and workforce management.

What you learned:

  • Digital strategy definition and models
  • How to assess digital maturity
  • Data strategy fundamentals
  • Performance measurement and digital analytics essentials
  • Content Strategy – content, technology and experience
  • Paid, Owned and Earned Media – the pillars of digital marketing
  • Case studies and applied learning from peers and colleagues

Thank you all

Today, our journey comes to a close. We thank to the entire #dstrategy community for its contribution, enthusiasm and support since we first proposed Digital Strategy Conference.

We wish you all the best and much success on your future initiatives.

Andrea Hadley and Kelly Kubrick, Co-founders, Digital Strategy Conference and Workshops

read more
Kelly KubrickDigital Strategy Conference: Our Journey Comes to a Close

Planning your ‘less talk, more action’ digital transformation

by Kelly Kubrick on May 13, 2015

First published on the Digital Strategy Conference blog, authored by Barret Murdock.

In 2014, Canada Science and Technology Museums made the news when a large outbreak of mould had been discovered in their Ottawa location. Brian Dawson, their Chief Digital Officer, explained how while it may have not been the best way to get on TV, it was this challenge that highlighted the need to to stay up-to-date in a culture that is in constant flux and that requires organizations to continuously battle the threat of digital irrelevancy.

“Digital Irrelevancy is Canada’s Biggest Threat”

Culture has become globalized – anywhere in the world one can receive information instantaneously from common sources such as Google and Wikipedia. This can present a problem because region-specific information and history can be overlooked by these global websites. Brian Dawson suggests that this is particularly true with Canadian history – if Canadians are not active digitally and on the web, then who will tell our stories?

Canadian Science and Technology Museums want to tell the story of science and technology in Canada and they have begun to offer a variety of digital opportunities to open up this public dialogue.

Examples of this are:

  • The creation of educational video games like Ace Academy, where the player goes to flight school and experiences a series of first world war missions
  • Digitization of their collection and giving the public open access to the data.

This free reign on information definitely carries a risk, but Dawson indicates that maintaining their collections relevancy in a digital landscape required a structure where enthusiasts can easily use the collections data in their personal projects. This collaboration with the public also includes crowdsourcing – asking the public to share their individual stories through text and videos, as well as encouraging social media contribution through hashtags.

Driving these initiatives, Canada Science and Technology Museums have formed Innovation Teams comprised of a wide range of experts specializing in areas relevant to a given project.  Teams work in four week cycles, during which they assess and integrate both user and stakeholder feedback. This process ensures that their projects are up-to-date and that the museums remain relevant in this digital age.

The Canada Science and Technology Museums took some negative media attention and used it as an opportunity to self-evaluate and  initiate positive, digital development throughout the entire organization.

read more
Kelly KubrickPlanning your ‘less talk, more action’ digital transformation

Welcome to Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2015!

by Kelly Kubrick on April 3, 2015

First published on the Digital Strategy Conference blog on April 2, 2015.

Ready for round 5?

Wow – five? It’s our fifth Digital Strategy Conference already. So glad you could join us! Get ready to learn from over 40 top marketers and digital experts from across North America in Vancouver’s UBC Robson Square,  here to share their organizations’ experiences in tackling the ever-evolving challenges of digital. From May 11-14, we’ll explore topics including digital fluency, the intersection of social and community, content strategy versus content marketing, and digital’s potential for filling the sales or lead generation pipeline.

No hype. Real world case studies

Be prepared to take lots of notes as we hear real-world case studies on specific ways that organizations are taking advantage of data to improve business results. Not hype. Real-world.

Our agenda aligns with the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity, the foundation of the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model, a framework and business planning tool designed to help you assess your organization’s current level of digital maturity.

New this year: Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop

Interested in learning how to assess your organization’s digital processes and their state (ranging from ad hoc to optimized)? For the first time in Vancouver, we’ll be offering our “Mapping Your Digital Maturity” workshop. Join us for a very practical, hands on workshop to dive into the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model on May 11, 2015 – the day before Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2015 kicks off.

We continue to believe that digital impacts horizontally across function, and that its lessons can be leveraged across sector and industry. Please take advantage of the experience and insights shared by the conference speakers. This is your chance to hear lessons learned, recommended approaches and landmines to avoid.

Shared perspectives increase insight

Share those insights when you get back to the office – the more perspective our collective community can bring to digital, the better.

You’re among friends, so ask questions, lots of questions. Tweet your thoughts, introduce yourself and network like no one is watching. I look forward to meeting you!

Kelly Kubrick
Co-Founder and Chair, Digital Strategy Conference

read more
Kelly KubrickWelcome to Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2015!

What are the foundations of a company’s digital strategy?

by Kelly Kubrick on January 31, 2015

First published in Marketing Today, the Canadian Home Builder’s Association (CHBA) member e-newsletter, January 2015.

Building the Foundations of Your Company’s Digital Strategy

The digital realm can identify both opportunities (new revenue streams, distribution channels, and operational efficiencies) and threats (shifting customer behaviors, higher service expectations, decreased asset utilization). So much so that, actually determining your company’s digital strategy can feel overwhelming. Don’t let it.

Instead, think of it this way: “Digital strategy is the process of identifying, articulating and executing on digital opportunities that will increase your organization’s competitive advantage.”

Digital strategy leads to competitive advantage

Think of digital as your company’s chance to create value that no other business is capable of. To succeed at digital, there are six process areas – the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity – your company will need to address as you tackle digital:

  1. Your human resources: Who are the people who will help plan and execute your digital initiatives?
  2. Your technology resources: Which technologies will your business need to use to implement your digital initiatives?
  3. Your data strategy: Data is an output of digital and the differentiator from its offline equivalent, allowing you to drive continuous improvement in your processes. What is your plan for leveraging its available insights?
  4. Your content strategy: Digital demands that companies produce content efficiently and accurately across multiple platforms and channels. Are you ready?
  5. Your channel strategy: Which channels – for marketing, transactions, distribution – can you realistically support, in a sustained, profitable way?
  6. Your social business strategy: Prospects and customers assume your ability to interact and collaborate – are you prepared for the transparency that will result?

Next, assess your company’s capabilities in each dimension. What are your strengths? Where are the gaps? What steps can you take this quarter? Where should your capabilities be this time next year? What will be your competitive (digital) advantage?

To help you get traction, we developed a self-assessment tool; a way to score your company’s digital efforts. The lower your score, the more opportunity there is to improve. The higher your score, the more you have optimized a given digital process. Interested in learning more? Take our dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey to add your insights.

The result? You have a more concrete idea about where to prioritize digital efforts and investment. Once you have your scores, you can “map” your results to visualize a digital maturity road map. Stop feeling overwhelmed and begin building your company’s digital foundations today.

read more
Kelly KubrickWhat are the foundations of a company’s digital strategy?

Mapping Digital Maturity travels west to Vancouver

by Kelly Kubrick on October 24, 2014

Now that we can share the dates of our next Digital Strategy Conference – May 12-14, 2015 at UBC Robson Square in Vancouver – we are also pleased to announce that we’ll be offering our Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop immediately before the conference kicks off, on Monday May 11th, 2015.

Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop

As instructor of the Mapping Digital Maturity workshop and Conference Chair, I will teach attendees how to assess their organization’s digital capabilities, and their current level of readiness in anticipation of rigors of implementing a digital strategy.

Over the course of the day, workshop attendees will create a strategic road map to digital success. Literally. I will show you how to map your organization’s maturity so that you end up with a visual of your digital strengths and opportunities.

As co-author of the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model, a business planning tool we’ll use throughout the day, I will also share benchmarks and insights from the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey so that you can bring the information back to your colleagues and management teams.

We first offered the workshop at Digital Strategy Conference Ottawa earlier this month. Some of their comments to whet your appetite for the next Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop:

  • “Extremely helpful in getting a clearer perspective on our organization’s challenges and opportunities”
  • “Useful for articulating to management where our focus needs to be”
  • “Loved how discussions were used as learning”
  • “I recommended that other members of my team attend”
  • “Enabled us to benchmark with other institutions and gave us practical tools”

If you have not participated in this year’s dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey, we welcome your insights. The survey takes about 15 minutes to complete. I look forward to seeing you all in Vancouver in May!

read more
Kelly KubrickMapping Digital Maturity travels west to Vancouver

Delving into Digital Strategy podcast episode from The Voice

by Kelly Kubrick on September 24, 2014

Face the challenges of digital through peer learning

As Chair of Digital Strategy Conference Ottawa, one aspect of my role that I love is learning about the challenges of digital at our speakers’ organizations. I’m a firm believer in case-study learning, and even more so in the digital world, where our best educational opportunities often come from peers – our fellow practitioners. Thus, we always ask our speakers to share the unvarnished truth about the challenges of digital.

In advance of this year’s event, I’m very pleased to give you all a taste of exactly that format of learning about digital, from within two particularly Canadian organizations – BlackBerry and Post Media Network Inc.IABC Ottawa’s the Voice podcast logo

With thanks to IABC Ottawa, the crew from The Voice, IABC Ottawa’s podcast, kindly invited myself and two of Digital Strategy Conference Ottawa 2014’s speakers in to the studio to talk digital strategy. I’m pleased to introduce you to Trace Cohen, Carl Neustaedter and our fabulous podcast host, Tina Barton.

Trace Cohen is Senior Director, Digital Marketing at Blackberry and will be speaking on Tuesday September 30th, 2014. Trace will be delivering a session entitled Relevant in Real Time and explaining how that translates into BlackBerry’s content strategy supporting buyer decisions.

Carl Neustaedter is Deputy Editor and Senior Producer of the iPad Edition at the Ottawa Citizen. Carl will share their story of Surviving Seismic Shifts in Structure: Splicing Ourselves Across Four Platforms on Wednesday, October 1st, 2014.

Listen: Delving into digital strategy podcast from the Voice

In The Voice Episode 82: Delving into Digital Strategy, Tina asks each of us what inspires us about digital and in particular to Carl and Trace, how Post Media and BlackBerry in particular are coping with the challenges digital has presented to the media and technology industries respectively.

Tina gave me the opportunity to expound on my view that 2014 is the year of “more than” in digital strategy – it’s the year we’re all coming to grips that digital strategy is more than just social media, or content strategy or digital data – but rather the need for juggling them all simultaneously.

An insider’s view – digital can be the cause of or it can combat disruption

Have a listen to episode 82 and learn more about how BlackBerry is returning to its roots under new leader John Chen – becoming a more responsive, reactive and even aggressive brand in its efforts to counter some of the negative perceptions seen in media.

Speaking of media – hear the inside-scoop on the Post Media’s research-driven efforts, and the Ottawa Citizen’s in particular, to combat the disruption digital has wrought on media: vanishing revenue streams, fragmenting audiences and platform expansion.

Ahh – digital – we love you!

read more
Kelly KubrickDelving into Digital Strategy podcast episode from The Voice

Does your company have traction with its digital strategy yet?

by Kelly Kubrick on September 16, 2014

First published in The Voice blog of the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce, September 15, 2014.

How to get traction with your company’s digital strategy

We cannot avoid the impact of digital on our plans for the future. Here’s a sample of business headlines from the last month:*

  • “Best Buy’s web sales rise as store sales fall”
  • “UPS tests pickup points for online orders”
  • “Staples says its omnichannel strategy increased web sales in Q2”

Offering opportunities (new revenue streams, distribution channels, and operational efficiencies) with simultaneous threats (shifting customer behaviors, higher service expectations, decreased asset utilization), digital feels overwhelming.

Instead, think of it this way: “Digital strategy is the process of identifying, articulating and executing on digital opportunities that will increase your organization’s competitive advantage.”

Digital strategy leads to competitive advantage

Think of digital as your company’s chance to create value that no other business is capable of. To succeed at digital, there are six process areas – the Six Dimensions of Digital Strategy – your company will need to address as you tackle digital:

  1. Human resources: Who are the people who will help plan and execute your digital initiatives?
  2. Technology resources: Which technologies will your business need to use to implement your digital initiatives?
  3. Data strategy: Data is an output of digital and the differentiator from its offline equivalent, allowing you to drive continuous improvement in your processes. What is your plan for leveraging its available insights?
  4. Content strategy: Digital demands that companies produce content efficiently and accurately across multiple platforms and channels. Are you ready?
  5. Channel strategy: Which channels – for marketing, transactions, distribution – can you realistically support, in a sustained, profitable way?
  6. Social Business strategy: Prospects and customers assume your ability to interact and collaborate – are you prepared for the transparency that will result?

What are your company’s current digital capabilities?

Start by assessing your company’s capabilities in each dimension. What are your strengths? Where are the gaps? What steps can you take this quarter? Where should your capabilities be this time next year? What will be your competitive (digital) advantage?

Learn more at Digital Strategy Conference Ottawa from September 29-Oct 1, 2014 – and save! Ottawa Chamber Members get $100 off.

*Source: Internet Retailer, August 21 – September 4, 2014
read more
Kelly KubrickDoes your company have traction with its digital strategy yet?

Ottawa Digital Strategy Conference 2014 – Welcome back!

by Kelly Kubrick on September 5, 2014
First published on Digital Strategy Conference blog September 5th, 2014. Reprinted with permission from dStrategy Media

 

Exuberant? Yes. Eager? Yes. Counting down the days? YES! I can’t wait to welcome you all to Digital Strategy Conference & Workshops Ottawa, September 30 – October 2, 2014.

As Chair, I have the great pleasure of introducing our great line up of keynotes and speakers. We’ll hear from brands such as Canada’s FGL Sports (parent of SportChek), Blackberry, BRP, CanadaHelps, CBC, and from our neighbours to the south with speakers from AT&T and IFT. As we first articulated when co-founding this conference, we believe that digital impacts horizontally across function, and that its lessons can be leveraged across sector and industry.

As ever, Digital Strategy Conference is intended to help you achieve perspective while planning and implementing your organization’s digital strategy. Our speakers provide the best of professional education – practical, relevant and applicable – and are experts with knowledge to share.

In the spirit of back to school and all that it represents, I’m excited to announce:

New this year at Ottawa 2014:

1. Thirteen fantastic speakers you didn’t meet last year: digital practitioners from across North America with in-depth experience tackling this year’s key areas of learning: Content Strategy, Social Business, Data & Analytics and Channel Strategy;

2. Two new workshops on October 2, 2014 – The Nuts & Bolts of Content Strategy taught by Joe Gollner and Establishing Your Road Map to Digital Maturity, taught by yours truly;

3. Our new location – Carleton University’s new River Building with its lovely views, and its fantastic patio overlooking the Rideau River rapids. Can there be a better way to escape Ottawa’s construction and traffic gridlock while problem solving with peers? I think think not.

Back by popular demand – the tried and true!

1. Joe Gollner and Isabelle Perrault return, respectively tackling content strategy in government and digital transformation. Co-presenting with Isabelle is Erin Crowe, EVP and CFO of Ottawa’s very own Senators Sports & Entertainment;

2. We’re very excited to introduce you to three of our top rated speakers from our Vancouver 2014 event: Scott Abel from the Content Wrangler, Stephane Hamel from Cardinal Path and Bryan Robertson from Open Road. Thank you all for crossing the continent for our Ottawa 2014 audience!

3. Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity – not only the pillars that form the Digital Strategy Conference agenda, but a business planning tool which you, our community, received with great enthusiasm. So much so, that when we first introduced the dStrategy Maturity Model, you demanded “What’s next?” Thanks to your input, we’ve got new a new video to explain how the model is being used by organizations, new data to share and that new workshop to announce!

As we begin our final countdown, our thanks for the renewed commitment of sponsors Adobe, the Ottawa Business Journal, the Ottawa Chamber of Commerce and IABC Ottawa. Speaking of commitment, a big ‘welcome back’ to multi-city sponsors FreshGigs.ca and Women in Communications and Technology (WCT). Thank you all for your continued support.

I would also like to welcome our enthusiastic new sponsors: many, many thanks to eMarketer, Reachology and the Canadian Public Relations Society (CPRS) Ottawa-Gatineau and Vancouver chapters. We’re so pleased to have you join the #dstrategy crew!

I hope you will join us for our next deep dive into digital strategy, and I look forward to seeing you all on September 30th, 2014!

read more
Kelly KubrickOttawa Digital Strategy Conference 2014 – Welcome back!

Announcing two new workshops: Digital Maturity and Content Strategy

by Kelly Kubrick on June 24, 2014

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

For this year’s Digital Strategy Conference Ottawa, September 30-October 2, 2014 at Carleton University, we are pleased to announce the launch of two new workshops. Both will be held on Day 3, Friday Oct 2nd, 2014 – which means you may have a tough choice in front of you!

Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop

In my dual role as Conference Chair and instructor of the workshop I will teach workshop attendees about digital maturity – what it is and how it applies to the development of digital strategy.Mapping Digital Maturity workshop, I look forward to showing workshop attendees how to assess their organization's digital maturity. Our first step will be rate your organization’s capabilities and level of readiness across the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity Workshop

We’ll use a business planning tool – the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model – to show you how to assess your organization’s digital maturity or your organization’s digital capabilities and level of readiness for implementation.

In May 2013, I was fortunate to have the chance to outline the concept of digital maturity during a podcast with The Voice from IABC Ottawa. You’ll get the rundown in a mere 15 minutes by listening to the episode on Player FM.

During the workshop, I will share detailed findings from our dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey. If you have not participated, we welcome your insights – this year’s Digital Maturity Benchmark survey should take about 15 minutes to complete.

Additional details about the Digital Maturity Workshop are available at the Digital Strategy Conference website.

The Nuts & Bolts of Digital Content Strategy

If your organization is grappling with content strategy, have we got a treat for you! Joe Gollner is one of the world’s leading Content Strategists who just happens to call Ottawa (truth be told, he’s a Manotick man) home. In addition to leading workshops and educating managers and directors about the essentials of content strategy, Joe is the Managing Director of Gnostyx Research, an Ottawa-based consultancy and integrator specializing in content strategy and solutions.

Joe Gollner, Content Strategy Workshop Instructor

Join Joe’s workshop on October 2nd as he shows you how to define and execute a content strategy for your organization. At the end of the day, you will not only understand how content fits within the framework for your digital strategy, you’ll leave with several tools including a content strategy evaluation and planning framework that you can tailor to use within your organization.

Attend the conference and you’ll have two opportunities to learn from Joe. First on Sept 30th where he’ll share details of a Federal Government case study, or on Oct 2nd for his full-day workshop.

Looking forward to seeing everyone in September!

read more
Kelly KubrickAnnouncing two new workshops: Digital Maturity and Content Strategy