Online Authority Blog

Your Digital Measurement Resolution for 2013

by Kelly Kubrick on January 9, 2013

May I offer you a New Year’s resolution that doesn’t involve depriving yourself? A resolution that actually gives you good things – and at no cost?

Thanks to everyone who came out! Check out Online Authority’s takeaways from an afternoon immersion in analytics.

No need to deprive yourself

Register now to catch Jim Sterne of eMetrics, Digital Analytics Association and authorial fame roll up his sleeves and answer the question “What Makes a Great Analyst?”

If you’ve got digital measurement on the horizon for 2013 – or are deep in it now – you need to be there. Contemplating measurement frameworks? Or how to structure an analytics team? Need ideas for job titles? Or digital analyst job descriptions? Then block off the afternoon…

Jim Sterne

Jim will be in Ottawa for a pre-eMetrics Tour on January 17th, 2013 at Empire Grill in the Byward Market from 1:15pm to 5:00pm. This is your chance to hear Jim help Ottawa’s #measure community contemplate what it takes to be a true artist in the field of digital analytics.

As someone who has had the pleasure of hearing Jim speak multiple times over several years, I can tell you he delivers. Not only does he deliver engaging, intriguing and thought-provoking material, he also believes firmly in the potential of the digital measurement community.

The only requirement? Limited seating: Register ASAP

Speaking of building our community, this event is a great way to do just that in a painless way. Not only do you get to hear Jim’s take on the state of our industry, but you also get to catch:

Stephane Hamel of Cardinal Path and creator of WASP (THANK YOU!!!) and of the Online Analytics Maturity Model (when’s the last time you assessed your organization’s analytics maturity? Never? Get on that, would you?)
Jim Cain of Napkyn Inc. forger of new analytics business models (with one of my favourite lines ever: “Where your web analyst works.”) And who will help you use analytics to pick winners and losers. And we’re not talking Charlie Sheen…
Allan Wille of Klipfolio Inc. who’s going to give us the scoop on trends-analytical and how things are looking up for marketers (and who you should ask about things dashboard-y); and
Myself, Kelly Kubrick: I’ll be talking about applied analytics while making references to Hobbits. Habits! I mean habits!

And in between all this great content, you will meet your fellow Ottawa #measure community. Folks like you from private and public sectors, from across industries and all from Ottawa. Digital analysts, web analysts, search analysts, recovering analysts, future analysts…Come out and meet the crew!

In fact, if you really feel like broadening your Canadian analytical horizons, you can also catch our sister eMetrics Tour in Montreal on January 16th, 2013.

For additional scoop on the tour, check out Let’s talk metrics! Klipfolio an official sponsor of the eMetrics Tour and eMetrics Ottawa – Awesome, Important, Free! (and Napkyn is in the house).

Finally – assuming you are negotiating budget to attend eMetrics Toronto 2013 at this very moment, this is your chance to marshal arguments and perfect your pitch. And, if you are not familiar with the eMetrics Summits, here’s my learning from eMetrics Toronto 2012.

The moment is here…go ahead – you know you want to…register now…Hope you can make it!

Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2013 Agenda Live

by Kelly Kubrick on December 21, 2012

A few weeks ago, we announced the launch of the Digital Strategy Conference, which will deliver in-depth content on the essentials of planning, organizing, integrating and implementing digital initiatives.

To help you understand exactly what that will entail, I’m very happy to report that the agenda for Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver 2013 is now live, and its chock-full of fantastic speakers. Take a look at what we’ve got in store:

Agenda Overview: All 3 Days
Day 1 Detail: Tuesday, April 23rd, 2013
Day 2 Detail: Wednesday, April 24th, 2013
Day 3 Detail: Thursday, April, 24th, 2013

Over the course of three days, you’ll be taken on a guided tour through Defining Digital Strategy and Establishing Digital Maturity with a from Grace Carter, Online Experience, eCommerce, Aritzia. After that, we leap into five key areas of learning:

1. Organizational and Operational Readiness – learn from Dan Pontefract, Author – The Flat Army and Sr. Director Learning & Collaboration, TELUS, Michael Tippet, CEO, Co-Founder at Ayoudo and Christopher Berry, Co-Founder, Chief Science Officer, Authintic.

2. Content Strategy will be taught by industry expert Rahel Anne Bailie, Content Strategist and Author of Content Strategy with a case study about the City of Vancouver presented by Gordon Ross, VP and Partner, OpenRoad.

3. Mobile to Multiscreen Strategy – learn from Scott Michaels, Vice President, Atimi Software and guest speakers Pete Smyth, President & CEO at iamota and Shawn Neumann, President & Founder at Domain 7. After that, get the scoop on M-Commerce from Brian Flanagan, Sr. Director, Product and Retail Canada & LATAM, Expedia.

4. Social Strategy: Earned Media and Community Development, taught by Sandy Gerber, Founder, NEXT Marketing with a case study from Nancy Richardson, Vice-President, Digital & Brand Strategy at lululemon athletica.

5. Making Sense of Advertising / Paid Media: The Eco-system and Mixed Media Measurement – learn from Kevin Curtis, Sales Manager, Western Canada, Exponential and more from Christopher Berry.

Digital Maturity: the Data Strategy Dimension

by Kelly Kubrick on December 20, 2012

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

The third dimension of digital maturity is your Data Strategy. It is one of Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity™ assessed in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™, a business planning tool to help organizations improve their digital processes against an established standard.

Data Strategy icon from the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model An organization’s data strategy “reflects all the ways you capture, store, manage and use information.” Without a data strategy, organizations struggle with

Uncertainty about what data is collected / available
Poorly understood data standards, and how that can lead data quality issues
- Is it ‘stale’?
- Is ‘clean’ and / or ‘trusted’?
- Is it ‘usable’ / is it ‘accessible’? In which formats?
Deciding how long they should store data
Who / which roles should be responsible for protecting and securing data
A lack of recognition of the strategic value of the data collected

Now, think about your organization’s approach to your data:

Could you inventory the different data sources your organization has available? Within each, do you know what data you are collecting?
How would you characterize your organization’s collection of customer data such as email addresses, ecommerce sales data, or member information?
How would you characterize your organization’s use of data?
- How ‘clean’ is your data?
- Do you trust the data?
Who is responsible for collecting and cleaning the various data sources?
Are you collecting the data needed for you to take action with it?
How quickly does your organization act on the data (offline / operational, customer, or digital) you are collecting?

When assessing your level of maturity in data strategy, think about the data you collect, how you use and share it and how frequently and how quickly you act on it.

Answering these questions is will help your organization determine if it is in the best position to implement your digital initiatives. What do you think? Have you got the right data strategy in place to ensure your organization’s digital success?

Next: Content Strategy

Next, let’s take a look at the fourth dimension, your organization’s content strategy.

Participate in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey

For specific questions that measure the human resources dimension of digital maturity, take the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey. We will share our collective results at the next Digital Strategy Conference.

Learn how to measure your organization’s digital maturity

Or, to measure your organization’s digital maturity across all six dimensions, register for our upcoming Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop, a practical, hands-on learning session to help your organization create a road map for digital success.

Digital Maturity: the Technology Resources Dimension

by Kelly Kubrick on December 10, 2012

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

The second dimension of digital maturity is Technology Resources. It is one of Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity™ assessed in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™, a business planning tool to help organizations improve their digital processes against an established standard.

Which technologies are in your technology toolbox today?

Technology Resources icon from the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model How has your organization addressed the availability and investment in the technology necessary for implementing your digital initiatives?

What types of digital initiatives are underway?

Are you publishing web content? Social media content? Email content?

If you are publishing digital content, are you managing your website internally or does your agency? Are you (or they) managing those efforts via content management systems?

As data is one of the outputs of web, email and social content management systems, are you using any kind of analytics tools to help generate insight in how those efforts are performing?

Are any of your people trying out any tools that let them collaborate more easily? Perhaps Google Drive or Dropbox to share files with your agencies? Perhaps Skype to avoid expensive long distance phone bills?

What kinds of rules and processes or governance do you have for the use of all of these digital technologies?

Answering these questions is will help your organization determine if it is in the best position to implement your digital initiatives. What do you think? Have you got the right technologies in place to ensure your organization’s digital success?

Next: Data Strategy

Next, let’s take a look at the third dimension, your organization’s data strategy.

Participate in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey

Learn how to measure your organization’s digital maturity

Digital Maturity: the Human Resources Dimension

by Kelly Kubrick on November 20, 2012

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

Introduced in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™, the first dimension of digital maturity is Human Resources.

In the model, a business planning tool to help organizations improve their digital processes against an established standard, we proposed six process areas – “The Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity™” – each of which is crucial for organizations to address in order to achieve success in digital.

Human Resources icon from the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model The first is your people – the human resources – working on your organization’s digital initiatives. Think about your organization’s approach to them:

Who works on digital initiatives?

Think of three different groups of people:

People currently working with digital technology and processes: publishing, sales / ecommerce, marketing / communications, or collecting / analyzing data;
Senior management / C-suite looking at threats and opportunities resulting from digital, and the impact of digital on your organization’s business model; and
People who are not using digital technologies, processes or media, but who could be, ideally finding increased efficiencies.

Who are those individuals in your organization? How many are there in each group?

Where do those people “live” in your organization?

Who are they and what level are they at?
Is digital their primary responsibility or is it an ‘off the corner of their desk’ prioritization?
Do they work alone or as part of a larger team?

What kind of organizational support is provided to them?

Do they report to management who have digital training and or expertise?
If part of a team, is the team predominantly working on digital or non-digital initiatives?
What kind of training – in digital – is provided to your people?

Answering these questions is the first step in understanding whether your organization is in the best position to resource, and ultimately implement your digital initiatives. What do you think? Have you got the right people involved to ensure your organization’s digital success?

Next: Technology Resources

Next, let’s take a look at the second dimension, your organization’s technology resources.

Participate in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey

Learn how to measure your organization’s digital maturity

Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity Icons

Introducing the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity, aka the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™

by Kelly Kubrick on November 19, 2012

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

Do any of these sound familiar?

A digital campaign launches without measurement
A new product launches but the online customer support content doesn’t get updated
A new technology conflicts with an existing process in the online sales channel

Given all that we know about digital business today, how do these things happen?

It starts innocently. The pressure to launch – a responsive website, a Twitter account, anything – everything! – is such that the project kicks off without a clear, let alone known, process.

The requirement for action overwhelms the time available to plan. Suddenly, your digital presence suffers from the old “Fire, Ready, Aim” joke.

We promise there is a better way. Take advantage of established business planning tools such project plans and budgets. And, maturity models.

Take advantage of maturity models

A maturity model is business planning tool to help your organization improve processes against an established standard. Maturity models include assessment criteria and a method to score your efforts relative to the criteria.

The lower your score, the more opportunity there is to improve. The higher your score, the more you have optimized a given process, and the higher your maturity rating is.

Most importantly, the simplicity and clarity of a completed maturity model provides everyone in your organization a common starting point: the equivalent of the arrow on a map saying “You are here”.

What is a digital maturity model?

A digital maturity model is a business planning tool specifically intended to help your organization assess its digital processes against an established standard. Doing so will provide a framework – a road map, if you will – to progress your digital efforts.

By knowing where you are today, you are better able to decide where you could be in the future – and how you will get there. Assessing your digital maturity will help you visualize your path forward and set priorities for digital process improvement.

Introducing the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity – the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™

We created the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model, including assessment criteria and a rating method – from Zero, through Low, Medium and High – to help you assess your organization’s current digital maturity.

Image of the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity - the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model

Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity – dStrategy Digital Maturity Model

Our assessment criteria span six dimensions, each of which is necessary for the successful execution of digital strategy. The Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity™ are described at each link below:

We look forward to discussing the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™ with you here, and at the next Digital Strategy Conference.

In 2013, we introduced the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™ at Digital Strategy Conference Vancouver, British Columbia and Ottawa, Ontario. Our audience not only confirmed the tremendous value that the Model provides, they asked, “What’s next?”

Share your insights

Next, we’re happy to report, is the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey. Now in it’s third year, we invite you to share your insights.

Learn how to measure and map your organization’s digital maturity

Then, you asked us how you could map your organization’s digital maturity and how you could apply and act on your assessment results. We listened and launched the Mapping Digital Maturity Workshop Corporate Training, a practical, hands-on learning session to help your organization create a road map for digital success.

We look forward to the next step in our collective path to digital maturity with you!

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.

Online Authority Blog

Your Digital Measurement Resolution for 2013

No need to deprive yourself

The only requirement? Limited seating: Register ASAP

Digital Maturity: the Data Strategy Dimension

Next: Content Strategy

Participate in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey

Learn how to measure your organization’s digital maturity

Digital Maturity: the Technology Resources Dimension

Which technologies are in your technology toolbox today?

What types of digital initiatives are underway?

Next: Data Strategy

Participate in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey

Learn how to measure your organization’s digital maturity

Digital Maturity: the Human Resources Dimension

Who works on digital initiatives?

Where do those people “live” in your organization?

What kind of organizational support is provided to them?

Next: Technology Resources

Participate in the dStrategy Digital Maturity Benchmark Survey

Learn how to measure your organization’s digital maturity

Introducing the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity, aka the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™

Do any of these sound familiar?

Take advantage of maturity models

What is a digital maturity model?

Introducing the Six Dimensions of Digital Maturity – the dStrategy Digital Maturity Model™

Share your insights

Learn how to measure and map your organization’s digital maturity

What is Digital Strategy?

Defining Digital Strategy: Finding Common Ground

Digital Strategy Leads to Competitive Advantage

About dStrategy Media

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