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.

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: