Digital B2B services in the next normal
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Despite the world turning upside down, you know it's not going to be any easier today than it was 6 months ago to get someone who's done the same job the same way for years to go digital overnight.
But given the current circumstances, the wisdom of 'if it ain't broken, don't fix it' just doesn't have the same ring to it.
One tried and tested way to get the 'serious' B2B folks to pay attention to us 'digital transformation-types' is to share real-world examples from other serious B2B companies. (I'm talking about telecom, manufacturing and aerospace - none of that weak SaaS stuff 😬 )
And this research from McKinsey is chock-full of them.
"The execution of DnA (Digital & Analytics) tools across sales, service, and support is essential for initiating a digital transformation. However, sustaining the change is the most critical component of any transformation and is often overlooked. Coming out of COVID-19, leading companies are building an agile and resilient operating model to execute transformation and then sustain it through iterative improvements."
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An agile approach to budgeting
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2020 is a tricky year for budgeting. For one, it probably threw all your forecasts and targets out the door in March already and the other, next year you're going to be hard-pressed to 'cover the ground' you lost this year.
Since it's September and you're probably wrapping up your business plan for 2021, there's no better time to check out this agile approach to budgeting from HBR.
"The uncertainties due to the pandemic are making the annual budgeting and planning process especially challenging. Instead of the conventional predict, command, and control approach, companies should focus on learning, adapting, and growing — not on trying to predict the unpredictable. They should shift the focus from financial precision to strategic success. And they should plan faster and more frequently: Set bold, challenging objectives and then adjust plans to incorporate valuable lessons learned along the way."
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- First the loss of third-party cookie in Chrome, and now Facebook is warning publishers to expect the quality of targeted advertising on the Facebook Audience Network to decrease once iOS 14 is released later this year. (Read more)
- Here's a Brand Advocacy Map to help brands close the gap between what they preach and what they practice. (Read more)
- A report from Google and Forrester shows that the future of cross-platform marketing analytics is incomplete without Machine Learning & Automation. (Read more)
- As Europe gets pushed into a deeper recession, Forrester shares its predictions on consumer trends. (Read more)
- "We built Slim Jim from 5,000 to 1.1 million followers [on Instagram] (without a single penny spent on promotion) on the back of razor sharp memes that didn’t feel like they were coming from a brand.” Digiday on why venturing into meme-based marketing can be risky for brands. (Read more)
- Is it ever a bad idea to revisit the basics of business management? The right answer is no. Here's a primer on creating a strategy to grow your business through market penetration. (Read more)
- Companies report that the pandemic has accelerated their digitalisation strategy by 6 years! This just goes to show that we're a whole lot more agile than we thought. (Read more)
- More insights into voice search algorithms that are behind our favourite voice assistants to help you leverage the power of voice search. (Read more)
- What drives B2B buyers and how to reshape B2B marketing based on audience data. (Read more)
- I can't possibly end this newsletter without giving you an update on TikTok. You might've heard that their all-American CEO quit last week, and in an exciting turn of events, Walmart joined Microsoft's bid against Oracle. If that wasn't thrilling enough, new tech export rules in China could halt TikToks sale to a US company altogether.
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Until Friday,
Aliyar
PS. Are we connected on LinkedIn? No? Let's remedy that, shall we.
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