Digital Transformation seems to be the buzzword of the moment, but what does it really mean? And, more importantly, what does it mean to your business?

1. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 1
5 Signs You’re in the
Middle of a Digital
Transformation
Digital Transformation seems to be the buzzword of the moment,
but what does it really mean? And, more importantly, what does it
mean to your business?

2. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 2
Digital transformation is a phrase
pundits are tossing around plenty
these days — so often, in fact,
that it’s hard to tell what it really
means anymore.
That’s because while many businesses are chasing the ideal
transformation, there’s no one-size-fits-all solution.
At its heart, digital transformation refers to a genuine change.
This change can come about only after an organization is ready to
embrace digital fluency as a fundamental requirement for the way they
do business.
But faced with a wide range of competitive threats and opportunities
— not to mention varying levels of digital maturity — it’s not
surprising so many companies aren’t exactly sure where they fall on
the proficiency scale.

3. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 3
What we’ve found may
surprise you...
Companies that haven’t created a formal,
corporate digital transformation strategy
are often further along the path than they’d
imagined, with bits and pieces of the
organization already in full transformation mode.
Here are five clues that a digital transformation
is currently underway.
If any of these clues sound familiar, it’s time to
develop a strategy to catch up to reality.

4. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 4
There are a number of isolated, but
specific, digital initiatives being launched
throughout the organization that are
returning measurable business value.
Your digital transformation may be underway if...
1

5. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 5
You’re beginning to think
the company’s digital vision
needs to extend beyond
the marketing and IT
departments and become
a priority throughout the
company, with oversight at
the highest levels.
Your digital transformation may be underway if...
2

6. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 6
You’re seeing more ideas
coming from employees that
are about using new channels
or introducing digital
components to your
products and services,
and you’re ready to start
taking these more seriously.
Your digital transformation may be underway if...
3

7. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 7
Large competitors are
no longer the primary
threat. Increasingly, you
find you are identifying
and analyzing digitally-
enabled startups
that could threaten
your core businesses.
Your digital transformation may be underway if...
4

8. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 8
You get the importance
of understanding your
customers and knowing
their wants and needs,
and you’re convinced
that digital technologies
can help improve
their experience with
your brand.
Your digital transformation may be underway if...
5

9. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 9
If any of these sound familiar,
it’s evidence that digital
transformation is beginning to
take root in your organization,
albeit in a fragmented way.
The good news is that your company — or at least parts of it — is
fostering innovation in digital tools, technologies and thinking. That
means engaging with digitally-enabled customers, employees and
partners is an emerging priority.
The bad news? You’re not seeing or implementing the strategic “red
thread” throughout these initiatives, and you’re not federating a plan
that can drive action across the enterprise.

10. 5 Signs You’re in the Middle of a Digital Transformation Prophet Brand Strategy 10
You’re not alone.
“
88%of companies are
going through digital
transformation,
but only
25%know why.”
According to Brian Solis of the Altimeter Group,

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It’s time to leverage these early
wins to step up your digital
transformation game across
your company.
Taking a step back to establish a strategic framework can help
you plan more coherent and impactful digital activities, delivering
quick wins as well as long-term competitive advantages.
At Prophet, we’ve found success with brands like Electrolux
and T-Mobile, in taking a measured, customer-focused, results-
oriented approach.

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Our approach is built around
the “Four M’s”:
Methods
Mindsets
Missions
Moves M
Walking through these steps we help identify strategic
opportunities and help companies come up with specific
in-market transformative initiatives.
Equally important, this framework not only helps drive
strategy development but also includes an actionable plan
for implementation.

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Digital Transformation is
not as intangible or far-off
as you might have thought.
And if you are seeing any one of these five signs
within your company there may be strong, if
disjointed, signs that digital is taking root in your
company in transformative ways.
Now’s the time to double down on efforts, establish
a strategic framework, and set concrete success
metrics and an aggressive path forward.
The more your digital efforts align with a larger
strategic vision, the more transformational your
activities are likely to be.

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For more information please contact:
And for more on digital transformation,
visit www.prophet.com/digital
Paul English
Partner
(917) 769-0406
p_english@prophet.com
Paul English is a Partner based in Prophet’s London office. A digital
native, he has spent the better part of the last 20 years helping global
brands find the intersection of digital technology, customer insight and
business results.