The document outlines how to develop an effective digital strategy. It discusses that companies must adopt new technologies or face competitive obsolescence. A digital strategy should address rapid technological change, changing user behaviors, and organizational impacts. It recommends a minimum viable digital strategy that is high-level, user-centered, rapidly developed through collaboration, and focused on outcomes. The process involves discovery, vision, planning, and measurement phases to iteratively improve the strategy.

1. HOW TO DEVELOP A DIGITAL STRATEGY
November 2013

2. WHY?

3. “companies now face a digital
imperative: adopt new
technologies effectively or face
competitive obsolescence.”
MIT Sloan - Digital Imperative 2013
3

4. “Companies that succeed tend to have
leaders who share their vision and define
a road map, create cross-organizational
authority for adoption and reward
employees for working towards it.”
MIT Sloan - Digital Imperative 2013
4

5. W H AT ?

6. a digital strategy is a highlevel plan that details how
digital media and platforms
can be used to achieve an
organisation’s goals
6

7. A shared vision and
associated plan that informs
the wider corporate strategy.
7

8. no one-size-fits-all solution
8

9. A RANGE OF SUCCESSFUL STRATEGIES
Digital pioneers like
Nike, Red Bull and
Burberry spend up to
70% on digital and
‘non traditional’ +
digital.
!
But all take very
different approaches.
Nike
Red Bull
Burberry
9

10. THREE ISSUES THE STRATEGY MUST ADDRESS
There are three main
issues that every digital
strategy must address:
the rapid of pace of
technological change;
the consequent change
in user behaviours and
the organisational
response to change.
rapid
technological
change
changing
user behaviours
organisational
impacts
10

11. MULTIPLE STAKEHOLDERS
Digital is a cross functional
discipline which impacts most
areas of any organisation
from e-commerce and IT
infrastructure to marketing
and brand strategy.
Marketing
Product
IT
!
!
All need to be included in the
formulation of a digital
strategy.
!
Sales
!
11

12. Multiple stakeholders with
differing needs and visions
can make developing a digital
strategy extremely complex.
12

13. By the time consensus has
been reached technology and
user behaviour has moved on.
13

14. How do you create a digital
strategy that meets the needs
of all stakeholders in the
business and keeps up with
rapidly changing technology
and user behaviours?
14

15. HOW?

16. MINIMUM VIABLE
DIGITAL STRATEGY
16

17. Lean Startup methodology, as
pioneered by the likes of Eric
Ries, advocates a bottom up
approach to digital development
and strategy.
17

18. "The Minimum Viable Product
is that version of a new product
which allows a team to collect
the maximum amount of
validated learning about
customers with the least effort."
18

19. These are some famous MVPs products that have been
iterated and developed far
beyond their original scope.
19

20. “A minimum viable digital
strategy is a high level plan that
maximises the organisation’s
digital capability for the least
effort”
20

21. An Minimum Viable Digital
Strategy should be:
!
+ High Level
+ User Centred
+ Rapidly Developed
+ Collaborative
+Focussed on Outcomes
21

22. With enough practical output
to move digital capabilities
forward.
22

23. PROCESS

24. STRATEGY STAGES
DISCOVERY
clear insights
There are four distinct phases
to developing a digital strategy.
!
Discovery, vision, planning
and measurement.
!
The process is designed to be
iterative - the first strategy is
just a starting point, a
framework to test, learn and
develop more effective
approaches.
MEASUREMENT
!
VISION
!
define targets
and measurements
set clear aims and
objectives
PLANNING
resources
and rollout
24

25. DISCOVERY
The discovery phase brings
together four main sources of
insight: the digital behaviours of
the people you want to connect
with, along with insight into
technology developments,
competitor analysis and the
wider goals of the organisation.
User Behaviours
and Needs
Technology
roadmap
Competitors
Organisational
Goals
25

26. VISION
Always On
Strategy
Business
Goals
Editorial Calendar
Using the key insights as input
the vision phase uses a range
of tools to develop top level
business models, content,
media and data strategies
where appropriate. Testing
different scenarios and
outcomes where necessary.
Positioning &
Brand Purpose
Content Strategy
Pursuits Tone of Voice
Channel Strategy
Customer
Needs +
Behaviour
Media
Strategy
Business Model
Content Strategy
!
Data Strategy
Media Strategy
26

27. PLANNING
The Planning Phase takes the
vision, key objectives and key
task and develops them into a
delivery roadmap, resource
plans and a review of new
processes (if necessary) and
their impact on the
organisation.
Key Tasks
Delivery Roadmap
!
e.g. the integration of an always
on content team.
Resource Plan
Organisational
Impact
27

28. MEASUREMENT
The measurement phase
develops clear
performance and control
criteria for the objectives
and tasks. Focussing on
what is most important
to measure and how this
intelligence can be used
to iterate the digital
strategy going forward.
!
Measurement
KPIs
ROI
28

29. outputs
activities
DISCOVERY
VISION
PLANNING
MEASUREMENT
!
user needs
!
business goals
!
competitor
analysis
!
technology
roadmap
!
business model
!
brand strategy
!
content strategy
!
channel strategy
!
media strategy
!
!
resource map
!
org structures
!
processes
!
stakeholders
!
!
KPIs
!
measurement
!
feedback
!
data strategy
!
key insights
!
key challenges
and opportunities
vision
key principles
key objectives
top level roadmap
organisational impact
!
measurement
framework
!
29

30. INTERNAL MANAGEMENT IS KEY
In our experience, the
development of a digital
strategy requires careful
management.
!
A formalised structure to
the development ensures
that everyone’s input is
considered, and that
everyone buys into the
shared vision.
cross functional
steering groups
stakeholder
management
process
outcomes report
30

31. BUT MANAGEMENT CAN’T GET IN THE WAY
Speed is of the essence.
!
The process needs to be
rapid, collaborative and
focussed on defining clear
and agreed outputs.
!
To achieve these goals the
process should be run
over a series of short
workshops for each phase.
!
Rapid
Collaborative
Focussed on Outputs
31

32. A minimum viable digital
strategy should be iterative.
The first digital strategy is
just the start point - the
process can be run again at
regular intervals or when
internal or external changes
necessitates.
iterative
32

33. CONCLUSION
v

34. “companies now face a digital imperative:
adopt new technologies effectively or face
competitive obsolescence. Companies that
succeed tend to have leaders who share their
vision and define a road map, create crossorganizational authority for adoption and
reward employees for working towards it.”
MIT Sloan - Digital Imperative 2013
34

35. THREE MAIN ISSUES TO ADDRESS
There are three main
issues that every digital
strategy must address:
the rapid of pace of
technological change;
the consequent change
in user behaviours and
the organisational
response to change.
rapid
technological
change
changing
user behaviours
organisational
impacts
35

36. High Level
User Centred
Rapidly Developed
Collaborative
Focussed on Outcomes
36

37. THE BENEFITS OF A DIGITAL STRATEGY
A digital strategy can help an
organisation create better
digital work that users want,
like and share. It can help
develop an approach to the
experimenting and adopting
new technologies and it is
repeatable and scalable - the
process can be run again and
again.
better digital products,
services and content
low cost, low risk,
experimentation
repeatable
and scalable
37

38. A digital strategy will help
make digital work more
joined up and efficient. It will
also help integrate digital
with other offline activities.
38

39. LINKS AND CONTACTS
Drop us a line if you want to know more about how to develop a
digital strategy. There’s also more related content in the links below.
What is a digital strategy and why do I need one?
http://protocoldigital.com/blog/what_is_a_digital_strategy/
!
How to develop a digital strategy
http://protocoldigital.com/blog/develop-digital-strategy-process/
!
Minimum Viable Digital Strategy
http://protocoldigital.com/minimum-viable-digital-strategy/
!
The Digital Imperative Report from MIT Sloan
http://sloanreview.mit.edu/projects/embracing-digital-technology/
!
!
social
@protocolfeed
@johnnybennett
pinterest/sahate
!
!
!
email
hello@protocoldigital.com
39

40. THANK YOU
PROTOCOL - HOW TO DEVELOP A DIGITAL STRATEGY - 2013