say vs. DO: how digital strategy should be like product development

what brands should SAY 

vs. 

what brands should DO

One of the biggest challenges I have with strategic planning

is that we are set up 

to figure out

what brands should

SAY.

When in fact,

digital

is,

or should be,

more about

what we want people to

DO.

What can we get them to do?

Share a video? Sign up? Tag?

What do they need help doing?

Getting free books?

Planning their garden?

Getting their kids to school on time?

Digital strategy

needs to become more like 

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT.

Insight + Function

Whether we are creating 

a website,

an app,

even a Twitter feed

or Facebook profile,

we need to think about

what we want people to do.

The web is action-based,

and people want to 

click,

zoom, 

play,

share.

But we need to make stuff that helps them DO stuff,

instead of continuing to tell them "who we are", what is interesting "about" our product and "where to buy" it.

Digital Strategy = Insight + Function

What do we think?

Go! Do!
(Just kidding.
We don't need another ad.
Or another Cylon.)

brands in the webvolution

Wired's latest buzz piece boldly declared that "The Web is Dead". Not the Internet, but the world wide web that is currently the main medium of transaction - linked web pages accessed by browser. They argue that the web is declining as we move toward a browser-less internet - "think apps".

This is right in line with the evolution of Webs 1.0 to 2.0 and soon, Web 3.0.

If 1.0 was about information and static pages, 2.0 is characterized by user participation and real-time data streams. The singular thesis of Web 3.0 has yet to be determined but it will center around portability, cloud computing, semantic and intelligent data.

For brands, especially local Philippine brands, where are we now and how are we ever going to keep up? This is something I've been thinking about and hope to write more about in the next few weeks:

• Which key Web 3.0 developments will have the biggest impact on brands
• Which (or are there any) brands are poised to win in 3.0
• How to move forward and who should spearhead the movement

Keeping track of where we are and where we need to go...

all the small things

Pitches
are about
big
EXPLOSIVE
ideas.

Comparing
agencies
side-by-side,
it becomes pretty clear
who has
the
biggest,
MOST EXPLOSIVE
ideas.

When it is time to think about
big
DIGITAL
ideas,
we tend to think
EXPLOSIVE.

CRITICAL MASS,
VIRAL,
CROWDSOURCED
EXPLOSIONS
of
BRANDED
GOODNESS!

Are we kidding ourselves?

Digital is
short-form,
slow-burn,
micro,
one-to-one.

It happens every second,
every minute,
every day.

"Online customer support"
Nothing new.
Twelpforce?
Works!
The magic is in the everyday,
one-to-one.

I don't know.
Am I wrong?

There can be magic,
in a great content plan.
Except,
that document
would be full
of little ideas
that might
make an impact,
but
over
time.
EXPLOSIVE
ideas?
Not quite.

I don't know.
Am I wrong?
(Hmmm this could be a song!
Ok clearly went on
haha
for too long.
Already.
Stopping
Now
!!!)

photo by Craig A Rodway	via PhotoRee