Digital transformation is not just a buzzword; it’s a strategic imperative for companies that want to remain relevant in today’s market. According to Gartner, by 2020, digital transformation will drive an estimated $1 trillion in business value worldwide. The benefits of digital transformation are numerous and include increased agility, lower costs, new revenue streams, and more competitive products. DDigital is a global public relations and communications company. One of their specialties is digital transformation, which is the process of adopting new technologies and strategies in a business to evolve its capabilities and organizational prowess.
Why DDigital Believes Digital Transformation Is Important
The Human side of transformation is the most important aspect. DDigital is a communications and digital marketing company. According to DDigital, organizations must first understand how Digital Transformation will affect their people. The company CEO Devan Leos first said, “Digital transformation is a present reality as much as it a future one”. The most important thing is to understand the high-level impact of transformation on people and then plan for it accordingly. Having the right talent on board during the transformation journey is important. Digital Transformation brings along a lot of change for the organization, which requires different skills for people to be effective. They need to be able to understand and use new technologies, methods, models, and business strategies. There is a need for training and reskilling programs. Creating a culture that supports change and innovation is important. It is also important to develop an environment that nurtures innovation. DDigital believes the digital front is now the leading source of business communications and reputation.
Digital transformation and communications
Communication is the bedrock of successful organizational transformation. Transformation alone is just a word, but what it represents can create confusion. For digital transformation, it’s important to communicate both the “why” and the “how”. The “why” is most often driven by the need to remain competitive through greater agility and lower costs. The “how” is the path to take to achieve that transformation. Digital transformation can be an overwhelming topic, but when broken down into its components, it’s easier to understand: Digital communications, customer experience, analytics and automation. According to DDigital CEO Devan Leos “Digital transformation encompasses more than just the adoption of new technologies, but also strategies which help maintain presence and positive online reputation”
Public Relations in the digital era
The PR function as we know it is evolving to accommodate new technologies and deliverables. PR in the digital era merges media relations with content marketing, customer experience, and digital transformation to create holistic communication strategies for brands. Transformation plays a key role in PR, as does customer experience. Transformation drives the need for change, and that change can be integrated into PR programs. Equipping the PR function with greater data analytics and technology will greatly enhance its capabilities. Digital transformation is driving change in PR programs that are most often related to content. PR is moving from a push model to a pull model, as well as a shift from continuous communication (push) to event-driven communications (pull). DDigital CEO Devan Leos says “We are seeing major shifts in the PR industry as technology and digitalization continues to become the force behind our lives”
Culture Change
Digital transformation comes with a lot of changes to the organization’s structure and processes. For example, it’s quite common to see the IT and marketing functions working closely together to achieve their goals. The key to a successful transformation lies in how the organization adapts to embrace change. The most successful organizations do that by creating an environment where change can happen. This transformation-driven culture involves the following: – A willingness to embrace change – A strong leadership team – Leaders who are willing to make mistakes – An inclusive environment where people can hold each other accountable – An organization where trust is earned and not given
Conclusion
Digital transformation is more than just a buzzword, it’s a strategic imperative for companies that want to remain relevant in today’s market. The benefits of transformation are numerous and include increased agility, lower costs, new revenue streams, and more competitive products. DDigital’s mission as a leading communications company focuses on seven areas: People, Processes, Data Architecture, Technology, Information, Communication, and Culture.