For most businesses and organizations, the need to streamline business activities provides the impetus for digital transformation. Sometimes it starts with making sure the customer’s experience is exceptional, and sometimes it begins with ensuring that all internal processes and business activities are efficient and effective. Though the short-term goals may be to improve employee or customer experience, the long-term goals associated with digital transformation are almost always financial in nature. And that makes sense: provide exceptional service and maintain efficient internal processes and, over time, you will improve your bottom line.
But one element of digital transformation that can positively affect the bottom line is often overlooked: Branding.
When an organization makes digital transformation a priority, something wonderful begins to happen behind the scenes. When it’s undertaken thoughtfully and methodically, digital transformation creates a marketing buzz that doesn’t go unnoticed. Digital transformation provides opportunities to show your customers and your employees who you are as an organization and why they should put their trust in you (either as an employee or as a consumer).
These opportunities can include:
- Press Releases & PR Opportunities
- Refreshed Media & Ad Campaigns
- Customer Case Studies
- Business Impact Reports
Though organizations can create these opportunities by beginning digital transformation, they often either miss them entirely or don’t undertake them as thoughtfully as the transformation process itself. As a brand, it’s important to seize the opportunity to solidify your place in the market as well as your mission and vision. Digital transformation provides organizations with a framework for reintroducing themselves to their customers and employees and highlighting what makes them uniquely positioned to do what they do.
Starting the digital transformation process, in itself, is a strong signal to consumers and employees that an organization takes growth and experience seriously. When it’s combined with thoughtful messaging and marketing, it can be an event that marks a new beginning for the brand.
Why Use Digital Transformation as a (Re)Branding Opportunity?
Brands have grown and, along the way, spent time and money to modify their organizations and business practices to support change in an ever-moving environment. After all, customers and employees are omnichannel, mobile, and crave some level of personalization. Their needs must be met, or people will move on to others who will meet their needs. But at the end of the day, technology platforms should enable change, not drive it. They must be aligned with the goals, culture, and needs of the people who use and benefit from them.
It’s not enough to simply change and evolve the technology. The culture shift has to happen right alongside it. And if an organization puts the brand experience at the forefront of the digital transformation process, they will be able to not only improve their experience, but also redefine (or reassert) who they are as an organization. To overlook the branding and marketing impact of digital transformation is to miss an opportunity—not only to capitalize on positive media coverage but to truly drive change within your organization.