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Building Digital Culture: A Practical Guide to Successful Digital Transformation
WINNER : CMI Management Book of the Year Awards 2018 - Management Futures Category
Building Digital Culture aims to answer a simple How can organizations succeed when the environment they operate in is changing so quickly? The last thing businesses need today is a digital strategy. Instead, their strategy needs to be fit for our fast-changing digital world, where businesses have more data than they know what to do with, a media landscape that's exploded in size and complexity, the risk of a new disruption around every corner, and only one that this change won't let up.
Building Digital Culture doesn't address whether or not you should advertize on Facebook or invest in virtual reality. It doesn't seek to unearth a silver bullet to make digital investments a sure-thing. It steps back from the hype, and argues that whatever digital might mean for your business, if you don't create a digital culture you'll most likely fail, or at least fall short of what you want to achieve.
Combining more than 30 years of experience at the forefront of marketing and digital developments, and based on more than 200 hours of research, candid interviews and contributions from brands including Twitter, Deloitte, HSBC and many more, Building Digital Culture will help you navigate from being a business that tolerates or acts digital, to one that truly is digital.
Building Digital Culture aims to answer a simple How can organizations succeed when the environment they operate in is changing so quickly? The last thing businesses need today is a digital strategy. Instead, their strategy needs to be fit for our fast-changing digital world, where businesses have more data than they know what to do with, a media landscape that's exploded in size and complexity, the risk of a new disruption around every corner, and only one that this change won't let up.
Building Digital Culture doesn't address whether or not you should advertize on Facebook or invest in virtual reality. It doesn't seek to unearth a silver bullet to make digital investments a sure-thing. It steps back from the hype, and argues that whatever digital might mean for your business, if you don't create a digital culture you'll most likely fail, or at least fall short of what you want to achieve.
Combining more than 30 years of experience at the forefront of marketing and digital developments, and based on more than 200 hours of research, candid interviews and contributions from brands including Twitter, Deloitte, HSBC and many more, Building Digital Culture will help you navigate from being a business that tolerates or acts digital, to one that truly is digital.
- GenresBusinessNonfiction
264 pages, Paperback
Published January 31, 2017
28 people are currently reading
71 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
January 9, 2020
Daniel Rowles and Thomas Brown present a well researched text on the challenges faced whilst undertaking a major change in digital infrastructure. Whenever I read a text of this type it's always worth taking a look under the hood and this means looking specifically at where the case studies are located. For this text Rowles and Brown list the following organisations as being involved as direct or indirect participants: Barclays, Deloitte UK, HSBC, Ladbrokes, RB, Travelex and Twitter.
The text is divided into 4 parts. Part 1: why you need a digital culture, Part 2: Plotting your digital journey, Part 3: The digital culture framework and Part 4: Keeping up with change. I'll review each of these briefly here.
Part 1: why you need a digital culture.
This part begins with the interesting fact that the avergae lifespan of a company has fallen from 67 years in the 1920's to around 10 years now. Clearly it was easier in the past to establish AND maintain s business.
Part 2: Plotting your digital journey
Chapter 4 looks at how business models are changing in the digital economy. The remainder of part 1 is devoted to the digital transfomation process, case studies, what it looks like and working with relavant stakeholders. The case studies offer great insight here though there is a feeling they could be developed more.
Part 3: The digital culture framework
Part 3 is the meat of the book ands covers all the standard sections you'd expect to see in any management or change management text: a framework, defininig a visiion (chapter 9), Leadership, startegy, governance and talent aquisition and development. By and large this section of the book delivers, though my own feeling is that there could be more in-depth case studies and with more variety. The Metrpolitan Police are quoted widely and whilst it is important to quote from the public sector they are not always the best model for transformative change when looking for a model of excellence.
Part 4: Keeping up with change
The final part of the book looks at measuring change and efficacy and also to the future. Here the book I feels shows it's age. The references to Uber and AirBnB are fleeting and feel almost perfunctory and there is not much to signpost future developments. Perhaps this is where the text could improve.
All in all, I'd recommend this text.
The text is divided into 4 parts. Part 1: why you need a digital culture, Part 2: Plotting your digital journey, Part 3: The digital culture framework and Part 4: Keeping up with change. I'll review each of these briefly here.
Part 1: why you need a digital culture.
This part begins with the interesting fact that the avergae lifespan of a company has fallen from 67 years in the 1920's to around 10 years now. Clearly it was easier in the past to establish AND maintain s business.
Part 2: Plotting your digital journey
Chapter 4 looks at how business models are changing in the digital economy. The remainder of part 1 is devoted to the digital transfomation process, case studies, what it looks like and working with relavant stakeholders. The case studies offer great insight here though there is a feeling they could be developed more.
Part 3: The digital culture framework
Part 3 is the meat of the book ands covers all the standard sections you'd expect to see in any management or change management text: a framework, defininig a visiion (chapter 9), Leadership, startegy, governance and talent aquisition and development. By and large this section of the book delivers, though my own feeling is that there could be more in-depth case studies and with more variety. The Metrpolitan Police are quoted widely and whilst it is important to quote from the public sector they are not always the best model for transformative change when looking for a model of excellence.
Part 4: Keeping up with change
The final part of the book looks at measuring change and efficacy and also to the future. Here the book I feels shows it's age. The references to Uber and AirBnB are fleeting and feel almost perfunctory and there is not much to signpost future developments. Perhaps this is where the text could improve.
All in all, I'd recommend this text.
January 8, 2020
Good read but..
I enjoyed reading the book. It contains many practical and useful tools and frameworks however I felt the writer sometimes forgot he is talking about digital culture. He went through digital marketing and how to do it.
I enjoyed reading the book. It contains many practical and useful tools and frameworks however I felt the writer sometimes forgot he is talking about digital culture. He went through digital marketing and how to do it.
January 30, 2020
Decent, thorough and includes a view on what to do about corporate politics around change and transformation. Not an exciting read by any means, but then again, it shouldn't be. Use this as a manual, rather than as inspiration.
November 16, 2020
674 - 2020
Dibaca dalam rangka assignment pendidikan.
Dibaca dalam rangka assignment pendidikan.
February 3, 2021
Easy read on a tricky subject. Great balance between the two writers.
August 13, 2024
more about digital marketing
February 14, 2017
It is not necessarily enough for a company to “go digital” and suddenly reap the benefits of a digital culture, a broader transformative process may be necessary, and this digital world is itself still changing and transforming. A book like this, seeking to help a company ride the transformation wave, may be a powerful aid.
The pace of change and often its sheer scale and enormity should not be underestimated. It can truly feel that one has not got an existing digital transformation process implemented before having to look at the next one. This impacts throughout the organisation on many levels and for marketers who are having to utilise the latest digital methods to reach an incredibly diverse audience it is no mean feat.
In this book the authors look at the issues from a marketing-led perspective, pulling in real-world interviews from senior marketing executives at companies such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Deloitte to try and better understand how a digital culture has consumed their companies and how its benefits can be leveraged and its challenges dealt with. With a bit of luck and application the reader may be able to help develop a unique digital culture for their organisation and ensure that this ever-changing being keeps up with the-then latest developments.
As well as the obvious (!) explanation of why a company will need a digital culture and helping the reader plan their impending journey, considerable advice is given to help create a framework for future action for this journey as well as acting as a companion for evaluating future (changed) journeys at the same time.
It is a reasonably priced book and the authors have done a good job in not drinking copiously from the “technology fountain of hyperbole”. Creativity, enthusiasm and expectation is suitably tempered and this veneer of moderation is well-appreciated. The style of the book is a mix between the mainstream and academic textbook, yet it remains quite accessible for both reader-groups. Short chapters, easy-to-digest text and extensive references help this process. It felt, to this reader, that the case studies and actual comments were the key driver for this book. Whilst the background information may be essential for many, equally for the more-experienced it might not be so radical. Yet reading counter views from those involved can make a difference and make the book suitable for both audiences.
There was nothing to explicitly dislike about this book. For many it will be a Godsend. For others it is just a damn good, informative read.
Building Digital Culture, written by Daniel Rowles & Thomas Brown and published by Kogan Page. ISBN 9780749479657. YYYY
The pace of change and often its sheer scale and enormity should not be underestimated. It can truly feel that one has not got an existing digital transformation process implemented before having to look at the next one. This impacts throughout the organisation on many levels and for marketers who are having to utilise the latest digital methods to reach an incredibly diverse audience it is no mean feat.
In this book the authors look at the issues from a marketing-led perspective, pulling in real-world interviews from senior marketing executives at companies such as Twitter, LinkedIn and Deloitte to try and better understand how a digital culture has consumed their companies and how its benefits can be leveraged and its challenges dealt with. With a bit of luck and application the reader may be able to help develop a unique digital culture for their organisation and ensure that this ever-changing being keeps up with the-then latest developments.
As well as the obvious (!) explanation of why a company will need a digital culture and helping the reader plan their impending journey, considerable advice is given to help create a framework for future action for this journey as well as acting as a companion for evaluating future (changed) journeys at the same time.
It is a reasonably priced book and the authors have done a good job in not drinking copiously from the “technology fountain of hyperbole”. Creativity, enthusiasm and expectation is suitably tempered and this veneer of moderation is well-appreciated. The style of the book is a mix between the mainstream and academic textbook, yet it remains quite accessible for both reader-groups. Short chapters, easy-to-digest text and extensive references help this process. It felt, to this reader, that the case studies and actual comments were the key driver for this book. Whilst the background information may be essential for many, equally for the more-experienced it might not be so radical. Yet reading counter views from those involved can make a difference and make the book suitable for both audiences.
There was nothing to explicitly dislike about this book. For many it will be a Godsend. For others it is just a damn good, informative read.
Building Digital Culture, written by Daniel Rowles & Thomas Brown and published by Kogan Page. ISBN 9780749479657. YYYY
February 6, 2017
Is your organization building digital culture? Should it be? Then you need to read the latest from Daniel Rowles and Thomas Brown.
The world has changed and we’re seeing a flow of companies close because they haven’t evolved. Amazon (and others) disrupted retail, Warby Parker disrupted optical hardware, Uber disrupted taxis. In Building Digital Culture, the authors explains why you need a digital transformation and how to make it happen. Culture change isn’t easy, and Daniel and Thomas don’t pretend it is. It’s something I love about the book.
Another favorite section is discussing the CEO. It links to the section on which organizations fail at building a digital culture – it’s because leadership doesn’t want it. The key word is culture, and that’s all encompassing. Wait, I’m getting on my soap box and Daniel and Thomas explain it better than me venting. So back to them. They interviewed more than 100 industry leaders for tips and advice on digital transformation, and have scattered quotes throughout.
It’s hands-on too. Extra resources are available online, and a digital culture audit is part of the book. I love that it asks lots of questions, but doesn’t dictate the answers. I don’t recall it being stated, but no two organizations have the same digital culture.
At one stage the book became a little jumpy. I was reading a review copy gifted by Kogan Page, so this section may have been removed from the final release. The section send into minute detail on using Google Analytics. I’m definitely a fan of measurement and SMART goals, but this felt out of place when everything else was a much higher level.
Who should read Building Digital Culture?
I definitely recommend this for anyone who denies their organization needs a digital culture. And for those CEO’s who know they need a change, but are hesitating. For me, much of this book was ho-hum. But I expect a digital culture, so this book is not for me.
There were a couple of snarky notes I left while reading but later realized I misunderstood the sections. Little comments hinting at H2H, and suggesting that mobile is an older concept were probably preparing out of touch leaders for the real world (my snark, not the authors’), and not pandering like how I originally read it.
For most of you reading this, send a copy of Building Digital Culture to that leader who frustrates you the most. For the few others here for whom this book is written: buy, read, action. Do it now!
Originally published: http://tapdancingspiders.com/book-rev...
The world has changed and we’re seeing a flow of companies close because they haven’t evolved. Amazon (and others) disrupted retail, Warby Parker disrupted optical hardware, Uber disrupted taxis. In Building Digital Culture, the authors explains why you need a digital transformation and how to make it happen. Culture change isn’t easy, and Daniel and Thomas don’t pretend it is. It’s something I love about the book.
Another favorite section is discussing the CEO. It links to the section on which organizations fail at building a digital culture – it’s because leadership doesn’t want it. The key word is culture, and that’s all encompassing. Wait, I’m getting on my soap box and Daniel and Thomas explain it better than me venting. So back to them. They interviewed more than 100 industry leaders for tips and advice on digital transformation, and have scattered quotes throughout.
It’s hands-on too. Extra resources are available online, and a digital culture audit is part of the book. I love that it asks lots of questions, but doesn’t dictate the answers. I don’t recall it being stated, but no two organizations have the same digital culture.
At one stage the book became a little jumpy. I was reading a review copy gifted by Kogan Page, so this section may have been removed from the final release. The section send into minute detail on using Google Analytics. I’m definitely a fan of measurement and SMART goals, but this felt out of place when everything else was a much higher level.
Who should read Building Digital Culture?
I definitely recommend this for anyone who denies their organization needs a digital culture. And for those CEO’s who know they need a change, but are hesitating. For me, much of this book was ho-hum. But I expect a digital culture, so this book is not for me.
There were a couple of snarky notes I left while reading but later realized I misunderstood the sections. Little comments hinting at H2H, and suggesting that mobile is an older concept were probably preparing out of touch leaders for the real world (my snark, not the authors’), and not pandering like how I originally read it.
For most of you reading this, send a copy of Building Digital Culture to that leader who frustrates you the most. For the few others here for whom this book is written: buy, read, action. Do it now!
Originally published: http://tapdancingspiders.com/book-rev...
April 4, 2017
Very readable, very comprehensive. Good sections on why digital transformation is difficult and on governance issues. The measurement model is a masterpiece of simplicity.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews