there's a people problem lurking behind your digital strategy
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© Razorfish™, LLC All rights reserved.!
There’s a people problem lurking behind your digital strategy. @erinscime #contentstrategy MIMA Summit, October 10 2012
About me!
• About Me:
• Associate Experience Director, Content Strategy at Razorfish NY
• Founded content strategy group at HUGE in 2008
• “The Content Strategist as Digital Curator” in A List Apart
• NYC bike commuter
Real world scenario:
Global tourism operator
A little about this company:
• Headquarters in Miami • 75+ international digital marketers • Publish campaigns using 1 platform to all
markets • Goal of increasing direct online sales
They planned for everything but content
Design ✔
Technology platform ✔
Monetization plan ✔
Content strategy
Operational plan
Most businesses’ trouble spot
Content is the biggest challenge to manage.
Content is the biggest challenge to manage.
We think it’s a content or business problem when really
people are the root of the problem.
No content owner
No content owner
No content strategy
No content owner
No content strategy
No translation plan No publishing plan
No content owner
No content strategy
No translation plan
No job descriptions
No publishing plan
No content owner
No content strategy
No translation plan
No job descriptions
No publishing plan
No expectations
Discarded translated copy
No content owner
No content strategy
No translation plan
No job descriptions
No publishing plan
Reactive, ad hoc publishing
1 super-human that ties the whole “system” together
No expectations
Discarded translated copy
No content owner
No content strategy
No translation plan
No job descriptions
No publishing plan
Reactive, ad hoc publishing
1 super-human that ties the whole “system” together
No expectations
Discarded translated copy
People problems:
Will my position be eliminated with this new structure, design?
I’m concerned I’m going to lose ownership over this area of the site.
I fear losing ownership over my ideas.
I am afraid of being micro-managed
My department has a process. I don’t want to change.
I like the way we organize the content in my area of the site. I don’t want to change
If I don’t own the content, I can’t justify my budget.
Hosted listening labs & share sessions to quell these fears:
Positioned neutral global “mothership” with local satellite properties
Drew up digital org chart for more efficient operations
Existing role repositioned New role
Why talk about content operations at a digital marketing conference?
As digital marketers you most likely touch content operations in some capacity.
New design or site expansion:
New titles/roles New areas of site to manage New patterns for distribution New way of integrating into larger advertising ecosystem
New design or site expansion:
New titles/roles New areas of site to manage New patterns for distribution New way of integrating into larger advertising ecosystem
politics &
process.
management (politics)
operations (structure)
You can anticipate resistance and solve for most definite “people problems”
http://www.bonkersworld.net/organizational-charts/
4 tactics for turning around people problems
1. Identify
your people
problems
Know how to identify a business strategy problem from a people problem
Business Problem: People Problem:
Creating a digital vision
Getting people aligned in that vision
Business Problem: People Problem:
Reorganizing content
Turf wars that ensue due to ownership territories
Business Problem: People Problem:
Resourcing to fit into budget
Defining and hiring (or reassigning) the right digital team
Business Problem: People Problem:
Achieving ROI Different functional units working in silos
2. Position a
content owner
Most often, there is 1 key player missing
Digital owner (CEO, CMO)
CMS owner Code owner Design owner
? Content owner
The digital content owner is your evangelist & content czar
Senior-level position (VP, Director) responsible for:
• Digital content product overall • Long-term strategy / vision • Oversees publishing factions including
staffing, process & P&L • Top-level communicator with business
owners, sister brands & partners • Content lead on high-profile initiatives • Relationships with key business owners
such as marketing & technology
Forrester agrees: the future marketer will have to spend more time on people
Who in your organization could this be?
Depending on the skill-set, experience and desire for being a change agent, this role could come from: • Senior-level marketing executive
• Editor-in-Chief (if they are of strategic mindset)
• Strategist
• Content Operations Manager
• Hire out for it (Senior strategist with content background)
3. Build a nimble
team
Many companies will say they’re nimble, but few actually are. Being nimble is about the ability to adapt quickly to the new challenges and opportunities in today’s ecosystem… ..Being nimble is not just about organization. It’s about the industry’s business models. -Rachel Lovinger on nimble content, Razorfish Nimble Report, 2010
Like content, digital teams must be nimble
Problem! businesses are not focusing enough on their people
Tools 90%
People 10%
*compare to http://www.kaushik.net/avinash/the-10-90-rule-for-magnificient-web-analytics-success/
Typical business focus
Digital infrastructures demand nimble employees
Print Team Digital Team
Team structure: Fixed:
produce same product in same medium over time
Nimble:
able to adapt to ever-changing technologies & market needs
Skillsets: Narrow: expert skillsets
Flexible: skillsets & responsibilities to work on
cross-disciplinary solutions
Medium: Single Multi-format
Model: Assembly line / Waterfall Collaboration
Hire & cultivate nimble digital employees
ü Flexible/embraces change
ü Contributes in creative solutions
ü Understanding of major platforms
ü Can think on their feet
The Digital Employee: ~70% expert ~30% “talent”
Grow & stimulate: integrate roles into employee evaluations
ü Incentivize based on new/updated KPIs or site goals
ü Rewrite job descriptions to reflect new site operations every time you shift your process
ü Set expectations that roles will be defined, but that the flexibility is where the self-motivated employee picks up
Nimble employees does not warrant the absence of process. Without process & infrastructure you lose scope, direction & control.
Digital
Owner
Publishing Lead
Creative Lead
UX Lead
Product Lead
CMS/Tech Lead
Nimble teams work well with 1 central owner at the helm with a ring of flexible experts
Experts who collaborate in flexible roles when necessary
A collaborative model has been implemented by Disney and Apple
Courtesy Delphine Hirasuna: .Atissuejournal.com/2009/08/07
With responsive design becoming dominant, nimble teams structure must be considered
• Co-located workspace
• Shared deliverables
• Prototypes for sign-off • Cross-over in job
descriptions
• Knowledge of multiple technologies/platforms
Front end developer
Interaction Designer
Content Strategist
CMS developer
4. Have a
socialization plan
Most often, a disconnect between goals & tactics !
Process Tactics
Editors
CMS / Asset Manager
Writers Asset
Producers
VP level
Disconnect
Vision Plan / Strategy
Most often, a disconnect between goals & tactics !
Process Tactics
Editors
CMS / Asset Manager
Writers Asset
Producers
VP level
Disconnect à buy-in & training
Vision Plan / Strategy
There’s no better role to take on socialization than a digital marketer
I know how to market an idea to a defined audience. Socializing my plan is no different.
ü How large or small business is
ü How old/resistant to change
ü Start grassroots or top-down ü Who is must vs. nice-to-have for backing
ü Who will be change agents
Gaining momentum is different for every business
Get the right-buy in, by the right person, at the right time
Entire digital stakeholder team
CMS
Marketing Editor-in-Chief
Product
Ad/Sales
Digital Content Owner Content Creator
Map your socialization plan to business levels
Stage 2: Operationalize Editors
CMS / Asset Manager
Writers Asset
Producers
VP level Stage 1: Gain Momentum
Stage 3: Execute
Map your socialization plan to business levels
Stage 2: Operationalize
Stage 1: Gain Momentum
Stage 3: Execute
• Digital vision / site & content goals • KPIs / success metrics • Designs
• Digital vision / site & content goals • Biz unit ownership areas • Prototypes / working pilots • Research results
• Digital vision / site & content goals • Training docs • Content templates • Production workflows
So does this really work? (hint: yes!)
Proof it works:
Mass market auto maker
A little about this auto maker
• Goal: increase engagement post-sales
through customer support content & features
• Large, global and siloed organization
• New local CMS
• Future enterprise CMS plans in the works
No content owner (had a digital owner) Turf wars Micro-focused business units Outdated roles/responsibilities
Their people problems:
1. Positioned content owner 2. Content vision: socialized to business units 3. Standardized content production
4. Customized CMS for responsive content
5. Redefined existing roles / set expectations
6. Socialized (“state of the unions”) & trained some more
Plan of attack:
Attending to people problems = significant results.
Reversed the ratio of request types
Previous expenditure
60% emergency requests
40% standard requests
10% emergency requests
90% standard requests
Resulting expenditure
Results?
62 © 2012 Razorfish. All rights reserved.!
56% reduction In labor and IT development resources
Results?
63 © 2012 Razorfish. All rights reserved.!
3 weeks saved to launch 1 page
A pilot project for an iPad app to garner adoption with initial set of users
Test out major impacts: • Content (inventory) • Back-end systems • Asset sourcing • Training • Sizzle reel & support videos
Outcome: • Exceeded enrollment prior
to set deadline • More business units want
their products in the app • Momentum and
excitement for product
Make Model Year
Why does all of this matter?
2012 +: Nimble teams will need to be organized around customer lifecycle, not channel silos
Internal organization
External Touch Points
(apps, sites, mobile, social)
User/Customer
Attention to people problems = time to spend growing your business / content
+ Predictive marketing / personalization easier
+ Expandable/retractable team growth
+ Optimized/responsive content
+ Focus on your campaigns, not process & politics
+ Shared business goals
+ Saved $$
THANK YOU. @erinscime Read more:
dopeData.com