Do businesses still need a Chief Digital Officer?
Data: 2020 m. kovo 17 d.
Any company that’s serious about digital transformation needs a chief digital officer: This has been the mantra of many business leaders, industry analysts, and customer experience specialists for half a decade, prompting organizations around the world to hire a CDO in the hopes of transforming their operations and appealing to a digital audience.
But new research from Adobe, titled “The Evolution of Modern Digital Teams,” in partnership with marketing consultancy Lenati, reveals that leading brands are rethinking their strategies. Instead of hiring separate digital leaders and teams, they are embedding digital expertise across their organizations and driving a cultural shift to complement their investments in new technologies, according to a global survey of 500 digital professionals from multiple industries.
“Mature organizations understand that simply relying on a team to digitize their processes won’t change their fortunes,” said Lisa Sheth, head of digital strategy at Adobe. “They need to transform, which is why they are building digital capabilities and skills across every department, from marketing to IT.”
The Rise—And Fall?—Of CDOs
The rate of CDO hires jumped between 2013 and 2016 but has since been on the decline, according to the research.
Having first experimented with dedicated digital teams, digitally mature businesses are coming to realize this approach is not delivering the comprehensive change they need to become more customer-centric across every department.
“Despite being asked to break down siloes and modernize the way their company operates, digital teams are still treated as a separate entity, especially in less mature businesses,” Sheth said. “Given that context, it’s understandable that digital transformation remains elusive for so many companies.
”The rise of the CDO made sense when it first began. Eager to meet the demands of an online and mobile customer base that craved engaging experiences, brands needed more than traditional marketing and IT experts. They needed a specialized strategist who could reshape existing business models for a digital world, stay on top of changing consumer habits, and help transform their businesses into experience-driven enterprises.
For many businesses—particularly those at the start of their digital transformation journeys—that's still the case. Today, CDOs lead 38% of digital teams, according to the study. That said, their responsibilities are multiplying as brands race to adapt to all things digital.
That's certainly the case at Under Armour, which has sharpened its focus by moving from straightforward digital delivery to fully integrated customer experiences. To that end, the sportswear giant recently named former CDO Paul Fipps as its chief experience officer. Fipps now oversees Under Armour’s entire consumer experience and digital strategy.
For her part, Sheth sees other digitally mature organizations following suit, with many hiring digital leaders to fill traditional boardroom positions. “Across industries, titles like CIO, CMO, and even CEO are being taken up by digital experts,” she says. “Meanwhile, CDOs tend to be found in less mature businesses—those that are still playing catch-up with their digital strategies.”
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