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REBALANCING IN
THE AGE OF
DISEQUILIBRIUM
EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVES
“IN TODAY’S RUSH OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE RAPID PACE OF
CHANGE, BUSINESS LEADERS AND THEIR COMPANIES ARE FACED
WITH BEING CAUGHT OFF BALANCE. THEY WORK IN A STATE OF
DISEQUILIBRIUM, WHERE THE GROUND SHIFTS CONTINUALLY AND
KEEPING UP WITH NEW DISRUPTORS AND DISRUPTIONS MEANS
HAVING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND RE-BALANCE RISK WITH
REWARD IN WAYS NEVER BEFORE IMAGINED.”
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM2
Gail Heimann, President, Weber Shandwick
Objective
In partnership with Weber Shandwick, KRC Research conducted 23 in-
depth, guided, qualitative interviews among C-level and other top
executives to understand the challenges and opportunities of doing
business in disruptive times.
Senior level executives were promised anonymity. All respondents work or
recently worked:
+ In multinational, established corporations (Fortune 1000 or
Fortune Global 500 companies)
+ In “disruptor” companies (identified based on reference to the
2018 CNBC Disruptor 50 list)
Interviewees had multinational experience across the following markets:
North America (NA), Central and Latin America (LatAm), Europe, Middle
East and Africa (EMEA), and South and Southeast Asia (APAC). Specific
countries in which executives have experience include: Argentina, Brazil,
Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany,
India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Russia,
South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, UK and the US.
Respondent quotes presented in this deck may have been edited for
brevity and clarity.
Method
Telephone interviews were conducted from December 2018 to April 2019 across
industries and subject areas:
Functional Area
► CEO
► Corporate Communications & Public Relations
► Data Science
► Digital & Technology, IT
► Employee Engagement
► Executive Leadership, Strategy
► Government Relations & Public Affairs
► Human Resources
► Innovation/Business Transformation
► Marketing
RESEARCH OBJECTIVE AND METHOD
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM3
Business Sector
► Aviation & Transportation
► Financial Services
► Food & Agriculture
► Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals
► Manufacturing
► Retail, Luxury & Consumer Goods
► Technology & Telecommunications
► Hospitality
► Education
► Media
“EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT WHERE THEY
WANT TO GO, AND WHAT THEY WANT TO
ACHIEVE, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE
THEY ARE TODAY OR WHERE THEY WERE.”
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM4
Chief Healthcare Informatics Officer, Healthcare & Pharma, North America
THE BIG STORY:
DISEQUILIBRIUM
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM5
A common set of challenges among respondents emerged. There are more
similarities than differences between the established Fortune 500 and disruptor
company executives when it comes to business challenges. Observations on
how the Fortune 500 company and disruptor company executives compare are
addressed later in this report.
THE BIG STORY: DISEQUILIBRIUM
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM6
CHALLENGE 1
Uninterrupted Disruption Is Everywhere. Digital disruption is transforming the
global playing field as unlikely competitors join the game. This is challenging
establishment leadership using old playbooks.
CHALLENGE 2
Understanding Of The Customer Journey Needs A Reboot. The market offers
new choices and customer expectations are shifting. Understanding the customer
and their new journey is essential for discovering new and advantageous entry
points.
CHALLENGE 3
Translators And Sensemakers Are Required For Delivering Business
Intelligence That Matters. The complexity of business needs human-powered
insights and sense-making of the many streams of data.
CHALLENGE 4
Differentiation Is Mission Critical. With customer expectations rapidly changing
and increased pressure to adapt, organizations must determine the value they
bring to customers and how much customers are willing to pay for that
differentiator.
CHALLENGE 5
Racing Against The Clock. The current pace of business activities is
incompatible with the acceleration and speed of the market. Time-to-solution.
CHALLENGE 6
Avoiding The Gravity Well. One thing that hasn’t changed is the need to
innovate, stay relevant and grow, balancing short- and long-term pressures. To do
this requires rethinking how not to get pulled into the corporate quicksand.
CHALLENGE 7
Aligning The Culture To Meet The Future. Change management is the central
nervous system (CNS) of the future and works better with an advocate who is
willing to listen and learn.
CHALLENGE 8
A Dynamic Workforce Demands Engagement. Evolving workforce
demographics and shifts in societal culture are driving the need to more deeply
understand employee wants and expectations.
CHALLENGE 9
Reputation Requires 24/7/365 Crisis Vigilance. Sustaining the enterprise
requires management of reputational risks—and there are many in a fast-paced
playing field where anyone can have a microphone or a point of view.
CHALLENGE 10
Keeping The Local In Global. Both a broad and narrow market horizon deepen
insights and add value.
CHALLENGE 1:
UNINTERRUPTED DISRUPTION IS EVERYWHERE
“Where to get new growth is a massive
universal concern of C-suites across the
country and the world. The whole realm of
BUSINESS DISRUPTION, AND MORE
SPECIFICALLY DIGITAL DISRUPTION,
is a pretty shared one for most industries,
and that can be in order to remain
competitive. I've got to go through a
massive change in how I fundamentally
reconceive how I think about my
business.”
– Former Chief Marketing Officer,
Food & Agriculture, NA
“Every industry, every sector has had
huge technological changes in the last
10, 15, 20 years, perhaps more than in
previous times. I think THE ABILITY OF
CERTAIN PEOPLE TO KEEP UP WITH
THE TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE IS
NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO BE.
Perhaps that’s just a function of it
coming at you so fast, but unless you
are prepared to dedicate the time and
the effort and have the ability to do so,
then it can be tough.”
– CEO, Aviation, APAC
“All of a sudden we are facing an
INCREDIBLE, DEVASTATING
TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION.
You get exposed to something which
is absolutely unknown by the
company, by the industry. Then you
have …to make compatible your
existing structure with a VERY FAST
EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY WHICH
IS APPARENTLY FROM THE
OUTSIDE, but in reality it's part of
your business, or the culture of your
everyday activity, that is changing.”
– CEO, Manufacturing, EMEA
Digital disruption is transforming the global playing field
as unlikely competitors join the game. This is challenging
establishment leadership using old playbooks.
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM7
CHALLENGE 2:
UNDERSTANDING OF THE CUSTOMER
JOURNEY NEEDS A REBOOT
“How do I sell my product, how do I
understand the requirements for my
customers, understand their needs,
their behaviors, their thought
patterns, WHAT IS IT THEY'RE
GOING TO WANT IN 3, 5, 10
YEARS’ TIME?”
– SVP, Financial Services, EMEA
“Lesson number one is understand
your consumer. Lesson number two is
get over yourself, don't assume you
know your consumer. Go understand
your consumer. It starts from checking
your hubris at the door. Come in with
humility and a curiosity to understand
where are we really today. AND IF
YOU'RE NOT READY TO FACE
THOSE HARD TRUTHS, YOU'RE
NOT READY FOR THE CHANGE,
PERIOD.”
– Former Chief Strategy And Innovation
Officer, Retail & Consumer Goods, NA
“We see the consumer shifting away from
this whole concept of the paradox of
choice to literally the paradox of chance. If
you think about it, who is controlling the
algorithm that is supposed to recommend
the brand that I'm going to buy? THIS
WHOLE CONCEPT OF TRUSTING THE
ALGORITHM AND THE PARADOX OF
CHANCE IN THESE PLATFORMS IS A
FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGE THAT
ADVERTISERS NEED TO START TO
PAY ATTENTION TO.”
– SVP Insights And Innovation, Media, NA
The market offers new choices and customer expectations are shifting.
Understanding your customer and their new journey is essential for
discovering new and advantageous entry points.
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM8
CHALLENGE 3:
TRANSLATORS & SENSEMAKERS ARE REQUIRED
FOR BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE THAT MATTERS
The complexity of business needs human-
powered insights and sense-making of the
many streams of data.
“The really important people,
who I call the ‘TRANSLATORS,’
ARE THE ONES WHO CAN
FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU DO
AS A RESULT OF THE DATA. I
NEVER LACKED FOR DATA.
WHAT I LACKED FOR WAS
SOMEBODY TO TELL ME
WHAT DATA MATTERED AND
WHAT DATA DIDN'T MATTER.”
– Former CEO And President,
Retail & Consumer Goods, NA
“If you don't have good
data in place, you're
not able to exploit new
technologies that come
on-board. It's really
that simple.”
– SVP, Financial
Services, EMEA
“KNOWING HOW TO USE DATA IS CRITICAL. Our philosophy
was to be in the largest and fastest growing markets around the
world, and so we looked at all the census data. BASED ON THE
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND GROWTH, THERE ARE
PRIMARILY 12 CITIES IN LATIN AMERICA THAT PROVIDED
THE BEST GROWTH PROSPECT FOR US that we thought
were in our sweet spot, and so all of those cities had either five
million plus people in them, they had a growing middle class, and
they had an evolving marketplace. And we primarily concentrated
on those 12 cities and said, ‘If we're going to win and be
successful and deliver our best value, then we have to do it in
those markets.’”
– EVP, Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Manufacturing, NA
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM9
CHALLENGE 4:
DIFFERENTIATION IS MISSION CRITICAL
With customer expectations rapidly changing and increased pressure to
adapt, organizations must determine the value they bring to customers
and how much customers are willing to pay for that differentiator.
“I think the key thing as a company is
WHAT IS THE AREA THAT YOU'RE
GOING TO COMPETE IN. Are you going
to be the company that can produce
something at the lowest cost, and you
effectively piggyback off other people's
ideas? Are you going to be the company
that can deliver something faster than
anyone else, or are you a company that's
going to focus on research,
development, and innovation, and deliver
a quality product before anyone else?”
– SVP, Financial Services, EMEA
“I would say create competitive
differentiation [is another challenge].
MANY HISTORICAL
DIFFERENTIATORS HAVE NOW
BEEN EITHER COMMODITIZED, OR
ERODED ALTOGETHER. I can go and
find all of the discounts available, and
then make my choice of selection right
there. SO PRICE IS NO LONGER A
DIFFERENTIATOR as it used to be.”
– Former Chief Strategy And Innovation Officer,
Retail & Consumer Goods, NA
“Defining ourselves as the industry
contributor or role player is more and
more difficult. One of the ways to
deal with that kind of problem is to
CLARIFY YOUR COORDINATES
ON YOUR VALUE CHAIN. ‘THIS IS
MY SPECTRUM, THIS IS MY
SPECTRUM OF COLOR, I'M NOT
GOING OUT OF RED OR I'M NOT
GOING OUT OF VIOLET.’ You have
to stay within the spectrum.”
– Former Chief Strategy Officer,
Manufacturing, APAC
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM10
CHALLENGE 5:
RACING AGAINST THE CLOCK
The current pace of today’s business activities is incompatible with the
acceleration and speed of the market. Time-to-solution.
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM11
“Effectively, the pace of how new
products are launched into the
marketplace has changed, the way
that people can become fast
followers at a pace and a speed
far greater than ever before. I USE
TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE
NEW PRODUCTS, AND NEW
DISRUPTORS IN ANY
INDUSTRY TYPE, FAR MORE
QUICKLY, FAR MORE
EFFECTIVELY, AND OF FAR
GREATER QUALITY THAN
EVER BEFORE. That impacts the
stability of any organization.”
– SVP, Financial Services, EMEA
“[Multinational, traditional]
companies have been dictating
or dominating their field for
more than 100 years now. On
the other side of our industry
are our CUSTOMERS WHO
ARE MOVING TOO FAST.
They are working 48 hours a
day but we are working 24
hours a day, and our suppliers
are working 12 hours a day. So
we are sort of in the middle
which can sometimes cause a
lot of confusion inside the
organization.”
– Former Chief Strategy Officer,
Manufacturing, APAC
”New competition is always more
speed, and new competition is also
maybe more in-touch with their
markets than established
companies. If you want to make a
change, the cost of changing your
IT infrastructure is just ginormous.
SPEED, AGILITY, AND
CONSUMER INTIMACY ARE THE
BENEFITS THAT SMALLER
COMPETITION HAVE
COMPARED TO THE
ESTABLISHED
ORGANIZATIONS.”
– Former Business Advisor/ Executive
Coach, Financial Services, EMEA
“It's not about disruption,
IT'S REALLY JUST
ABOUT WHETHER OR
NOT YOU'VE
IDENTIFIED THE
CHANGES FAST
ENOUGH SO THAT AS A
BUSINESS YOU CAN
TAKE ADVANTAGE OR
ACTUALLY CAPITALIZE
ON THOSE CHANGES.”
– SVP Insights And
Innovation, Media, NA
CHALLENGE 6:
AVOIDING THE GRAVITY WELL
One thing that hasn’t changed is the need to innovate, stay relevant and grow,
balancing short and long-term pressures. To do this requires rethinking how to
not get pulled into corporate quicksand.
“The biggest thing that a business needs to
understand is that the core business model and
the organization that supports that core business
model is creating a massive gravity well. That
GRAVITY WELL HAS GOT INERTIA THAT IS
KEEPING EVERYBODY AND THE BUSINESS
INSIDE OF IT. You want that gravity well, and you
want that inertia so that you can keep optimizing
the current business, but when you've got to deal
with the kinds of disruption that we're constantly
dealing with, unless you recognize and understand
that, everything you try is just going to get sucked
directly into that gravity well. YOU HAVE TO
DESIGN TO BE ABLE TO CREATE
OPPORTUNITIES IN THE BUSINESS, WITHIN
THE ORGANIZATION, THAT ARE BUILT
SPECIFICALLY TO NOT GET SUCKED INTO
THAT GRAVITY WELL.”
– Chief Marketing Officer, Technology & Telecom, NA
“We just have to adapt.
We adapt and use the
best systems we can.
We try very hard to use
outdated systems, but
then of course, it has a
reverse effect in as
much as it keeps us in
that era and that
technological
environment because
we cannot move ahead
because the customer
base cannot move
ahead with us.”
– CEO, Aviation, APAC
“The people who've been around a long
time, you know, they may have 20, 25,
30 years of experience in the industry.
And that experience in and of itself is
valuable, but it's going to create huge
bias in terms of the pace of change and
what may end up disrupting the
business. And also makes them
UNABLE TO SEE THE THING THAT
ULTIMATELY COMES ALONG THAT
WILL DISRUPT THEIR
BUSINESS…what happens when you're
inside of a company is you lose
perspective on what's happening in other
industries and other spaces and what the
lessons are from those other spaces.”
– Former CEO And President, Retail &
Consumer Goods, NA
“When a new technology comes it
actually widens the scope of your
business. Most companies
consider that as a new thing.
They'll just treat it as a new
feature without actually thinking of
how that is profoundly changing
the rest of their business, which is
why disruptors are coming from
scratch. OLDER BRANDS TRY
AND SEE HOW THEY CAN
BENEFIT FROM THE
TECHNOLOGY BUT THEY
DON'T REALLY THINK DEEPLY
ABOUT WHAT THAT CHANGE
MEANS FOR THE WHOLE
BUSINESS.”
– Former Chief Revenue Officer,
Hospitality, EMEA
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM12
CHALLENGE 7:
ALIGNING THE CULTURE TO MEET THE FUTURE
Change management is the CNS of the future
and works better with an advocate who is
willing to listen and learn.
“We always start internally.
We communicate with our
employees the changes as
they are happening, and
often, we run workshops with
employees involved in the
changes.”
– Former VP Global
Marketing/Global Technology
Management, NA And APAC
“They know they have to start asking those
questions even though it's not in their personal DNA.
So I think to make any transformation proactively
happen, it has to be very clearly and authentically
the concern of top person. THAT MEANS NOT
JUST PUTTING ON A POWERPOINT DECK, BUT
LIVING IT, TALKING ABOUT IT RELENTLESSLY,
ASKING ABOUT IT IN EVERY STAFF MEETING,
AND THEREFORE CAUSING HIS OR HER
PEOPLE TO GO ASK ABOUT IT IN EVERY STAFF
MEETING, AND MAKE IT A PART OF
EVERYONE'S AGENDA.”
– Former Chief Marketing Officer,
Food & Agriculture, NA
“LEADERSHIP SHAPES CULTURE. If
they don't have the right leadership, in
terms of creating the right culture,
whether there needs to be greater
dialogue, greater debate, greater risk
taking, greater data-centric decision
making, that's, I think, always going to
be their opportunity.”
– Former Chief Strategy And Innovation
Officer, Retail & Consumer Goods, NA
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM13
CHALLENGE 8:
A DYNAMIC WORKFORCE DEMANDS ENGAGEMENT
Evolving workforce demographics and shifts in
culture are driving the need to more deeply
understand employee wants and expectations.
“TALENT RETENTION IS A
PRETTY BIG CHALLENGE.
The quality of work life, feeling
of mobility. It's not even a need
for the younger generation to job
hop in order to move up. YOU
HAVE TO BE VERY
COGNIZANT OF WHAT'S
DRIVING THEM DAY-TO-DAY.
Is their career providing not only
the remuneration but the work
atmosphere, the flexibility.”
– Director, Global Construction Digital
& Technology, Construction, NA
“The way organizations are having to work to manage, accommodate,
and align the culture and people, obviously has an impact by the
generation that people are born into, the geography they're working in, the
way they expect or want to be working with each other within a company,
with each other between companies, and the way that they want to be
living their lives. The sort of work, lifestyle, and patterns, expectations that
they have of an organization, is something that's changing, evolving, and
becoming more important at an ever-increasing pace and speed. The
organization increasingly has to react and manage that, because now in
the age that we're in, IF COMPANIES DON'T MANAGE CULTURE
AND HAVE ISSUES, THE IMPACT IS FAR GREATER AND FAR
MORE IMPACTFUL ON THEIR BRAND THAN EVER BEFORE.
Equally, people are far more aware about the sort of culture, the sort of
company they want to be part of.”
– SVP, Financial Services, EMEA
“Processes and people
go together hand-in-
hand and they need to
be speaking the same
language.”
– Former VP Global
Marketing/Global
Technology Management,
NA And APAC
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM14
CHALLENGE 9:
REPUTATION REQUIRES 24/7/365
CRISIS VIGILANCE
Sustaining the enterprise requires management of reputational risks—
and there are many in a fast-paced playing field where anyone can have
a microphone or point of view.
“It's a really very fundamental
issue of what, if anything, ARE
THE VALUES OF THIS
COMPANY. What, if anything,
would we stand up for if the
moment came? What would our
position be? How would we
handle it? Are we sitting in a
glass house, and are vulnerable
to people saying, or wow, I love
what you're saying, BUT DO
YOU REALIZE YOU HAVE NO
WOMEN IN YOUR EXECUTIVE
SUITE.”
– Former Chief Marketing Officer,
Food & Agriculture, NA
“COMPANIES CAN DO A BETTER
JOB OF BEING MORE OF A THINK
TANK. So instead of waiting for some
challenge crisis to happen to say we
have these resources is to say HAVE
YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THESE
THINGS. And these are different ways
to do it. You might not use it now, but
down the road here's some things to
think about. If I were running an
organization, I would hold some type of
webinar forum or something where
maybe it's three times a year I would
talk about trends in communication.”
– Former Chief Strategy And Business
Transformation Officer, Retail & Consumer
Goods, NA
“You've got most boards
that are effectively in the
survival mode rather
than the strategic-
thinking mode.”
– Senior Vice President,
Financial Services, EMEA
“Much more effectively than
having terabytes of data from
consumers that you've been
watching for many, many
months, and the way that
they behave on your site. All
of it is important, but I THINK
IT'S THE STORIES THAT
WE TELL EACH OTHER,
AND ABOUT CHANGING
OUR STRATEGIC
TRAJECTORY.”
– SVP Insights And Innovation,
Media, NA
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM15
CHALLENGE 10:
KEEPING THE LOCAL IN GLOBAL
Both a broad and narrow market horizon deepen
insights and add value.
“In countries like the US or countries in
Western Europe – due to the very well
developed logistics and supply chain,
connectivity, accessibility to internet – it's
much easier for consumers and
customers to be fully connected. That
means that shifting from the traditional
channels to eCommerce is extremely
easy. IF WE LOOK INTO DEVELOPING
COUNTRIES, TECHNOLOGY IS STILL
EVOLVING. In developing economies,
they have different expectations and they
have a little bit more issues with the
government when it comes down on the
pricing.”
– Chief Information Officer,
Manufacturing, LATAM
“I think an understanding of the local
market and ability to apply local
procedures, to have a global
perspective, BUT ALSO HAVING A
VERY STRONG LOCAL
KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION
AND UNDERSTANDING [is helpful for
problem solving]. I have seen
companies from Europe and the US
coming in and applying European and
American systems and values and
approaches to cultures that really don't
understand how all this works. It just all
backfires.”
– CEO, Aviation, APAC
“So for us, that's really
how we discovered it,
WE KIND OF ENDED UP
MAKING DECISIONS
LARGELY BASED ON
‘BEST FOR COMPANY
AS A WHOLE,’ WHICH
ISN'T NECESSARILY
THE BEST THING FOR
PEOPLE IN THE LOCAL
MARKET.”
– Chief Product Officer/SVP,
Online Retailer, NA
“In every region of the
world, there are
different
requirements…
UNDERSTANDING THE
CULTURE AND THE
REQUIREMENTS OF
THE GEOGRAPHIES
YOU’RE WORKING
WITH, is obviously
fundamentally
important.”
– Senior Vice President,
Financial Services, EMEA
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM16
DISRUPTORS (Ds) AND FORTUNE 500s (F500s):
A SUMMARY OF THEIR SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM17
Data-centricity Is Common Ground
Both Ds and F500s are in search of more perception and behavioral
(signals, conversations) data and meaningful data analysis and analytics.
Survey research to understand the “whys” is highly regarded by both.
Change Management Is Given
Change management/employee engagement is high on the agenda,
regardless of D or F500 background. For Ds, change management is
baked into their daily growth trajectory; for F500s, it is a paramount
necessity that they do not always realize. Regardless, it must be done
carefully or credibility is at risk.
Customer Is It
Customer is still “king/queen,” regardless of Ds or F500s. Deep
relationships still matter and understanding the customer journey and
experience is critical to understanding value to retain and win new
customers.
Ds > Opportunistic
Ds see more opportunities than threats from so-called “disruptions,” or changes
related to new technologies and generational attitudes. (They seem ready to ride the
shifts). F500s are more rattled by threats. Traditional boundaries have become fluid,
throwing their whole business models into question. The ground is shifting under
them while Ds live the shifts.
Ds > Tech Fluent
Ds are more versatile in discussing technology advances such as AI, machine
learning, algorithms, etc. They spontaneously discuss concerns about interpreting
behavioral data and AI (i.e., “Do you trust your algorithm?”).
Ds > Agile
Ds are more likely to embody a Silicon Valley start-up mentality, having gone through
the challenges of starting and growing a company, contracting and expanding.
Ds Go-to-solve Is The Platform
Ds harness “the platform” (i.e., Spotify, Amazon, Apple) in problem solving and are
more multi-channel. An interesting dynamic emerged – the Platform Vs Partnership
Dilemma. There is an inherent conflict to own the platform vs. owning the connection
to the customer and the data itself. Ds raised concern that they are ceding control to
the platform at the expense of owning the customer relationship and with the threat of
losing control. Whomever has the data, insights, can more effectively capitalize on
the market.
SOLVE
ON THE FLY
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM18
Executives more easily described problems than offering
break-through solutions. Creative problem-solving on-the-go
seemed to be the overarching solution. Here are some
solutions that were unique and practical.
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM19
FIND THE BEST TALENT AND HAVE THE
CONFIDENCE TO LET THEM LOOSE
WINNING
SOLUTIONS
MAP YOUR CUSTOMERS’ JOURNEY
NARROW YOUR BATTLEFIELD
QUANTIFY BUT QUALIFY YOUR
BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE
DIVIDE TO CONQUER
“FROM AN INNOVATION STANDPOINT,
THERE’S A GAP IN THE MARKET BUT
IS THERE A MARKET IN THE GAP?”
REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM20
Former Director of Brand Strategy, Healthcare & Pharma, NA
ANDY POLANSKY
Chief Executive Officer
Weber Shandwick
apolansky@webershandwick.com
GAIL HEIMANN
President
Weber Shandwick
gheimann@webershandwick.com
JACK LESLIE
Chairman
Weber Shandwick
jleslie@webershandwick.com
CHRIS PERRY
Chief Digital Officer
Weber Shandwick
cperry@webershandwick.com
CATHY CALHOUN
Chief Client Officer
Weber Shandwick
ccalhoun@webershandwick.com
SARA GAVIN
President, North America
Weber Shandwick
sgavin@webershandwick.com
21
TIM SUTTON
Chairman, EMEA & Asia Pacific
Weber Shandwick
tsutton@webershandwick.com
JONAS PALMQVIST
CCO, EMEA
Weber Shandwick
jpalmqvist@webershandwick.com
RACHEL FRIEND
CEO, UK & Ireland
Weber Shandwick
rfriend@webershandwick.com
BAXTER JOLLY
CEO, Asia Pacific
Weber Shandwick
bjolly@webershandwick.com
ZE SCHIAVONI
CEO, S2 Publicom
Weber Shandwick
zschiavoni@webershandwick.com
THANK
YOU.
For More Info About
Rebalancing In The Age
Of Disequilibrium,
Please Contact:
AMANDA BERENSTEIN
Managing Director, Mexico City
Weber Shandwick
aberenstein@webershandwick.com
GREG POWER
CEO Canada & President
Weber Shandwick
gpower@webershandwick.com
JILL TANNENBAUM
Chief Communications & Marketing Officer
Weber Shandwick
jtannenbaum@webershandwick.com
LESLIE GAINES-ROSS
Chief Reputation Strategist
Weber Shandwick
lgaines-ross@webershandwick.com
MARK RICHARDS
SVP/Management Supervisor
KRC Research
mrichards@krcresearch.com

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Rebalancing in the Age of Disequilibrium

  • 1. REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM EXECUTIVE PERSPECTIVES
  • 2. “IN TODAY’S RUSH OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE RAPID PACE OF CHANGE, BUSINESS LEADERS AND THEIR COMPANIES ARE FACED WITH BEING CAUGHT OFF BALANCE. THEY WORK IN A STATE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM, WHERE THE GROUND SHIFTS CONTINUALLY AND KEEPING UP WITH NEW DISRUPTORS AND DISRUPTIONS MEANS HAVING TO SOLVE PROBLEMS AND RE-BALANCE RISK WITH REWARD IN WAYS NEVER BEFORE IMAGINED.” REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM2 Gail Heimann, President, Weber Shandwick
  • 3. Objective In partnership with Weber Shandwick, KRC Research conducted 23 in- depth, guided, qualitative interviews among C-level and other top executives to understand the challenges and opportunities of doing business in disruptive times. Senior level executives were promised anonymity. All respondents work or recently worked: + In multinational, established corporations (Fortune 1000 or Fortune Global 500 companies) + In “disruptor” companies (identified based on reference to the 2018 CNBC Disruptor 50 list) Interviewees had multinational experience across the following markets: North America (NA), Central and Latin America (LatAm), Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and South and Southeast Asia (APAC). Specific countries in which executives have experience include: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Colombia, Ecuador, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands, Philippines, Russia, South Korea, Switzerland, Thailand, UAE, UK and the US. Respondent quotes presented in this deck may have been edited for brevity and clarity. Method Telephone interviews were conducted from December 2018 to April 2019 across industries and subject areas: Functional Area ► CEO ► Corporate Communications & Public Relations ► Data Science ► Digital & Technology, IT ► Employee Engagement ► Executive Leadership, Strategy ► Government Relations & Public Affairs ► Human Resources ► Innovation/Business Transformation ► Marketing RESEARCH OBJECTIVE AND METHOD REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM3 Business Sector ► Aviation & Transportation ► Financial Services ► Food & Agriculture ► Healthcare & Pharmaceuticals ► Manufacturing ► Retail, Luxury & Consumer Goods ► Technology & Telecommunications ► Hospitality ► Education ► Media
  • 4. “EVERYBODY'S TALKING ABOUT WHERE THEY WANT TO GO, AND WHAT THEY WANT TO ACHIEVE, BUT THEY DON'T KNOW WHERE THEY ARE TODAY OR WHERE THEY WERE.” REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM4 Chief Healthcare Informatics Officer, Healthcare & Pharma, North America
  • 5. THE BIG STORY: DISEQUILIBRIUM REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM5
  • 6. A common set of challenges among respondents emerged. There are more similarities than differences between the established Fortune 500 and disruptor company executives when it comes to business challenges. Observations on how the Fortune 500 company and disruptor company executives compare are addressed later in this report. THE BIG STORY: DISEQUILIBRIUM REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM6 CHALLENGE 1 Uninterrupted Disruption Is Everywhere. Digital disruption is transforming the global playing field as unlikely competitors join the game. This is challenging establishment leadership using old playbooks. CHALLENGE 2 Understanding Of The Customer Journey Needs A Reboot. The market offers new choices and customer expectations are shifting. Understanding the customer and their new journey is essential for discovering new and advantageous entry points. CHALLENGE 3 Translators And Sensemakers Are Required For Delivering Business Intelligence That Matters. The complexity of business needs human-powered insights and sense-making of the many streams of data. CHALLENGE 4 Differentiation Is Mission Critical. With customer expectations rapidly changing and increased pressure to adapt, organizations must determine the value they bring to customers and how much customers are willing to pay for that differentiator. CHALLENGE 5 Racing Against The Clock. The current pace of business activities is incompatible with the acceleration and speed of the market. Time-to-solution. CHALLENGE 6 Avoiding The Gravity Well. One thing that hasn’t changed is the need to innovate, stay relevant and grow, balancing short- and long-term pressures. To do this requires rethinking how not to get pulled into the corporate quicksand. CHALLENGE 7 Aligning The Culture To Meet The Future. Change management is the central nervous system (CNS) of the future and works better with an advocate who is willing to listen and learn. CHALLENGE 8 A Dynamic Workforce Demands Engagement. Evolving workforce demographics and shifts in societal culture are driving the need to more deeply understand employee wants and expectations. CHALLENGE 9 Reputation Requires 24/7/365 Crisis Vigilance. Sustaining the enterprise requires management of reputational risks—and there are many in a fast-paced playing field where anyone can have a microphone or a point of view. CHALLENGE 10 Keeping The Local In Global. Both a broad and narrow market horizon deepen insights and add value.
  • 7. CHALLENGE 1: UNINTERRUPTED DISRUPTION IS EVERYWHERE “Where to get new growth is a massive universal concern of C-suites across the country and the world. The whole realm of BUSINESS DISRUPTION, AND MORE SPECIFICALLY DIGITAL DISRUPTION, is a pretty shared one for most industries, and that can be in order to remain competitive. I've got to go through a massive change in how I fundamentally reconceive how I think about my business.” – Former Chief Marketing Officer, Food & Agriculture, NA “Every industry, every sector has had huge technological changes in the last 10, 15, 20 years, perhaps more than in previous times. I think THE ABILITY OF CERTAIN PEOPLE TO KEEP UP WITH THE TECHNOLOGICAL CHANGE IS NOT AS GOOD AS IT USED TO BE. Perhaps that’s just a function of it coming at you so fast, but unless you are prepared to dedicate the time and the effort and have the ability to do so, then it can be tough.” – CEO, Aviation, APAC “All of a sudden we are facing an INCREDIBLE, DEVASTATING TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTION. You get exposed to something which is absolutely unknown by the company, by the industry. Then you have …to make compatible your existing structure with a VERY FAST EVOLVING TECHNOLOGY WHICH IS APPARENTLY FROM THE OUTSIDE, but in reality it's part of your business, or the culture of your everyday activity, that is changing.” – CEO, Manufacturing, EMEA Digital disruption is transforming the global playing field as unlikely competitors join the game. This is challenging establishment leadership using old playbooks. REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM7
  • 8. CHALLENGE 2: UNDERSTANDING OF THE CUSTOMER JOURNEY NEEDS A REBOOT “How do I sell my product, how do I understand the requirements for my customers, understand their needs, their behaviors, their thought patterns, WHAT IS IT THEY'RE GOING TO WANT IN 3, 5, 10 YEARS’ TIME?” – SVP, Financial Services, EMEA “Lesson number one is understand your consumer. Lesson number two is get over yourself, don't assume you know your consumer. Go understand your consumer. It starts from checking your hubris at the door. Come in with humility and a curiosity to understand where are we really today. AND IF YOU'RE NOT READY TO FACE THOSE HARD TRUTHS, YOU'RE NOT READY FOR THE CHANGE, PERIOD.” – Former Chief Strategy And Innovation Officer, Retail & Consumer Goods, NA “We see the consumer shifting away from this whole concept of the paradox of choice to literally the paradox of chance. If you think about it, who is controlling the algorithm that is supposed to recommend the brand that I'm going to buy? THIS WHOLE CONCEPT OF TRUSTING THE ALGORITHM AND THE PARADOX OF CHANCE IN THESE PLATFORMS IS A FUNDAMENTAL CHALLENGE THAT ADVERTISERS NEED TO START TO PAY ATTENTION TO.” – SVP Insights And Innovation, Media, NA The market offers new choices and customer expectations are shifting. Understanding your customer and their new journey is essential for discovering new and advantageous entry points. REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM8
  • 9. CHALLENGE 3: TRANSLATORS & SENSEMAKERS ARE REQUIRED FOR BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE THAT MATTERS The complexity of business needs human- powered insights and sense-making of the many streams of data. “The really important people, who I call the ‘TRANSLATORS,’ ARE THE ONES WHO CAN FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU DO AS A RESULT OF THE DATA. I NEVER LACKED FOR DATA. WHAT I LACKED FOR WAS SOMEBODY TO TELL ME WHAT DATA MATTERED AND WHAT DATA DIDN'T MATTER.” – Former CEO And President, Retail & Consumer Goods, NA “If you don't have good data in place, you're not able to exploit new technologies that come on-board. It's really that simple.” – SVP, Financial Services, EMEA “KNOWING HOW TO USE DATA IS CRITICAL. Our philosophy was to be in the largest and fastest growing markets around the world, and so we looked at all the census data. BASED ON THE ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY AND GROWTH, THERE ARE PRIMARILY 12 CITIES IN LATIN AMERICA THAT PROVIDED THE BEST GROWTH PROSPECT FOR US that we thought were in our sweet spot, and so all of those cities had either five million plus people in them, they had a growing middle class, and they had an evolving marketplace. And we primarily concentrated on those 12 cities and said, ‘If we're going to win and be successful and deliver our best value, then we have to do it in those markets.’” – EVP, Global Chief Human Resources Officer, Manufacturing, NA REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM9
  • 10. CHALLENGE 4: DIFFERENTIATION IS MISSION CRITICAL With customer expectations rapidly changing and increased pressure to adapt, organizations must determine the value they bring to customers and how much customers are willing to pay for that differentiator. “I think the key thing as a company is WHAT IS THE AREA THAT YOU'RE GOING TO COMPETE IN. Are you going to be the company that can produce something at the lowest cost, and you effectively piggyback off other people's ideas? Are you going to be the company that can deliver something faster than anyone else, or are you a company that's going to focus on research, development, and innovation, and deliver a quality product before anyone else?” – SVP, Financial Services, EMEA “I would say create competitive differentiation [is another challenge]. MANY HISTORICAL DIFFERENTIATORS HAVE NOW BEEN EITHER COMMODITIZED, OR ERODED ALTOGETHER. I can go and find all of the discounts available, and then make my choice of selection right there. SO PRICE IS NO LONGER A DIFFERENTIATOR as it used to be.” – Former Chief Strategy And Innovation Officer, Retail & Consumer Goods, NA “Defining ourselves as the industry contributor or role player is more and more difficult. One of the ways to deal with that kind of problem is to CLARIFY YOUR COORDINATES ON YOUR VALUE CHAIN. ‘THIS IS MY SPECTRUM, THIS IS MY SPECTRUM OF COLOR, I'M NOT GOING OUT OF RED OR I'M NOT GOING OUT OF VIOLET.’ You have to stay within the spectrum.” – Former Chief Strategy Officer, Manufacturing, APAC REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM10
  • 11. CHALLENGE 5: RACING AGAINST THE CLOCK The current pace of today’s business activities is incompatible with the acceleration and speed of the market. Time-to-solution. REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM11 “Effectively, the pace of how new products are launched into the marketplace has changed, the way that people can become fast followers at a pace and a speed far greater than ever before. I USE TECHNOLOGY TO CREATE NEW PRODUCTS, AND NEW DISRUPTORS IN ANY INDUSTRY TYPE, FAR MORE QUICKLY, FAR MORE EFFECTIVELY, AND OF FAR GREATER QUALITY THAN EVER BEFORE. That impacts the stability of any organization.” – SVP, Financial Services, EMEA “[Multinational, traditional] companies have been dictating or dominating their field for more than 100 years now. On the other side of our industry are our CUSTOMERS WHO ARE MOVING TOO FAST. They are working 48 hours a day but we are working 24 hours a day, and our suppliers are working 12 hours a day. So we are sort of in the middle which can sometimes cause a lot of confusion inside the organization.” – Former Chief Strategy Officer, Manufacturing, APAC ”New competition is always more speed, and new competition is also maybe more in-touch with their markets than established companies. If you want to make a change, the cost of changing your IT infrastructure is just ginormous. SPEED, AGILITY, AND CONSUMER INTIMACY ARE THE BENEFITS THAT SMALLER COMPETITION HAVE COMPARED TO THE ESTABLISHED ORGANIZATIONS.” – Former Business Advisor/ Executive Coach, Financial Services, EMEA “It's not about disruption, IT'S REALLY JUST ABOUT WHETHER OR NOT YOU'VE IDENTIFIED THE CHANGES FAST ENOUGH SO THAT AS A BUSINESS YOU CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OR ACTUALLY CAPITALIZE ON THOSE CHANGES.” – SVP Insights And Innovation, Media, NA
  • 12. CHALLENGE 6: AVOIDING THE GRAVITY WELL One thing that hasn’t changed is the need to innovate, stay relevant and grow, balancing short and long-term pressures. To do this requires rethinking how to not get pulled into corporate quicksand. “The biggest thing that a business needs to understand is that the core business model and the organization that supports that core business model is creating a massive gravity well. That GRAVITY WELL HAS GOT INERTIA THAT IS KEEPING EVERYBODY AND THE BUSINESS INSIDE OF IT. You want that gravity well, and you want that inertia so that you can keep optimizing the current business, but when you've got to deal with the kinds of disruption that we're constantly dealing with, unless you recognize and understand that, everything you try is just going to get sucked directly into that gravity well. YOU HAVE TO DESIGN TO BE ABLE TO CREATE OPPORTUNITIES IN THE BUSINESS, WITHIN THE ORGANIZATION, THAT ARE BUILT SPECIFICALLY TO NOT GET SUCKED INTO THAT GRAVITY WELL.” – Chief Marketing Officer, Technology & Telecom, NA “We just have to adapt. We adapt and use the best systems we can. We try very hard to use outdated systems, but then of course, it has a reverse effect in as much as it keeps us in that era and that technological environment because we cannot move ahead because the customer base cannot move ahead with us.” – CEO, Aviation, APAC “The people who've been around a long time, you know, they may have 20, 25, 30 years of experience in the industry. And that experience in and of itself is valuable, but it's going to create huge bias in terms of the pace of change and what may end up disrupting the business. And also makes them UNABLE TO SEE THE THING THAT ULTIMATELY COMES ALONG THAT WILL DISRUPT THEIR BUSINESS…what happens when you're inside of a company is you lose perspective on what's happening in other industries and other spaces and what the lessons are from those other spaces.” – Former CEO And President, Retail & Consumer Goods, NA “When a new technology comes it actually widens the scope of your business. Most companies consider that as a new thing. They'll just treat it as a new feature without actually thinking of how that is profoundly changing the rest of their business, which is why disruptors are coming from scratch. OLDER BRANDS TRY AND SEE HOW THEY CAN BENEFIT FROM THE TECHNOLOGY BUT THEY DON'T REALLY THINK DEEPLY ABOUT WHAT THAT CHANGE MEANS FOR THE WHOLE BUSINESS.” – Former Chief Revenue Officer, Hospitality, EMEA REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM12
  • 13. CHALLENGE 7: ALIGNING THE CULTURE TO MEET THE FUTURE Change management is the CNS of the future and works better with an advocate who is willing to listen and learn. “We always start internally. We communicate with our employees the changes as they are happening, and often, we run workshops with employees involved in the changes.” – Former VP Global Marketing/Global Technology Management, NA And APAC “They know they have to start asking those questions even though it's not in their personal DNA. So I think to make any transformation proactively happen, it has to be very clearly and authentically the concern of top person. THAT MEANS NOT JUST PUTTING ON A POWERPOINT DECK, BUT LIVING IT, TALKING ABOUT IT RELENTLESSLY, ASKING ABOUT IT IN EVERY STAFF MEETING, AND THEREFORE CAUSING HIS OR HER PEOPLE TO GO ASK ABOUT IT IN EVERY STAFF MEETING, AND MAKE IT A PART OF EVERYONE'S AGENDA.” – Former Chief Marketing Officer, Food & Agriculture, NA “LEADERSHIP SHAPES CULTURE. If they don't have the right leadership, in terms of creating the right culture, whether there needs to be greater dialogue, greater debate, greater risk taking, greater data-centric decision making, that's, I think, always going to be their opportunity.” – Former Chief Strategy And Innovation Officer, Retail & Consumer Goods, NA REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM13
  • 14. CHALLENGE 8: A DYNAMIC WORKFORCE DEMANDS ENGAGEMENT Evolving workforce demographics and shifts in culture are driving the need to more deeply understand employee wants and expectations. “TALENT RETENTION IS A PRETTY BIG CHALLENGE. The quality of work life, feeling of mobility. It's not even a need for the younger generation to job hop in order to move up. YOU HAVE TO BE VERY COGNIZANT OF WHAT'S DRIVING THEM DAY-TO-DAY. Is their career providing not only the remuneration but the work atmosphere, the flexibility.” – Director, Global Construction Digital & Technology, Construction, NA “The way organizations are having to work to manage, accommodate, and align the culture and people, obviously has an impact by the generation that people are born into, the geography they're working in, the way they expect or want to be working with each other within a company, with each other between companies, and the way that they want to be living their lives. The sort of work, lifestyle, and patterns, expectations that they have of an organization, is something that's changing, evolving, and becoming more important at an ever-increasing pace and speed. The organization increasingly has to react and manage that, because now in the age that we're in, IF COMPANIES DON'T MANAGE CULTURE AND HAVE ISSUES, THE IMPACT IS FAR GREATER AND FAR MORE IMPACTFUL ON THEIR BRAND THAN EVER BEFORE. Equally, people are far more aware about the sort of culture, the sort of company they want to be part of.” – SVP, Financial Services, EMEA “Processes and people go together hand-in- hand and they need to be speaking the same language.” – Former VP Global Marketing/Global Technology Management, NA And APAC REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM14
  • 15. CHALLENGE 9: REPUTATION REQUIRES 24/7/365 CRISIS VIGILANCE Sustaining the enterprise requires management of reputational risks— and there are many in a fast-paced playing field where anyone can have a microphone or point of view. “It's a really very fundamental issue of what, if anything, ARE THE VALUES OF THIS COMPANY. What, if anything, would we stand up for if the moment came? What would our position be? How would we handle it? Are we sitting in a glass house, and are vulnerable to people saying, or wow, I love what you're saying, BUT DO YOU REALIZE YOU HAVE NO WOMEN IN YOUR EXECUTIVE SUITE.” – Former Chief Marketing Officer, Food & Agriculture, NA “COMPANIES CAN DO A BETTER JOB OF BEING MORE OF A THINK TANK. So instead of waiting for some challenge crisis to happen to say we have these resources is to say HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THESE THINGS. And these are different ways to do it. You might not use it now, but down the road here's some things to think about. If I were running an organization, I would hold some type of webinar forum or something where maybe it's three times a year I would talk about trends in communication.” – Former Chief Strategy And Business Transformation Officer, Retail & Consumer Goods, NA “You've got most boards that are effectively in the survival mode rather than the strategic- thinking mode.” – Senior Vice President, Financial Services, EMEA “Much more effectively than having terabytes of data from consumers that you've been watching for many, many months, and the way that they behave on your site. All of it is important, but I THINK IT'S THE STORIES THAT WE TELL EACH OTHER, AND ABOUT CHANGING OUR STRATEGIC TRAJECTORY.” – SVP Insights And Innovation, Media, NA REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM15
  • 16. CHALLENGE 10: KEEPING THE LOCAL IN GLOBAL Both a broad and narrow market horizon deepen insights and add value. “In countries like the US or countries in Western Europe – due to the very well developed logistics and supply chain, connectivity, accessibility to internet – it's much easier for consumers and customers to be fully connected. That means that shifting from the traditional channels to eCommerce is extremely easy. IF WE LOOK INTO DEVELOPING COUNTRIES, TECHNOLOGY IS STILL EVOLVING. In developing economies, they have different expectations and they have a little bit more issues with the government when it comes down on the pricing.” – Chief Information Officer, Manufacturing, LATAM “I think an understanding of the local market and ability to apply local procedures, to have a global perspective, BUT ALSO HAVING A VERY STRONG LOCAL KNOWLEDGE AND APPRECIATION AND UNDERSTANDING [is helpful for problem solving]. I have seen companies from Europe and the US coming in and applying European and American systems and values and approaches to cultures that really don't understand how all this works. It just all backfires.” – CEO, Aviation, APAC “So for us, that's really how we discovered it, WE KIND OF ENDED UP MAKING DECISIONS LARGELY BASED ON ‘BEST FOR COMPANY AS A WHOLE,’ WHICH ISN'T NECESSARILY THE BEST THING FOR PEOPLE IN THE LOCAL MARKET.” – Chief Product Officer/SVP, Online Retailer, NA “In every region of the world, there are different requirements… UNDERSTANDING THE CULTURE AND THE REQUIREMENTS OF THE GEOGRAPHIES YOU’RE WORKING WITH, is obviously fundamentally important.” – Senior Vice President, Financial Services, EMEA REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM16
  • 17. DISRUPTORS (Ds) AND FORTUNE 500s (F500s): A SUMMARY OF THEIR SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM17 Data-centricity Is Common Ground Both Ds and F500s are in search of more perception and behavioral (signals, conversations) data and meaningful data analysis and analytics. Survey research to understand the “whys” is highly regarded by both. Change Management Is Given Change management/employee engagement is high on the agenda, regardless of D or F500 background. For Ds, change management is baked into their daily growth trajectory; for F500s, it is a paramount necessity that they do not always realize. Regardless, it must be done carefully or credibility is at risk. Customer Is It Customer is still “king/queen,” regardless of Ds or F500s. Deep relationships still matter and understanding the customer journey and experience is critical to understanding value to retain and win new customers. Ds > Opportunistic Ds see more opportunities than threats from so-called “disruptions,” or changes related to new technologies and generational attitudes. (They seem ready to ride the shifts). F500s are more rattled by threats. Traditional boundaries have become fluid, throwing their whole business models into question. The ground is shifting under them while Ds live the shifts. Ds > Tech Fluent Ds are more versatile in discussing technology advances such as AI, machine learning, algorithms, etc. They spontaneously discuss concerns about interpreting behavioral data and AI (i.e., “Do you trust your algorithm?”). Ds > Agile Ds are more likely to embody a Silicon Valley start-up mentality, having gone through the challenges of starting and growing a company, contracting and expanding. Ds Go-to-solve Is The Platform Ds harness “the platform” (i.e., Spotify, Amazon, Apple) in problem solving and are more multi-channel. An interesting dynamic emerged – the Platform Vs Partnership Dilemma. There is an inherent conflict to own the platform vs. owning the connection to the customer and the data itself. Ds raised concern that they are ceding control to the platform at the expense of owning the customer relationship and with the threat of losing control. Whomever has the data, insights, can more effectively capitalize on the market.
  • 18. SOLVE ON THE FLY REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM18
  • 19. Executives more easily described problems than offering break-through solutions. Creative problem-solving on-the-go seemed to be the overarching solution. Here are some solutions that were unique and practical. REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM19 FIND THE BEST TALENT AND HAVE THE CONFIDENCE TO LET THEM LOOSE WINNING SOLUTIONS MAP YOUR CUSTOMERS’ JOURNEY NARROW YOUR BATTLEFIELD QUANTIFY BUT QUALIFY YOUR BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE DIVIDE TO CONQUER
  • 20. “FROM AN INNOVATION STANDPOINT, THERE’S A GAP IN THE MARKET BUT IS THERE A MARKET IN THE GAP?” REBALANCING IN THE AGE OF DISEQUILIBRIUM20 Former Director of Brand Strategy, Healthcare & Pharma, NA
  • 21. ANDY POLANSKY Chief Executive Officer Weber Shandwick apolansky@webershandwick.com GAIL HEIMANN President Weber Shandwick gheimann@webershandwick.com JACK LESLIE Chairman Weber Shandwick jleslie@webershandwick.com CHRIS PERRY Chief Digital Officer Weber Shandwick cperry@webershandwick.com CATHY CALHOUN Chief Client Officer Weber Shandwick ccalhoun@webershandwick.com SARA GAVIN President, North America Weber Shandwick sgavin@webershandwick.com 21 TIM SUTTON Chairman, EMEA & Asia Pacific Weber Shandwick tsutton@webershandwick.com JONAS PALMQVIST CCO, EMEA Weber Shandwick jpalmqvist@webershandwick.com RACHEL FRIEND CEO, UK & Ireland Weber Shandwick rfriend@webershandwick.com BAXTER JOLLY CEO, Asia Pacific Weber Shandwick bjolly@webershandwick.com ZE SCHIAVONI CEO, S2 Publicom Weber Shandwick zschiavoni@webershandwick.com THANK YOU. For More Info About Rebalancing In The Age Of Disequilibrium, Please Contact: AMANDA BERENSTEIN Managing Director, Mexico City Weber Shandwick aberenstein@webershandwick.com GREG POWER CEO Canada & President Weber Shandwick gpower@webershandwick.com JILL TANNENBAUM Chief Communications & Marketing Officer Weber Shandwick jtannenbaum@webershandwick.com LESLIE GAINES-ROSS Chief Reputation Strategist Weber Shandwick lgaines-ross@webershandwick.com MARK RICHARDS SVP/Management Supervisor KRC Research mrichards@krcresearch.com