David “DC” Clarke

Marketers of financial services companies that operate in a business to business to consumer (B2B2C) environment – think insurance and wealth management firms who serve clients through financial professionals – are facing new demands and pressures.

The business wants to grow while realizing cost savings. Financial professionals want specialized support to grow their practices. And end consumers are increasingly turning to new influencers for advice while demanding personalized… Show more

Marketers of financial services companies that operate in a business to business to consumer (B2B2C) environment – think insurance and wealth management firms who serve clients through financial professionals – are facing new demands and pressures.

The business wants to grow while realizing cost savings. Financial professionals want specialized support to grow their practices. And end consumers are increasingly turning to new influencers for advice while demanding personalized experiences.

How can marketers keep the customer at the center of their efforts while also supporting the needs of financial professionals and the strategy of their firms? Ernst & Young LLP surveyed over 200 chief marketing officers (CMOs) and senior marketing leaders to identify what separates those who are spearheading marketing for growing organizations from the rest. Show less

Marketers of financial services companies that operate in a business to business to consumer (B2B2C) environment – think insurance and wealth management firms who serve clients through financial professionals – are facing new demands and pressures.

The business wants to grow while realizing cost savings. Financial professionals want specialized support to grow their practices. And end consumers are increasingly turning to new influencers for advice while demanding personalized… Show more

Marketers of financial services companies that operate in a business to business to consumer (B2B2C) environment – think insurance and wealth management firms who serve clients through financial professionals – are facing new demands and pressures.

The business wants to grow while realizing cost savings. Financial professionals want specialized support to grow their practices. And end consumers are increasingly turning to new influencers for advice while demanding personalized experiences. Show less

The remote world has rewritten the rules and expectations for employees. If leaders don’t move faster, experiment, and take action to better serve and engage with employees, their ability to hire and retain talent will plummet.

Like many people, when COVID hit, I did not like remote work and didn’t foresee it becoming a new way of working. I thrive on energy, the exchange of ideas, and the bustle and buzz of the office. Some of the most innovative ideas, meaningful relationships, and… Show more

The remote world has rewritten the rules and expectations for employees. If leaders don’t move faster, experiment, and take action to better serve and engage with employees, their ability to hire and retain talent will plummet.

Like many people, when COVID hit, I did not like remote work and didn’t foresee it becoming a new way of working. I thrive on energy, the exchange of ideas, and the bustle and buzz of the office. Some of the most innovative ideas, meaningful relationships, and impactful networking started with a coffee talk in the real world. Show less

Board members need to know and believe when it comes to compliance, corporate culture matters. Unfortunately, many still do not realize that they have a direct role to play in defining that culture. According to David Clarke, Chief Experience Officer at UnitedLex, and David Edelheit, UnitedLex‘s Chief Transformation Officer, a strong compliance program is built on the foundation of a solid ethics and compliance risk assessment. They go on to say that this is different from an Enterprise Risk… Show more

Board members need to know and believe when it comes to compliance, corporate culture matters. Unfortunately, many still do not realize that they have a direct role to play in defining that culture. According to David Clarke, Chief Experience Officer at UnitedLex, and David Edelheit, UnitedLex‘s Chief Transformation Officer, a strong compliance program is built on the foundation of a solid ethics and compliance risk assessment. They go on to say that this is different from an Enterprise Risk Management assessment which looks at operational risks. Show less

Too often we look at transformation as a silver bullet: it serves as the de facto answer to a range of business problems. Yet all too often, it's implemented half-heartedly as people go through the transformation motions. But if one thing is abundantly clear in 2021: transformation can be many things, but it cannot be faked.

So how do you know when your transformation is real?

For transformation to ignite in an authentic way, businesses need to experience a catalytic event. For… Show more

Too often we look at transformation as a silver bullet: it serves as the de facto answer to a range of business problems. Yet all too often, it's implemented half-heartedly as people go through the transformation motions. But if one thing is abundantly clear in 2021: transformation can be many things, but it cannot be faked.

So how do you know when your transformation is real?

For transformation to ignite in an authentic way, businesses need to experience a catalytic event. For example, think back to when cyber teams were buried deep in the business, overlooked and neglected by the C-Suite. The cyber conversation was focused on risk and responsiveness. Cyber didn’t become a priority until there was an incident. Show less

The Impact Lawyers has the pleasure to publish the interview made with David Clarke, CMO and CXO at UnitedLex, about the digital tools that this firms is using currently to addapt to the new technological paradigm.

What priorities should a law department have when it comes to digitally transforming itself?
Begin with the right end in mind. The focus should be on business outcomes and how to align the law department more closely to business priorities, which requires both a… Show more

The Impact Lawyers has the pleasure to publish the interview made with David Clarke, CMO and CXO at UnitedLex, about the digital tools that this firms is using currently to addapt to the new technological paradigm.

What priorities should a law department have when it comes to digitally transforming itself?
Begin with the right end in mind. The focus should be on business outcomes and how to align the law department more closely to business priorities, which requires both a customer-centric outlook and a holistic and integrated approach to transformation. That means making sure your efforts encompass technology, data and insights, ways of working, and of course, people and culture. If you're doing your transformation right, it should touch every aspect of the way you do business. Show less

UnitedLex has hired five former executives of PwC and Deloitte as the technology and services provider steps up efforts to digitize corporate legal departments.

The hires include David Clarke as the company’s executive vice president and chief experience and marketing officer; Mike Duggan as executive vice president of clients and markets; and Audra Nichols, senior vice president of digital solutions and methods.

The hires show UnitedLex expects more companies to embrace its… Show more

UnitedLex has hired five former executives of PwC and Deloitte as the technology and services provider steps up efforts to digitize corporate legal departments.

The hires include David Clarke as the company’s executive vice president and chief experience and marketing officer; Mike Duggan as executive vice president of clients and markets; and Audra Nichols, senior vice president of digital solutions and methods.

The hires show UnitedLex expects more companies to embrace its technology for services such as contract formation and review over the next couple years.

“We see a massive market for digital transformation of legal departments,” said David Edelheit, the company’s chief digital and transformation officer. Show less

UnitedLex, which helps Fortune 1000 legal departments adopt and use tech, has hired five executives from the Big Four accounting firms as it seeks to accelerate growth and meet demand.

The new hires have been tapped to help grow UnitedLex's customer base, which also includes corporate legal departments, by acting as bridges between their client companies' general counsel and c-suites, convincing them of the importance of legal departments as linchpins of their business.

"The… Show more

UnitedLex, which helps Fortune 1000 legal departments adopt and use tech, has hired five executives from the Big Four accounting firms as it seeks to accelerate growth and meet demand.

The new hires have been tapped to help grow UnitedLex's customer base, which also includes corporate legal departments, by acting as bridges between their client companies' general counsel and c-suites, convincing them of the importance of legal departments as linchpins of their business.

"The problem corporations are facing is that legal departments are among the last areas of a business to see a tech transformation," in part because company executives don't fully realize how important these legal functions are, said David Clarke, UnitedLex's new executive vice president and chief experience and marketing officer. Clarke formerly led the strategy, experience, and marketing functions at PwC. Show less

Moving at digital speed, thin margins, nonstop competition, disruption…and a pandemic? It’s not easy to run a business these days. Many leaders are eager to adopt ways of working that will help them become elastic, adaptable, and able to weather bigger storms.

The annals of management offer various approaches — theories that have long thrived on the changing needs of leading a business. In the past, executives turned to concepts such as total quality management to identify efficiencies… Show more

Moving at digital speed, thin margins, nonstop competition, disruption…and a pandemic? It’s not easy to run a business these days. Many leaders are eager to adopt ways of working that will help them become elastic, adaptable, and able to weather bigger storms.

The annals of management offer various approaches — theories that have long thrived on the changing needs of leading a business. In the past, executives turned to concepts such as total quality management to identify efficiencies. Then came enterprise resource planning software. Practices like Six Sigma led to process improvement. But none of these strategies were holistic. Given the all-encompassing nature of today’s challenges, executives need speed-to-market and value — and they need to achieve them in weeks or months, not quarters or years. To get there, they should pursue the best ideas faster. That’s not the job of one department, or a single executive. Show less

Already accustomed to moving quickly, CIOs are testing and scrapping new solutions to accommodate customers. Their work could provide blueprints for future innovation.
Rapid-fire digital solutions built in sprints provides a schema for how IT organizations operate going forward, says David Clarke, digital strategy and innovation leader at PwC, adding that IT leaders should view the pandemic as a digital accelerator rather than a deterrent. Seventy-eight percent of CFOs PwC polled in July… Show more

Already accustomed to moving quickly, CIOs are testing and scrapping new solutions to accommodate customers. Their work could provide blueprints for future innovation.
Rapid-fire digital solutions built in sprints provides a schema for how IT organizations operate going forward, says David Clarke, digital strategy and innovation leader at PwC, adding that IT leaders should view the pandemic as a digital accelerator rather than a deterrent. Seventy-eight percent of CFOs PwC polled in July said they cut investments, though only 17 percent say those cuts extend to digital transformation, Clarke says. Show less

The coronavirus pandemic has shifted many companies away from the physical office and into the digital world, leaving people wondering how long they'll be working remotely and how their work will change once they return to the office.

David Clarke, PwC's principal digital strategy and innovation leader, said this shift toward the digital office isn't just temporary. Instead, the pandemic has catalyzed a shift that was already in the works for a while. Much of the abrupt transition that… Show more

The coronavirus pandemic has shifted many companies away from the physical office and into the digital world, leaving people wondering how long they'll be working remotely and how their work will change once they return to the office.

David Clarke, PwC's principal digital strategy and innovation leader, said this shift toward the digital office isn't just temporary. Instead, the pandemic has catalyzed a shift that was already in the works for a while. Much of the abrupt transition that companies made because of the pandemic will be here to stay, and it's up to companies to consider the unique needs of their workforces as the future continues to evolve. Show less

PwC's CFO Pulse survey suggests digital transformation initiatives are generally among the investment areas least likely to be cancelled or deferred. Seventeen percent of the 330 CFOs surveyed in the U.S. said they expected to cut digital transformation, compared with 78% who planned to target facilities and capital expenditures.

"Digital reigns supreme, and is a key component of a company's resilience," said David Clarke, PwC's global chief experience officer. "Even if businesses are… Show more

PwC's CFO Pulse survey suggests digital transformation initiatives are generally among the investment areas least likely to be cancelled or deferred. Seventeen percent of the 330 CFOs surveyed in the U.S. said they expected to cut digital transformation, compared with 78% who planned to target facilities and capital expenditures.

"Digital reigns supreme, and is a key component of a company's resilience," said David Clarke, PwC's global chief experience officer. "Even if businesses are shrinking budgets due to the pandemic, only a few are making cuts in their digital transformation spend." Show less

... the route forward lies in a collaborative effort between human and machine. “Take advantage of automation, but make sure customers can reach a human when one is needed,” wrote Clarke and Kinghorn from PwC. “In turn, automated solutions should “learn” from human interactions so those experiences also improve. This shift allows your employees to be more engaged when they’re needed, provide better service and get necessary support from technology—as part of the seamless experience.”

Customer experience management (CXM) is the management of customer interactions through each physical and digital touchpoint in order to deliver personalized experiences that drive brand loyalty and increase revenue, according to David Clarke, global chief experience officer at PwC. Brands accomplish CXM programs through a combination of software, analytics, research and data-management systems.

We live in an age of essentials. People are only buying goods they deem to be essential. For months, only businesses deemed essential were permitted to operate. Only essential employees were allowed to leave their homes to do their jobs.

It’s clear that what consumers regard as essential has shifted in the blink of an eye. Just two years ago, 82 percent of U.S. consumers said they wanted more human interaction, not less. Reading that statement now will probably make you cringe (or even… Show more

We live in an age of essentials. People are only buying goods they deem to be essential. For months, only businesses deemed essential were permitted to operate. Only essential employees were allowed to leave their homes to do their jobs.

It’s clear that what consumers regard as essential has shifted in the blink of an eye. Just two years ago, 82 percent of U.S. consumers said they wanted more human interaction, not less. Reading that statement now will probably make you cringe (or even laugh). Of course, people still crave a sense of humanity and realness in their experiences — it’s just that they know that their lives can go on without this, at least for a while. And it’s not just rates of in-person interaction that have seen a change. The U.S. savings rate, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic AnalysisPDF, soared to a stunning 33 percent in April, up from 8 percent in February. It’s difficult to find a time in history when customer behavior has taken such a dramatic turn. Wants? Those are so January 2020. Show less

PwC officials said the leading 5 percent share an embrace of change — not as an event but as an ongoing, everyday reality.

“We look at companies doing well and find that they’re committed to constant change,” says David Clarke, global chief experience officer at PwC. “It’s a mindset change. Digital transformation is more of a DNA thing, it’s more of how you operate, it’s the idea that you’ll never be finished, because you never know what the next great idea or technology will be.”

“Companies expected a certain return in a certain time, but digital is bigger and broader than companies imagined, and the level of confidence in mastering it is slipping,” says David Clarke, global chief experience officer at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Empower your employees by investing in digital solutions
According to research from PwC's Digital IQ report, the top 5 percent of digital leaders invest a third more than other companies in the digital infrastructure of their business, leading to 77 percent of them seeing increased employee satisfaction. However, during times of crisis, many firms "pull back on investments and conserve cash but really [they] should be focusing on their digital investments," says David Clarke, PwC global… Show more

Empower your employees by investing in digital solutions
According to research from PwC's Digital IQ report, the top 5 percent of digital leaders invest a third more than other companies in the digital infrastructure of their business, leading to 77 percent of them seeing increased employee satisfaction. However, during times of crisis, many firms "pull back on investments and conserve cash but really [they] should be focusing on their digital investments," says David Clarke, PwC global chief experience officer who spoke to me about the research. Clarke continues, "Companies that weren't working this way before are going to quickly wake up to the need to make virtual collaboration and cross-functional work the norm." Show less

According to research from PwC's Digital IQ report, the largest executive survey of its kind, the top 5% of digital leaders achieve a 17% higher profit margin and it comes down to one main factor: your workforce.

During times of upheaval, make sure you stay focused on your employees to mitigate fall out, excelling in the same four areas where those top leaders, or "Transcenders," do.

"Bottom lines and revenue may be uncertain at the moment, but this is not the time to cost-cut… Show more

According to research from PwC's Digital IQ report, the largest executive survey of its kind, the top 5% of digital leaders achieve a 17% higher profit margin and it comes down to one main factor: your workforce.

During times of upheaval, make sure you stay focused on your employees to mitigate fall out, excelling in the same four areas where those top leaders, or "Transcenders," do.

"Bottom lines and revenue may be uncertain at the moment, but this is not the time to cost-cut the soul of your organization," said David Clarke, PwC Global Chief Experience Officer. Show less

Does the phrase “digital transformation” mean anything anymore? If it ever did, it probably doesn’t now. If every company is digitally transforming, saying that a company is undergoing digital transformation doesn’t impart information.

“It’s basically lost its luster,” acknowledges David Clarke, global chief experience officer at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “It’s really just a phrase that’s being applied to ‘business as usual.’ ”

But wait. Forget “transformation” for a moment. Is… Show more

Does the phrase “digital transformation” mean anything anymore? If it ever did, it probably doesn’t now. If every company is digitally transforming, saying that a company is undergoing digital transformation doesn’t impart information.

“It’s basically lost its luster,” acknowledges David Clarke, global chief experience officer at PricewaterhouseCoopers. “It’s really just a phrase that’s being applied to ‘business as usual.’ ”

But wait. Forget “transformation” for a moment. Is there even a valid meaning of “digital” now? Because how much of what’s meaningful in today’s business technology arena is not digital?

“It’s the same challenge we had a few years ago with marketing,” Clarke avers. “What is ‘marketing’ when everything is marketing? Digital is now a commitment. It’s just our modern way of operating. Anything that shouldn’t be digital should probably go away.” Show less

Several PwC employees from across the U.S., including Miami and San Francisco, spoke with the girls, explaining what they do at PwC and introducing them to the realm of possible internships and jobs that PwC offers. Each stressed how important it is to have a diverse team (in all senses) in order to be truly innovative.

PwC, meanwhile, has been engaged in an initiative to productize many of the internal implementation and upskilling processes it has developed over time. David Clarke, CxO experience consulting, digital and products strategy GTM leader at PwC, said the product series is "in some ways an automation of consulting services."

According to David Clarke, Global CxO, Experience Consulting & Digital Consumer Markets Leader at PwC, 82% of top performing organizations pay the most attention to human experience and outperform peer companies that don't prioritize this. Customer care is the differentiator between a good and a great experience, and there are fundamental steps that retailers and brands should take to stay competitive and stand out as an exceptional brand.

As companies bear down on customer experience as a key differentiator, they are carving out a new CxO role. Are CIOs a natural fit for the new post? The answer is, it depends.

Non-technology based businesses have been building internal ‘tools’ to accelerate how they deliver products and services since before the internet. So, the temptation to package these tools and sell them as a license or software sale is natural.

If a business is just looking for alternative revenue streams, they may not fully appreciate the breadth of the commitment. Becoming a product company could either be a grandiose grasp for new revenue or a strategic pivot based on a commitment to… Show more

Non-technology based businesses have been building internal ‘tools’ to accelerate how they deliver products and services since before the internet. So, the temptation to package these tools and sell them as a license or software sale is natural.

If a business is just looking for alternative revenue streams, they may not fully appreciate the breadth of the commitment. Becoming a product company could either be a grandiose grasp for new revenue or a strategic pivot based on a commitment to transcend beyond the current business model.

The reality is, this is a new business model for most companies and it requires a company to commit to a DNA change. Amongst other things, it requires them to sell in a way they have never had to, market to a different audience, contract with a new buyer, establish a stable and cost-sensitive environment and maintain the product for life. Show less

“Convenience and ease are the pillars for a great engagement and AI can supercharge them all,” said David Clarke, Global Chief Experience Officer, PwC. “If all of a customer’s information just pops up and a smart, adapted script is there for an associate, how much better do you think that employee will serve that customer by spending less time hunting for data and more time building relationships? That’s all possible in large part because of adoption of these technologies and connected devices.”

Let’s start at the top. If customer experience really is the new marketing, maybe it’s time to rebrand the CMO. I spoke with PwC’s Global Chief Experience Officer David Clarke who believes CMOs should replace the M with an X.

“Enlightened companies genuinely understand that experience trumps all, and that sales, marketing and customer engagement are codependent,” Clarke said. “Experience is the endgame, not marketing.”


In some companies, there is a CXO who works alongside or… Show more

Let’s start at the top. If customer experience really is the new marketing, maybe it’s time to rebrand the CMO. I spoke with PwC’s Global Chief Experience Officer David Clarke who believes CMOs should replace the M with an X.

“Enlightened companies genuinely understand that experience trumps all, and that sales, marketing and customer engagement are codependent,” Clarke said. “Experience is the endgame, not marketing.”


In some companies, there is a CXO who works alongside or for the CMO. However, we need to consider that the lines may blur between these two important titles and, for lack of a better term, departments. Show less

While most executives recognize digital transformation is an ongoing multi-year journey, many organizations are still not as far along as they would like. There’s also a growing digital divide between digital leaders and the rest of the pack in terms of financial performance achieved via their transformations.

Management consultancy PwC has been running their Digital IQ Survey for over 10 years and their 11th annual survey polled thousands of business, experience and technology… Show more

While most executives recognize digital transformation is an ongoing multi-year journey, many organizations are still not as far along as they would like. There’s also a growing digital divide between digital leaders and the rest of the pack in terms of financial performance achieved via their transformations.

Management consultancy PwC has been running their Digital IQ Survey for over 10 years and their 11th annual survey polled thousands of business, experience and technology executives in over 60 countries to explore how the top financial performers are gaining and extending their competitive edge.

We caught up with David Clarke, Global Chief Experience Officer, PwC US, to discuss some of the key findings and insights from the global research in the areas of digital experience, disruption, leadership and workforce and his recommendations for Show less

“In PwC’s 2018 Digital IQ research findings, we found that almost half of the health services companies surveyed spend 6-10 percent on digital investments, with overall top industry performers spending over 10 percent. When looking at how funds are allocated throughout the industry, we found that only 3 percent of health services companies are currently investing in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, emphasizing that the industry as a whole doesn’t prioritize digital… Show more

“In PwC’s 2018 Digital IQ research findings, we found that almost half of the health services companies surveyed spend 6-10 percent on digital investments, with overall top industry performers spending over 10 percent. When looking at how funds are allocated throughout the industry, we found that only 3 percent of health services companies are currently investing in emerging technologies and artificial intelligence, emphasizing that the industry as a whole doesn’t prioritize digital transformation as much as other industries. There is far more concentration on investing in the customer experience realm and the human resources space, for example, than in new and emerging technology,” David Clarke, Global Chief Experience Officer at PwC, told me recently. Show less

Customer Experience is the key to Brand Success. Always has been, but all the more so, in today’s hyper-competitive, crowded marketplace. Sounds like a cliché but it’s undeniably true. Every other positive effort can evaporate – great packaging, marketing - even pricing – with one negative experience. And while there is no ‘one fixed definition’ of CX (it is about the ‘how’ of what you offer and deliver versus the ‘what’) – the space is also ripe for disruption from anyone, anywhere.

Digital transformation has generated a lot of interest in the last few years as companies scramble to become more digital and solve various problems with technology. However, it’s often not just the framework of the company that needs to transform. According to David Clarke, Global CXO, Experience Consulting & Digital Consumer Markets Leader at PwC, it takes transcendence for some companies to truly pivot.

Today, being digital is, like being online itself, an all-consuming experience. It means having a mind-set that embraces constant innovation, flat decision making, and the integration of the right types of technology into all phases of the business. It means developing a workforce and culture that hone the types of relationships, behaviors, and skills that speed innovation and bolster experience — and the bottom line.

News flash: You’re not as special as you think. Your brand is probably not as special as you think. Indeed, it might be quite ordinary. Forgettable, even.

Maybe you sell an interesting product or run a tight ship. On a personal level, you might even be a great person to work for, the living embodiment of your company’s truly compelling mission. But if all companies were as special as the people running them thought they were, then we’d have many more Apples, Teslas, and Starbuckses in… Show more

News flash: You’re not as special as you think. Your brand is probably not as special as you think. Indeed, it might be quite ordinary. Forgettable, even.

Maybe you sell an interesting product or run a tight ship. On a personal level, you might even be a great person to work for, the living embodiment of your company’s truly compelling mission. But if all companies were as special as the people running them thought they were, then we’d have many more Apples, Teslas, and Starbuckses in the world. These companies offer customers such a holistic relationship that they transcend regular business; they sell an experience, an aspiration, a lifestyle. Show less

Over the past twenty years, technological advances have transformed the relationship between a customer and the sellers of products and services.

That changed relationship has empowered customers to both demand more in terms of products and features, and also secure them at the best possible price.

For many companies, it probably feels like an endless march to the bottom — a world in which price is the only way to compete. But a recent study of 15,000 people across 12 countries… Show more

Over the past twenty years, technological advances have transformed the relationship between a customer and the sellers of products and services.

That changed relationship has empowered customers to both demand more in terms of products and features, and also secure them at the best possible price.

For many companies, it probably feels like an endless march to the bottom — a world in which price is the only way to compete. But a recent study of 15,000 people across 12 countries, including Australia, offers a clear pathway to building a sustainable and profitable point of differentiation. Show less

A good customer experience is a top priority for consumers, and they will pay extra for it, yet more than half of consumers believe most brands in the market fall short, according to a new study.

There are often two camps when it comes to customer experience: those who think automation and technology is the future, and those who think humans will still perform every task. However, perhaps the most likely scenario is one championed by David Clarke, Global CxO & Experience Consulting Leader, Digital Principal at PwC, who believes future success in customer experience comes from a combination of people plus technology.

According to PwC’s Experience is Everything: Here’s How To Get It Right survey, 73% of global respondents point to experience as one of the key drivers that influence their brand loyalties.

“65% of US consumers find a positive brand experience to be more influential than great advertising,” David Clarke, PwC principal and experience consulting leader, explained in the study. “The ‘experience economy’ has ushered in a new B2C mindset, steering brands beyond emphasising products and… Show more

According to PwC’s Experience is Everything: Here’s How To Get It Right survey, 73% of global respondents point to experience as one of the key drivers that influence their brand loyalties.

“65% of US consumers find a positive brand experience to be more influential than great advertising,” David Clarke, PwC principal and experience consulting leader, explained in the study. “The ‘experience economy’ has ushered in a new B2C mindset, steering brands beyond emphasising products and services to selling rich consumer experiences. Our findings quantify the potential ROI [return on investment] on experience investments, upwards of 16%.” Show less

Why have design-driven brands like Apple and Walt Disney outperformed the S&P Index by more than 200% over a 10-year stretch? Because money follows companies with creativity in their DNA.
Being driven by design or innovation mean very much the same thing and is something almost every type of company is pushing. They all roll up to the need to transcend from product and services and become an experience business. The success of tomorrow's companies is coming from the creative core. But 77% of… Show more

Why have design-driven brands like Apple and Walt Disney outperformed the S&P Index by more than 200% over a 10-year stretch? Because money follows companies with creativity in their DNA.
Being driven by design or innovation mean very much the same thing and is something almost every type of company is pushing. They all roll up to the need to transcend from product and services and become an experience business. The success of tomorrow's companies is coming from the creative core. But 77% of CEOs in PwC's last CEO survey said it was difficult to find the creativity and innovation skills they need for their workforce. Show less

We’re in the midst of a highly anticipated time in the marketing world: the season of Upfronts. But before you get all excited about your ad buys, you may want to reconsider where you spend your money.

Those dollars you’re putting toward multi-million dollar sponsorships, paid search campaigns and banner displays—how much are they really getting you? Probably not as much as you think.

The data is clear. Great customer experiences are a tangible business advantage, resulting in up… Show more

We’re in the midst of a highly anticipated time in the marketing world: the season of Upfronts. But before you get all excited about your ad buys, you may want to reconsider where you spend your money.

Those dollars you’re putting toward multi-million dollar sponsorships, paid search campaigns and banner displays—how much are they really getting you? Probably not as much as you think.

The data is clear. Great customer experiences are a tangible business advantage, resulting in up to a 16 percent price premium on products and services, increased loyalty, willingness to try new products and openness with personal data, according to PwC’s latest Consumer Intelligence Series survey. Moreover, 65 percent of consumers say that a positive experience is more influential than advertising or marketing. Show less

Research from professional services network PwC found 73 percent of consumers say customer experience is a top factor in making a purchase decision. David Clarke, global chief experience officer, experience consulting leader and principal at PwC, said successful companies transcend being a product or service and instead become platforms that foster communities of like-minded people.

We all know that poor customer experiences can drive consumers away. But a new study by PwC, titled “Experience Is Everything,” says there is also a quantifiable value in good customer experiences.

In fact, the price premium for quality CX among consumers worldwide is up to 16% for products and services, the report, based on 15,000 global respondents, found. Forty-two percent of consumers said they would pay more for a friendly, welcoming experience, and 52% would pay more for a speedy… Show more

We all know that poor customer experiences can drive consumers away. But a new study by PwC, titled “Experience Is Everything,” says there is also a quantifiable value in good customer experiences.

In fact, the price premium for quality CX among consumers worldwide is up to 16% for products and services, the report, based on 15,000 global respondents, found. Forty-two percent of consumers said they would pay more for a friendly, welcoming experience, and 52% would pay more for a speedy and efficient customer experience. Show less

Retailers must create experiences that allow employees to elevate the customer relationship. “Research shows that customers are willing to pay more for the basics,” he said, citing PwC research that customers would pay more for “greater convenience,” “greater speed” and “knowledgeable and helpful service.”

According to PwC’s latest report, "Experience is Everything: Here's How to Get it Right," 59 percent of all consumers feel companies have lost touch with the human element of customer experience. The report also found employees are not meeting customers’ expectations: only 38 percent of U.S. consumers said the employees they interact with understand their needs.

How many times have you heard an executive assign familiar aphorisms to business challenges–and you just know it’s a means to justify bad behavior? They might say “business isn’t personal” as an excuse for sub-par treatment of others. Executives demand that employees “do more with less,” but then don’t allow people to focus on less. But the worst of them is one so many leaders seem to cling to: “Make a choice between fast, cheap or good.”

Old-school rhetoric like this produces the wrong… Show more

How many times have you heard an executive assign familiar aphorisms to business challenges–and you just know it’s a means to justify bad behavior? They might say “business isn’t personal” as an excuse for sub-par treatment of others. Executives demand that employees “do more with less,” but then don’t allow people to focus on less. But the worst of them is one so many leaders seem to cling to: “Make a choice between fast, cheap or good.”

Old-school rhetoric like this produces the wrong answers and leads to more problems. Worse, for digital companies, it’s a practice that will keep the business and its people from truly transforming and competing.

The focus of an organization’s leaders can no longer center around compromising two out of three values. Instead, companies should focus on optimizing all of them. You can achieve all three when you’re working in the right ways to creatively solve problems, using data to make your decisions and modeling start-up behavior to move quickly. Show less

Give customers a great experience and they’ll buy more, be more loyal and share their experience with friends. Great. That’s what every company strives for. Yet, so many consumers seem disappointed. Call it an experience disconnect: companies tout the latest technology or snappy design, but haven’t focused on—or invested in—the most meaningful aspects of customer experience.

What truly makes for a good experience? Speed. Convenience. Consistency. Friendliness. And one big connector:… Show more

Give customers a great experience and they’ll buy more, be more loyal and share their experience with friends. Great. That’s what every company strives for. Yet, so many consumers seem disappointed. Call it an experience disconnect: companies tout the latest technology or snappy design, but haven’t focused on—or invested in—the most meaningful aspects of customer experience.

What truly makes for a good experience? Speed. Convenience. Consistency. Friendliness. And one big connector: human touch—that is, creating real connections by making technology feel more human and giving employees what they need to create better customer experiences. Show less

As emerging technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence become the front line conversation for organizations, many find themselves challenged by a difficult balancing act: Maintaining their identity and humanity while realizing the full benefits of new tech.

“Get the balance right and technology can help brands push customer experiences to the next level,” is what PwC’s Global Chief Experience Officer David Clarke calls “magical engagements.”

When looking to… Show more

As emerging technologies like machine learning and artificial intelligence become the front line conversation for organizations, many find themselves challenged by a difficult balancing act: Maintaining their identity and humanity while realizing the full benefits of new tech.

“Get the balance right and technology can help brands push customer experiences to the next level,” is what PwC’s Global Chief Experience Officer David Clarke calls “magical engagements.”

When looking to implement a new technology, companies should first consider its desired impact, then design the tech to make that happen.
When looking to implement a new technology, companies should first consider its desired impact, then design the tech to make that happen. Executives should ask themselves what challenge are they looking to solve? Is the new technology additive to the customer experience? Is it designed to make the business more effective? Clarke shared that PwC surveyed more than 2,200 executives about what value they expect from their digital investments. In ranking their top three expectations, more than one-third said “create better customer experiences.” Show less

Did ride-sharing apps kill the taxi business? Or did the taxi industry disrupt itself by consistently offering users a lousy experience at a high price and refusing to innovate?

These aren’t merely academic or semantic questions. Today, many companies find themselves competing with businesses whose primary purpose is not simply to take a small amount of market share, but to completely upend their industry and obliterate incumbents’ raisons d’être. And when confronted with such an… Show more

Did ride-sharing apps kill the taxi business? Or did the taxi industry disrupt itself by consistently offering users a lousy experience at a high price and refusing to innovate?

These aren’t merely academic or semantic questions. Today, many companies find themselves competing with businesses whose primary purpose is not simply to take a small amount of market share, but to completely upend their industry and obliterate incumbents’ raisons d’être. And when confronted with such an existential threat, leaders spend too much time and budget trying to keep up with, or stay ahead of, their traditional competitors. A tip: If you need your competitors to alert you that taking your customers for granted will crush your margins, it might be too late. Often, other companies’ faster adoption of emerging technology is a symptom of complacency within your organization. Show less

The paradox of modern business is digital transformation: Leaders want the rewards of real-time relationships with their customers by making a bold shift, but most are wary of actual change.

In any digital transformation, people are going to work differently. Teams will have more data, but they’ll have to collaborate across longstanding silos to use that data, and continually pivot with the agility of a 21st-century business.

This degree of collaboration typically represents a… Show more

The paradox of modern business is digital transformation: Leaders want the rewards of real-time relationships with their customers by making a bold shift, but most are wary of actual change.

In any digital transformation, people are going to work differently. Teams will have more data, but they’ll have to collaborate across longstanding silos to use that data, and continually pivot with the agility of a 21st-century business.

This degree of collaboration typically represents a radical departure from day-to-day operations, where employees work almost exclusively with their own teams. For executives, the idea of shaking up this established order is risky. Will people understand and be open to different points of view? Will productivity will be lost in the process? Show less

A productive office design can adapt to company or market needs at a moment’s notice. The PwC Experience Centers—labs that can be tailored to the needs of a business—use real-time simulations and advanced technology to help employees navigate challenges before they reach the customer. “Our spaces are fungible and not married to any one technology,” says David Clarke, Global Experience Officer, PwC. “They can morph into what is right for each team.” Using a thoughtful combination of technology… Show more

A productive office design can adapt to company or market needs at a moment’s notice. The PwC Experience Centers—labs that can be tailored to the needs of a business—use real-time simulations and advanced technology to help employees navigate challenges before they reach the customer. “Our spaces are fungible and not married to any one technology,” says David Clarke, Global Experience Officer, PwC. “They can morph into what is right for each team.” Using a thoughtful combination of technology and design, these spaces enable teams to quickly move ideas from vision to reality. Show less

Blame it on the pace of change: A new study cited by the Wall Street Journal shows the average tenure of a chief marketing officer of a major brand is only 42 months — shorter than the typical life span of a goldfish. In fact, the field is changing so rapidly that many simply find it tough to keep up.

Why is the turnover rate for chief marketing officers so many times higher than that of most other C-suite jobs, including the CEO? Customer expectations are evolving at a rapid clip and… Show more

Blame it on the pace of change: A new study cited by the Wall Street Journal shows the average tenure of a chief marketing officer of a major brand is only 42 months — shorter than the typical life span of a goldfish. In fact, the field is changing so rapidly that many simply find it tough to keep up.

Why is the turnover rate for chief marketing officers so many times higher than that of most other C-suite jobs, including the CEO? Customer expectations are evolving at a rapid clip and entire industry segments are cropping up — or dying off — overnight. Marketing, sales, data, digital, and technology now move quickly on paths that are intertwined and often erratic. A CMO must stay in the vanguard of this evolution and steer her or his company in whatever direction the industry is headed Show less

The road to success is often paved with passion, conviction, and a healthy dose of doing the right thing for your business — even if that means taking some risks. In other words, it’s often good to be a master disruptor within your company. It’s also more fun to live your corporate life that way, speaking out on behalf of the creativity of the enterprise, feeling pride in making change, and having a strong point of view. You put your reputation on the line, but your days go by in a much more… Show more

The road to success is often paved with passion, conviction, and a healthy dose of doing the right thing for your business — even if that means taking some risks. In other words, it’s often good to be a master disruptor within your company. It’s also more fun to live your corporate life that way, speaking out on behalf of the creativity of the enterprise, feeling pride in making change, and having a strong point of view. You put your reputation on the line, but your days go by in a much more interesting way than if you simply focused on your own self-preservation. And you have the satisfaction of seeing your efforts, along with those of your other disruptor colleagues, come to fruition: a healthier enterprise, more compelling products and services, and maybe even a better world. Show less

Imagine paying $3,995 for a cell phone. Someone did on March 13, 1984. That person shelled out what was then a quarter of the typical American’s salary to acquire one of the first handheld cellular phones to hit the market, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X.

By contemporary standards, it was a clunker. It weighed more than six iPhone 7s, its battery lasted a mere 30 minutes, and a call cost 24 cents a minute. And guess what? The phones couldn’t be produced fast enough to meet… Show more

Imagine paying $3,995 for a cell phone. Someone did on March 13, 1984. That person shelled out what was then a quarter of the typical American’s salary to acquire one of the first handheld cellular phones to hit the market, the Motorola DynaTAC 8000X.

By contemporary standards, it was a clunker. It weighed more than six iPhone 7s, its battery lasted a mere 30 minutes, and a call cost 24 cents a minute. And guess what? The phones couldn’t be produced fast enough to meet demand.

What made the DynaTAC 8000X such a runaway success? To be sure, its functionality represented a significant improvement over that of landlines. You could actually make a call while walking down the street or sitting in a car. But it also provided important and valuable intangible benefits that appealed to a particular class of high-value consumers: early adopters.

Pick a mechanical or digital innovation. The first automobile, the first television, the first handheld cell phone, the first solar panel system, the first laptop, the first semiautonomous car, the first virtual reality handset — each came to market with a remarkably high price tag. The price that early adopters were willing to pay was a multiple of what the product would cost once it hit critical market adoption. None of these products could have launched without the actions of their early adopters. And today it’s incumbent upon CEOs to become early adopters. Show less

“PwC comes in for us to make the brand behind the brand,” says Bart Butler, the client’s chief innovation and technology officer. “They help us ideate, design, architect and create the tools that will change the brand experience for our guests and associates alike.” In fact, PwC has played a role in the implementation of all components for European Wax’s OneStrut platform. OneStrut, which lives on the Salesforce Cloud, encompasses CRM, POS, an interface for direct communications with customers… Show more

“PwC comes in for us to make the brand behind the brand,” says Bart Butler, the client’s chief innovation and technology officer. “They help us ideate, design, architect and create the tools that will change the brand experience for our guests and associates alike.” In fact, PwC has played a role in the implementation of all components for European Wax’s OneStrut platform. OneStrut, which lives on the Salesforce Cloud, encompasses CRM, POS, an interface for direct communications with customers and enterprise resource planning (ERP), for planning and budgeting projects in sales, marketing and human resources. Show less

Constructing places where employees can collaborate, improvise, and watch one another work can spur creativity.

“In the long history of humankind (and animal kind), those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” Charles Darwin, the author of this quote, was known more for his expertise on the science of evolution than the science of management. But his insight is as applicable to the dog-eat-dog competition of the business world as it is to natural… Show more

Constructing places where employees can collaborate, improvise, and watch one another work can spur creativity.

“In the long history of humankind (and animal kind), those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed.” Charles Darwin, the author of this quote, was known more for his expertise on the science of evolution than the science of management. But his insight is as applicable to the dog-eat-dog competition of the business world as it is to natural selection in the Galapagos. Show less

There remains a place for small retailers who give customers the service and emotional experience they want, says David Clarke, a retail consultant with PricewaterhouseCoopers. Stores where sales associates are friendly and take time to explain the merchandise can appeal even to customers who buy online because it's cheaper and/or more convenient, Clarke says.
"People do want to spend in an environment where they like the people and what they're offering," he says.

David Clarke, chief experience officer at PwC, said Wishmaker will aim to make connections that weren't necessarily possible before. "Imagine you're a firefighter and you're in the midwest," Mr. Clarke said. "And there's a child in Florida who wants to be a firefighter for a day. That's the connection we want to make." If a particular wish exceeds its goal, the extra money will go toward other wishes.
"We've reframed how Make-A-Wish thought about bringing donors in," he added. "They have… Show more

David Clarke, chief experience officer at PwC, said Wishmaker will aim to make connections that weren't necessarily possible before. "Imagine you're a firefighter and you're in the midwest," Mr. Clarke said. "And there's a child in Florida who wants to be a firefighter for a day. That's the connection we want to make." If a particular wish exceeds its goal, the extra money will go toward other wishes.
"We've reframed how Make-A-Wish thought about bringing donors in," he added. "They have historically been very legacy, where people are giving large amounts of money. But in the future, maybe people will give less, but it will be more frequently and over longer periods of time." Show less

Business execs are enamored with emerging tech these days. They're quick to jump on the bandwagon, asking their tech folks what the company is doing about artificial intelligence, virtual reality, blockchain. We know this is the wrong way to go about it. Instead, you have to dream a little and think about the bigger picture—for your company and your industry.

Make-A-Wish is in the business of creating magical experiences for children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. But today one of its challenges is staying relevant in an era of digital and social media experiences that are changing the way charitable giving happens. In a little over two years, the online giving platform GoFundMe has pulled in $2 billion in donations propelled by very personal social media appeals, where the donors are often responding to a specific story about a specific… Show more

Make-A-Wish is in the business of creating magical experiences for children suffering from life-threatening illnesses. But today one of its challenges is staying relevant in an era of digital and social media experiences that are changing the way charitable giving happens. In a little over two years, the online giving platform GoFundMe has pulled in $2 billion in donations propelled by very personal social media appeals, where the donors are often responding to a specific story about a specific family in need.

How does a charity dedicated to a broad, ongoing mission compete with that? Board members and staff from the Make-A-Wish Foundation of America and its local chapters recently gathered at the PwC Experience Center in Hallandale, FL, to figure it out with PwC’s help. By the end of the two-day workshop, they would agree to 90-day business plan built around a new social and mobile donations experience. The vision included Facebook login functionality, allowing donors to also ask their online friends for contributions — and track the “social impact” their network made on the cause. Show less

(Podcast) Taking Stock with Kathleen Hays and Pimm Fox. GUEST: David Clarke Chief Experience Officer PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (U.S.) on companies targeting wealthy customers in the digital age.

For companies trying to entice moneyed customers, that means identifying and anticipating what they want. “The premium customer doesn’t want to be asked questions,” said Mr. Clarke of PricewaterhouseCoopers. “They don’t want friction. They want things to happen through osmosis.”

The rental business hasn’t changed much in many years, Mr. Clarke said. Avis’ combining of Internet of Things with mobile technology “is a giant step in their industry but it’s catch-up in other industries.”

The creators of PwC’s Experience Center Sandbox want it to be the place executives come to discover their inner Uber.

In sessions meant to involve leaders of many business functions, not just IT or marketing, one of the goals is to go beyond brainstorming and at least start the pivot from strategy to execution with a prototype or a pilot of a big idea.

“The things that we’re coming up with now, a lot of them don’t exist in the market,” said David Clarke, Chief Experience Officer… Show more

The creators of PwC’s Experience Center Sandbox want it to be the place executives come to discover their inner Uber.

In sessions meant to involve leaders of many business functions, not just IT or marketing, one of the goals is to go beyond brainstorming and at least start the pivot from strategy to execution with a prototype or a pilot of a big idea.

“The things that we’re coming up with now, a lot of them don’t exist in the market,” said David Clarke, Chief Experience Officer and head of the PwC Experience Center in Hallandale, FL. To get meaningful feedback on those ideas, the Experience Center staff must make them tangible, he said. “So we build things in two to three days, and we do it with the involvement of customers.” Show less

That’s the competitive advantage of being PricewaterhouseCoopers, which houses an ad agency, called Digital Services, within the walls of the consulting and accounting firm at large. The agency alone did $750 million in revenue in 2014, making it the fourth-biggest agency network in the U.S. according to AdAge Datacenter. Its scale is what makes it able to compete against more traditional Madison Avenue advertising shops.

Consulting firm expands digital service business, encroaching on the traditional turf of digital agencies. With a 3,000-plus workforce of creatives and digital business experts, PwC is looking to make waves in the fiercely competitive business of digital design.

People are going to discuss your brand on social and expect you to listen. This is particularly true when brands face an unexpected challenge, as Google, Instragram, Vine, the New York Times, and The Onion can attest. It's easy to communicate with your customers when everything is great. But when you are transparent with your customers during challenging situations and keep them in the loop, you have an opportunity to create brand advocates.

At BGT Partners in Hallandale Beach, founder David Clarke wanted to give his staff a say in how to make the company better. So, Clarke took the classic suggestion box into the 21st century, creating a dedicated website where employees anonymously give him input on everything from perks to problems they want addressed. “It exposes things I otherwise wouldn’t have known about,” Clarke says.

Intuition, by its very nature, is simple. As the competition continued to overcomplicate things, Apple once again simplified to differentiate itself. While the rest of us scurried around speculating about how to master secure e-commerce transactions on mobile devices, Apple leaped ahead of everyone by using one simple circle – the “Touch ID” fingerprint scanner. Users can unlock their device and make purchases on iTunes and Apple’s App Store.

“The foundation of every team is the relationships of the individuals.” CEO David Clarke discusses developing a culture of collaboration in The Miami Herald.

If the economy picks up in the beginning of the year, we can expect to see several progressive companies take some big digital risks in 2013 and spend the hordes of cash they have accrued.
To celebrate the New Year, we’ve made thirteen predictions for 2013 ranging from the fairly likely to the totally improbable.

Facebook has just rolled out the "want" button on some very select merchants. The concept behind the "want" button is fairly simple. Facebook users will be able to click the "want" button on partner sites and send selected products to their "want list," which is visible to the users' friends. With Facebook’s platform, audience, and corporate customers, it truly has the opportunity to innovate social commerce. This article discusses six big opportunities for Facebook.

With exciting work, multicultural digital experts and the ability to live in paradise, South Florida stands out as the next digital hub. Our digital community is extremely active, and the real challenge is finding more talent to fill the myriad of open positions.

Spotify is the music-streaming darling that’s grown to become a serious option for brand marketers. With over 10 million users, full Facebook integration and recently launched brand apps, businesses are looking at Spotify to further connect and engage with their consumers through brand experiences.

So, what’s all this hype about and is it worth marketing on Spotify? This article takes a closer look at Spotify as an emerging channel for brands and whether it makes sense for a business’s… Show more

Spotify is the music-streaming darling that’s grown to become a serious option for brand marketers. With over 10 million users, full Facebook integration and recently launched brand apps, businesses are looking at Spotify to further connect and engage with their consumers through brand experiences.

So, what’s all this hype about and is it worth marketing on Spotify? This article takes a closer look at Spotify as an emerging channel for brands and whether it makes sense for a business’s marketing efforts. Show less

What does it take to land your dream job? In this digital era, job candidates have a plethora of tools at their disposal to help them ace the interview, including advice websites, Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. But how exactly should someone use these to their advantage? Here are ten tips for landing the gig of your dreams.

Social media has radically transformed the way we search, buy, and consume content online. Facebook has not only taken advantage of this, it’s become the driving force behind the new social web. Google Wave, Google Buzz and Google+ were all Google Inc.’s way of trying to win this war against Facebook, but the company is still far behind.

Google’s biggest opportunity is to create a social ecosystem where content is created, distributed, marketed, attributed and measured. Here are five… Show more

Social media has radically transformed the way we search, buy, and consume content online. Facebook has not only taken advantage of this, it’s become the driving force behind the new social web. Google Wave, Google Buzz and Google+ were all Google Inc.’s way of trying to win this war against Facebook, but the company is still far behind.

Google’s biggest opportunity is to create a social ecosystem where content is created, distributed, marketed, attributed and measured. Here are five ways Google can do that, and secure its social future. Show less

With all the different ways that internet users are accessing website content (such as through mobile devices and tablets) the need for an effective and time-saving approach to delivering content to different devices/displays arises.

Because of this, responsive web design is a concept that is getting a lot of attention lately. The benefits are clear: one code base, one content source, multiple displays.

Now, if your organization agrees that it is the right way to go, you need to… Show more

With all the different ways that internet users are accessing website content (such as through mobile devices and tablets) the need for an effective and time-saving approach to delivering content to different devices/displays arises.

Because of this, responsive web design is a concept that is getting a lot of attention lately. The benefits are clear: one code base, one content source, multiple displays.

Now, if your organization agrees that it is the right way to go, you need to decide which process/project management approach will work best for you. Show less

Spotify is the music-streaming darling that’s grown to become a serious option for brand marketers. With over 10 million users, full Facebook integration and recently launched brand apps, businesses are looking at Spotify to further connect and engage with their consumers through brand experiences.

So, what’s all this hype about and is it worth marketing on Spotify? This article takes a closer look at Spotify as an emerging channel for brands and whether it makes sense for a business’s… Show more

Spotify is the music-streaming darling that’s grown to become a serious option for brand marketers. With over 10 million users, full Facebook integration and recently launched brand apps, businesses are looking at Spotify to further connect and engage with their consumers through brand experiences.

So, what’s all this hype about and is it worth marketing on Spotify? This article takes a closer look at Spotify as an emerging channel for brands and whether it makes sense for a business’s marketing efforts. Show less

With increased competition for ad dollars, Twitter is making a big push this year to become more attractive to advertisers. It has invested in a redesign, as well as brand pages, but that may not be all the social network plans to unveil. See below for the three possible changes, and what each could mean for brands.

When you don't evolve in the digital world, you quickly get left behind. Get inspired by these examples of sites that transcended the usual expectations.

It’s time to take tablet design seriously and evaluate how your brand’s web presence caters to tablet consumers. Discover three ways for your brand to excel in the tablet revolution so you don’t get left behind.

Facebook is launching Timeline for brands to establish a stronger relationship between brands and consumers. Through real-time sharing and the Timeline, Facebook is continuing its path to a more integrated and personal Web. New features include everything from branding opportunities to customer service functionality. What does this mean for your business?

With the modern person’s hectic schedule, it’s no surprise that 5.5 million Americans currently use online dating sites. In 2011 alone, there were over 280,000 marriages between users who met online. However, although this can be a great way to meet a potential love interest, you must remember to protect yourself at all times.

With the push to gain fans, many businesses are finding themselves unprepared to handle the "engagement" that comes from asking people to '"like" a business page.

If your business is primarily communicating with customers via wall posts and you have a large fan base, you run the risk of coming across as unresponsive, or worse, not listening if a response is not timely. One other missed opportunity I've been noticing is the high number of businesses not using Facebook to leverage their… Show more

With the push to gain fans, many businesses are finding themselves unprepared to handle the "engagement" that comes from asking people to '"like" a business page.

If your business is primarily communicating with customers via wall posts and you have a large fan base, you run the risk of coming across as unresponsive, or worse, not listening if a response is not timely. One other missed opportunity I've been noticing is the high number of businesses not using Facebook to leverage their corporate brand.

To illustrate this further, I've selected three companies who I think are failing when it comes to marketing on Facebook: Tesla Motors, Netflix, and Goldman Sachs. Show less

A giant gong may seem an unlikely object for an office, but it is one of many surprising curios that help define the new, modern headquarters of BGT Partners in Hallandale Beach.

You might say the gong is both an ornament and a utensil, because each time the independent interactive marketing and technology agency lands a new account, someone bangs the gong. This happened four times in December, and it is quite a reverberating wake-up call, though BGT’s 130 employees don’t appear to need… Show more

A giant gong may seem an unlikely object for an office, but it is one of many surprising curios that help define the new, modern headquarters of BGT Partners in Hallandale Beach.

You might say the gong is both an ornament and a utensil, because each time the independent interactive marketing and technology agency lands a new account, someone bangs the gong. This happened four times in December, and it is quite a reverberating wake-up call, though BGT’s 130 employees don’t appear to need one. Show less

In addition to a whole new look and feel, Twitter also recently launched brand pages for marketers. By creating a more customizable landing page for brands, Twitter is building a case for users to stay on their platform longer, rather than having to leave the site to find more information on a brand. This article provides four ways your business can leverage Twitter's new brand pages.

With the holidays around the corner, it’s easy for consumers to forget that they shouldn’t rush and purchase items from just any site. Especially at this time of year, consumers should be aware of what features make a site secure, so that they don’t taint their holidays with an instance of fraud or identity theft.

This long-anticipated announcement by Google caused a stir due to the fast adoption of Google+ for individuals and seemingly endless possibilities for advertisers with Google’s robust service offerings.

Social media has certainly helped facilitate the conversation with customers. However, the conversation is not private, but rather readily available to anyone at any time. Adapting to this reality has been a challenge for a plethora of companies, regardless of how great or terrible their customer-service relations. Nonetheless, companies have no choice but to embrace customer relations through social media if they want to remain relevant. You can't control the conversation, but you can attempt… Show more

Social media has certainly helped facilitate the conversation with customers. However, the conversation is not private, but rather readily available to anyone at any time. Adapting to this reality has been a challenge for a plethora of companies, regardless of how great or terrible their customer-service relations. Nonetheless, companies have no choice but to embrace customer relations through social media if they want to remain relevant. You can't control the conversation, but you can attempt to divert it to a place where positive communication happens. We recommend companies divert, diffuse, and intercept. This approach is comprised of easy-to-implement tactics designed to help you take advantage of social media. Show less

Social media go hand in hand with public relations and marketing. Teams in both areas need to be closely aligned to help ensure success and avoid costly missteps. How does a chief marketing officer go about generating smooth interplay between these two groups? This article provides three steps to keep in mind.

How big has Facebook become within marketing circles? So big that some might argue it's the No. 1 channel associated with social media marketing in general. Bigger than Twitter, bigger than YouTube, bigger than blogging (and much bigger than Google+ -- for now), it would seem that every self-respecting marketer is already squeezing everything he or she can out of the Facebook platform.

Yet I'm amazed to see that many brands are still failing to leverage all that Facebook has to offer… Show more

How big has Facebook become within marketing circles? So big that some might argue it's the No. 1 channel associated with social media marketing in general. Bigger than Twitter, bigger than YouTube, bigger than blogging (and much bigger than Google+ -- for now), it would seem that every self-respecting marketer is already squeezing everything he or she can out of the Facebook platform.

Yet I'm amazed to see that many brands are still failing to leverage all that Facebook has to offer. This article examines six particular facets of Facebook that are often overlooked -- but shouldn't be. Show less

The redesigned Autoblog site improves on its predecessor, thanks to the quality of the design and the comprehensive infusion of social components.

Facebook is where the playing field for all businesses levels out. The social networking functionality you’d have to pay to get on your website is already built into Facebook. By customizing your page you can create a unique experience and at a cost much less than a website. In the case of small to mid-size businesses with limited financial resources, start with a Facebook fan page and create your website later as sales ramp up.

When most marketers think about social media, their minds almost immediately shift to well-known channels like Facebook or Twitter. They may also ponder concepts like branding, or think through applicable engagement metrics by which to measure success. Particularly business divisions, like public relations or customer service, which have a direct interplay with social media efforts, might also come to mind.

Facebook is an incredible medium for stirring the fires of fan engagement. See the lessons BGT Partners gleaned from its social media experiment - one year and 55,000 "likes" later.

In the Social Universe, there are few things as rewarding as a good conversation with a customer. I've read some interesting articles lately about outsourcing social media management, specifically focused on communication and comments. While this is one good option, especially while rolling out a new social program, I must say that some of the most effective social communication comes from internal corporate teams. In many cases, they capture the most authentic and compassionate voice of the… Show more

In the Social Universe, there are few things as rewarding as a good conversation with a customer. I've read some interesting articles lately about outsourcing social media management, specifically focused on communication and comments. While this is one good option, especially while rolling out a new social program, I must say that some of the most effective social communication comes from internal corporate teams. In many cases, they capture the most authentic and compassionate voice of the brand. Show less

In this era of social media supremacy, it's imperative for a business to maximize its social media presence by focusing on designing and developing a Facebook page that clearly communicates the company's brand messaging.

A well-designed Facebook page may be the key to increasing your brand awareness, driving traffic to your company's website and engendering your customers' loyalty.

Learning to engage consumers on Facebook involves a study in online behavior with a steep learning curve. The potential for pitfalls are prevalent, so many businesses simply choose to dictate content and not directly engage consumers at all. Others, however, are engaging their consumers personally -- some with success, though others are struggling. The key is to understand online consumer behavior and form your strategies accordingly.

While real-world business interactions are still largely based on common courtesies, the internet is not the real world. The way we all communicate online is a beast unto itself, especially in the more than 425 million strong Facebook community. Evidently, it is hard to type with your gloves on, thus many people on the internet seemingly post with their gloves off. And these people are often the people who "like" your brand. Beyond that, these are the people who you like, as they are the people… Show more

While real-world business interactions are still largely based on common courtesies, the internet is not the real world. The way we all communicate online is a beast unto itself, especially in the more than 425 million strong Facebook community. Evidently, it is hard to type with your gloves on, thus many people on the internet seemingly post with their gloves off. And these people are often the people who "like" your brand. Beyond that, these are the people who you like, as they are the people your brand might largely be built upon -- which means it is your business to get to know your online audience. Show less

People tend to have tunnel vision about Tupperware Brands and little awareness of its diversified products, global footprint, and commitment to the environment. The new site exposes its audience to a leading global company that is way beyond your mother's containers. The site now incorporates dynamic components to highlight Tupperware Brands' portfolio of products and streamlined content for enhanced navigation.

The great business marketing race of 2010 is in full swing. The goal? To have people like you. Facebook people. Hundreds, thousands, and even millions of them. Everybody who's anybody in business knows one thing (and in many cases one thing only) about social media: They need lots and lots and lots of people to like them on their Facebook pages. More people liking them equals more popular, which equals more of stuff that's good, like people liking them. Or at least that appears to be the… Show more

The great business marketing race of 2010 is in full swing. The goal? To have people like you. Facebook people. Hundreds, thousands, and even millions of them. Everybody who's anybody in business knows one thing (and in many cases one thing only) about social media: They need lots and lots and lots of people to like them on their Facebook pages. More people liking them equals more popular, which equals more of stuff that's good, like people liking them. Or at least that appears to be the formula. Show less

Facebook Fan Page or Group Page? This is the dilemma many businesses face as they make their initial forays into the social media behemoth that is Facebook and its nearly 400-million strong network of users. So which of the two pages is right for accessing this incredible worldwide community?