Optimizing Digital Strategy - by Christopher Bones & James Hammersley & Nick Shaw (Hardcover)

About the Book

Understand the choices facing leaders in the fast-changing world of technology-enabled business and discover how to resource the investments that are guaranteed to deliver growth.

Book Synopsis

Optimizing Digital Strategy explores the choices facing organizations in the rapidly changing world of technology-enabled business. From performance marketing through to personalization, on-demand retailing and AI, this book maps out commercial and customer-focused challenges and explains how leaders can get the most out of their digital strategies. Rather than rushing headlong into adopting the latest digital platforms, tools and technologies, the book challenges leaders to step back from the demands for constant investment in new technology and drive better returns from existing assets.

Presenting a sustainable model of e-commerce that is appropriate to any individual organization's needs, Optimizing Digital Strategy addresses the repetitive dilemma between even more investment in technology and the need to improve margins and grow revenue. Illustrated by the authors' own digital work for global brands such as The Economist, Sky, O2, Regus, the Financial Times, Lidl and L.K.Bennett, this book shows how to balance the need to remain competitive, fully deliver customer expectations, and put resources behind investments that will deliver the best return.

Review Quotes

"Optimizing Digital Strategy gives business leaders a practical toolkit for thinking about and executing their digital strategy. The Good Growth team have condensed years of research and experience into a genuinely useful handbook."-- "Alex Murray, Digital Director, Lidl UK"

"Optimizing Digital Strategy successfully challenges the perception that more and more technology is the always answer - the organization is often the biggest barrier to online success and this book explores why and what to do about it. It's a commercial and engaging book that shows leaders how to improve performance. Full of useful frameworks and case examples, it sets out a structure with which leaders can assess their business and then focus on what needs to change to drive growth online."-- "Anna Rawling, Managing Director, Product and Portfolio Strategy, The Economist"

"A practical handbook on running an online business, this is a must-read for the online practitioner through to the executive. Clear models, simple language, with plenty of examples across sectors make this an invaluable asset - it sits permanently on my desk! Importantly, Optimizing Digital Strategy offers good insights, perspective and practical advice on leadership and organizational challenges as a business develops."-- "Ann Steer, Chief Customer Officer, N Brown Group plc"

"An essential read for any executive seeking to leverage the opportunities and mitigate the risks posed by digital transformation. This is a book that lays out a clear road map for how organizations can deliver on their digital strategies."-- "Professor Michael Hartmann, Executive Director, EMBA in Digital Transformation, McMaster University"

"An excellent guide, full of insight, for those of us working in digital leadership. Whether you're starting your journey in digital leadership or have a few years under your belt, this book is a must-read."-- "Tom Weeks, Sales Director UK, AB Tasty"

"An informative and insightful book that should be read by all directors and business leaders. The distinction between good and best practice in this fast-moving area is a point well made. The case studies add richness and amplify the content."-- "Helen Pitcher OBE, Chairman, Advanced Boardroom Excellence; President, INSEAD Directors Network; Chairman, pladis; Chairman, KidsOut"

"Every retail leader should read this book. What the authors have written will help today's leaders navigate the maze of the digital world. They remove the mask of mystery to help understand where a business should focus its energy, people and capital. Optimizing Digital Strategy perfectly illustrates that technology alone is not the answer - the answer of course is the customer."-- "Darren Topp, Chairman, Retail Executives Limited, and experienced retail CEO"

"It would be hard to imagine a more authoritative guide to the pitfalls and opportunities of multichannel transformation."-- "Ian Shepherd, former COO, Odeon Cinemas Group"

"The rate of change in this area continues exponentially, but there are some universal truths the book points out that you need to hang on to. Everyone should have a copy in their favourites."-- "Andraea Dawson-Shepherd, Senior leader, global consumer goods, Coty, Carlsberg, Reckitt Benckiser, Cadbury Schweppes"

"This is a compelling guide to the creation and execution of business growth strategy in a high-rate-of-change digital age. It takes a systems-thinking approach and draws out the criticality of active and accountable business leadership, culture, ethics and, above all, the need for ruthless customer-, consumer- and marketplace-centricity."-- "Stuart Fletcher, Portfolio Director and angel investor, former Global CEO, Bupa, and President International, Diageo plc"

About the Author

Christopher Bones is co-founder of GoodGrowth, He is an established thought leader in organizational strategy and change management in companies such as Diageo, Cadbury, Schweppes and Shell. He is Professor of Creativity and Leadership at Alliance Manchester Business School.

James Hammersley is a co-founder of GoodGrowth whose clients include Bupa, The Open University, Barclays Connector and O2.

Nick Shaw is Director of Digital for Good Growth. He has over 10 years of experience in leading and helping a variety of organizations to improve their sales effectiveness and innovation performance.