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by Chris Fiteni

on Nov 19

Sack all digital strategists

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Sack your digital strategist...

That’s right, Sack them! Sack them if they wrap an air of mystique around digital strategy. Sack them if they cannot explain why you need one. Sack them if they can’t demonstrate the process that has led to their strategic recommendations. And sack them if you are not confident in their abilities to communicate the strategy to the business on your behalf… because it’s too damned important (read: expensive) to get wrong.

Now I’m going to assume as marketers that we all know that digital strategy is like than any other strategy. It is a plan of action to accomplish specific goals, which are usually monetary. And that digital strategy is a channel marketing strategy. It defines how a company should set channel-specific objectives and develop a proposition and communications consistent with the characteristics of the digital channel and consumer usage of it.

So, is that what you get from your digital strategist? Do they explain things in marketing terms when speaking with you… or do they use jargon-speak? Can they explain how it dovetails into your marketing plan… or do they not really understand what the hell a marketing plan is? If you cornered them in the office would they be able to clearly explain their methodology, explaining how they use web analytics to benchmark performance, research to determine market demand or persona development to draw out motivations and behavioural segmentation… or do you think at that point they would curl up into the foetal position if put to that test? And do they understand that social media is another name for word-of-mouth… or do they think that social media and strategy mean the same thing?

Oh yeah… and would you trust them to have a coffee with the CEO (or marketing director) in order to get buy-in on the digital strategy, alone… or would you rather take a bullet? In all seriousness, would you? That buy-in is critical. Don’t underestimate it. Digital strategists need not only be able to develop digital strategy based on a solid understanding of the business’ marketing challenges by way of a sound methodology but, perhaps even more importantly, they need to be able to communicate it to your audience.

So ask yourself these three questions:

  • Do I trust my digital strategist?
  • Am I confident in my strategist’s skills?
  • Would I stake my professional reputation on them?

If the answer to any of these is ‘no’ then… sack your digital strategist!

As you may have guessed by now, the quality of the work (or lack thereof at times) digital strategists provide is a real bugbear for me. If you’d like to share your stories I’d be more than happy to hear from you. Leave a comment below, email me or contact me via LinkedIn.

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11 Comments

Lachyw
  • Wrote on 19 Nov, at 04:21PM
That whole article could just as easily amount to:

So ask yourself these three questions:

* Do I trust my [insert agent job title]?
* Am I confident in my [agent job title's] skills?
* Would I stake my professional reputation on them?

If the answer to any of these is ‘no’ then… sack your [agnet job title]!

Heck, that could *almost* have been written about the cleaners! ;)
JeffK
  • Wrote on 19 Nov, at 05:28PM
@Lachy - I kind of get what you mean but did you really read the middle of the blog (or just the end pieces). He does list a lot of the specific things that separate a competent strategist from a jumped up web designer - analytics, research, experience and ability to understand consumer motivation and habit. Its seriously a bit typical for blog respondees to dismiss articles without having really read them, just because some detail jumped out at them.

As for the content - As a client, its hard to avoid the feeling that nearly anyone who has been around the web for a while is happy to be a 'strategist' if thats what they think I am wanting to buy. When I look for strategy I don't want opinion I want a process and solid evidence based reasoning. I want reasons to feel confident that the strategy is really laying out a plan that is going to deliver me the outcomes I want; that its more than what an agency feels they need to get out of the way in order to justify whatever it is that they really want to sell me (web site, whatever)...
Alex Campbell
  • Wrote on 20 Nov, at 09:35AM
Chris - I do agree with your point, which seems to be that some people aren't very good at their job and should be fired. But I wouldn't put all digital strategists in this category.

Your perspective on this would be a lot more interesting if it didn't just seem like blatant self-promotion from a guy who has just launched his own digital strategy agency.
Lachyw
  • Wrote on 20 Nov, at 11:12AM
@JeffK yes mate, I did read the article in it's entirety.

And I have just reread it to make sure that, yes, it offers almost no insight into specifically what value a digital strategist does provide or should provide.

You highlighted:

"analytics, research, experience and ability to understand consumer motivation and habit."

That's a nice collection of buzz words, but they are in absolutely no way specifically relevant to digital strategy.
chrisfiteni
  • Wrote on 20 Nov, at 11:24AM
Hi Alex,

by no means am I criticising all digital strategists - how can I? What I am saying to marketers, however, is that they deserve more than they are getting from many strategists at present and here are few things they should consider in evaluating the strategic services they are currently paying for (@JeffK's comments above ring true to me).

Let's face it, strategy is an over-used term in the digital space and is ill-defined, wouldn't you agree? Everyone seems to be 'doing strategy' at the moment. And unfortunately, in recent times, I've witnessed and heard of some real horror stories that give digital strategy a bad name.

I truly believe that digital strategists should be accountable for their actions/recommendations (less fluff, more analysis). And that they should do all the things (plus more) mentioned above. Is that such a a bad thing? Don't you agree?

Cheers,
Chris

BTW, just to clarify, I am an - employee - of a new digital strategy agency (I do not own the agency). The views shared in my blog post are my own. The agency I am employed by is irrelevant. I'm just in a position where I can now be a little bit more candid in my views.
belle
  • Wrote on 20 Nov, at 01:15PM
or send them to communications training... sometimes 'gut feeling' can just be a bad way of communicating 'well researched and thought out campaign', mainly because the digital strategist in most offices is just the youngest person they could find with spare time. Sometimes they know what works -but they don't have the skills to explain why -

I also think some leeway needs to be given for those times when the internet sets out to mess with your head - just because I can't explain why our video about 'new rock moss discovered' is a hit in Uzbekistan doesn’t make me a bad online strategist - it means the online translator just comes up with inspiring wisdom like 'rock kicking bicycle happy’. Don’t ask me – I was trying my hardest to burry that boring-ass video. (which brings me to ‘just because we have a video, doesn’t mean it needs to go on our Youtube channel’ but that’s a different story)

Oh, and no, I can’t explain how ‘social media is inspiring change in the social structures of generation-y communities and how we can use that to sell more icecream’ – at least not in an elevator at half five on a Tuesday, or in the ladies bathroom, or while trying to eat lunch.

I suppose what I’m getting at is:

If I can’t explain, think again about what you asked of me – I’m not ‘lord of the internet’ just because I’m under 25 - like all forms of communication I need time, research and resources to produce great results. If you don’t have faith in your strategist is it because they are doing a bad job, or is it because you don’t take online seriously and dedicate real resources to it?

And, if your digital strategist fails the above tests then you need to learn more about marketing yourself. How did this person get the job if they don’t understand the above? If the answer is because you are confusing ‘online strategist’ with ‘admin assistant with a facebook login’ then you don’t need to fire your online strategist – you need to hire one.

And no, I can’t fix your iPod.

</rant>
Alex Avery
  • Wrote on 20 Nov, at 03:41PM
Hey Chris,

I retweeted your article. I respect your right to an opinion. Everyon'es got one. I don't necessarily agree with yours on this topic.

I think it's a very harsh and counterproductive approach for starters. You can't just go around "sacking" people left right and center. This is a new and rapidly evolving field. I see your twitter account has very low activity - is that cause for a sacking?

If it wasn't blatant self promotion, why do you provide a LinkedIn profile and work email address. Go on, admit it was sensationalist self promotion and we'll all move on. ;)

I look forward to another coffee sometime.

Cheers. Alex
Rodney D
  • Wrote on 21 Nov, at 11:17AM
Chris

Great article, well done. It's about time so called digital strategists were held to account for the fact that they have very little understanding of digital marketing and most importantly, where it fits into a clients wider marketing plans and objectives. Having said that, I think blanket sackings may be a little heavy handed...

Alex, this is pretty simple stuff mate, unfortunately I think it may have sailed over your head. Digital remains a relatively new and small marketing platform in the grander scheme of things. Unfortunately there are too many digital strategists who are happy to trade on the average marketer's lack of exposure and/or understanding of digital, rather than taking the time to understand, and properly communicate it's benefits and relevance to their clients individual needs.

If Chris was self promoting as you suggested, I say go for it. If there's one thing this industry needs it's more people who are prepared to back their professional competence and raise the level of the average marketer's understanding of digital strategy to a point where we are all held to account for the recommendations we make. The good news is those who want to keep theirs and their clients heads in the sand are fairly easily identified, they tend to hide behind irrelevant acronyms, the number of 'online friends' they have and the level of activity on their Twitter account.

Rodney D
Yenny Barnes
  • Wrote on 23 Nov, at 04:36PM
Hi All,
I Enjoyed this article greatly, coming from one so experience with so many creds. I am a digital marketer and have a degree in E marketing. Doing my Masters in Marketing in Queensland. An example of the encounters of the buy in process recently for me was to an interresting and frustrating experience. I have expereience in sales, owned my own retail business and have embraced all things digital and web for a very long time.

I was recently flown down to the Sydney to a company whose website was handed over to designers with expensive disasterous results for brand and products non e-commerce site. Promises of a job etc after I did a full web audit and marketing plan for them the meeting was horrible, this firm did not have a clue at all. They knew from my audit that their present website really was not working.all

So sitting in a meeting with one Marketer and sundry managers I found that the company had not a clue you would think this a great opportunity, I found that it is harder to get them to opt in because they want to pic your brain and try and do it themselves. Jargon no Jargon, all the managing director wanted was to know how to SEO himself.

They asked questions why would we want CRM,SEO cause marketing, email marketing, blogging promotions to drive traffic and working with the designers or CSR programs and campaigns of which I answered I thought clearly and consisely, plain language benefits to the brand etc

I wish I would have used a bit more jargon because I explained it so well that they decided to do it all themselves. No Job. My offer was to manage and manage redesign and liason with their chosen designers to have a creative innovative site that meets with the company objectives and goals. Design the campaigns in other words the digital buck stoped with me. and the CEO who is in charge of the Site. Go Figure I made it to clear.!!!
Yenny
Anonymous
  • Wrote on 27 Nov, at 04:30PM
Hi All,
I have had the pleasure and sometimes pain :) of working with Chris, and I must say that I agree with the sentiment of the blog - listening to some of the crap that comes out of the mouths of so called 'Digital Strategy' professionals sometimes makes me sick!

I think in all roles there needs to be a path to completion, and if a consultant of any kind can't explain this then you are over paying them..

If you ask me, what you need in a consultant of any kind is industry knowledge, and an idea of what is happening at the time. Lets face it, we are all here to sell and if you are not selling, you are failing.

Is Chris taking the opportunity to self promote? I hope so, if not, is he a marketer at all? What are you doing, and do you have the confidence to answer the questions to your employer?

Get off your arse, and do things properly - Good work Chris!
MJF
  • Wrote on 11 Dec, at 11:27AM
@ Yenny, great story, abeit not so great from you.

Am I the only one that is concerned with the multitude of strategy consultants out there? Surely if you're outsourcing something as fundamental as strategy, whether it be you overall business strategy, marketing strategy, advertising strategy or digital strategy then your organisation is in a little bit of strife.

As mentioned in the blog, a strategy is a plan of action to accomplish specific goals, which are usually monetary. In my opinion a marketing manager should be able to do more than just outline the goals. To rely on agencies to work out 'how' is a problem. I believe that managers should know what they want and be able to walk 80% of the way down the path of implementation with consulatnacy advice on the finer points of implementation. My experience (and I'd love to hear if others have had simliar or completely different) is that managers decide they want to dip their toe in the digital realm and call someone to get it done - similar to arranging a plumber or a mechanic - with minimal input, and an almost complete surrender of responsibility.

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