WTF?: What's the Future of Business?

BRIAN SOLIS is globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders in new media. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has influenced the effects of emerging media on business and culture. He is Principal of Altimeter Group, a leading research-based advisory firm in Silicon Valley. He is the author of Engage! and The End of Business as Usual, both from Wiley. His blog, BrianSolis.com, is among the world’s leading business strategy and marketing resources.

• 0 TOTAL RECALL 2The Voice of the Empowered Customer 6Are You Experienced? 81 SORRY, WE’RE CLOSED: HOW TO SURVIVE DIGITAL DARWINISM 10Disruptive Technology Is a Catalyst for Change, Not the Reason 152 THE JOURNEY OF BUSINESS TRANSFORMATION 18There’s a Hero in Every One of Us 21The Great Myth of Technology 243 MEET THE NEW GENERATION OF CUSTOMERS . . . GENERATION C 26Widening the View from Generation Y to Generation C 31Different Times Call for Different Measures 334 THE NEW CUSTOMER HIERARCHY 36A New Era of Social Service: Promoting the Experiences of Customers 40The Broken Link of Social Media Customer Service 44Connecting the Dots in Social Media to Improve Experiences 475 THE DIM LIGHT AT THE END OF THE FUNNEL 50Funnel Vision: Without Awareness There Can Be No Consideration 54The Cluster Funnel 556 THE ZERO MOMENT OF TRUTH 587 THE ULTIMATE MOMENT OF TRUTH 66The Ultimate Moment of Truth 748 OPENING A WINDOW INTO NEW CONSUMERISM 78Discovery Disrupted 82Opening the Door to a New Generation of Connected Consumerism 83Opening the Windows to Digital Influence 869 THE DYNAMIC CUSTOMER JOURNEY 9010 INSIDE THE ELLIPSE: EMBARKING ON THE DYNAMIC CUSTOMER JOURNEY 98Formulation (Stimulus) 104Precommerce (Zero Moment of Truth) 106Commerce (First Moment of Truth) 109Postcommerce (Ultimate Moment of Truth) 11211 IMPROVING THE UMOT TO OPTIMIZE THE ZMOT 11812 THE SIX PILLARS OF SOCIAL COMMERCE: UNDERSTANDING THE PSYCHOLOGY OF ENGAGEMENT 124Hear No Evil. See No Evil. Speak No Evil. 128The A.R.T. of Engagement 129The Psychology of Social Commerce 130Heuristic Number 1: Social Proof—Follow the Crowd 131Heuristic Number 2: Authority—The Guiding Light 132Heuristic Number 3: Scarcity—Less Is More 133Heuristic Number 4: Liking—Builds Bonds and Trust 134Heuristic Number 5: Consistency 135Heuristic Number 6: Reciprocity—Pay It Forward 13613 THE IMPORTANCE OF BRAND IN AN ERA OF DIGITAL DARWINISM 138Branding Is More Important Than Ever Before 144Brand Empathy: Always Improve Experiences 14614 WHY USER EXPERIENCE IS CRITICAL TO CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIPS 148The CrUX of Engagement Is Intention and Purpose 153The Experience RedUX 156User Experience Becomes the Customer Experience: Principles and Pillars of UX 158Medium-alism Equals FaUX Engagement 159The JUXtaposition of Empathy and Experience 16115 INNOVATE OR DIE 162CMOs Are at the Crossroads of Customer Transactions and Engagement 167Through a Telescope, We Bring the World Closer—Through a Microscope, We See What Was Previously Invisible to the Naked Eye 168Customer Engagement Is Not the Same as Conversations 172Ten Priorities for Meaningful Business Transformation 176Disruptive Technology and How to Compete for the Future 18016 THE DILEMMA’S INNOVATOR 184Innovation Is Blindness: Why Innovation Is Fundamental to the Survival of Tomorrow’s Business . . . Today 188In the Battle against Relevance versus Irrelevance: It’s Survival of the Fitting 19117 THE HERO’S JOURNEY 196The Task Force, AKA Steering Committee 202The Stages of Change 205The Hero’s Journey 209Stage 1: Inception 210Stage 2: Tribulation 211Stage 3: Transformation 212Stage 4: Realization 213Thank You 214NOTES 215