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What is a Digital Channel?

A digital channel is a commercially available electronic communication service based upon a wire or wireless network and enabled by service, application & content providers on a public or private basis.

Although there are others, the major digital channels in the marketplace today are the Internet, cellular mobile and interactive television.

What is a Digital Channel Strategy?

A digital channel strategy is a top-down project designed to ensure the effective exploitation of the business capabilities of all available digital channels within the organisation, across the industry and in the marketplace.

It is a means to identify the relevance and impact of emerging digital channel capabilities, the opportunities presented, the challenges arising and the investments to be made.

It may be a component of a broader organisation or business unit strategy exercise or annual review.

Why do you need a Digital Channel Strategy?

Even though the Internet bubble has burst recent research shows that organisations will continue to spend increasing amounts of money on using the Internet, as well as cellular mobile and other emerging digital channels; how can future investments be better focused to quickly achieve strategic business goals and maximise ROI?

Slowing economic growth is forcing many organisations to cut spending, postpone investments and seek efficiencies; how can digital channels help to enable these strategies?

There are often too many investments, often technology-led, and they are made in isolation from each other and the strategy of the business; how can digital channel investments be combined to achieve a measurable and compelling impact for the business?

Too many digital investments are incorrectly conceived, fail to achieve their anticipated returns and exceed their budgets - how can this be prevented?

Too many digital investments simply re-enforce inadequate functions and processes - how can they be designed to change the way business is done?

Warning: an innovative and well-executed strategy can be a competitive differentiator!

What is different about our approach?

Open: using a published framework tailored to the scope and focus of the client and enabling communication & participation in a structured and timely manner.

Collaborative: conducted as a joint project with the client with clear roles and responsibilities, and using workshops where appropriate to generate input and creativity.

Practical: driven from a deep understanding of what can and cannot be done via emerging digital channels.

Cross-channel: looking to leverage the unique capabilities and synergies of each available channel in novel and creative ways.

Focused: on the business capabilities available and their relevance and impact to the business and marketplaces of the client.

Business oriented: conducted, focused and presented in business rather than technology terms.

Consensus: achieving buy-in is key to moving forward and is addressed as a part of the process from day one.

Time-boxed: to ensure focus and timely delivery.

When to use it

• As an integrated component of an annual strategy planning process or review.
• As a part of a broader periodic strategy exercise for the business.
• As the basis for the review of the existing online and new media investments.
• Prior to making significant new investments in the Internet, cellular mobile or other digital channels.

What you get

• A Recommended Strategy based upon a chosen scenario it summarises "What to do, when and why".
• An Impact Analysis arising from the recommendation.
• A Risk Analysis identifying major risks and assumptions.
• An Action Plan for next steps, short-term and long-term investments arising from the recommendation.
• Alternative Scenarios to the recommendation.

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