Digital world moving at lightning speed

In Chapter 13 of Branded!, Brennan and Schafer quickly sum up my entire thoughts on the book in one sentence: "In a fast-moving world, everything is subject to rapid change - and it will never move back, only forward - so continuing dialogue is critical" (p. 255).

Throughout each of the book's case studies - Starbucks, Zappos, JCPenney and many others - it was obvious to me how much social media has changed in the past couple of years. Each of the case studies highlighted the way these companies used digital communication, social media and mobile apps to engage with customers in their own unique and innovative way. However, because the case studies were written in 2008 and 2009, some of the "digital transformations" mentioned in the book seemed dated in my opinion. Much of the digital communication mentioned in the case studies is considered common practice for large brands today. For example, online communities for customer reviews, mobile apps for e-commerce and customer service via Twitter and Facebook were mentioned as groundbreaking developments for brands like Starbucks, Zappos and JCPenney. But in today's digital world, companies not engaging in these digital platforms are commonly outshined by their competitors who are digitally active.

Also, since the time these case studies were written, many of the companies have experienced new digital transformations - some good and some bad - like JCPenney for example. The brand used to be respected for their interactive websites and social engagement, now their "social media team is probably on the verge of a nervous breakdown." Companies are facing new digital challenges, but it is important to continue dialogue and continue evolving because our digital world, obsessed with social and mobile communication, continues to grow at lighting speed.