We live in an era of “digital Darwinism,” a time when technology and society are evolving faster than the ability of many organizations to adapt. It is for this reason (along with a myriad of other problems of course) that in fact killed Borders, Blockbuster, Polaroid and the like. Not only did digital Darwinism cost us close to a half billion job, it’s only accelerating. As Leon C. Megginson once said in paraphrasing Charles Darwin’s Origin of the Species, “It is not the strongest of the species that survives, nor the most intelligent that survives. It is the one that is most adaptable to change.”
Over the years, I’ve studied how disruptive technology affects consumer behavior and decision-making. I’ve also researched how businesses react (or don’t) to these changes. What I’ve learned is that barring a few exceptional instances of complete ignorance, organizations are open to adaptation if there’s indeed a case made for it and a path outlined to safely and cost-effectively navigate change.
Part of the problem is that decision makers and stakeholders react to shareholders and not necessarily evolving customer expectation or transforming markets. When they are finally ready to react, it’s typically a technology-first rather than a people-first initiative. Without understanding behavior, expectations, patterns, and new touch points, technology is often the right answer at the wrong time. Ready, fire, aim.
Without vision or direction, businesses will always miss the true opportunity…
The chilling effects of digital Darwinism and the rapidly evolving consumer landscape is told in this infographic. It’s a project that I worked on with the team at Barnickel Design in New York to mark the occasion of my upcoming book, What’s the Future of Business: Changing the way businesses create experiences.
Here’s what you need to know…
- Digital Darwinism is already here and it’s only going to accelerate.
- Business as usual doesn’t stand a chance.
- You’re not too big to fail, you’re not too small to succeed.
- Read on for what leaders can do about all this…
