Peer to Peer Magazine

56 PEER TO PEER: THE QUARTERLY MAGAZINE OF ILTA | SUMMER 2017 FEATURES Marketers Can Learn Digital Endurance from Tech Giants But firms that had just rebuilt their websites in 2010 or 2011 could not take advantage of responsive technology until their next redesign. The result? Many firms relinquished mobile traffic to their competitors for the next five years and are only now providing a decent mobile experience. Another significant benefit of the digital endurance model is that it avoids large spikes in spending on any one platform. Spreading a platform budget for a website or customer relationship management (CRM) system over several years offers more accurate spend predictability –– an obvious plus for firms where capital investments must be balanced regularly against cash flow. More level spending paerns, in turn, prevent any one effort or platform from dominating the firm's strategic plan. It is far easier to innovate in several directions when all the money is not going to one or two projects. Finally, a digital endurance model helps companies beer coordinate their digital marketing efforts across platforms and channels. In the traditional redesign model, firms have systems that are new and untested, others that are established and stable, and still others that are creaking along until they are replaced. An endurance model of continuous improvement across platforms makes it easier for firms to establish data flows that "unsilo" critical information. The cross- platform digital campaign –– including email, social, marketing automation, web and CRM –– becomes far easier to automate and execute. Driving Endurance with Vision Without a strong core vision of your digital future, it is difficult to maintain strategic momentum, even in a digital endurance model. Consider the relative fates of two popular mobile app platforms: Twier and Snapchat. Despite its large user base, regular revenue streams and increasing social relevance, Twier cannot find an organization to purchase it or make a large investment. The reason is essentially a lack of vision: Twier is more or less the same service it was in 2013, and no one can articulate what it wants to be in five years. Snapchat, by comparison, has fewer users, has no clear revenue model and is not nearly as cross- generational in its social appeal as Twier. But it recently debuted as the second largest tech IPO in history, hiing a $33 billion market capitalization on its first day. What advantage does Snapchat have? A clear and compelling vision for its future. Snapchat wants to continuously challenge how we use, share, create and interact with images. As long as the platform continues to evolve with that vision in mind, its value will have meaning. Marketing and business development leaders at law firms should establish and articulate a vision for their digital future. With a compelling story about where you want to lead the firm's digital capabilities, it will be easier to get the support you need to improve continuously instead of waiting for your next big redesign. P2P KALEV PEEKNA Kalev Peekna is the Chief Strategist at One North. He leads the digital strategy team and advises clients on the creation and execution of strategic programs to enhance the use of digital for their marketing, business development and knowledge management goals. Kalev brings a cross-platform, user- focused approach to innovations in brand development, design, data analysis and technology, and he helps clients apply those innovations to their strategic aims. Previously, Kalev led the user experience/strategy practice at One North. He holds master's degrees from the University of Chicago and Cambridge University, where he studied as a Fulbright Scholar. Contact Kalev at kpeekna@ onenorth.com. What advantage does Snapchat have? A clear and compelling vision for its future. Looking to the future.

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