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MONETISING ALL THINGS DIGITAL, KEEPING AN EYE ON THE BALL
Click for Latest in Ballsy Thinking: "What Should be UK's #Brexit Strategy?"I exist in my working life to make my clients money by working on interim projects that improve their communications strategies. I excel at thinking of ways to implement improvements thoughout the digital value chain. In effect, to make money from (or 'monetise') digital propositions. I am a 'digital monetiser'. See more here.
To be a great 'digital monetiser' a person needs to have broad experience and perspective. Managing an offline project involves dealing with people, finance, plans, time and events. Managing digital projects has the added complexity of understanding the fast moving technology topography that is their driving force. What is the appetite of the key stakeholders in a digital project for risk? Is the technology proven? Is it 'bleeding' edge or cutting edge? Assessing these variables is a critical starting point in determining how a digital project will likely turn out. Beyond this, understanding the context in which a project is being delivered is essential. Nowadays digital projects are almost always global in nature. Unless you create some sort of closed off virtual private network, your proposition is likely to be found by anyone with a device connected to the Internet. It is important to understand that digital channels emphasize everything in the marketing mix. Time, money and response are all exaggerated critical success factors in the digital world. It's not a cliche: we operate in a 24/7 connected, highly visible, space which has both advantages and disadvantages. Compressed thinking time can turn out the main project sinker as part of the latter. |
Ling's Theory of Balls
Mutlicharge was the Dixons/Currys Storecard
As a result of spending most of my life helping to produce all sorts of digital properties for others, from COBOL programmed green screens, through red-button adverts on SKY Interactive, to transactional eCommerce websites incorporating the latest in Internet security on iPhone/Android platforms, I have come to understand the importance of Balls. Juggling Balls, talking Balls, listening for Balls, keeping your eye on the Ball and having a Ball. So much so that I have developed my own fun 'Theory' or checklist of 'balls' that all those managing projects (including 'life' projects) should keep their eye on.
I have derived this from the many opportunities I have had to see people, finance and technology interact. Recently, I was the founder investor Internet Entrepreneur at the Global Business Information Network, home of websites such as checkSURE, successSURE and checkOnomics. Previously, I was a Strategy Director at Entranet, once the largest digital agency serving the financial sector in the UK where I worked with great people on such marquee digital brands as Goldfish and Tesco Personal Finance. During the dotcom boom, I was eBusiness Leader with GE Capital Global Consumer Finance and supported GCF UK’s retail clients online, including Dixons/Currys MultiCharge storecard
I commissioned my first web site in 1995 when I was Marketing Director for international training and change consultancy Time Manager International, at that time paying close to a £1000 for an Internet page of html! The TMI site was one of the first commercial sites online in the UK. Before joining TMI, I served as an army officer and as a consultant in the Finance Group with Arthur Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) where I worked on one of the first IBM PCs imported into the UK in 1983 (trust me, there was never even a version 1.0 of Wordstar, software makers always seem to launch their products at version 2 and let us find the bugs!).
I have derived this from the many opportunities I have had to see people, finance and technology interact. Recently, I was the founder investor Internet Entrepreneur at the Global Business Information Network, home of websites such as checkSURE, successSURE and checkOnomics. Previously, I was a Strategy Director at Entranet, once the largest digital agency serving the financial sector in the UK where I worked with great people on such marquee digital brands as Goldfish and Tesco Personal Finance. During the dotcom boom, I was eBusiness Leader with GE Capital Global Consumer Finance and supported GCF UK’s retail clients online, including Dixons/Currys MultiCharge storecard
I commissioned my first web site in 1995 when I was Marketing Director for international training and change consultancy Time Manager International, at that time paying close to a £1000 for an Internet page of html! The TMI site was one of the first commercial sites online in the UK. Before joining TMI, I served as an army officer and as a consultant in the Finance Group with Arthur Andersen Consulting (now Accenture) where I worked on one of the first IBM PCs imported into the UK in 1983 (trust me, there was never even a version 1.0 of Wordstar, software makers always seem to launch their products at version 2 and let us find the bugs!).
Lifelong Learning...
A blast at Greenwich High
Finally, I am privileged to have been the recipient of a great education. I went to Greenwich High School, Conn, USA (see Yearbook Photo) where I fell in love with American Football and the New England Patriots (Bill Belichick is simply the world's greatest manager - move over Steve Jobs). Returned home and went to the University of Aberdeen where I trained as an International Economist. Made the excellent decision to attend the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and studied how to lead in hostile environments (the best training and education I ever had) and, after serving a three-year short service commission, left the army as a Captain and financed my way through CASS Business School, London, where I earned an MBA, specialising in marketing.
After all of this, if I have learned anything it's that learning is a lifelong endeavour. I am still learning for example, how to create value through my personal editorials on this website. I share responsibility for any good bits that you find with anyone who I have learned from. However, the important point is that anything really stupid that you find is, I'm afraid, entirely down to me!
After all of this, if I have learned anything it's that learning is a lifelong endeavour. I am still learning for example, how to create value through my personal editorials on this website. I share responsibility for any good bits that you find with anyone who I have learned from. However, the important point is that anything really stupid that you find is, I'm afraid, entirely down to me!
