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WTF?: What's the Future of Business?: Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences
"In today’s rapidly changing digital environment, Darwinism is alive and well. What’s the Future of Business doesn't just explore trends and theories; it introduces a dynamic, actionable path to transformation."
― Evan Greene, CMO, The Recording Academy, Producers of the GRAMMY Awards
Rethink your business model to incorporate the power of "user" experiences What’s the Future of Business? will galvanize a new movement that aligns the tenets of user experience with the vision of innovative leadership to improve business performance, engagement, and relationships for a new generation of consumerism. It provides an overview of real-world experiences versus "user" experiences in relation to products, services, mobile, social media, and commerce, among others. This book explains why experience is everything and how the future of business will come down to shared experiences. Discover how user experience design affects your business, and how you can harness its power for meaningful revenue growth
― Evan Greene, CMO, The Recording Academy, Producers of the GRAMMY Awards
Rethink your business model to incorporate the power of "user" experiences What’s the Future of Business? will galvanize a new movement that aligns the tenets of user experience with the vision of innovative leadership to improve business performance, engagement, and relationships for a new generation of consumerism. It provides an overview of real-world experiences versus "user" experiences in relation to products, services, mobile, social media, and commerce, among others. This book explains why experience is everything and how the future of business will come down to shared experiences. Discover how user experience design affects your business, and how you can harness its power for meaningful revenue growth
224 pages, Hardcover
First published December 5, 2012
28 people are currently reading
405 people want to read
About the author
Brian Solis
47 books97 followersBrian Solis is principal at Altimeter Group, a research firm focused on disruptive technology. A digital analyst, sociologist, and futurist, Solis has studied and influenced the effects of emerging technology on business, marketing, and culture. Solis is also globally recognized as one of the most prominent thought leaders and published authors in new media. His new book, What's the Future of Business (WTF), explores the landscape of connected consumerism and how business and customer relationships unfold and flourish in four distinct moments of truth. His previous book, The End of Business as Usual, explores the emergence of Generation-C, a new generation of customers and employees and how businesses must adapt to reach them. Prior to End of Business, Solis released Engage, which is regarded as the industry reference guide for businesses to market, sell and service in the social web.
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
March 28, 2014
Brian definitely brings some great "big picture" perspectives to light, but I feel that for most readers, the ideas presented are much too vague to really inspire any actionable takeaways or change in perspective. If you do see the world from the highest point of your organization/industry, enjoy. If not, you may have trouble relating to most of the content and issues addressed in this book.
August 6, 2013
This book is a continuation of the author’s earlier work “The End of Business as Usual.” At the same time it can stand alone on its own.
This book by Brian Solis is not your typical business book. The look and feel of the book is very different and ties in nicely with the concepts and ideas presented in the book. It has a table of contents, but they appear at the beginning of each chapter with the highlight sliding to the current chapter giving the book an almost e-book feel. Each chapter, including Chapter 0, also opens with a quote that ties in nicely to the chapter content. The style and appearance is such that you would expect to find it on a table in the waiting area of a business. The author describes it as a visual presentation that combines business and design to created intended experiences.
Some of the key concepts in the book are:
• Disruptive technology is a catalyst for change, not the reason businesses (Blockbuster, Borders, etc.) go out of business.
• Business transformation is similar to Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey.
• Different times call for different measures.
• A new era of social service: promoting the experiences of customers.
• The Zero Moment of Truth and the Ultimate Moment of Truth.
• The Dynamic Customer Journey Influence Loop.
• The Psychology of Social Commerce.
o Social Proof – Follow the Crowd
o Authority – The Guiding Light
o Scarcity – Less is More
o Liking – Build bonds and trust
o Consistency
o Reciprocity – Pay It Forward
• Customer engagement is not the same as conversations.
• Ten priorities for meaningful business transformation.
• In the circle of life, connected consumerism is the new reality. Those businesses that don’t disrupt their own markets will find their markets disrupted for them.
• To change takes two things: the aspiration and determination to change.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone looking to keep their business viable over the long term. I found it to be an engaging, thoughtful and dynamic read. How often can you say that about a business book?
This book by Brian Solis is not your typical business book. The look and feel of the book is very different and ties in nicely with the concepts and ideas presented in the book. It has a table of contents, but they appear at the beginning of each chapter with the highlight sliding to the current chapter giving the book an almost e-book feel. Each chapter, including Chapter 0, also opens with a quote that ties in nicely to the chapter content. The style and appearance is such that you would expect to find it on a table in the waiting area of a business. The author describes it as a visual presentation that combines business and design to created intended experiences.
Some of the key concepts in the book are:
• Disruptive technology is a catalyst for change, not the reason businesses (Blockbuster, Borders, etc.) go out of business.
• Business transformation is similar to Joseph Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey.
• Different times call for different measures.
• A new era of social service: promoting the experiences of customers.
• The Zero Moment of Truth and the Ultimate Moment of Truth.
• The Dynamic Customer Journey Influence Loop.
• The Psychology of Social Commerce.
o Social Proof – Follow the Crowd
o Authority – The Guiding Light
o Scarcity – Less is More
o Liking – Build bonds and trust
o Consistency
o Reciprocity – Pay It Forward
• Customer engagement is not the same as conversations.
• Ten priorities for meaningful business transformation.
• In the circle of life, connected consumerism is the new reality. Those businesses that don’t disrupt their own markets will find their markets disrupted for them.
• To change takes two things: the aspiration and determination to change.
I strongly recommend this book for anyone looking to keep their business viable over the long term. I found it to be an engaging, thoughtful and dynamic read. How often can you say that about a business book?
April 2, 2013
I've been lucky enough to hear Brian Solis talk at a Vocus conference and spend a few minutes talking with him at a recent meetup in Philadelphia. Anyone who is interested in the future of business no matter if you're a consumer or in marketing, will want to pick up his latest book. If I could sum up Solis' mantra it would be "Engage or die" or "Innovate or die." He has been preaching his experiential brand of marketing for several years now and his latest book, "What's the Future of Business?", is another home run.
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you might ask: "Why should I care about this?" It's extremely simple: The future of business is here, and if you're a consumer, then you'll be happy with what Solis discusses in his new book. If you're a marketer, you just might be scared to death if you're not already changing how you work.
Early in the book, Solis includes a list of companies that have not survived: Borders, Compaq, Kodak, LIFE, Tower Records, Woolworth . . . The list goes on. All of these companies were not able to survive in the changing economic climate and what gives me hope is that at the core of Solis' book is his belief that: "The experience people have with your product, your company, your representatives, define the brand through the expressions they share. Your work must focus on expressions, not impressions."
To boil that down, it's the experiences that people have with your brand that's important. Fellow authors out there might want to take note: It's how we're engaging our readers that is important and the experience around how our books are discovered that's essential to the new business.
Case in point: In the traditional way of marketing, a company has a massive mailing list and they would send out print materials, email blasts and work with the advertising department to buy print and TV ads.
Today customers are talking about products on their own on social platforms. When they want a recommendation for a book, restuarant, service, etc., they reach out to their friends and family on Facebook or Yelp. And whatever information they have on the subject, that's how a brand is going to be relevant or not.
A great example that Solis gives in his book is Burberry's social transformation. Burberry has been around for 150 years and Angela Ahrendts, Burberry CEO, made a decision that revolutionized how Burberry works as a company leveraging digital and social platforms. Ahrendts explained that:
"We had a vision, to be the first company that was fully digital end-to-end. The experience would be that a customer has total access to Burberry, across any device, anywhere. They get exactly the same feeling of the brand and feeling of the culture, regardless of how, when and where they were accessing the brand. Everyone can come to Burberry World and understand the journey and mission that Burberry is on."
Ahrendts' statement is bold and visionary. Because of new technology, change in business is happening faster than corporations can adapt. The opportunity here is to engage people on a human level. Companies cannot simply throw up a Facebook page and then boast that they have thousands of "likes." That doesn't mean anything and doesn't translate to good strategy. No, what matters is that corporations are listening to their consumers and interacting with them in real time. The experience that customers are having is rewarding to them and taking place in various digital environments. Change is here now and Solis' book lays out a solid plan for how to move forward so that we can also be nimble and adapt like Burberry.
As a consumer, I was happy to read Solis' suggestions to corporations on how best to engage me. And as an author, I obtained more insight into how I can be more relevant and obtain more of a readership for my novels. I also took a lot to heart on how I can best use what I learned for my job in electronic communications at Temple University.
The book is filled with great examples, but at its core, reading this book is an extremely unique experience. The table of contents, the layout, graphs and how the text is proportioned in bite-sized pieces reflects a unique visionary approach. I was able to ask Solis about the physical makeup of the book and he confirmed that he had specifically planned the book to be special in ts design. To read the book, is to experience it (as odd as that might sound).
If you're willing to learn about how we need to change how businesses market to consumers, this book is priceless. I've been sharing this book with coworkers, fellow writers and even have talked about this book with members of my own family over the dinner table. It's a book that aks to be discussed. In a modern economy that's not been strong, the path is clear on how we can adapt and learn new skills to help us not only be competitive in today's workforce, but also agents of change. Buy this book. Pick it up, experience it and then be prepared to talk about it because it's one of the most refreshing books I've read in a long time.
If you're a regular reader of my blog, you might ask: "Why should I care about this?" It's extremely simple: The future of business is here, and if you're a consumer, then you'll be happy with what Solis discusses in his new book. If you're a marketer, you just might be scared to death if you're not already changing how you work.
Early in the book, Solis includes a list of companies that have not survived: Borders, Compaq, Kodak, LIFE, Tower Records, Woolworth . . . The list goes on. All of these companies were not able to survive in the changing economic climate and what gives me hope is that at the core of Solis' book is his belief that: "The experience people have with your product, your company, your representatives, define the brand through the expressions they share. Your work must focus on expressions, not impressions."
To boil that down, it's the experiences that people have with your brand that's important. Fellow authors out there might want to take note: It's how we're engaging our readers that is important and the experience around how our books are discovered that's essential to the new business.
Case in point: In the traditional way of marketing, a company has a massive mailing list and they would send out print materials, email blasts and work with the advertising department to buy print and TV ads.
Today customers are talking about products on their own on social platforms. When they want a recommendation for a book, restuarant, service, etc., they reach out to their friends and family on Facebook or Yelp. And whatever information they have on the subject, that's how a brand is going to be relevant or not.
A great example that Solis gives in his book is Burberry's social transformation. Burberry has been around for 150 years and Angela Ahrendts, Burberry CEO, made a decision that revolutionized how Burberry works as a company leveraging digital and social platforms. Ahrendts explained that:
"We had a vision, to be the first company that was fully digital end-to-end. The experience would be that a customer has total access to Burberry, across any device, anywhere. They get exactly the same feeling of the brand and feeling of the culture, regardless of how, when and where they were accessing the brand. Everyone can come to Burberry World and understand the journey and mission that Burberry is on."
Ahrendts' statement is bold and visionary. Because of new technology, change in business is happening faster than corporations can adapt. The opportunity here is to engage people on a human level. Companies cannot simply throw up a Facebook page and then boast that they have thousands of "likes." That doesn't mean anything and doesn't translate to good strategy. No, what matters is that corporations are listening to their consumers and interacting with them in real time. The experience that customers are having is rewarding to them and taking place in various digital environments. Change is here now and Solis' book lays out a solid plan for how to move forward so that we can also be nimble and adapt like Burberry.
As a consumer, I was happy to read Solis' suggestions to corporations on how best to engage me. And as an author, I obtained more insight into how I can be more relevant and obtain more of a readership for my novels. I also took a lot to heart on how I can best use what I learned for my job in electronic communications at Temple University.
The book is filled with great examples, but at its core, reading this book is an extremely unique experience. The table of contents, the layout, graphs and how the text is proportioned in bite-sized pieces reflects a unique visionary approach. I was able to ask Solis about the physical makeup of the book and he confirmed that he had specifically planned the book to be special in ts design. To read the book, is to experience it (as odd as that might sound).
If you're willing to learn about how we need to change how businesses market to consumers, this book is priceless. I've been sharing this book with coworkers, fellow writers and even have talked about this book with members of my own family over the dinner table. It's a book that aks to be discussed. In a modern economy that's not been strong, the path is clear on how we can adapt and learn new skills to help us not only be competitive in today's workforce, but also agents of change. Buy this book. Pick it up, experience it and then be prepared to talk about it because it's one of the most refreshing books I've read in a long time.
June 14, 2013
Originally published on TapDancingSpiders.com
On Saturday I heard Justin Briggs explain how to set up WordPress for SEO.
During his presentation I was getting more and more agitated. I was convinced he was wrong and that his techniques won’t work.
I was right and I was wrong. Yes, his check list of things to do will get your site a certain level of visibility. Applying Justin’s tactics along with the tactics in What’s the Future of Business: Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences by Brian Solis with get you even more visibility. Justin’s presentation leaves out the people aspect of SEO: write posts people want to read.
In this book, Brian changes things up from his previous publications. I love it. The most obvious change is the coffee table book style. It’s a hard-cover, 12″ x 12″, and full of bright colors and scream-out quotes. I was stopping all the way through to take photos of the quotes. Yes, the featured image is one of those.
Aesthetics aside, Brian’s focus in this book is on how to create amazing customer experiences. He introduces the concept of Generation C (the generation of customers), and takes you through the Moments of Truth needed to turn a fan into a customer and get them to buy again. Differently than other business books, Brian quotes a Google publication that the first moment of truth is actually as early as when the customer first identified a problem to be solved.
He includes lots of models and case studies and research that’s useful and engaging. If professors can move passed the need to select expensive heavy tomes, this would make a very effective text book. Weirdly enough, I finished reading and couldn't recall any case studies at all. I don’t think it’s a fault of the writing; there’s just so much packed in and I read it over a few weeks.
So, yes, [WTF] is very different than his outline of social media tools in Engage!, and all the better for it. If you’re in business but don’t have a marketing theory background, this will help. Even if you do, grab this, you’ll LOVE the models. I know I did.
On Saturday I heard Justin Briggs explain how to set up WordPress for SEO.
During his presentation I was getting more and more agitated. I was convinced he was wrong and that his techniques won’t work.
I was right and I was wrong. Yes, his check list of things to do will get your site a certain level of visibility. Applying Justin’s tactics along with the tactics in What’s the Future of Business: Changing the Way Businesses Create Experiences by Brian Solis with get you even more visibility. Justin’s presentation leaves out the people aspect of SEO: write posts people want to read.
In this book, Brian changes things up from his previous publications. I love it. The most obvious change is the coffee table book style. It’s a hard-cover, 12″ x 12″, and full of bright colors and scream-out quotes. I was stopping all the way through to take photos of the quotes. Yes, the featured image is one of those.
Aesthetics aside, Brian’s focus in this book is on how to create amazing customer experiences. He introduces the concept of Generation C (the generation of customers), and takes you through the Moments of Truth needed to turn a fan into a customer and get them to buy again. Differently than other business books, Brian quotes a Google publication that the first moment of truth is actually as early as when the customer first identified a problem to be solved.
He includes lots of models and case studies and research that’s useful and engaging. If professors can move passed the need to select expensive heavy tomes, this would make a very effective text book. Weirdly enough, I finished reading and couldn't recall any case studies at all. I don’t think it’s a fault of the writing; there’s just so much packed in and I read it over a few weeks.
So, yes, [WTF] is very different than his outline of social media tools in Engage!, and all the better for it. If you’re in business but don’t have a marketing theory background, this will help. Even if you do, grab this, you’ll LOVE the models. I know I did.
February 4, 2014
This is a good "big picture" book that gives you direction in modern marketing.
The underlying ideas are solid and backed by research. Solis has a good conversational style of writing that draws you in with warmth and holds you with authority. You walk away from his books feeling like you've gained knowledge that you can put to work.
You have to adapt any of these ideas to your own situation. There are no "tools" or "tricks" because this type of book is designed to transcend medium. That's not a bad thing but without knowledge of those tools and techniques you could be a little lost.
Think of this as a companion piece rather than a manual to marketing. It likely has a place on your shelf if you're an entrepreneur, small business owner, or business professional.
You know you should be reading it if you're in marketing so...
The underlying ideas are solid and backed by research. Solis has a good conversational style of writing that draws you in with warmth and holds you with authority. You walk away from his books feeling like you've gained knowledge that you can put to work.
You have to adapt any of these ideas to your own situation. There are no "tools" or "tricks" because this type of book is designed to transcend medium. That's not a bad thing but without knowledge of those tools and techniques you could be a little lost.
Think of this as a companion piece rather than a manual to marketing. It likely has a place on your shelf if you're an entrepreneur, small business owner, or business professional.
You know you should be reading it if you're in marketing so...
July 14, 2014
This book is a good introduction to the concept of the buyer's journey in the digital age. I met Brian at the Inbound 2013 conference and this book offers suggestions on how to reach customer's in a world where they may know about your business long before you know anything about them. In principle, the lessons are probably most applicable in business to consumer marketing, but I anticipate we'll see more need for this approaches in Business to Business marketing as well. Brian also does a good job in breaking out the likely buyer's audience based not just on age, but habits. His depiction of Generation C (the connected generation, who aren't necessarily just in Gen Y) rings true. So if you'd like to learn more about reaching customers in an information rich age, Brian's book is a good starting point.
March 31, 2013
I wrote a review here:
http://tom.themiales.com/book-review-...
In this era of social media marketing “celebrity”, it seems as though there are dozens of books, “epubs”, white-papers and blog posts about the need for businesses to change. What’s the Future of Business by Brian Solis stands out from the crowd. It reads as a textbook for adapting to the new behaviors of consumers. I hesitate to use the word “textbook” because of the images conjured up of boring economics or marketing classes. Solis merges storytelling with data, analytics, and facts.
http://tom.themiales.com/book-review-...
In this era of social media marketing “celebrity”, it seems as though there are dozens of books, “epubs”, white-papers and blog posts about the need for businesses to change. What’s the Future of Business by Brian Solis stands out from the crowd. It reads as a textbook for adapting to the new behaviors of consumers. I hesitate to use the word “textbook” because of the images conjured up of boring economics or marketing classes. Solis merges storytelling with data, analytics, and facts.
April 7, 2013
This is an entertaining and informative book as you would expect from Brian Solis. But the real value is that it has practical use. I started the book a little unsure of the steps my organisation needed to take to adapt to connected consumerism - but I came away with a road map - even jotting down a pathway as I read. Great stuff
March 15, 2013
I posted a synopsis just recently:
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rawnshah/...
http://www.forbes.com/sites/rawnshah/...
February 16, 2015
I really enjoyed reading this book. The information provided is invaluable and I loved the format of the book. You can read my full review of the book here http://bit.ly/XN1Xkt
February 6, 2014
Anyone interested in preparing their business for the integration of digital, marketing, and social into the customer experience should make this the next book you read.
September 20, 2017
Well worth the time and it is a quick read
March 17, 2013
A picture book of business management. Glossy and brightly colored, this book pops. The content is pretty good too and does a decent job of translating life for the young and socially networked to more traditional upper management, explaining why businesses need to use social media to be successful.
September 25, 2013
Interesting book in general - and good for those who don't really read much or think much about these kinds of issues with disruptive technology/the growing importance of social and mobile, etc. Overall though, there wasn't anything in here I hadn't read or heard before - it was just all put together in a nice, well-written package.
July 21, 2015
Brian does a nice job of putting the need for digital communication into a perspective that is easy to understand for business owners. Easy to read with real examples and action items.
November 9, 2015
Interesting thoughts - and a beautifully formatted and prepared book.
March 24, 2015
Great book for anyone interested in the customer experience era. The book is also well designed with great images.
February 5, 2016
Good book! Lots of graphics that are easily readable and readily understood. It really helps shape the discussion of online presence and what the customer is experiencing.
February 18, 2016
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Brian Solis presents magnificent knowledge of business, user experience and disruptive technology in a casual and visually stunning manner
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews