The barrier between IRL and URL has crumbled – so why do we still have ‘digital’ teams?

Our phones are integrated into our cars, and we increasingly use AI models, like ChatGPT, for recommendations, and as part of our shopping experience. Our lives are now anchored in digital.

During my career, I’ve seen countless times when the head of digital and the CMO are not in the same room for important moments. So, when it comes to designing a consumer experience, how can we even expect them to be on the same page? In a world in which it’s easy to work remotely, our focus can easily get segmented into individual tasks.

But, when you want to build something functional, not to mention magical, the power of company-wide collaboration can never be underestimated.

Unified teams

Today’s consumers expect a seamless brand experience across physical spaces and digital channels. Tomorrow’s will likely have even higher expectations. Yet, few teams are set up to deliver a holistic, end-to-end experience. Fragmented teams responsible for different elements of a brand, ultimately often create a disconnected customer journey.

We are creatures of habit and it makes sense for us to compartmentalize tasks and assign work to people in particular areas. This gives each function of the organization a clear purpose. But, I’ve seen how this kind of structure brings about borders between teams, inhibiting collaboration across businesses. If left unchecked, these teams can unhelpfully develop into isolated silos.

When designing a racing car, those responsible for the wing mirrors will naturally know the overall design of the car. Without knowing the entire picture, how else could they be expected to successfully produce their piece of the final whole?

Different models

New technologies are emerging at a relentless pace. This is creating a shift as brands try to leverage the latest tech to show customers something new and keep them engaged. The burden here often lies with the digital teams as they shoulder the responsibility for the implementation of new features. But the lure of shiny technology can be perilous, especially if the proper consideration hasn’t been given to how new technologies could be harnessed. Or, even if they should be used at all.

Unfortunately, in many organizations, digital is seen as a service department like finance or HR – merely a support team for other departments. Digital teams can be relatively small considering the amount of work required of them, and other departments don’t fully understand what is involved in running and maintaining a digital service. This can lead to internal friction that might degrade the customer experience.

Some companies run a centralized digital team that controls and manages projects independently. Granted, this might ensure some level of quality and efficiency. But it can also just create another silo within the business. So many of our experiences today involve a digital component, and it’s simply not feasible to burden one team with all that work.

A separate approach might be to embed digital experts into every department. In theory, this means there is at least one digital specialist across the company to coordinate with each department. However, this risks creating a culture clash with the digital expert being viewed as an outsider or even a ‘second-class citizen’. This can lead to pushback that might be taken the wrong way by their team.

Embrace the blur

Digital expertise cannot just stay in digital teams. But it also shouldn’t just fly solo. Most agencies or companies don’t truly understand or have the agility to employ the nuance between technology and creative elements. Organizations would do well to adopt a new departmental structure. This should be more inclusive and, above all, have the customer journey right at the heart of its DNA.

To do this, creativity, digital, and tech must work as one. Every team should be seamlessly integrated to ensure that each discipline is represented. Instead of splitting out each business function into separate teams, brands should embrace the blur to provide a coherent and consistent customer experience that aligns with their expectations.

This is not to say that everyone should be an expert in everything. Teams across a company should though be fully integrated so that they can understand and respond to the emotional needs of their customers. This way, brands can craft memorable and magical moments that go beyond transactions and build a loyal community and sense of belonging.

Today, brands need to think two steps ahead to keep customers engaged. If they don’t move with the times, they risk simply being left behind.