Marketing You - Does Digital beat Digits

In a recent Fortune article about Virginia Rometty, new CEO of IBM, the author traced Ms. Rometty's rise in the company. Although Ms Rometty is clearly a gifted business woman and superior technician it is her very personal approach to leadership that initially got her noticed by company executives and allowed her to rise within the company. The article cites several examples of her unparalleled ability to connect with people;  her genuine desire to address the needs of her subordinates, peers and customers. 

 

One incident resonated with me.  Having successfully spearheaded the acquisition of PricewaterhouseCooper’s IT Consulting business, Ms. Rometty then had to turn her attention to an almost more formidable task: integrating PwC’s 30,000 employees, and, in particular its 1000 partners, into IBM.  Not only did she become involved in negotiating compensation agreements, she personally reached out to every single PwC employee who stayed. Every single new employee heard from her!  How astonishing!

 

I found this attention to the needs of others refreshing and powerful in its simplicity. And it made me wonder:  In an age where a company's digital footprint seems to be the most important element of a successful marketing campaign, does “digital” really go deep enough?  It is true that technology gives marketers the ability to create an almost infinite number of touch points and it is also true that through these points, marketers are able to arrest our attention and inspire us to purchase whatever good or service they are selling.  But do these methods really create the kind of “old fashioned” brand loyalty that has helped companies like IBM to survive and thrive for so long?  Could all our glamorous gadgets actually explain why so very few companies survive past their second year of existence?  Are splashy announcements, cool feature and hip skins enough to sustain viability in the very long-run?

Despite her training as a computer scientist, Ms Rometty understood that her technical savvy had to be balanced by emotional intelligence. She understood that loyalty and dedication naturally spring from genuine connection.  Every truly great leader knows this and I find it difficult to envision a world where digital advances, for all their sophistication and reach, can ever replace the human touch.