In most companies, the last two years have witnessed a dramatic acceleration in digital business initiatives across the enterprise. While every function has a stake in this evolution, for you the successful execution of digital initiatives has been nothing short of existential. From scaling digital commerce capabilities and reshaping routes to market, to the continued optimization of digital marketing and the orchestration of multichannel journeys, digital acceleration is absolutely mission-critical. To shape your companies’ digital futures, you and your team must leverage digital assets and expertise to drive a new form of integrated, cross-functional operational excellence.

This issue of The Chief Marketing Officer starts by providing a framework to honestly and accurately assess your organization’s digital commerce maturity across five key pillars: strategy, culture, organization, execution and operations. But as the digital commerce landscape matures, differentiation in digital commerce is becoming increasingly difficult. In Gartner’s 2020 Digital Experience Customer Survey, nearly half (46%) of customers surveyed say they can’t tell the difference between most brands’ digital experiences. Whether through smoothing a customer’s buying journey or changing their course entirely, personalizing experiences continues to represent your best path forward.