Daniel Incandela is Director, Global Digital Marketing at ExactTarget. He’s responsible for the company’s digital marketing strategy across five continents. 

Question 1: How do you define ‘digital strategy’?

“A strategy is acting with purpose. It’s mapping out the vision you have for a customer and building out that experience. It’s an understanding of the content needed to help guide the customer experience and building the necessary tools and platforms to get them there. For me, an innovative digital strategy is the perfect convergence of content and technology. In most cases, that will result in success regardless of the metrics.”

Question 2: When did you first hear about the Chief Digital Officer (CDO) role, and what was your primary reaction? Has it changed over time?

“I first noticed the CDO role through some people I follow on Twitter. I’ve since created a list of CDOs (https://twitter.com/danielincandela/lists/chief-digital-officers). From there, I came across your site and a few other online references, including some of the research Gartner has done. I’m not sure the role has changed that much over time, but it’s obvious that the CDO is gaining momentum as an integral role within companies.”

Question 3: What kind of mobile device(s) do you have, and what are your three favorite apps? 

“I just switched from an iPhone 4S to a Samsung Galaxy S4. I actually lost my iPhone on a roller coaster and figured why not try something new. I’m really glad that happened because I’m in love with Android. I never found my iPhone.

As for Apps – I’m a huge fan of the work Yahoo is doing. Flickr and their Weather app are simply gorgeous, and they really pop on the large Samsung screen. The Tumblr app is also a masterpiece in UX and the way they have represented their brand.”

Question 4: In your article “The 10 Traits of a Chief Digital Officer,” you describe traits that a CDO must demonstrate. Which traits do you feel are the most important and why?

“I mentioned Digital Holism in my post, and I’d say that’s the most important. The new CDOs aren’t IT Directors and they’re not Executive Producers – it’s something in between. It’s someone that in the same conversation can discuss content strategy, analytics, online advertising, infrastructure, data and social media. Companies utilize/leverage all of those things today and each piece changes quickly. Everything is digital, so the leader of digital strategy needs a sound understanding of content, creativity and technology.”

Question 5: What advice do you have for aspiring digital professionals?

• “Data, analytics and testing are your best friends.
• Technology should have a personality.
• You need great content to be successful.
• In this age everyone is a digital expert, so don’t take things personally.
• Become an expert in the Brand you represent.
• Embrace failure, it will happen.
• Stop to enjoy the successes.
• Treat those close to you well. You can’t do this alone.”

For more information about Daniel, check him out on LinkedIn, follow him on Twitter (@danielincandela), and visit his website.