Nearly all of the members of the Fortune 500 followed a similar plan and model to become the diversified behemoths they are today: “horizontal integration,” adding brands to dominate a category; or “vertical integration,” investing in—and controlling—all stages of the supply chain. But this growth formula has largely run its course and is perhaps even counter-productive, in this age of overabundant options in any product category.  What is the new growth strategy for the 21st century?

The answer is functional integration. A new generation of successful marketers is building entire “ecosystems of value” that blur together products and services in ways that deliver greater value to consumers. Each new piece creates an additional node in the ecosystem, further driving up value. Firms like Apple and Nike are combining interrelated products and services—and consumers are responding by purchasing more and more from these single firms.

Unlock, Unleash, and Deliver is a guide for firms to understand and take advantage of this trend to thrive in the 21st century. The book will show how to conceive of new functionally-integrated products and services and delineate their business strategy. It will also show how to approach the development of underlying technology and user interfaces. It will demonstrate how to create brands, bring them to market through advertising and communications, and integrate them back into the broader digital ecosystem of mobile, social media, retail stores and live events.  These are all the required pieces for the creation of functionally integrated ecosystems, as well as the future of business—and Unlock, Unleash, and Deliver is required reading for any firm competing in the market today.

BARRY WACKSMAN is executive vice president and chief growth officer at R/GA, a full-service digital advertising and marketing consultancy. During his 15 years with R/GA, Barry has helped shape the vision of the agency and advised dozens of Fortune 500 companies on digital strategy. He lives in New York with his wife and son.

CHRIS STUTZMAN is managing director of the business transformation practice at R/GA, where he helps companies transform their businesses for the digital age. Prior to joining R/GA in 2012, he was a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research. He lives in New York with his wife and son.

For more information, please visit www.rga.com.

Introduction 1

Part One The Model 21

1 The Growth Challenge of the 21st Century 23
Principle One: Utility is relevance.

2 The Digital Revolution 43
Principle Two: Context is king.

3 The Ecosystem of Value 69
Principle Three: Synergy captures customers.

Part Two Mastering the Model 95

4 The Art of the Possible 97
Principle Four: Reimagine value creation.

5 The Digital Service Launchpad 125
Principle Five: Redesign value delivery.

6 The Drivers of Connected Growth 151
Principle Six: Redirect toward value capture.

7 Cultivating an Ecosystem of Value 179
Principle Seven: Lead like the world depends on it.

Notes 203

Acknowledgments 223

About the Authors 229

Index 231