Digital Leaders Week | Learning from Heart FM – how radical digital thinking can preserve our public services

15 October 2020

Webinar

A talk by Professor Mark Thompson, Professor of Digital Economy, INDEX (Initiative for the Digital Economy at Exeter) within University of Exeter Business School.

Digital Leaders Week Online – 15th October at 11:00AM BST.

 

In this talk, I will make the argument that in principle it is possible to ‘fix’ our underfunded public services by properly getting our heads around what digital transformation really means.  Take Take Heart FM as a simple example: it has local DJs, local advertising, discusses local issues, local weather, etc – but all the rest is consumed centrally, because:

  • It is of little/no concern to Heart FM’s customers
  • It can be delivered far more cheaply
  • Data (music, weather, advertising, etc) can be shared quickly and intelligently to deliver a better local service to customers and Heart’s sponsors (it’s a brokerage)
  • Local branches are free to focus 100% on their local customers’ needs.

You can read a summary of the argument here.

Whilst such an enormous change will take decades to achieve, I will argue that it is inevitable, and for the public good.  I look forward to an interesting discussion!

Professor Mark Thompson

 

Register now!