#GLF18 | Maud Bailly: "Can a company that was not born digital become digital?"

"The question that brings me here with you today is simple: can a company that was not born digital become digital? Quite simply. I want to tell you, as a first answer: yes and it better, otherwise it will die. All sectors of our economy are impacted by what is called the digital revolution. Moreover, the boundaries between what is digital and what is not, have become increasingly blurred, tenuous and difficult to understand.

If we take the example of hospitality, I think it is a perfect illustration of this link, this difficult balance between digital and non-digital. Hospitality? AccorHotels, a very beautiful house, has just celebrated its 50th anniversary as a major player in hospitality. An industry that is brick and mortar, physical, concrete. And it’s a paradox for me that perfectly illustrates the subtlety of digital transformation.

You could never completely dematerialize the hospitality experience. You will always need to jump on a train, a plane, take the car, or cross a hotel lobby. Enjoy the decoration of the place, the atmosphere of the lobby, your room or scrambled eggs in the morning for breakfast. The hospitality industry will always involve a physical experience.

Nevertheless, hospitality is one of the most disruptive sectors in the world today. Almost 40% of transactions are already made online and this is only the beginning. This sector, which is very dear to all of us, faces two-fold competition. Traditional competition from well-known hospitality actors, competing companies and friends. And then new, digital, intermediate competition: collaborative platforms, sharing economy players, online agencies. All its new digital players are also trying to conquer the value chain on the BtoC segment like the BtoB segment.

So the question is not: can a company that was not born digital become digital? The question is rather: does a company that was not...