Strategies in the cultural and creative industries: static but flexible vs dynamic and liquid. The emergence of a new model in the digital age

Abstract

The cultural and creative industries (CCIs) were among the first to be disrupted by the digital revolution. General lessons can thus be learned from the strategies they adopted in the digital age. Alongside a reversal model and a differentiation policy, CCI companies now face a new alternative between two main strategies, which cannot easily be classified using traditional theories. The first model is a static but flexible strategy whereby the organization equips itself with skills and tries to be sufficiently flexible and ambidextrous to absorb the shocks of changing environments. This strategy aims at overcoming organizational inertia through slow and cautious steps, even if they are not always in line with the rapidity of changes in the digital age. The second model, the liquid one, consists of a proactive and agile strategy where the organization moves quickly, adapts hastily, and changes constantly to be in tune with the new configurations that are emerging around it.JEL classification: L22, L82, O32, Z10.