Page 66 - Gulf Marketing Review

D I G I T A L

companies should not stereotype indi-
viduals simply based on their age. By
applying advanced analytics and cog-
nitive technologies to comprehend both
structured and unstructured customer
data from a variety of sources, companies
can build detailed customer profiles that
will help determine the most successful
customer experience initiatives.
• Make it easier for customers to interact
with your brand: Two of the core val-
38% OF EXECUTIVES
THINK CUSTOMERS’ AGE MAKES ues of any digital customer experience
A DIFFERENCE TO NEW transformation should be ease of use
DIGITAL EXPERIENCES and simplicity. Customers have already
formed ideas about and how easy it is to
engage with and conduct transactions
TWO OF THE CORE VALUES OF ANY with individual businesses. Executives
DIGITAL CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE should conduct thorough research to
TRANSFORMATION SHOULD BE EASE OF understand what these expectations
USE AND SIMPLICITY are and then test their new digital ex-
perience with customers to make sure
it is simple to use and gives customers
24% OF MILLENNIALS REGULARLY the flexibility they want.
LOCATE PRODUCTS WITH
A COMPANY’S MOBILE APP • Design marketing strategies to address
WHEN SHOPPING specific needs of your customers: When
launching a digital customer experience
initiative, it is vital to clearly promote the
benefits that customers value, such as time
Companies need to bring to 80 per cent of Baby Boomers said it was savings, convenience and faster results.
their innovations to market by because they weren’t interested. Segmentation and personalisation can
LTNJZTa QRPQTRPQ\RVP KNVN \[ As a result of the study’s findings, the IBV also be used to attract those customers
that resonate with customers recommends four steps for companies to take who aren’t especially motivated to try
when designing a new digital customer expe- a new digital customer experience by
rience. They are: giving them additional incentives to try
The IBV then asked consumers a series of • Design digital experiences to meet cus- it out. So, a good practice is: Don’t just
questions about specific types of digital customer tomer expectations: Use a digital trans- execute. Create a long-term integrated
experience initiatives being implemented by formation as an opportunity to eliminate digital strategy and plan aligning with
companies and found there were numerous difficulties that customers have with the marketing and business priorities.
instances when Millennials, Generation X and existing systems and reinvent the customer Re-imagining the experience, however, is only
Baby Boomers responded differently. experience from the customers’ points of part of the solution. Companies also need to bring
For example, while 24 per cent of Millenni- view. In other words, enable consumers their innovations to market by clearly highlighting
als regularly locate products with a company’s to engage with the brand in ways that benefits that resonate with customers, which may
mobile app when shopping, only eight per cent are faster, easier or more convenient than require a roll-out strategy that includes plans for
of Baby Boomers do so. And among the group traditional channels. different customer segments. Otherwise, they risk
of consumers who said they were familiar with • Analyse customers’ motivations: While putting into jeopardy not only their investment in
companies’ digital customer experience initi- it is important to recognise genera- a new digital customer experience, but also their
atives, but hadn’t tried them, as many as 70 tional differences among consumers, brand’s image in the marketplace.

66 I GULF MARKETING REVIEW I DECEMBER 2017/FEBRUARY 2018