1. Introduction The events of 2020/21 transformed relationships
TRUST EARNED
between customers and companies, employees and
Today’s businesses have a fragile social contract with
employers. It forced a reckoning – new needs, new
their customers. They have a responsibility not only
behaviours, and new expectations. There’s not going
to protect customers’ data to the highest standards,
back – and there’s no slowing down.
but also to use that data to provide truly valuable experiences. To earn customer trust, businesses must
Our new era is shaped by customers who view their
deliver on both fronts in an increasingly complicated
world through a digital lens years ahead of when they
regulatory environment.
otherwise would have. Accelerated digital behaviours have raised customers’ experience expectations from
AGILITY UNLOCKED
brands across the board. Customers don’t just judge
It’s time to move agile operations out of reactive
their digital experiences against other providers in the
mode into day-to-day practice. To create the right
same industry. They rate their experiences against
conditions for agility, organisations need stronger data
their last, best interaction. Today’s experience bar
access, improved training and workflow management
is set by the world’s leading digital platforms. The
solutions. They need to do more to connect strategy
standards – and the stakes have never been higher.
and experimentation, aligning the business to the customer, delivery to the vision and leadership to the
To stay competitive, organisations must co-develop
employees. Companies that empower their teams
a new future with their evolving customers. This
for strategically-led, data-driven decision-making and
means moving beyond the tactics and makeshift
experimentation are set to win in this new era.
solutions that saw businesses through 2020/21. Organisations must reorient operations completely
COLLABORATION UNLIMITED
around their customer relationships. Success relies
With digital experiences vital to business growth
on comprehensively creating the conditions for speed,
and innovation, CMOs have earned their seat at the
experimentation, innovation and personalisation
boardroom table. Relationships between CMOs and
at scale.
CIOs have cemented. But harmony on the ground needs more than senior alliances; it must filter down
CHANGE ACCELERATED
to the day-to-day business operations of the
The way that customers work, communicate, socialise,
two departments.
shop and consume media has transformed. The relationships between customers, businesses, their
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ELEVATED
employees, partners, suppliers and competitors will
Contextual, relevant and helpful personalisation
never be the same again. As customers’ experience
at scale is the imperative in 2022. But customer
expectations heighten and competition intensifies, it
experiences can only be elevated from a foundation
has never been more vital for organisations to build
of customer trust and strong fundamentals, from
processes around customer needs.
integrated data architecture to insight-focused analytics to effective marketing automation.
2022 Digital Trends
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