As business leaders look ahead, embracing digital tech trends and evolving capabilities will be key to keeping business transformation momentum going strong. Here are four ways companies are applying a digital-first mindset to move business forward, with their teams and customers top-of-mind.
Modern digital capabilities are enabling personalized customer experiences across industries. Have you ever stopped your scroll on social media to get a closer look at an attention-grabbing brand only to suddenly see them on an array of other platforms and website ads shortly after? It’s no coincidence. Thanks to digital data, those brands noticed you noticing them, and in turn, put themselves right back in your line of vision for another chance at connecting.
Brands have gotten so good at grabbing audience attention in many ways, for better or for worse, but it is often these data-enabled experiences that keep us coming back to the ones we love.
Take music-streaming giant, Spotify, for example. It uses personal data to recommend new artists, albums and songs to each user based on your recent streaming habits. Not only does it excel at introducing listeners to new music in-line with their interests, but the annually anticipated Spotify Wrapped gives us all a chance to reflect on listening habits in a way that is amusing, engaging, and most importantly, share-worthy.
Today’s B2C transaction processes offer a more instant and seamless customer experience than we’d seen even a few years ago. We’re scanning QR codes to reveal restaurant menus, paying for meals from portable POS systems or completely via mobile, tapping cards or phones to activate quick purchases, and converting currencies to conduct international business at the touch of a button.
According to Visa, tap-to-pay transactions grew over 30% from Spring of 2020 to Spring of 2021. While this and other digital payment trends may have initially accelerated due to health and safety concerns brought on by the pandemic, they’ve become increasingly prevalent.
In the same Visa survey of small business owners and consumers in eight countries, they found that 47% of consumers will no longer shop at stores that don’t offer a contactless way to pay. That said, businesses that fail to keep up with evolving digital transaction capabilities, with the customer experience at the forefront, risk going unnoticed.
Video currently rules the digital landscape more than ever before. From companies going live across social media channels and the rise of Tik-Tok content creators to video Podcasts and engaging brand promos, there’s no denying that video content is king. I remember testing short “how-to” videos for personal devices 10 years ago— how cool it all felt and how thrilled we were by the results! We’ve come a long way since then.
A recent Oberlo survey shows that 54% of consumers want to see more video content from the brands and businesses they support. As consumer demand continues to rise, it’s no surprise that businesses are starting to include video content in their digital marketing strategies.
The same survey indicated that 78% of marketing professionals say videos have directly helped increase sales, while 86% also say that videos increased traffic to their website.
As long as relatability heavily impacts consumer engagement and brand influence depends much on word-of-mouth and meeting customers where they’re already at, video content will likely continue to be a valuable business asset.
Global business events are taking place via video conferencing or virtual reality; Apple Fitness + and Peleton trainers now complement many gym memberships; telehealth appointments are emerging out of necessity, and patients are insistent that they stick around. Customers and employees alike are making it known, loud and clear, that convenient virtual access to information is working and increasingly preferred, whether it’s 1:1 or company-wide.
Beyond convenience, we’re seeing mixed reality come to aid healthcare workers on the front lines. For example, a recently announced partnership between Crozer Health, a health system in Pennsylvania, and ThirdEye Gen, a developer of augmented and mixed reality enterprise solutions, will allow EMS workers to implement remote assistance for frontline medics via augmented reality glasses. This innovation in healthcare will enable hands-free assistance to enhanced care, allowing for direct communication from specialist doctors in the hospital to the team on duty, ensuring that medics have the tools needed to succeed. How neat is that?
The overall theme here is connectivity. The past two years, especially, have proven that the show can go on, and it can thrive, thanks to digital evolution. Businesses can listen well, connect, and act on customer demands quicker than ever before, and their people are enabled to work together efficiently and proactively from anywhere in the world.
The digital landscape offers a lens to look critically at your strategic business growth and innovation efforts, but with the added context of constantly evolving tools and platforms critical to long-term success. With access to instant customer feedback, digital surveys, and improved R&D, businesses can quickly enhance products and implement new systems, platforms, and processes to improve customer, team, and vendor experiences as needed.
For more info/questions about this topic or business transformation in general, please reach out to us at accelerate@growthride.com. We’re always grateful to keep the conversation going!
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