As the thought of spring begins to enter our minds, many of us research and contemplate the newest and greatest trends on the horizon – and I’m not just talking about fashion retail trends.
Customer experience – and marketing specifically – is at the forefront of almost every business out there, because without great marketing to lead to a positive customer experience, you may as well not have a business.
So, what are the trends to begin researching, planning for, and implementing when it comes to marketing? Various marketing and CX pros weighed in.
The walls come tumbling down
Customer experience is no longer the responsibility of only marketing or only sales. The entire organization is responsible for CX – from the front-office, including marketing, sales, service, and commerce – to the back-office of finance, supply chain, IT, compliance, etc.
In other words, silos that once reached the sky will be demolished to ensure that the customer is at the heart of every action within the organization.
So happy together: Machines and AI are our friends
Adopting machine learning (ML)/ artificial intelligence (AI) technology to offer more personalization and predict future actions is commonplace in many organizations today. Some businesses are exceedingly successful with this, but the majority are still just dipping their toes in when using this technology for personalization, while advanced marketers are leveraging ML/AI for predictive.
Increasingly vendors package ML into scenario-based applications to help accelerate adoption of ML for specific business scenarios such as Lead Propensity, Customer Retention, and Product Recommendations.
Data, ethics, and trust
Since the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) emerged – and the first big fines have been levied – gathering data in an ethical manner and gaining the trust of customers is on every marketer’s mind.
Consumers and buyers, now more than ever, are highly conscious and aware of what data they share, and if something doesn’t feel right, they will walk away – along with their precious data that you need.
ABM to move forward in sophistication
There are indeed many flashy new methods, strategies, and technologies available for marketers such as account-based marketing (ABM), voice search, etc., but if you don’t have the basics down (the right staff/skills, process, technology, content, etc.), none of the other stuff matters.
A big prediction is that brands will take a step back and ensure they have the basics down pat, whether that is having the right process in place for ABM or the best skillset on staff to make ML successful.
Purpose matters
Nearly 79% of Americans are more loyal to brands with a purpose who fight for and believe in social causes than brands that do not. Customers feel more at ease spending their money with a brand that stands for something and drives positive change rather than brands that remain silent or support programs and products which the consumer views as negative.
It’s not just about marketing your product or service, but demonstrating that your brand stands for a purpose much larger than money. Every communication you send out doesn’t have to be a promotion of what you sell – you can also promote good.
There is no finish line
Providing exceptional customer experience and memorable marketing moments is never a one-and-done job. It means always evolving and growing.
From the first interaction on a website or in a store, to exchanges with customer service and beyond, there are always opportunities for learning and improving. So it’s natural that we will be seeing more training and testing by marketers as they try to implement and perfect new strategies and tactics.
