This article was originally published by Stéphanie Marius.
Leading customer experience companies have figured out the key importance of data analysis and know how to commit to it, according to the 12th edition of the "Digital Trends" study, conducted by Adobe and Econsultancy.
Global trends in customer experience look consistent with the data found in France: "data collection for insights has become essential, empathy is the future of the experience and the mission of brands is becoming more important," summarizes Julie Cauret, consultant in digital transformation and marketing at EConsultancy, specialized in digital transformation, in a webinar dedicated to the study "Digital Trends 2021," published in partnership with Adobe.
According to the authors of the survey, companies that placed the customer experience at the heart of their business (which represent 18% of the organizations surveyed) will achieve better results in 2020. More than three times as many of them will have "significantly better" results than their industry this year. For example, employees at companies with strong analytics functions are about twice as likely to report satisfied customers with their digital experience (71%, versus 31% for companies with fewer insights).
In terms of feelings, companies that are ahead of the curve in customer experience management say they are both more confident and optimistic about the future, and show a 10 to 15 point difference on these criteria compared to less customer-centric organizations. "And for good reason: they understand their customers better and know how to be more proactive", explains Julie Cauret. For the expert, the marketing department appears to be the entity most likely to understand customer needs and expectations: "CFOs [chief financial officers] are more likely to recognize the importance of the customer experience when they are faced with figures, and 75% of the members of the management committee consider that the role of the marketing department is reinforced by the crisis. In fact, 50% of the leading companies in customer experience have seen their marketing budgets increase this year.
And the experts quote the example of Norauto, which, as early as March 2020, used its data to understand customers' needs during the crisis and was able to make their lives easier thanks to the development of services such as emergency delivery or contactless withdrawal within two hours.
Of the 18% of customer centric companies, 39% have implemented a cloud platform (although this figure should be taken with caution, given Adobe's publishing business). 28% of these forward-thinkers use only cloud platforms, compared to 11% of other companies. "This type of solution allows for greater speed of analysis, greater accuracy of data and 25% gain in reliability," adds Julie Cauret.
Finally, "the commitment and humanity of companies appears to be as important for employees as it is for consumers," adds Olivier Binisti, senior manager Western Europe - digital strategy group at Adobe. 70% of customers want brands to be socially or environmentally committed, and 80% say they are willing to pay more for products if the brand is committed to this, as is the case with Aigle, whose status as a company with a mission enables it to build loyalty among employees and a community of customers who are sensitive to environmental protection. Similarly, employees are more involved when the brand's mission is authentic, customer-oriented and universal.