Adobe’s digital trends report for 2018 has revealed that almost half of marketers’ top priorities have moved to a customer drive focus, using artificial intelligence (AI) and Cloud.
The survey found that 45% of businesses place content and customer experience management as a top priority for this year, after the report found customer-centric businesses are more likely to outpace their competitors.
Out of the 45% of respondents a fifth have ranked customer centric experiences as their top priority for 2018. In addition to customer experience, the survey also found the majority of businesses believe cross-collaboration between creative, content, marketing and web teams is critical for success.
Cloud Computing enables businesses to be four times more likely to be successful.
“For businesses that put the customer at the centre of everything they do, it’s clear the investments are paying off. But customer experience cannot just be the remit of marketing or customer services; it must be driven through every function of the organisation, from marketing and IT to product development and design,” John Watton, Senior Marketing Director, Adobe said.
The survey found that over half of brands (56%) also plan to adopt AI to support these customers’ experiences. The report found AI is becoming an increasingly important driver of customer experience execution, which rang true as almost a quarter (24%) of businesses are already using AI.
One of the capabilities AI allows is the ability to create real-time, personalised experiences for customers and those companies that take on this capability are 50% more likely to exceed their business goals.
However, despite wanting to implement AI and customer-centric approaches 40% of businesses admit lacking the required knowledge and resources to do so. To overcome this barrier, three quarters of respondents have admitted that they will be investing in the technology and skills in the near future.
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“By breaking down organisational silos and using data and AI to combine analytical insight with design and creative capabilities, brands can offer stand-out experiences across every interaction.”
Furthermore the report found that in comparison to mainstream companies, top-performing companies were four times more likely to invest in integrated cloud-based technology. This will allow organisations to have a full view of customer lifestyles, from acquisition to retention.
The survey questioned 13,000 marketing, creative and technology professionals from around the world.
