FEATURE
How will CX evolve in 2019?
Caroline McGuckian, CEO at spatial analytics company Meshh, looks at the
customer experience trends that defined 2018 and will come into play in 2019
C
22
ustomer experience (CX) has fast
become a top priority for businesses
and 2019 will be no different. For the
consumer and business world alike, customer
experience has become synonymous with
reputation, and a recent study found that by
2020, customer experience will overtake price
and product as a key brand differentiator.
Acknowledging how much is at stake,
businesses, marketers and event organisers
have aligned their strategies this year to
prioritise CX in a bid to gain competitive
advantage. I have noted two distinct trends
this year – an increase in the usage of data
and a shift in perception when it comes to
experiential marketing, transitioning from an
extravagance to a must.
2018: Collect any data, pick the
information you need
The main trend in 2018 was an increase in
the usage of data to help deliver more engaging
and sophisticated customer experiences. By
leveraging the power of data, marketers have
been able to completely overhaul what it means
to understand their customers – providing a
more in-depth analysis of target audiences than
ever before, and a more holistic approach to
customer engagement.
But simply gathering more data does not
guarantee a better understanding of customers.
In 2018 we saw more companies than ever
make data work for them by asking the right
questions and being consistent in collecting
information. Investments in advanced analytics
tools have been another driver in transforming
customer experience, arming marketers and
sales teams with relevant tools to provide
enhanced and personalised experiences.
2018: One experience is worth a thousand
campaigns
Another trend I noticed during my everyday
work with clients at Meshh is a heightened
focus on experiential marketing as part of
the customer experience strategy. Although
UK investment in experiential marketing has
been rising continuously for over four years,
in 2018 the trend was strengthened by brands
increasingly viewing experiences and events
as vital to fostering stronger bonds with
audiences. However, as consumer attention
becomes divided in the marketplace of
experiences, brands will have to work
harder to refine their approach and stand out.
2019: Spatial analytics gaining ground
I believe spatial analytics will be on
the rise this year. New technologies that
help companies learn more about visitor
behaviour and the effectiveness of various
activities in physical spaces – such as passive
measurement – can support organisations
in engaging with existing and prospective
customers. Subsequently, this will help them
measure brand exposure, improve experiential
marketing engagement, demonstrate ROI
and ultimately engage new customers. For
businesses that want to grow their customer
base next year, passively understanding
consumer behaviour with the help of the latest
technology solutions will become a must.
2019: Forget the digital divide
This year we’ll also witness the digital divide
between the granular, data-driven world of
digital and the manual approach that currently
determines the ROI of physical experiences
shrink, as more brands employ a more
digitally-led strategy for customer engagement.
As event organisers, brands and agencies are
already collecting a lot of data about their
visitors, next year we’ll likely see them use
this data with more direction and purpose.
Personalisation will also help bridge this gap,
with more companies realising that the one-
size-fits-all approach rarely works.
It’s a really exciting time to be working in
this area. With so many new solutions on the
market, every brand and business can find
something to help enhance their CX. The
secret is to give it a go. With 86 per cent of
buyers willing to pay more for a great customer
experience, next year will see marketers
respond with a stronger emphasis on CX.
THE NAME IN EVENT HIRE
0800 458 5701
Charles Wilson
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January
2019 Engineers
| exhibitionnews.co.uk
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15/03/2018 11:13