The pandemic brought on substantial changes in customer engagement, but it also changed how teams and organizations operate. 83% of marketers say their work will be more technology-driven after the pandemic than before As a result, over 60% of marketers say they are going above and beyond regulations and standards to protect their customers’ privacy. Customers are increasingly demanding more transparency with data use, and only 27% completely understand the way that brands collect, store, and use their data. Marketers are also faced with customer data-privacy concerns. But this dependency on data isn’t without its challenges.Īs Google, Apple, and others restrict the use of third-party cookies, leaders have to rely more on known digital identities, such as email addresses, social IDs, and transactional data to personalize customer experiences. The most innovative digital leaders are harnessing this customer data to provide a consistent, convenient, and empathetic brand experience. As the world becomes increasingly digital, businesses are seizing new opportunities for capturing insights on customer behavior and preferences. 86% of customers want more transparency over how personal information is usedĮighty percent of customers say the experience a brand provides is just as important as its products or services. Social media, video, and digital ads have become the three most common means of reaching customers, underlining the value in implementing digital-first marketing toolkits. To better meet customer expectations, digital leaders are adopting new channels of engagement, like chatbots and self-service tools, which have been classified as “emerging” in recent years. For instance, 78% of customers say that companies should offer new ways to get existing products or services, such as digital versions of traditionally in-person experiences, while 83% of customers expect flexible shipping and fulfillment options, such as buy-online-pickup-in-store. This also means that customers have elevated expectations for how brands engage with them, including brands’ ability to innovate and connect in new ways.

Increased online activity has allowed marketers and customer-service agents to learn more about their audiences, leading to more personalized interactions. With 68% of customers saying they’ll continue to buy essential goods online after the pandemic, we can anticipate a future that prioritizes digital engagement over brick-and-mortar encounters. Now, many prefer to interact digitally, even as in-person experiences resume. Many customers had to adopt online experiences in 2020 out of necessity. 56% of companies expect the majority of their revenue to come from digital channels within the next three yearsĭigital-first customer engagement is here to stay.

Here are the three most revealing takeaways for marketing, commerce and service professionals.

Digital trend reports