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EnglishA disruption is something that creates a revolution in markets, and technology is the main source of disruption. In the words of Brian Solis, “disruption is not something we set out to do. It is something that happens because of what we do.”
So innovation, which feeds on the disruptions that change human behaviour, turns the traditional thought process into a multidisciplinary way of thinking (design thinking). To understand what is around the corner, we need to analyse the disruptive technology trends that will reshape the customer experience.
The market scenario everyone is moving in is clear: the change in mindset generated by mobile has shifted power from companies to customers, giving rise to the Age of the Customer. Thanks to disruptive technologies, from smartphones and wearables to virtual reality headsets, life now merges digital and physical environments in a continuous sequence of mobile moments. Brands feel the need to adapt to this evolution, focusing their marketing strategy on the customer and taking advantage of innovations.
Brian Solis recently gave a talk at CES (the International Consumer Electronics Show), an event attended by all the world’s leading players in technological innovation. The well-known digital marketing analyst presented his thinking on what awaits us in terms of disruptive technology in 2015 and 2016. The result is a list that is the main reference for ours: we have chosen the top 10 disruptive technology trends of 2015 that involve the evolution of the digital customer experience, to understand how they affect customers’ lives and your strategy.
1. Social media – as new and old social networks become part of our ecosystem, content marketing has to evolve and bring social relationships into the customer journey map. Real-time connections with customers are more and more vital to stay in their minds.
2. The Chinese revolution – China can no longer be seen only as a source of cheap labour; it is quickly becoming a land of innovation, driving the rise of new mobile giants, and it is becoming the ideal ground for start-ups.
3. Internet of Things – we know that communication between smart objects will open up new and somewhat unexpected opportunities. The next step is the move from the Internet of Things to the Internet of Everything. By 2020, 40 billion devices will connect people, machines and objects.
4. Wearables – new wearable devices come out every week; the market is growing fast, but brands still struggle to find a place for wearables in their digital marketing strategy. Things will soon become clearer.
5. Virtual reality – Oculus Rift, Google-backed Magic Leap and Microsoft’s HoloLens are just some of the many projects focused on virtual and augmented reality. The future of business, and above all of retailers, is immersive. Personalised 3D environments will support purchasing, to engage customers and improve their experience.
6. Content – sharing on social media teaches us that content curation is the key to success on such a crowded internet. The new trend is visual (YouTube and Facebook); to capture attention, content requires a completely new approach.
7. Personalisation – the customer journey is worth more than the effect of price on the decision to buy. The future of retail is mass personalisation of the shopping experience, bringing the latest frontier of Me-Commerce into an omnichannel approach.
8. Mobile payments – in the near future customers will use their mobile devices to pay, and brands will step up loyalty initiatives and the benefits linked to their app and the mobile experience. Technology will change the way we pay, the currency we use and the entire payment system (with Bitcoin and Apple Pay at the forefront).
9. Privacy – the rise of privacy in social networks is just another sign of the concern surrounding privacy and security in an age defined by proximity marketing and Big Data. As Brian Solis says, “older generations think about privacy differently. Younger generations use privacy as currency.”
10. Beacons – these devices are the front line of a revolution that will transform the idea of the store. Retail is slowly understanding the importance of connecting online and in-store experiences. The goal is to renew the ways of engaging customers, offering a personalised experience and context-aware content.
Technology drives innovation but, without integration, devices are a disturbance in a customer-centric, omnichannel vision, and you cannot evolve at the same pace as your customers. To help you give your organisation a strategic advantage, Milano Retail Tour has created an assessment and control grid that helps define the requirements and ideas for a successful digital transformation.