Information Age, UK: Head of Cognizant’s Retail, Consumer Goods, Travel and Hospitality Practices in the UK and Ireland Says Brands Should Take After the Fashion World in Digital Customer Experience

“Since organizations have embarked on their digital transformation journey, what defines a customer’s experience with a brand has changed significantly,” says Ron Curry. “Today, just about everyone understands that digital and online channels can be used to build better customer relationships, but there can be huge variation in how effectively companies use these channels.” Excerpts:

“There are numerous examples of fashion companies using advanced digital customer experiences—much more than just using Facebook or Twitter—to great effect.

With digital transformation continuing its rapid acceleration across almost every area of business, the need to anticipate customer expectations and get these experiences right is paramount. In this environment, innovation is key to generating competitive advantage, and fashion is one area which has emerged as a standard-bearer for how consumer brands can use digital techniques to engage and excite customers.

Organizations need the ability to analyze data from digital interactions and, right now that is proving to be a challenge. Our research found that less than a quarter of companies claim to be effective at collecting and using this data, and fewer than four in ten respondents have made adjustments to their business model to pursue customer strategies driven by digital information.

Not every new digital service or social network will be right for every brand, but the fashion industry has shown why it pays to react fast to new trends and tastes and to be experimental when it comes to providing a compelling digital experience.

Companies who have yet to make strides in the digital world must learn from innovative fashion brands and work to expand, personalize and tailor the digital experiences they provide. For many, there is still a long way to go, but the inability to address how best to collect, analyze and distil meaning from digital data will have ramifications for the future success of their business.”

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