Experience as a differentiating factor

The global economy is increasingly digital. In fact, digital has come to assume an unequalled preponderance in our lives in different ways: firstly, because we’re constantly connected. We’re connected to our computers, to our tablets or our smartphones. We’re connected 24/7, with no holiday breaks. We’re always available, and we have access to information anywhere and anytime. Through the technology available to us, we have learned to take access to immediate, convenient, and accessible services for granted. Secondly, we’re living a unique moment in history in which, over several months, we were confined to our homes and, without any other alternative, we had to adjust to almost exclusively digital reality, either in our professional lives (with remote work) or in our personal lives (by changing the way we interacted with brands and even our shopping habits).

The truth is that in a pre-pandemic context – a reality that today seems entirely distant for us – digital channels were gradually becoming more important and were one of the elements brands used to build a personalised relationship with their customers. The current pandemic crisis has only demonstrated that digital channels must continue to be a focus for companies, even if we’re currently beginning to envision a possible return to the office and physical environments. That’s because it will hardly be possible to return to the “old normal” as we previously knew it.

The tendency is that there will exist more hybrid models, where physical blends with digital and vice-versa. With the preponderance that digital is assuming in our lives, through circumstances and also through changing behaviours and habits, it’s increasingly clear that digital channels are no longer an option for companies that want to build a personalised relationship with their customers; instead, they will become a central element in brands’ customer engagement strategy.

The consequence of all this? As digital channels become one of the priorities for companies, they will also experience more competition. By multiplying the options for users, it becomes more and more complicated for them to decide which product, service or channel to use. Brands end up having greater difficulty distinguishing their products/services from competitors and even effectively communicating their offer. After all, with all these factors, there seems to be no critical success factor for brands to stand out from their competitors. However, if there is something that the pandemic has shown us, is there is indeed a factor that can make all the difference in the way brands relate to their customers and in the degree of success in the development of digital channels: Experience.

Experience determines the emotional connection that the user will establish with the brand – a biological reaction that can impact the consumer to the point of deciding whether they remain loyal to a brand (or not). User experience is not a new discipline, but it has asserted itself with due relevance in recent years. Building a good experience implies a deep knowledge about how users interact with a particular product, service, brand or interface. It requires a holistic view of their needs, likes, values and even their limitations. Experience should always focus on users: after all, it is with them that brands want to establish a connection.

The pandemic has taught us some important lessons: one of those is that technology will continue to be an integral part of our future, and the other is that, as human beings, we continue to value physical and emotional connections. The challenge for all brands is precisely this: how to design Experiences capable of triggering positive emotions in users and with a significant emotional impact with technologies they have at their disposal. But this is a challenge that, if brands can overcome, makes it clear that brands that build relevant experiences for their users will benefit from a competitive advantage over their competitors. It is, therefore, increasingly important to create differentiated digital experiences with the potential to impact the target audience. This is possible through a set of platforms that users use in their daily lives – from mobile apps to web portals, through chatbots and initiatives such as digital kiosks (which are an exciting example of “phygital” as a trend that blends the physical with the digital). These Experiences can be implemented in various sectors, such as Banking, Insurance, Retail and Health, among others.

It’s a fact that consumers are increasingly demanding. With the growing relevance of digital channels (a trend that should continue to grow in the coming years), the experience can be a differentiating factor, enhancing the brand’s relationship with its customers. It is, above all, essential to strengthen the relationship between Experience and Technology, taking advantage of the potential this relationship has to offer. In an increasingly digital world, the potential is immense.

What about you: do you have any challenge in which you consider that Experience can be a differentiating factor, in line with what we described above? Whether you have a challenge where you feel the experience is critical or need to understand how the experience can add value, we will work with you to help boost your brand’s relationship with your customers without ever losing focus on technology. Reach out!

It’s a fact that consumers are increasingly demanding. With the growing relevance of digital channels (a trend that should continue to grow in the coming years), the experience can be a differentiating factor, enhancing the brand’s relationship with its customers. It is, above all, essential to strengthen the relationship between Experience and Technology, taking advantage of the potential this relationship has to offer. In an increasingly digital world, the potential is immense.

What about you: do you have any challenge in which you consider that Experience can be a differentiating factor, in line with what we described above? Whether you have a challenge where you feel the experience is critical or need to understand how the experience can add value, we will work with you to help boost your brand’s relationship with your customers without ever losing focus on technology. Reach out!