Strategy News, Features, and Interviews

Human-centred design was once seen very much as a ‘nice to have’ but has increasingly become an essential element to a digital change project. And indeed, it's a key element of the success, or otherwise, of this kind of innovation, says a global expert in the practice.

There’s no doubt COVID-19 has accelerated the shift to digital channels and transactions for Australian retailers. Here, Cue Clothing’s CIO, Shane Lenton, shares how the iconic Australian fashion brand adapted to the new normal of retail presented by the pandemic, the virtual and digital offerings it’s rapidly created, and the longer-term innovations they’re helping inform.

Safety, security, transparency and reliable delivery became the top customer experience attributes for Australian consumers as the COVID-19 crisis prompted a shift in the brands they value most, a new KPMG report claims.

IAG’s NRMA insurance achieved record online customer engagement and successfully reached business objectives thanks to its Stevie award-winning ‘Arlo the Koala’ chatbot, an extension of its ‘Arlo the Koala’ advertising campaign that made headlines across marketing and media press.

Seamless and frictionless end-to-end customer journeys through automation and bots is the end game for Optus VP of digital consumer, Vaughan Paul, as he works to respond to customers engaging more online and digitally.

Making promises and keeping them is the intertwined linked between brand and customer experience, Forrester's Dipanjan Chatterjee says.

A focus on safety, adapting products to circumstances and recognising the dotted line between employees and customers were common refrains from Hugo Boss and Post Office UK during this week’s Qualtrics 'Work Different' event.

Catch Group has joined forces with the flybuys customer loyalty program to provide rewards to its customer base.

As recent months have clearly shown, having a strong digital marketing and commerce capability has been one of the defining factors of those organisations that have best coped with the COVID-19 crisis.

Having a plan for how you’re going to use customer data, an ability to action it, and a lifecycle approach to customer engagement are all vital in building a successful customer data strategy.

“It’s incredible valuable because there’s nothing that falls through the cracks.”

It’s content and experience strategy, rather than the technical components, that have been the biggest investment in Fisher & Paykel’s global digital experience overhaul, its marketing and experience chief says.

Musical ice cream cones have been used to mark World Ice Cream Day, a first for multisensory experiences, which could point to a way for brands to develop future consumer experiences.

Australians are divided in their outlook of the future, according to a new report, Brand New Australia, from research agencies, The Lab and Nature.

Managing stakeholder expectations around the artificial intelligence (AI) journey, embracing an iterative approach and building internal capability are key lessons David Jones has learnt after transforming its customer service approach.

A physical mascot for customers in meetings, ruthless prioritisation, cross-functional teamwork and employee camaraderie are just a few ways Australian retail group, Super Retail Group, has ridden through the COVID-19 crisis.

The COVID-19 crisis forced thousands of businesses across Australia to either fundamentally re-evaluate their business model or risk shutting up shop for good. But at Vision Personal Training, it’s served to stimulate digital transition that could have long-term benefits.

Chatbots are increasingly deployed by brands as another important channel of customer contact. BT’s Autonomous Customer 2020 research found chatbots are one of the new tech tools, along with phone and email, plus real human agents, that customers want when contacting a company.​

Providing a free or lower cost trial of a paid version of a service for a short period helps the take-up of the paid version. But freemium models aren't quite so successful, a new paper, Experience Effect in the Impact of Free Trial Promotions, published in Management Science, claims.

Customers want phone, email and online help, plus new tools like messaging and chat bots with help from real human agents, according to BT’s Autonomous Customer 2020 research. The report said, while technologies come and go, the message from customers is unchanged: Make it easy, make it secure and we will reward you.

The launch of IGA’s online grocery delivery service is a lesson in developing minimum viable product that responds quickly to the needs of customers during a rapidly evolving crisis, its shopper engagement leader says.