New Adobe-commissioned research has confirmed that brands which invest in experience transformation across people, processes and technology, achieve superior business performance. By investing across these disciplines, businesses in Asia Pacific (APAC) can trigger a transformation in customer experience that results in increased revenue and a rise in the acquisition and retention of customers.
Adobe commissioned Forrester Consulting to evaluate the business impact of investing in customer experience across the customer lifecycle. The study, The Business Impact of Investing in Customer Experience – A Spotlight on Asia Pacific, found that long term investment in customer experience is paying off for those brands willing to embrace it. The study found that APAC brands focusing on customer experience achieve an average revenue growth rate of 23 percent, compared with 13 percent of other companies surveyed.
“It is amply clear that customer experience has moved from being a competitive differentiator to a business imperative for brands, said Kulmeet Bawa, Managing Director, South Asia, Adobe. “In evolving markets like India, significant advances in technology coupled with increasing internet penetration and mobile proliferation have had a huge impact in the way brands are interacting with their audience. The need to be able to provide rich and meaningful customer journeys across channels is leading brands to assume the role of experience makers, to succeed in today’s digital era.”
Key findings of the study include:
Organizations that prioritize holistic customer experiences report higher costs, however they enjoy more than twice as much return on ad spend and are also 1.8x more likely to see revenue growth. They report 80 percent higher year-on-year growth rates, and a doubling of their customer lifetime value.
They invest in specific customer experience and marketing initiatives such as loyalty programmes and customer analytics; they are also twice as likely to increase their investment year-on-year.
Employees in these businesses enjoy 60 percent greater personal and team satisfaction than their counterparts in other businesses. They also feel 30 percent greater company-wide satisfaction.
“The age of experience driven business is well and truly upon us and it’s encouraging to see brands across APAC investing in experiences and customer loyalty,” said Scott Rigby, Head of Digital Transformation, Adobe.
“There is a higher cost for these businesses, but the boost to their revenue growth rate, customer lifetime value, and even the happiness of their employees all mean the investment is worth it. Customers are responding to businesses that are clearly dedicated to providing a unique and customized experience for their entire journey. As customers become more accustomed to this, businesses that don’t manage to deliver that experience are likely to be left behind.”
Forrester conducted this survey with 1269 marketing, advertising, CA, digital and business leaders at global enterprises to explore this topic. This spotlight focuses on the results of the 445 respondents surveyed in Asia Pacific: professionals with responsibility for CX technology decisions and metrics in Australia, China, India and Japan.
