The merging of online and offline experiences is the biggest driver of change for the creative community, according to Adobe’s Creative Pulse research. This is followed by the adoption of data and analytics and the need for new skills.
The study also found that customer experience is the number one investment by businesses across APAC.
In the era of Experience Business, design and creativity are key differentiators for businesses looking to pull away from competitors and deliver the best experiences for their customers. “Businesses everywhere are ramping up on customer experience, and the merging of online and offline experiences is a significant shift in the way organisations are thinking about customer experience,” said V.R. Srivatsan, Managing Director, Adobe Southeast Asia.
“While many organisations have been focused on digital transformation and experiences, people still expect great physical experiences as well.” Therefore, he added, “great customer experiences need to transcend the entire customer journey and be consistent at every touchpoint, whether online or offline.”
This means that content creators today have to create experiences with the customers in mind, according to Srivatsan. “The insights from Creative Pulse 2017 validate the rising importance of the customer voice, and help Adobe continue to lead and support the creative and marketing community with relevant tools and resources to deliver the exceptional customer experiences that consumers have come to expect at every touchpoint, and measure the impact of the content across channels.”
The research surveyed more than 5,000 creative and marketing professionals and examined the role of design and creativity in businesses transformation across Asia Pacific (APAC). The markets surveyed include India, Australia, New Zealand, Korea, Southeast Asia (SEA), Hong Kong, Taiwan and China.
The research also found that new technologies, such as augmented and virtual reality and machine learning, are the number one disruptive trend for creatives, followed by the impact of social and new platforms for reaching audiences.
SEA organisations are also investing in social media more than any other regions in Asia Pacific. This is followed by customer experience and content. This emphasis on social platforms presents a variety of opportunities and challenges in the region.
“Social media is big in SEA, and it has forced an explosion in demand for content, putting pressures on organisations to keep up. Budgets were identified as the biggest challenge, followed by conflicting views and internal processes,” said Srivatsan.
“To deliver the maximum impact with a shrinking budget, creatives and marketing teams must leverage data and analytics to align their content strategy, and ensure what they are creating is relevant, and delivering an amazing experience for customers,” he concluded.