Display | How does “Digital First” work? What you can learn from leading brands

The new “Digital First” age demands speed, agility and personalization in companies. How it works? Fortunately, some have already done it.

The Covid-19 pandemic has put the economy and society to a severe test . The virus paralyzes traditional customer communication and sales, forces managers to make uncomfortable decisions and calls for automated work models. The last twelve months have become a struggle for survival for many companies, from which no one emerges as a winner. But 25 percent of the companies, the so-called pioneers, have overcome the pandemic consequences with the help of digital transformation, innovation and creativity more successfully than the competition. The Covid 19 crisis is seriously accelerating the beginning of the new age: fast-paced, digital, inconsistent – and dominated by “disloyal” customers who value a convincing shopping experience more than loyalty to a brand. In the New Era in Experience Report, Adobe, together with the London School of Economics, identified four characteristics of these pioneering brands, with the help of which companies remain relevant market players in the new “Digital First” age.

• Practical orientation and openness to change: A new leadership culture is required that is visible and understandable, promotes change, invests in innovation, adapts quickly and is ready to learn from mistakes.
• Building a trust-based corporate culture: The relationship between employees and employers has changed – it is now characterized by trust, support and independence.
• Quick decision-making: The new age is dynamic and unpredictable. In order to meet customer needs, all areas of the company must work together in real time and be ready to adapt to any change.
• Continuous training: If you want to be that decisive step ahead of the competition, you also have to continuously develop and look for new ways to meet employee and customer requirements in the best possible way.

Adobe

With the Adobe Experience Cloud, the industry’s only end-to-end solution for creation, marketing, advertising, analytics and commerce, Adobe is breaking new ground in CXM – and supports companies in delivering more consistently and convincingly of experiences across all touchpoints and channels.

One of these pioneering brands is the global oral hygiene company Sunstar. It is now hard to imagine a dental practice without it, the traditionally B2B-oriented company uses the pressure of digitization for a successful expansion into B2C business. With the help of personalized email marketing (with Adobe Campaign), Sunstar has achieved a B2B growth rate of 2,400 percent. In general, the company tailored itself to the needs of its customers and is now consistently pursuing a B2B2C approach. Thanks to the “global-local” orientation, regions were able to work independently, while the creation of marketing assets and campaigns is controlled centrally. You can also find out more about Sunstar’s success story in Linkedin Live with Kelly Hungerford, Director of Digital Transformation Strategy and Services, and Christoph Kull, Vice President & Managing Director Central Europe at Adobe.

Shipping giant DHL also demonstrated versatility in times of crisis. Distance regulations, home office and, most recently, the large-scale closure of the retail sector forced customers to shop online. In Germany alone, DHL recorded a surge in parcel shipments from 5.3 million to around 9 million per day during the lockdown. DHL wanted to react to this increase in customers: The company quickly optimized its homepage and now offers improved page navigation and intuitive user paths. A new global website has also been created to inform customers about the current effects of the pandemic on DHL’s services. Thanks to ongoing analyzes with Adobe Analytics, the company can now respond more quickly to new customer needs.

One thing is certain: the “Digital First” era has begun – and there is no alternative. However, this also opens up a multitude of opportunities. The pioneers have paved the way and have already written success stories with long-term digital transformation. Brands that want to remain relevant have to embrace change, adapt or even give up traditions and take their customer experience to a new level.

Download the New Era in Experience Report for free now.

To the report