A new digital era: What’s next for digital transformation?

Only now, two years after the global pandemic first hit are we starting to understand the impact it has had, not only on individuals but brands too. Companies have had to speed up their digital transformation to meet the rapidly changing consumer needs.Recently we had the opportunity to speak to Alia Eissa, Territory Manager at Sitecore MEA, to discuss the key trends around digital and customer experience in the Middle East.

The key to creating meaningful interactions through digital

Sitecore recently had a 1.2 billion investment, which has allowed them to acquire new products which help them deliver a truly composable stack. These acquisitions come at a critical time when businesses are looking to revolutionize digital experiences and with the emergence of Composable DXPs, brands are able to speed up time to market, deeper personalization, and enable them to be cloud-ready.Since Covid, the importance of digital has exponentially multiplied, essentially forcing brands to jump ahead in their digital roadmaps. However, Alia believes, that businesses must understand the value of putting the customer at the forefront to tackle the current digital transformation challenge. While not necessarily new terrain, customer experience has become more personalized in the new digital era. When this crucial point is in place and remains consistent, organizations can create meaningful cross-channel interactions with their customers spanning different touchpoints. 

The key trends across the region

The Middle East is a unique region and often doesn’t follow global trends. With a generally young population and an emerging economy, the Middle East is often far ahead in its transformation and first mover.Alia emphasizes that the main factor is that when your customer feels understood, you create a meaningful interaction that builds loyalty and a sense of personalization. Rather than dealing with just technology, there is a person at the other end of the device they are using. Regardless of operations or size of businesses, this connection, a form of human interaction is essential, especially after a time of lockdowns where contact and connections were limited. 

How the travel industry has seen a seismic shift in how they deliver a customer experience

It is no secret that the travel industry experienced enormous disruption amidst the pandemic, transforming it into one of the most active adopters of digital transformation. With post-Covid travel increasing, the conversation around travel has opened up, and travelers are hungry for new experiences.For Alia, the innovative changes within the travel and tourism industry transformed how people perceived and processed the information and services that travel agencies provide. Airlines needed to ensure their customers were safe while establishing solid foundations and trust with their customers. How could this be achieved? By communicating consistently across all channels from emails to push notifications, providing critical and relevant information so that it was easily accessible while interacting with customers, and understanding their needs to continually provide them with a great experience. 

What Sitecore is bringing to the industry

Anything we do through technology, from booking appointments and the basics of paying bills to the luxury of booking flights or dinner reservations is crucial data that enables a comprehensive view of each customer. Customer-centered and deeply personalized marketing is not possible if you do not have a full 360 view of your customer. The retention and connection of each data point makes all the difference to how a customer can feel valued in this new digital era.Experts at Sitecore know that modern customers have higher expectations today, such as personalized interactions and connected experiences across digital channels from beginning to end. The right digital experience platform can help businesses build lasting relationships with customers who remain loyal.Learn more about how Sitecore’s digital transformation platform can help your business here: https://bit.ly/3lJg5KW[embed]https://vimeo.com/717775739[/embed]