Build awareness about technology, experts say

Build an awareness about where technology is headed, but don't lose sight of what you are selling and who you are selling it to, says Delel Chaabouni, chief information officer at PepsiCo Middle East and North Africa.

Speaking at the DigiTrans 2017 forum on Wednesday, she noted that companies and brands today have to deal with a lot of different customer demographics and age groups.

"Loyalty is not easily earned anymore, and many consumers will turn away from you after just one bad experience."

To combat this, brands need to be aware about who exactly their customers are, and how they preferred to be reached. "Today, we have millennials who are the new generation of consumers and they like to use technology, so it goes without saying that they like to be reached through a channel of their choice."

For brands, especially those in the retail sector, adopting this approach might not be very easy, noted Sebastian Samuel, chief information officer at AW Rostamani UAE. However, it is necessary if a brand wishes to remain competitive, he stressed.

"I think that a lot of brands need to unlearn a bit of what they know, and start focusing on learning new things that will help them reach their customers and understand their needs better," he said. "We are constantly on the lookout for new technologies that will help us in this mission."

As an example, he explained that the future might see customers, who are interested in purchasing a car, not even walk into a single showroom. Instead, they might purchase an app that will give them a list of all the options that fit their needs. The predictive technology behind this app will ensure that they have a number of options that factor in the required number of car seats, preferred car models, and the customer's budget.

"It is important to change your way of thinking and approach," he said. "You need to take a more experimental and exploratory approach when it comes to incorporating new technology into your business model."

Zaheer Nooruddin, head of digital transformation at Shiseido, Hong Kong, echoed his thoughts, saying: "A lot of challenges can be solved through creating new business models that factor in the technology of the future. Blockchain, in particular, is going to be a real gamechanger and open ecosystems that were previously closed to many."

Source: Khaleej Times