#55 | DCX - Perspectives and insights on digital customer experience
4th of July Edition: DCX 2028?; Emotion Recognition and Response: Top 5 Things to Know; Key Players in Emotion AI; Poll of the Week; Links to Industry news, ideas, insights, and more!
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DCX 2028?
Over the past decade, the digital landscape has undergone remarkable transformations, with technological advancements shaping how we live, work, and interact.
Looking ahead, I expect even more significant changes to bring new possibilities and challenges. In this post, I will explore the exciting trends and innovations that await us in the digital world of 2028.
By 2028, digital customer experience (DCX) will have evolved into a dynamic landscape of intuitive, seamless, and uber-personalized interactions. From augmented reality shopping experiences to voice-activated customer support, companies will have taken DCX to an entirely new level.
The perfect marriage of advanced technologies and sophisticated customer expectations will shape the digital experience of 2028.
Data-driven Personalization: No Stone Left Unturned
In 2028, digital experiences will be hyper-personalized and contextually aware. AI algorithms will analyze vast data to deliver tailored content, services, and recommendations based on individual preferences, behaviors, and real-time context.
Brands will leverage this personalization to create seamless and engaging experiences that resonate with users more deeply.
Businesses can leverage Big Data to an unprecedented degree, curating shopping experiences down to the nitty-gritty details of customer preferences.
Companies will be able to whip up unique customer profiles in a flash. Like a skilled chef, they'll stir together browsing histories, purchase patterns, and real-time data to cook up a satisfying digital experience that's as unique as every individual.
Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR): The Future is Now
AR and VR technologies have already made significant strides, but their true potential will be realized in the coming years. By 2028, AR and VR will revolutionize various industries, including gaming, entertainment, healthcare, and education.
We can expect immersive experiences that blur the lines between the physical and digital worlds, enabling us to explore new dimensions and interact with virtual objects in unprecedented ways.
Shop 'til you drop will be a thing of the past as customers embrace VR and AR to try out products from the comfort of their homes. In a nutshell, AR and VR will offer a lifelike shopping experience without having to put a foot outside.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) Dominance:
By 2028, AI and ML will have become integral to our daily lives. These technologies will power a wide range of applications, from virtual assistants and chatbots to autonomous vehicles and personalized recommendations. AI-driven solutions will enhance the digital experience by providing seamless automation, improved decision-making, and personalized interactions.
AI-powered chatbots will be as commonplace as smartphones are today. They'll be your new best friends, ready to help 24/7 without breaking a sweat. These chatbots will be nothing like their clunky ancestors. They'll understand context, handle complex queries, and chat with you as if they were human.
Voice-Activated Customer Support: Speak Up!
Voice assistants have already become ubiquitous, but by 2028, they will be even more innovative and intuitive. NLP advancements will enable natural and seamless conversations with virtual assistants, making voice interactions more human-like and accurate.
Voice-enabled devices will dominate the market, allowing users to control their homes, search the web, and perform tasks effortlessly using their voice.
Voice-activated customer support will be the norm, allowing customers to express their needs in their own words. With improved voice recognition technology, businesses will leave no stone unturned to offer top-notch customer experiences.
IoT and Smart Devices: Making a Big Splash
The IoT will continue to expand its reach, connecting an increasing number of devices and objects. By 2028, our homes, workplaces, and cities will be equipped with intelligent devices that seamlessly communicate with each other, creating a more efficient and interconnected digital ecosystem.
From smart homes controlling energy consumption to smart cities optimizing traffic flow, the IoT will enhance convenience, safety, and sustainability. They will play a crucial role in bridging the physical and digital world, offering an assortment of never imagined, personalized, context-aware experiences!
Keep Your Eyes on the Prize
It is certain that the digital world in 2028 will be markedly different from what we are familiar with today. Advancements such as AI, AR, VR, IoT, voice technology, and improved cybersecurity are set to revolutionize the digital experience. While embracing these changes, it is of utmost importance to prioritize the privacy, security, and ethical use of data for users.
The future digital landscape holds immense potential for innovation and progress, presenting us with exciting prospects to redefine our interactions with technology and each other. Let us prepare ourselves for an exceptional journey into the digital world of tomorrow.
The digital customer experience has already undergone significant changes, but by 2028, it will be a whole new ball game. The key to success in this game would be innovation and staying ahead of the curve consistently.
Here's some advice for businesses hoping to thrive in the digital world of 2028: Always put the customer at the heart of your strategies and buckle up for a wild ride!
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Emotion Recognition and Response: Top 5 Things to Know
As technology advances, it becomes increasingly important to be able to recognize and respond to human emotions. Emotion recognition and response present promising opportunities for enhancing digital customer experiences. Companies can deliver more tailored, compassionate, and efficient service by comprehending and reacting to customers' emotions.
So let’s take a look at what it is, risks and opportunities, and some of the companies playing in this cutting edge.
1. What is Emotion Recognition and Response? Emotion Recognition and Response, often powered by Artificial Intelligence (AI), refers to technology's ability to detect, interpret, and respond to human emotions. This technology uses data from various sources, such as facial expressions, voice tones, and even text responses, to understand a person's emotional state and then adapt their responses accordingly.
2. The Role of AI: AI, particularly machine learning, is at the heart of emotion recognition. Machine learning algorithms are trained on vast amounts of data, learning to recognize patterns in human behavior and emotional responses. Over time, these algorithms can identify and respond to a wide range of human emotions.
3. Benefits to Businesses: Emotion Recognition and Response can significantly enhance a business's customer service experience. By understanding a customer's emotional state, companies can tailor their interactions and responses to meet the customer's needs more effectively. This leads to more empathetic customer service and potentially increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
4. Ethical Considerations: While Emotion Recognition and Response can provide numerous benefits, it also raises important ethical considerations. Businesses must ensure they're transparent about how they're using emotion recognition technology and what data they're collecting. Moreover, they must ensure this sensitive data is secure and the technology is used responsibly.
5. The Future of Emotion Recognition and Response: As AI technology advances, so will emotion recognition capabilities. This could lead to more nuanced understanding of human emotions and more effective responses. However, the future also demands a careful balance between technological innovation and ethical considerations to ensure the technology is used to respect and enhance human interaction rather than exploit or undermine it.
Emotion AI shows great promise in detecting and responding to customers' emotional states
Here's a look at some key players in this field:
Affectiva has developed emotion measurement technology that recognizes human emotions based on facial cues or physiological responses. Their tech helps brands improve their marketing messages and advertising targets and has been used by clients like Coca-Cola.
Hume is a research lab and technology company dedicated to building artificial intelligence that prioritizes human goals and emotional well-being. With a mission to serve humanity, Hume AI focuses on developing AI systems that align with human values and contribute to a positive and empathetic future.
NVISO specializes in applying Artificial Visual Intelligence and Deep Learning to accurately detect and predict human emotions and behaviors across a range of industries. They provide AI solutions that can sense, comprehend, and act upon human behavior using emotion analytics.
MorphCast is a premium adaptive video format that delivers face recognition in a smartphone without needing an app or plugin. This technology is changing marketing rules in the adaptive advertising era.
Entropik Technologies assists brands in measuring the cognitive and emotional response towards content or product experiences and optimizes these experiences to resonate emotionally with the consumer.
Mad Street Den has developed Vue.ai, an AI stack for the Retail industry that supports onsite, in-app experience to marketing & social channels to operations and automation. Their platform integrates AI capabilities like object recognition and emotion recognition.
Musimap has created a technology that generates an emotional profile for listeners, detailing their moods, feelings, and values based on their listening history. This emotional AI company caters to various sectors in the music industry and beyond.
NuraLogix developed a technology that uses Transdermal Optical Imaging to read human emotions. This technique uses a video camera to extract information from the blood flow and can be applied in domains like marketing, research, and health.
Emoshape has developed an Emotional Processing Unit (EPU), enabling any intelligent device to understand 64 trillion unique emotional states. Their EPU can provide intelligence devices like robots, self-driving cars, effective toys, etc, with the ability to interact with humans.
Receptiviti uses language, social psychology, and artificial intelligence to uncover insights about people that power predictive models, inform decisions, and optimize interpersonal interactions. Their customers include some of the world’s largest financial institutions, global technology, marketing, and consulting organizations.
Personalyze is an AI-driven people analytics company that helps other companies understand their customers better. Their technology consists of two profiling technologies, social intelligence and emotional intelligence, that can analyze people and their social footprint in real-time.
Emotion AI has the potential to revolutionize customer experience, enabling businesses to understand and respond to their customers on a deeply personal level. With companies like these leading the charge, digital customer experience's future looks exciting and emotionally intelligent.
This week’s DCX Newsletter is Supported by:
With the world moving so fast, it’s easy for UX and Development processes to get out of whack. Radiant is here to help with the UX Accelerator. Reach out to Jeff for more information.
This week I asked our colleagues in the Customer Experience Professionals Group on Linkedin, What's your 'Why?' when it comes to working in CX?
I must say, I am quite surprised by the outcome of this recent poll. It appears that a significant portion of the respondents, approximately one-third, identify themselves as "Problem-Solving Junkies" when it comes to their work in CX. This certainly indicates that personal satisfaction is an important aspect for many of us, which is quite intriguing.
On a more optimistic note, most participants, accounting for 64%, have voted for initiatives prioritizing customer outcomes. This emphasizes the fact that CX professionals have not lost sight of the significance of customer-centricity.
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AI Customer Experience: Explore 4 Cutting-Edge Strategies (cmswire.com)
This article discusses the role of AI in customer experience and how it is changing the way companies interact with customers.
Key takeaways:
AI is used to analyze customer data in order to personalize customer interactions and optimize business processes.
AI is making it easier for companies to craft personalized, positive experiences at all customer touchpoints.
AI can be used for real-time decision-making and predictive analytics to provide a hyper-personalized customer experience.
CVS Health Says 50 Million Digital Customers Spend 2.4X More Than In-Store Shoppers (pymnts.com)
This article discusses CVS Health's progress in creating a more robust omnichannel offering and the strategic acquisitions and streamlining of its ecosystem to focus on customer experience.
Key takeaways:
CVS Health has completed the acquisition of Oak Street Health and Signify Health to expand its in-home value-based care offering.
CVS Health has exceeded 50 million unique digital customers and achieved a 30% increase in digital sales.
CVS Health is on track to close 300 stores in 2023 and a cumulative total of 900 stores by 2024.
How Ikea is driving digital customer experience | Computer Weekly
Ikea's franchisees in four Southeast Asian markets and Mexico are implementing chatbots, conversational commerce, remote planning, and other digital capabilities to create a better customer experience.
They are integrating different systems into one platform to create a single view of the customer and improving their backend systems to forecast demand, reduce cost, and increase stock accuracy. They are also developing a remote planning service for customers in cities further away from an Ikea store.
Each week, I share a profile of a person from LinkedIn whom I believe can positively impact your life and career.
This week, meet Christopher Brooks, Managing Director of Lexden CX, helping develop customer-centric cultures that put customers first.
As the Managing Director of Lexden CX, an international customer experience (CX) consultancy, Christopher Brooks brings 20 years of experience working across three continents.
He focuses on improving organizational outcomes using customer-led strategies that benefit all stakeholders, from customers to society. With a goal-oriented approach, he assists brands in attracting and retaining satisfied customers.
Chris’ expertise spans a broad spectrum, including designing and delivering CX programs, customer culture transformations, customer insight optimization, customer segmentation, and customer journey mapping.
He also drives customer acquisition and retention strategies and transforms underutilized customer insights into marketable assets.
Outside his consultancy role, Chris hosts the CXSuperheroes podcast series, providing insights, ideas, and inspiration from the world of Customer Experience. With particular emphasis on people, brands, and experiences that are 'superhero' like in their status. Either they define best in class or are pushing the boundaries for the next generation of customer experience.
Thank you for reading this week.
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