92 pc Respondents in India Say Experience Is as Important as Products

As customers navigate a rapidly changing world, questions of trust, values, and integrity are increasingly impacting their relationships with companies. 92 percent of respondents in India believe that trust becomes important in times of change. Experts are of the opinion that a “trust-based economy has emerged”. 
 
Digital Acceleration Is Sparking Demand for Personalization at Scale. Customer engagement is decidedly digital-first, but brands are under pressure to merge online and offline interactions into a personalized experience as in-person interaction re-emerges. 80 percent of respondents in India have purchased products in new ways since 2020, according to a report by Salesforce. 
 
Arun Kumar Parmeswaran, SVP & MD (Sales and Distribution) Salesforce India said “ It is undeniable that a customer's needs and expectations from a brand is the corporate north star today. Be it a consumer or a business buyer, organisations need to understand individual customers to earn, build and maintain ‘Trust’ which is the the ultimate currency of customer engagement.”

Moreover, new Realities Are Testing Brand Loyalties. As priorities and behaviors shift, established brand loyalties are undergoing tests of strength. 72 percent consumers have switched brands at least once in the past year, the report added. 
 
This new digital-first world has changed the norms of commerce, work, and everyday life, prompting customers and brands to re-establish how they connect. As customers continue to shift their preferred experiences with brands to online channels, brands must re-imagine digital-first experiences that engage customers in a way that is flexible, thoughtful, and provides a personal touch.
 
Shweta Srivastava, Director - CS & Customer Experience, Tata CLiQ said “At Tata CLiQ, we’ve seen an upswing in the number of customers visiting our website over the last two years. Customers today undoubtedly expect companies to deliver personalised experiences at scale. Building customer loyalty in the current scenario becomes critical to our business strategy, differentiating us from the competition in a sea of options available to customers. Technology too plays a key role in leveraging customer data to cater to their unique requirements.”

READ MORE: Engagement to Experience: E-commerce Redefined in the Coming Years