The Connected Customer , redk’s report produced in collaboration with IDG Research, examines today’s increasingly interconnected consumer landscape and analyses the challenges it presents for brands. After surveying more than 100 companies in Spain, with between 200 and 5,000 employees, the study finds that CRM transformation is now a strategic imperative for organisations.
In this post, the first in a student database special five-part series on the report’s findings, we look at how consumers have begun to redefine their relationship with brands and shed light on the new expectations that companies must meet if they want to successfully engage with the connected customer.
The power of CRM
CRM is a turning point. We must stop seeing it as a simple tool to optimize the organization, and take into account that more and more companies recognize and take advantage of its power to manage the customer journey and offer them better experiences.
Relationships between customers and the brands they interact with are no longer seen as one-off events, but rather as a series of connected interactions that consumers remember. It has become the norm for customers to leave reviews, good or bad, on public websites and forums or in spaces designated by companies. After all, customers expect to build a long-lasting relationship with their trusted brands.
Furthermore, and more importantly, customers now identify emotionally with companies, products and services, and want those organisations to display the same attitudes and values as they do. They no longer seek anonymity, but prefer brands to take a holistic view of their needs and provide them with personalised attention, tailored to their requirements. They also expect to be able to use self-service anytime, anywhere.
