MARKETING
Human-Centered Automation
By Jonathan Phillip Kyetume
Insights from the 2016 Accenture report on the Digital Disconnect in Customer Engagement revealed that 83 % of U . S consumers preferred dealing with human beings over digital channels to solve customer service issues and recommended the need for organizations to drive growth by finding the optimal balance between their digital and traditional service channels . Customer experience remains a key factor in customer retention and business growth through repeat purchases , referrals , and building sustainable brand equity . Digital customer experience and the customer journey greatly depend on the interaction with dedicated online brand touchpoints .
We can all agree that marketing automation has greatly improved the efficiency and success of Inbound marketing from email automation , SMS marketing , social media scheduling , and Customer Relationship Management systems ( CRMs ) that have also greatly resulted in better lead generation and relationship management , especially in B2B marketing .
In as much as firms are considering the adoption of digital experiences , there is a deeper need to understand consumers to inform strategy , not only at surface level but also cultural concerns . Consumer research specific for industries cannot be downplayed because human interaction remains a key component of customer satisfaction . A considerable section of consumers prefers dealing with human beings over digital channels , a section of consumers still prefers to be physically present not only to be understood better but to have a tailored experience .
Automation is Data-Driven : A key concern to marketers now is to enhance user experience through automation while ensuring human-tohuman experience , and that is where data comes in . Marketing automation tools present an avenue for the collection of data about customers mainly around their digital consumer behavior . Digital consumer behavior data analytics provide key data on content engagement , predictive buyer journey , emotive measurement and also ensures audience segmentation and how best to optimize the integrated digital experience across digital brand touchpoints .
A key driver of automation is data integrated into CRM systems . Automation through tools like chatbots and website chat widgets have also been a key contributor to improved customer experience that is translated into better retention and growth in revenue through retargeting to upsell and cross-sell . With the increasing adoption mainly due to Covid-19 , digital transition in key industries like banking , manufacturing , across business operations , automation has seamlessly been a key factor in reducing operational expenditure hence ensuring profitability .
Artificial Intelligence ( AI ) coupled with programming has provided key solutions to humanize digital consumer experience through various outsourced subscription-based cloud computing systems referred to as Service as a Software ( SaaS ). SaaS software further enhances the human experience perception through personalization engines that use algorithms and other factors like geolocation , buyer persona , content engagement analytics to tailor experiences and communications based on data learned about prospects and customers .
And now the metaverse is here : Over the past four years , digital marketing has evolved and reinvented marketing communications , but most importantly how we advertise , and now the metaverse presents a boundless opportunity for brands to explore and position themselves accordingly . The Virtual reality ( VR ) enhancement with programmatic advertising could further enhance retail marketing performance and will redefine e-commerce . Maybe we could see chatbots come to life through augmented VR and deliver the humanized digital experience through enhanced audio-visual AI to feed and motivate desired consumer action . While the metaverse may be the future of customer experience , adoption of the metaverse as a consumer communications and interaction channel in Africa may remain a struggle for a variety of reasons , but it could provide an engaging avenue for inbound marketing .
The constant shift in consumer behavior has created an opportunity for brands to embrace digital reality and prioritize informed digital transformation . Again , we need extensive research on African digital consumer behavior on deeper motivating and affective factors so we can tailor African solutions to respective organizations as we plan and align for customers from the future . ■
Jonathan Phillip Kyetume is a Marketing and Communications Specialist . You can commune with him on this and related issues via email at :
Jonathankyetume @ gmail . com
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