Customer engagement is decidedly digital-first, but brands are under pressure to merge online and offline into a personalised experience.
The majority of Irish consumers (86%) believe experience is as important as products, a new Salesforce study has revealed.
Global CRM player Salesforce has released the fifth edition of its State of the Connected Customer report that shares insights from nearly 17,000 consumers and business buyers across 29 countries, including 650 from Ireland on the new digital-first customer engagement landscape.
“While businesses are navigating a changing landscape, so too are customers, with an increased importance on trust, values and integrity impacting their relationships with brands”
The survey reveals how a trust-based economy has emerged. As customers navigate a rapidly changing world, questions of trust, values and integrity are increasingly impacting their relationships with companies. 91% of Irish respondents believe trust becomes more important in times of change.
Personalisation at scale
Deirdre Purcell, Salesforce
It found that digital acceleration is sparking demand for personalisation at scale. Customer engagement is decidedly digital-first, but brands are under pressure to merge online and offline interactions into a personalised experience as in-person interaction re-emerges. 69% of Ireland respondents have purchased products in new ways since 2020.
These new realities are testing brand loyalties. As priorities and behaviours shift, established brand loyalties are undergoing tests of strength. 73% of Irish consumers have switched brands at least once last year.
“It is more important than ever for companies to understand their customers’ needs and expectations,” said Deirdre Purcell, Country Sales Leader at Salesforce Ireland.
“While businesses are navigating a changing landscape, so too are customers, with an increased importance on trust, values and integrity impacting their relationships with brands.
“The accelerated demand for digital technology is set to continue, but it is not the only challenge leaders have to grapple with, they also need to focus on merging online and offline interactions into more personalised experiences. This new digital-first world means that companies in Ireland must re-establish how they connect with customers and engage them in a flexible, thoughtful manner.”
View a breakdown of key insights from consumers and business buyers, including generation and country filters, in an interactive Tableau dashboard.
