As we head into 2024 and begin to analyse the trends we anticipate will drive the future of customer experience (CX), it is no longer too early to look even further ahead. Smart Communications delves into the anticipated major market trends impacting customer communications and experience in the next few years, focusing on predictions highlighted in the IDC FutureScape report for 2024.
As significant shifts loom in the market for 2025 and 2026, forward-thinking companies are taking proactive steps. To position your organisation advantageously when these forecasts evolve into trends, prompt action is crucial. Generating Requests for Proposals (RFPs), Requests for Information (RFIs), and Requests for Quotations (RFQs) at the earliest juncture is imperative. Let’s delve into the implications of these five predictions for your business, providing the opportunity to act while there’s time.
The partnership between Smart Communications and IDC analysts in customer communications management (CCM), content intelligence, and customer experience is driving the exploration of significant predictions for the coming years.
In the eyes of Smart Communications’ SVP of Product Marketing & Vertical Solutions, Scott Draeger, there will be a growing importance of contextual understanding in customer conversations by 2025, emphasising the need for organisations to align their systems to comprehend the context of each customer interaction.
This necessitates leveraging all the customer data you’re collecting and generating in novel approaches. Your customers are aware that your organisation gathers data regarding their interactions and experiences.
Further predictions extend to 2026, where firms may be looking to utilise this data to tailor experiences according to product usage, sentiment, and various other criteria. Consequently, your customer communications, data collection methodologies, and other iterative interaction software must possess adaptability to effectively utilise this data.
Utilising solutions such as SmartIQ for data collection empowers enterprises to transition seamlessly from conventional paper-based formats to streamlined, contextual digital experiences.
Another crucial aspect identified for 2026 as we look further ahead is the reliance on data to underpin next-gen CX. Organisations are expected to invest in Customer Data Platforms (CDPs) to leverage granular customer data for personalisation and streamlined processes.
Smart Communications also highlighted the shift towards dynamic customer communications in 2026, urging businesses to adapt from print to digital formats, catering to customer demands for contextual videos, interactive content, and simplified sharing.
Moreover, Draeger underscored the shift towards valuing the exchange of data during customer interactions in 2026, emphasising the concept of “value parity” where consumers expect rewards or discounts in exchange for their data.
All these forecasts could be poised to evolve into significant market trends impacting customer communications and experiences in 2025 and 2026. Thinking far ahead, in Chess match style fashion is the way for businesses to look at large gains. Simply predicting the year ahead isn’t always enough – it will be the firms looking ahead ro 2025, 2026 and beyond that will truly thrive.
Practically speaking, the RFP process typically spans six to 12 months. Procurement cycles may easily consume an entire year, especially when grappling with challenging negotiations with technology vendors.
Implementation periods often require six months of planning post-purchase, and even more if your IT team needs to arrange hybrid cloud resources or secure on-premises environments beyond the existing budget or capacity. Moreover, adhering to a full-price implementation model, with additional charges for services, might pose challenges in aligning with the anticipated trends of 2025 and 2026.
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