Five global trends that are shaping tomorrow’s customers

Monday, 25 november 2019 | Redacción CEU

Venturing to predict what will happen in the next years in a digital, global and changeable scenario like the current one may be considered a risky activity. This is the reason why whenever we talk about what will happen in the future, we try to do so with moderation. New disruptive breakthroughs may appear at any time, as it happened with cellphones and the Internet years ago, and they might change not only our business models, but our way of life as well. Nevertheless, there are certain global dynamics, many of them driven by consumers themselves, which influence the business world’s activity, and it is difficult for them to change overnight. What are these trends?

Trends are the reflection of an inclination or a propensity of a large group towards a particular aspect. They have the particular feature of being always preceded by a change, whether in a behavior, an approach, an attitude or the use of a new element. Regardless of the magnitude of the change they bring about, when they affect a significant number of people, they end up having a reflection in the society and, consequently, in the market. Companies should know how to identify these changes and be permeable to them in order to prosper. Those firms who are left behind will be more likely to fail.

What signs of the future can we see among current clients? 

• Customization

Consumers do not want to be seen as a homogeneous mass. They increasingly value personalized products and services. They are also tired of an excessive exposure to advertising and a unidirectional and cold business-client relationship. Thus, they now demand a customized offer and customer care. What in principle might seem a fantasy is now completely possible thanks to the new digital context. Companies can show personalized ads, offer an open and instant communication channel, obtain huge amounts of information about the interests and behaviors of their different customers, design products completely adapted to customers preferences, etc. The complexity lies in how to take advantage of what they now have, and what they would have thanks to the boost of the new disruptive advances, without falling into an abusive use of data or intrusive communication.

• Connection and integration

Nowadays, most people cannot even stay away from their cellphones for a few hours. Not only are these devices useful for keeping us always located and communicated, but they also enable us to be connected permanently making it possible to perform a large number of new tasks. Our neuralgic centers are now smartphones, but, as time goes by, we will have more and more devices which are connected to the Network. The Internet of Things promises a future completely connected and integrated. Therefore, companies will have to change their approach. They will have to be able to develop omnichannel and comprehensive strategies. On top of that, they will have to look for technological solutions that meet the high expectations of customers.