Blockchain, drones, IoT, robots, VR, AR, MR, etc. All these new technologies surround us or are already part of our daily lives.
Let’s see how companies can take advantage of this wave of innovation for a better customer experience across channels.
The ubiquity of digital technology in our lives
Personal assistants
Today, there are digital personal assistants who are capable of doing everything a human assistant could do. They are able to constantly interpret everything they hear. They can easily order a movie ticket, a taxi or answer questions. This recognition of natural language is also found in Google’s Earbuds, which are able to perform live translations.
Facial recognition:
Do you remember Iris, launched by Samsung? Apple followed up with facial recognition in late 2017. The Face ID system installed on the iPhone X makes it possible to detect the user’s face even in the dark. All this thanks to a network of artificial neurons on the phone’s chip.
Image recognition
The Google Pixel 2 smartphone, released at the end of 2017, was already equipped with the Google Lens service, allowing it to recognize objects, animals and monuments. Once it has recognized the scanned item, it can display information related to it. Local image search on Android or iPhone is also very efficient, regardless of the search theme.
“Smart” applications
Seeing AI, is an application able to describe to the user what the camera sees. Microsoft has developed this tool to make life easier for visually impaired people. The long-term goal is to increase our senses tenfold on a daily basis, thanks in particular to artificial intelligence.
Music creation
AI is now taking an interest in all sectors, such as music. EPFL has presented an AI system capable of composing a melody from A to Z. The program uses a large database of existing music, analyzes the scores note by note, their duration and their sequence in order to be able to propose original creations.
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2.The impact of technology on our daily lives
Today, technological innovations are unavoidable and are becoming a source of opportunities for companies to seize.
Every year, new and more innovative features force companies in all sectors to adapt quickly and adopt a more fluid approach. This may require the creation of teams dedicated to digital transformation in large companies, to be always at the forefront of innovation.
High expectations among millennials
The arrival of millennials on the market to change the rules of the game. It forces companies to transform quickly and offer authentic experiences to Millennials, who made up 60% of the workforce in 2020. If they do not do so, these companies may quickly be overtaken by their competitors.
The importance of experience now comes before the product. Millennials are more demanding and less loyal to brands. If they are not satisfied, they will simply turn to the competition and, in the worst case, spread a bad reputation according to their level of disappointment with the experience. The roles have been reversed: consumers are now in a position of power. Today, there is a multitude of possible choices between products, which makes it easier to transfer from one brand to another and partly explains the decline in loyalty.
It is therefore important to know how to address this generation at the right time and in the right way, through a unique experience, in order to have an advantage over the competitors. Technology must be used to benefit users, not the other way around.
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A user-centred approach
Today, the user is at the heart of value creation.
The methodology of Design Thinking, for example, prioritizes the needs of the user. It puts them at the centre of the debate to ensure the best experience, by responding to three challenges:
- Desirability: is the technology attractive to the user?
- Feasibility: is the technology technically feasible?
- Sustainability: Is the technology commercially profitable?
Here is how to implement the Design Thinking methodology in 4 steps:
1.Discover: understand the challenges of the business, analyse the needs and expectations of users, observe market trends in order to have a 360° view to identify opportunities.
- Brainstorming to imagine future experiences that will surprise users.
- Designer: Prototype the experience and test it with a panel of users.
- Deploy: Build and implement the solution to turn the vision into reality.
This approach also makes it possible to prioritize the various projects offered by the many technological advances according to the needs of each company and its clients.
Currently, three innovations stand out: virtual or augmented reality, artificial intelligence and connected objects.
Immersive Experience: The Trend of the Year
The advances in virtual reality are sensational. Today, there are devices with development kits that allow you to create immersive experiences at an affordable price, such as the HTC Vive Pro with its two OLED screens.
However, a company should not resort to technological tools only because they are in the “trend”. It must be meaningful to exploit it, add value, and the experience created must be linked to the values of the brand so as not to have the opposite effect to what was expected: to discredit the brand.
The Patrón Tequilla brand, for example, offers a unique experience to immerse yourself in the manufacture of its products. How? Clients are invited to wear a virtual reality headset, which transports them to Mexico, at the heart of an agave crop. The visualization of the narrated story strengthens the customer’s affinity for the product, creating a positive experience with the brand, which will make them more likely to buy.
Augmented reality plays the same role, regardless of its environment. You can try on clothes from home, test the color of a painting on your wall or visualize the integration of a new piece of furniture!
These technologies offer new opportunities for brands by enabling them to reinvent themselves, foster interactions and rethink their sales channels to stand out while delivering a unique customer experience.
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Tomorrow, you will get into the BlablablaTech!
Over the past 15 years, technology has constantly evolved in the virtual world. By 2023, progress will revolutionize and transform our daily lives.
Some areas will be particularly impacted:
- AgroTech: the concept is to use digital technology to have a more sophisticated agriculture that consumes less water, for example. The startup The Green Data is a representative.
- MedTech / HealthTech: the medical sector is by far one of the most promising in the world of startups, with the creation of 3D-printed prostheses, the prediction of diseases and the advent of brain implants. By 2030, the approach to the medical field will change considerably thanks to the accessibility of the science of the study of the human genome.
- CleanTech / GreenTech: the environment is not neglected by technologies that aim to contribute to a world that is less energy-intensive and more respectful of the planet. Many start-ups are entering this very promising niche and can present their concept every year at the ChangeNOW event.
- ConTech (for “Construction”) : the construction sector is particularly concerned with the aim of optimizing costs and delivery times or even allowing the creation of constructions in 3D printing.
Your home of the future will most likely be an economical, connected and intuitive home. Connected objects, known as home automation, will be synchronized with most of the electronic objects you own, such as your smartphone, computer or TV.
Imagine yourself brushing your teeth in the morning in your bathroom. On your screen mirrors, you can easily see the TV news, get information about the weather or simply check your agenda for the day.
Your floor can also be smart, with touch screens inserted into your tile or with advanced technologies such as task or movement detectors as a security system against intrusions.
All this is just the beginning of a smart future.
Do not hesitate to contact us for more information on innovations to follow and integrate into your business strategies.