Consumers in India Receptive to All Things Automated: Adobe Study

As businesses strive to deliver amazing customer experiences, Indian consumers have welcomed their focus on digital. Adobe today announced the findings of its Experience Index 2018, which revealed that consumers in India are delighted by new technology based experiences, and are showing a preference for automation and non-human interactions with brands. The research was announced at Adobe Symposium 2018, India’s biggest digital marketing event, held in Mumbai. Over 1,400 people convened to hear the incredible digital transformation stories of some of the country’s biggest brands and inspirational speakers.

The Adobe Experience Index 2018 outlined areas where businesses could improve to provide delightful customer experiences, measuring four tenets: Know Me & Respect Me,Delight Me At Every Turn, Make Technology Transparent and Speak in One Voice. Cohering with the Indian culture and traditions, Know Me & Respect Me emerged to be the most important tenet of building a great experience for Indian consumers, followed by Delight Me At Every Turn.

“Delivering great customer experiences is a competitive advantage. With rising internet and technology proliferation, customers have never been more empowered to voice their opinions when their brand experience is bad. The Experience Index 2018 reinforces the role of data and analytics in helping brands to truly understand their customers and work towards delivering incredible experiences across every touchpoint.  At Adobe, we are partnering with Experience Makers across India to ensure they have the technology they need to deliver compelling experiences for customers,” said Kulmeet Bawa, Managing Director, South Asia, Adobe.

Customer Experiences in India Need to Improve

The Experience Index 2018 reveals that consumer Expectation Scores in India barely cross 50%, indicating significant room for brands to improve customer experiences. Bringing down the positive impact of ‘experience makers’, the overall score is adversely affecting the strong negative impact of ‘experience breakers’, as consumers in India are fast to penalize brands that fails to execute successfully.

The Reality of Generational Differences

The study underlined interesting generational differences that surface across India. Customer service and lack of information from businesses are still some of the biggest pain-points of consumers. However, the study found that millennials are more likely to vocalize negative experiences with a brand than older consumers who may have given up on expecting anything more.

It was notable that in the 50+ age group, 94% of respondents in this group were extremely positive about technology’s role in improving the quality of life, implying that as consumers in India age, they appreciate technology more.

“India is a truly unique market, where brands are faced with a gamut of opportunities and challenges that come with serving a diverse base of customers. The country’s digital native population has higher standards for their experiences with brands than others. While older Indian consumers are increasingly relying on digital technology to cut down on time wasted on daily tasks. No matter the age group, brands in India need to work harder at meeting the needs of consumers across generations,” said Mickey Mericle, Vice President, Marketing & Customer Insights, Adobe.

Across Ages, Indian Consumers Want Automation

The Index found that India’s millennials are more interested in personalized services and fully automated interactions, owing to greater appreciation for saving time.  Further, consumers in India are most impressed by new innovations that help them interact with a brand, and are open to businesses implementing new ways to automate such interactions.

“Lower than other age groups, only 45% of people over 50 indicated a preference for human interactions. Clearly, brands need to recognise that consumers in India don’t see human interaction as a necessary component to a good experience, especially as they age. Across all age groups, what stands out in the Experience Index 2018 is the propensity of Indian consumers for all things automated,” added Mickey.

Brands Need to Speak in One Voice

Another important tenet of the Index was brands speaking in one voice across all channels. Inconsistency drives consumers to complain, therefore, it’s imperative for brands to provide a consistent message and experience, to cut through the clutter and present a united and consistent front to customers.

“To develop the one voice that consumers prefer, organizations need to make foundational changes and adopt a solid data platform strategy. These changes need to be all encompassing and leadership driven, so businesses break away from silos and work transparently towards measurable success,” said Mickey.

Surveying over 1,000 Indians over 18 and owning a qualifying device, the Adobe Experience Index 2018 provides powerful insights into the minds of consumers and highlights how brands can successfully delight them. A complete copy of the research can be downloaded here.

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