Podcast ¦ Punk CX: The State of Customer Engagement – Interview with Chris Koehler of Twilio

Key Take Aways

1. Despite high adoption, there remains a significant disconnect between brands’ perceived understanding of customers and actual customer experience, especially in personalisation efforts.
2. AI-driven personalisation is delivering tangible revenue outcomes, with over half of brands globally using AI to tailor customer experiences.
3. Trust in brands is gradually improving but remains fragile, with only 15% of consumers fully trusting brands with their data.
4. Customers increasingly demand control over their data, with 84% seeking active management of personalisation settings.
5. recognising the evolving landscape, brands should focus on proactive, anticipatory personalisation rather than reactive responses.
6. The effective use of technology like video, combined with a behavioural understanding of customers, enhances engagement and experience.
7. A customer-centric organisational approach requires breaking down silos across sales, marketing, and service teams.
8. AI is increasingly facilitating better data sharing and organisational integration, driven by the realisation of its potential to stitch together disparate data sources.
9. Leaders are encouraged to engage directly with customers and colleagues to understand real experiences, moving beyond internal organisational silos.
10. Organisations that are bold in risk-taking, particularly in leveraging AI and biometric data, could unlock groundbreaking personalisation—though privacy implications remain significant.
11. Customer insight and storytelling from direct engagement are critical in shaping authentic organisational strategies.
12. Demonstrating authenticity through playful, personality-driven brand approaches can serve as a form of ‘punk’ customer experience, differentiating brands in competitive markets.

Key Statistics

• 96% of companies globally believe AI is improving customer-facing operations.
• 75% of brands worldwide report that AI-driven personalisation increases customer spend.
• 45% of consumers feel brands do not understand their needs.
• 56% of brands globally use AI to tailor experiences.
• 90% of consumers trust at least some brands with their data, but only 15% trust them completely.
• 54% of consumers want to know if they are talking to AI or a human.
• 87% of consumers in EMEA trust at least some brands with their data.
• 84% of customers want control over their personalisation settings.
• 60% of marketers admit that some of their campaigns could be considered borderline or ‘creepy’.
• 84% of customers want control over how their personal data is used.
• 615 million fans globally follow Chelsea FC, with many never attending in person.
• 100% of the UK’s energy companies are exploring ways to use voice and digital channels to create better user engagement.

Key Discussion Points

• The persistent disconnect between brand confidence in personalisation and actual customer perceptions.
• The role of AI in driving proactive personalisation and creating ‘magical moments’.
• The importance of integrating behavioural and biometric data ethically for advanced personalisation.
• Challenges in building trust around data privacy, with customers seeking transparency and control.
• The necessity for brands to prioritise first-party and zero-party data strategies.
• Moving organisational structures to facilitate seamless data sharing across sales, marketing, and service teams.
• Using AI to address capacity constraints in engaging prospects and customers effectively.
• Leaders’ need to be customer-focused by actively engaging with customers and colleagues.
• The influence of organisational culture on adopting a ‘punk’ approach to customer experience, exemplified by brands like Liquid Death and BrewDog.
• The significance of storytelling and direct customer insight over solely relying on quantitative data.
• The impact of the AI wave as a disruptive force driving structural change in organisational data strategies.
• The importance of balancing technological innovation with ethical considerations and privacy concerns.

Podcast Description

This podcast features insights from industry experts on the evolving landscape of customer experience and engagement. Through a combination of data-driven findings, strategic discussions, and practical examples, it explores how organisations, particularly in sectors like financial services, can leverage AI and data to deliver authentic, trustworthy, and innovative customer experiences. Emphasising the importance of organisational agility, customer engagement, and ethical data use, the podcast aims to equip senior managers with the knowledge to navigate a rapidly changing digital environment.