AdobeTrendsAs 2020 draws to a close, it’s a good time for brands to evaluate how they can evolve and improve customer experience in the new year. While business have adapted to the new normal, the pandemic will continue to shape consumer behavior, with changes taking place at a more rapid rate.

Marketers have to capitalize on trends such as AI and nationwide 5G roll-outs in order to stay afloat. By doing so, marketers can meet the increasing demand for personalized experiences that priorities the safety and health of consumers.


To help marketers navigate the new year, Adobe has compiled a list of key consumer trends. Some of these include:

1. Online shopping to play a bigger role

Consumers have become increasingly comfortable with online shopping as a result of the pandemic. Data from Adobe found that consumers spent a whopping $34.4 billion during Cyber Week this year, which represents a 20.7 percent year-over-year (YoY) increase. Furthermore, Nielsen’s Impact of COVID-19 on Consumer Behavior survey shows that two in five consumers in Singapore have increased their online shopping activities. That number will only continue to grow, especially as 5G becomes more widely available and completely redefines what’s possible from a customer experience perspective online and on mobile. Ultimately, an experience-driven approach to commerce across channels is going to be imperative in 2021.

2. Contactless experiences

As the online holiday spend shows, consumers expect contactless experiences in 2021 as they will continue to take measures to limit exposure to the coronavirus, experts agreed. Forrester predicts brands will look to replace touch screens, in-store feedback buttons, credit card PIN pads, and other touch media with contactless interfaces that rely on gesture, voice, and proximity. A Mastercard report indicated that 51% of individuals in Asia Pacific have made the swap to contactless payments, with 75% of them indicating that they will continue to use contactless modes of payment after the pandemic is over. In addition, Asia Pacific’s first international travel tradeshow TravelRevive, held in Singapore, is the first-ever pilot tradeshow to trial the newly developed ‘hybrid event’ tradeshow for safe business events, itineraries and digital enablers in Singapore. Not only has the platform successfully facilitated a seamless and convenient experience for participants and visitors, but it also aims to encourage their travel partners to use the latest technology and mass customize the level of experience they can provide to visitors.

3. Increased customer expectations

The bar for personalized experiences is rising and consumer expectations continue to grow. A powerful way to keep up with these expectations is through automation, and current technology now gives marketers choices. From digital assistants to service bots. 66% of marketing insiders believe most interactions between brands and consumers will take place via AI within the next 10 years. Under Singapore’s Smart Nation initiative, Singapore will be a leader in developing and deploying scalable, impactful AI solutions, in key sectors of high value and relevance to our citizens and businesses by 2030. A top priority for marketers going into the new year will be to brush on up technology that helps them stay ahead of new customer experience trends as Singapore forges ahead in the journey towards digital transformation.

As marketers continue to navigate the spillover effects from the pandemic, aligning to the key trends above will help them meet customer experience demands and keep consumers satisfied. (Source: Adobe)

By MediaBUZZ