2024 martech predictions

Organisations in the region are gearing up to take customer engagement to the next level. Priorities will shift towards creating personalised experiences at scale and more intuitive user interfaces.

 1. Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) advancements are set to propel smarter content creation and enable personalised experiences at scale 

Organisations in the region are gearing up to take customer engagement to the next level. Priorities will shift towards creating personalised experiences at scale and more intuitive user interfaces. Amid this, the integration of AI and ML will play a more critical role in the customer experience value chain. According to IDC, 60% of Asia’s top 2000 firms will reallocate customer experience budgets towards generative AI and phase out old software by 2027. This reflects the increasing integration of AI/ML into customer engagement as organisations in the region seek innovative approaches to attract, convert, and retain high-value customers.

By analysing individual customer data, AI/ML can help generate customised messages, emails, and even product recommendations tailored to each customer’s unique profile. This will enable marketers to generate highly personalised content at scale. Meanwhile, the ability of AI to extract insights and predict customer needs, preferences, and future behaviours will lead to more hyper-targeted marketing campaigns. AI algorithms excel at processing vast amounts of data to identify subtle patterns and segments, empowering marketers to develop more sophisticated customer segmentation strategies. Robust feedback loops incorporating customer feedback into personalisation algorithms will also provide marketers with relevant insights to fine-tune their strategies.

2. Brands will pivot towards experience-driven commerce that celebrates consumers’ individuality

The convergence of e-commerce and customer experience will continue to shape the way consumers navigate and interact with retailers. The retail paradigm is no longer a transaction-based approach. It’s now shifting towards crafting memorable and immersive journeys that resonate with the modern consumer’s evolving expectations. 

Boundaries between online and offline shopping will continue to blur in 2024. Brands will prioritise creating seamless, omnichannel shopping experiences that remain consistent across all platforms. Whether customers are browsing on a website, a mobile app, or in a physical store, brands will focus on delivering smooth transitions across channels and providing a cohesive journey for consumers. This includes incorporating augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) to create immersive and interactive experiences that allow consumers to try products virtually before purchase. AI algorithms are also set to elevate the experience based on consumers’ individual preferences and behaviours across each stage of the customer journey, from personalised marketing messages, customised post-purchase support, to tailored product recommendations and more.

3. A cross-departmental approach to individualising customer experiences is set to become a new benchmark in customer engagement

We expect cross-department collaboration to emerge as a standard business practice as the convergence of technical, creative, and customer-facing expertise becomes key to delivering consistent and seamless customer experiences. 

Organisations are realising that employee experience and customer experience are intertwined. Amid this, they will prioritise aligning internal processes with external interactions and fostering a unified approach to individualisation to enhance their overall customer engagement strategy.

Nicholas Kontopoulos
Vice President of Marketing
Asia Pacific & Japan, Twilio