For 15 years as an agency CEO, I’ve watched business trends come and go. While some can be ephemeral (Google Glass anyone?) there are ones embedded in the mainstream now that some of us have pushed for a while.
Take connected data. Full attribution is not just a reality – it’s a necessity. Or UX: customer-centred design is now widely extolled. And it’s clearly showing us that customer-obsessed companies are the ones who’ll win.
But this maturation of the digital industry is accompanied by great change: the dawn of AI will alter our world as we know it. Customers are already demanding personalised experiences tailored to their individual needs, yet we’ve barely scraped the surface of AI’s potential. And the ethics behind AI need careful handling and responsible legislation to ensure it’s used benevolently for customers and citizens.
At the same time, we’re dealing with greater risk than ever before. Security breaches continue to spike. Hackers will develop ever-more-sophisticated methods of attack, from deepfaking more CEOs to targeting networks of connected devices. As one of my friends recently pointed out, that could have major implications: would you want to be driving a connected car when its network gets hit?
So the context in which we’re working is changing at breakneck speed, the threats are greater and so is our risk.
But what I’m seeing is that there’s so much opportunity, too.
You’ve likely read many of the trend pieces circulated by thinkers, doers and business leaders at this time of year. Lots of them are great. But there’s a lot of hype around business trends at the start of any new year, let alone a new decade.
That’s why I felt there was a need for cool-headed, practical advice to help us navigate these chaotic times. It was time for those of us who live and breathe technology every day to look at the landscape and assess the digital trends we’re seeing.
When you’re trying to weigh the benefit of personalisation versus data security, deciding whether to invest in a digital transformation programme or getting to grips with VUIs, the noise in our industry can be deafening.
I wanted to cut through that, to the trends that really matter. These are the ones that will put your business in a position to lead, not follow. In short, these are the digital business trends that count.
To identify the trends, the Cyber-Duck team sifted through hundreds of ideas. We boiled them down to the ones that will make a difference to your business. That might be an opportunity – or it might be identifying a shift that threatens to put your business at risk. The trends you’ll find highlighted here are all business trends that can apply across a broad range of sectors.
They’re also ones where you can take action, to put your business in a stronger, more agile position. That’s why we’ve included next steps and action points for each trend, in the form of resolutions. These resolutions will put you in control: with them, you can leverage each business trend that’s coming, rather than let it take you by surprise.
One thing really shines through. It’s not new, but the scale at which it’s being appreciated is unprecedented. Your customer simply has to sit at the heart of everything you do. You have to centre your purpose on them. Whether it’s personalisation, brand values, data protection or seamless experiences, everything starts and ends with them.
That’s something we’ve preached for a decade and a half now. As connected data proves the point, it’s gratifying. And if you’d like to benefit from our experience in UX, data strategy, robust technology and customer-centred design, do get in touch.
Download the 2020 trends report today and get our insider’s view on the shifts that are changing our digital world.
But to gain real competitive advantage from these 2020 business trends, work with us. At Cyber-Duck, our UX expertise and technological strength help clients transform and grow.
Contact us today and benefit from digital transformation that delivers results.
