The CMO says that it's no secret that the last few years have upended the way customers want to interact with companies.

SAS's Experience 2030 report, which was released during the height of the pandemic, revealed consumers leaning into a hybrid experience that blends physical and digital interaction.

Consumers feel even more strongly about hybrid today, with 71% telling the CMO Council that they want a blend of both physical and digital channels.

New research from the CMO Council, titled Cracking Tomorrow's CX Code, finds few companies have succeeded in the digital transformation necessary to achieve successful hybrid CX. Fewer than one in seven marketers say that they have a digital infrastructure to deliver mature hybrid models.

The report is based on a survey of more than 1 000 marketing and customer experience leaders and a survey of more than 2 000 consumers globally. Additionally, the duo conducted in-depth interviews with executives at:
  • AT&T
  • Pfizer
  • FedEx
  • Standard Chartered Bank
  • Hitachi Ventura
  • Globe Telecom
  • Meta, and
  • Mars Wrigley.

This is supported by the finding that more than half (56%) of consumers say that brands aren't very good at delivering a seamless experience across digital (social, email, mobile and website) and physical (in-store, call centre and live chat).

Key findings from two surveys of over 1 000 marketing leaders and 2 000 consumers globally uncovered that:
  • 60% of marketers say the digital customer journey has dramatically changed their CX strategy
  • 65% of marketers aren't very confident in their current CX strategy's ability to win and retain customers, and
  • 67% of marketers say delivering hybrid CX over the next 12 months is either significantly (32%) or very (35%) important.

Despite the clear emphasis by brands on CX for the digital journey, consumers aren't satisfied with the result, as:
  • almost half (48%) feel that brands are not doing a good job at delivering the right experience to win and retain their business, and
  • 66% of consumers don't feel in control over what brands do with their data and privacy.

"All CMOs are concerned with driving growth, and that is the outcome of great CX," says Jennifer Chase, SAS executive vice president and chief marketing officer.

"This report shows that there is a significant opportunity for CMOs to enhance CX and it examines 13 critical CX capabilities across two groups — agile / actionable and organisational / infrastructure — to pinpoint where marketers need to improve and how to implement these changes. As we head into uncertain economic times, CX will be a growth engine for our companies that we cannot afford to neglect," adds Chase.

Cracking Tomorrow's CX Code examines:
  • today's customer loyalty drivers
  • how brands can climb the maturity curve of CX capabilities
  • how to get ahead of consumer concerns about privacy
  • delivering on hybrid CX, and
  • embracing AI / machine learning to serve up rewarding experiences.

"Chances are your CX strategy is crying out for a modern makeover," says Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council. "The challenge is to orchestrate a great customer experience that hits all the right notes, from digital self-service to meaningful personalisation to privacy and trust to seamless omnichannel."

"This is including a hybrid blend of physical and digital experiences," concludes Neale-May.

Individuals are encouraged to download the report here.  

For more information, visit www.cmocouncil.org. You can also follow the CMO Council on Twitter.