Best of 2018: Digital transformation trends and case studies

It’s that time of the year again: reflecting on the year that’s past as we prepare for 2019 lurking around the corner. In this article, we have a roundup of some of our fan favorite pieces from 2018 on digital transformation.

From the future of retail to trends in ecommerce to the rise of customer experience, these were some of our highlights from the past year, largely focused on how certain companies embrace these trends for success.

We also have a roundup of our top articles from each of our other three staple categories: marketing technology, digital marketing, and emerging technology.

1. The future of retail: How IoT is transforming the retail industry

Like many industries, retail continues to undergo rapid transformation.

In this article, we look at the future of retail specifically through the lens of the Internet of Things (IoT).

IoT solutions can help increase customer loyalty, boost sales, offer a personalized experience, and improve inventory management.

According to a research report from earlier this year, IoT in the retail market is predicted to reach over $30 billion by 2024.

We look at examples of how retail companies are adopting IoT in areas such as smart shelves, beacons, robots, and digital signage.

2. The new luxury landscape: How Tiffany & Co., Gucci and LVMH are embracing digital transformation

Wealthier consumers do more of their shopping online. Which means luxury brands have no choice but to embrace digital transformation.

Luxury brands have typically been at the slower end of the scale when it comes to making the shift.

What’s more, ecommerce democratizes access to products and information. However, for many high end brands, exclusivity is a good thing. They trade on their names. Their products represent status symbols. Their in-store purchasing has already been extremely focused on the experience — personal shoppers, champagne, a quality of service that’s hard to replicate online.

In this article, we look at how Tiffany & Co., LVMH, Chanel, Gucci and Neiman Marcus are embracing digital transformation.

Areas include chatbot customer service, visual recognition-based predictive technology, biometric wristwear, and robotic technology that creates clothing customized for individual consumers’ bodies.

3. Here’s how AI is revolutionizing ecommerce

Yet another article on ecommerce, this piece took a look at how certain companies do digital transformation specifically around AI.

When it comes to increasingly personalized experiences for growing numbers of customers across more varied devices, AI can be particularly handy.

For example, we talked about how The North Face partnered with IBM to use AI in its online shopping cart, reducing runaway customers.

As another example, Starbucks introduced a chatbot to it’s “My Barista” app allowing users to order by voice or text. With that data, it then uses AI to provide more accurate recommendations for future orders.

4. Google, Amazon and the relationship between paid search and ecommerce

In 2017, digital ad spend totaled $209 billion worldwide, finally surpassing TV.

That was great news for the industry — particularly Google and Facebook — who took home about 60% of that revenue.

However, this year we saw another contender rise to the field: Amazon.

Amazon was already the quintessential retail disruptor. This year though, Amazon began to pose an increasing threat to Google, which only highlights the growing relationship between ecommerce and paid search.

In this article, we explore that shift and how mobile has influenced it. We also look at examples in action of the differences in how ads show up on Google and Amazon Search on mobile and desktop.

5. Uber, Airbnb and how their affiliate marketing strategies differ

Uber and Airbnb have a lot of surface things in common: they’re unicorns who have disrupted their respective industries and evolved into global powerhouses.

However, one thing that separates the two companies is their respective approaches to partner and affiliate marketing.

In this article, we look at the strategy of each company, how they compare, and how they will likely hold up in the future.

6. How Deloitte Digital helped Chipotle revamp its reputation with a superior mobile customer experience

Early last year, a series of food safety concerns hurt Chipotle’s popularity. In response, the brand turned to Deloitte Digital to help restore its reputation with an improved mobile app.

In this article, we talk to Donald Brady, Principal at Deloitte Digital, about how exactly they pulled off the transformation. What were the key factors in the mobile app, and how did it maintain its momentum?

For more “Best of” content:

• Best of 2018: Digital marketing
• Best of 2018: Emerging technology

The post Best of 2018: Digital transformation trends and case studies appeared first on ClickZ.

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