The Record - Issue 19: Winter 2020

84 www. t e c h n o l o g y r e c o r d . c om F E ATUR E As customer experiences become more personalised and contextual, Accenture Interactive and Microsoft are partnering to enable marketeers in the Middle East and Africa to embrace new opportunities using technology Delivering the BY A L E X SM I TH T he rise in available data about consumers presents marketeers with both new oppor- tunities and challenges. Brands are beginning to reach people in places and moments that were never previously possi- ble, with greater understanding and insight into their individual needs. These greater capabili- ties, however, also come with a greater level of expectation. Consumers accustomed to more personalised experiences – such as AI-powered voice assistants, recommendation engines and personalised billboards – have come to value them highly. A report titled The power of me by marketing company Epsilon indicated that 80 per cent of customers would be more likely to do business with a company if it offers person- alised experiences. Marketing to the individual therefore promises significant advantages for those organisations who can adapt most quickly to manage the technical challenge. Fast-food chain Subway has embarked on a digital transformation program that incorpo- rates personalised marketing. “Our customers’ expectations are being set by the big giants in the world who are inno- vators and digitally forward,” said Carissa Ganelli, former chief digital officer of Subway Restaurants, in Accenture’s Future of Marketing report. “When Subway embarked on this digital transformation journey two years ago, we saw the business results. If we customise the image in an email to reflect your prior purchases, such as by showing someone who likes turkey an image of a turkey, we get an 8 per cent lift in orders. You cannot do that without a digital infrastructure and marketing technology to power that.” Accenture Interactive is using Microsoft tech- nology to deliver personalised customer expe- riences for its clients. One example is its work with Carnival Corporation to help design the cruise line’s ‘Ocean’ guest experience platform. Supported by Microsoft Azure AI, IoT and cloud technologies, the system centres around the Ocean Medallion, a wearable communication device that each guest is given when they embark. The Ocean Medallion contains their unique dig- ital identity, enabling crew to identify what they like and respond accordingly. Each ship includes over 7,000 sensors, 4,000 portals and a computing stack connected to the cloud by satellite, enabling automatic unlocking of cabin doors, contactless payment and reduced boarding times. future marketing of