To meet the expectations of today’s consumers, you need to start asking the big questions. How do you want your customers to feel? How can you make their lives better? And how can you grow your interactions into relationships?

The 2023 Customer Experience Imperatives will help you navigate the current marketing landscape by looking at your whole organization, evaluating your existing technology and data assets, and changing how you think about commerce.

Keeping customers loyal is no longer a post-sale focus or a programme of activity, it’s embedded into the whole customer experience from the moment someone first interacts with your brand and throughout their journey with you. This runs across marketing, product, sales, and, increasingly, service.

As the world adapts to life in the new normal, it is time to go back to the future.

In the dentsu Consumer Vision 2030, we recognised four overarching themes that will influence consumer behaviour in the next ten years. In this new report, we use these themes to explore how the global retail sector will change over the same period, and what this means for brands.

For each theme, we have identified key trends marketers need to consider when defining their retail strategy. Whilst new and unexpected forces will likely come and go in the 2020s, we believe the dynamics examined in this report will play a durable and critical role in setting the industry’s direction.

Customers no longer ‘go shopping’ but are rather always shopping and commerce is a priority for absolutely every brand in any industry vertical. Our playbook delivers insights on how different industries are being revolutionized in the post-store era and provides a framework to extend the maturity of your brand’s commerce capabilities.

In the dentsu 2030 Consumer Vision, The Human Dividend describes that future attention will shift towards those traits and capabilities that make us human, leading to a renewed celebration of what makes us unique—as well as understanding our
limitations. Here, we take a look at how a decade defined by The Human Dividend will specifically shape the future of retail.

In the dentsu 2030 Consumer Vision, Bigger, Bolder Brands describes a shift in focus in the brand and consumer relationships in the 2020s. In the 2010s, consumers have become more empowered, with increasing choice and ability to engage with brands on their own terms. In the 2020s, the focus will shift to how brands can help meet consumers’ needs more effectively across all aspects of daily life. Here, we take a look at how a decade defined by Bigger, Bolder Brands will more specifically shape the future of retail.

In the dentsu 2030 Consumer Vision, Synthetic Society describes a future where we’ll see widespread embrace of synthetic enhancements and virtual experiences that improve our health and the way we pursue pleasure. Here, we take a look at how a decade defined by Synthetic Society will more specifically shape the future of retail.

In the dentsu 2030 Consumer Vision, Universal Activism describes a future where brands will need to reconceive their customers as activists, driven by a new range of influences and causes, from climate change to data privacy and beyond. Here, we take a look at how a decade defined by Universal Activism will more specifically shape the future of retail.

The world is changing fast; social commerce is exploding, NFTs are surging in popularity, hybrid working is the new normal, and for many brands, it’s hard to keep up. But if there’s one area changing faster than others, it’s commerce.

The future of commerce is about being authentic, building community, and acting in real-time. And to begin to understand what the future of commerce will look like, we need to look at what’s happening today.

Brands today have one goal — to create meaningful moments that matter to their customers, time and time again. Done right, these experiences can build long-lasting relationships, lifetime value, and competitive advantage. Yet, success today requires a new set of tools and a new strategic approach. No longer can we only focus on the data, analytics, and technology that deliver purchases. These are important, but we have to go deeper to build true loyalty.

Retail media is having its moment right now.

Despite us all bracing for a looming recession, this data-powered, challenger channel is growing – the sector grew 28% to £2.7bn in the UK in 2022. Woah. According to eMarketer, the advertising revenues of retailers are nearly double that of radio and print combined too.

Disruption is challenging the FMCG value model. The levers that have made brands successful over the last decade threaten to limit future growth in the next. The looming data and regulatory updates coupled with the evolving media ecosystem are narrowing traditional routes to customers and creating a challenging
environment.

So, what are the new levers for successful brand marketing and what approaches to advertising and media can help make those everyday connections count for brands? Here we focus on three key areas for FMCG marketers – HFSS regulations, consumer
experiences and the changing consumer journey – and engage with the wider FMCG marketing community to understand the impact of these changes and what it means for the future of brands and the sector.

No doubt your LinkedIn feed has been blowing up with talk of AI this and AI that since Christmas, with developments in Generative AI giving us a new set of tools to leverage in building great customer facing experiences, smarter.

With any new technology, however, there comes plenty of hype. In this webinar, we look to cut through said hype and get to the bottom of why Generative AI is relevant for brands and more broadly society, how brands should be considering using these tools now and where this area of AI might develop in the years ahead.

No doubt your LinkedIn feed has blown up over recent months with talk of Metaverse. It’s a fascinating topic that comes with a lot of hype – some warranted, some unwarranted. At dentsu, we have a clear point of view on the vision for the Metaverse and the steps brands can take to win in this space now, next and in the future. 

Since the autumn of last year, we’ve seen brands scurrying to find out what the Metaverse means for them. This has led to a lot of tactical executions. 

Now the hype is beginning to die down, brands need to start thinking more strategically about how the Metaverse can be used to engage with new audiences.

Past, present, and future industry changes present a unique set of challenges to Paid Social Media channels. In this tailored webinar we explore these challenges and look at the solutions that advertisers can implement to mitigate the impact.

The media landscape is investing in its reinvention. In this midyear follow-up to the December 2022 edition of the dentsu Global Ad Spend Forecasts, we share the most significant trends that have materialised from the data collected by our investment analysts across 58 markets – and the key implications for media decision makers.

As the cost-of-living crisis continues to dominate headlines, dentsu have undertaken research into how consumers are responding to the UK’s current economic conditions.

Surveying 2000 people about the financial products they hold, their spending and attitudes towards finance, Read the Room identifies seven core segments to help brands understand how uncertainty is impacting consumers in different ways and what this means for them.

This year’s Media Trends report looks at big themes – Content, Commerce and Community – and highlights how the landscape is changing, with advice on how to prepare for the future.

The best brands not only live in culture; instead, they shape culture itself. But how, when the world changes so fast, can brands stay relevant? 

The Rise of Sustainable Media joint global study from dentsu and Microsoft focuses on green consumer behaviours and how they are redefining business’ environmental strategy for both corporate growth and effective and authentic marketing.

Sustainability is becoming an increasing concern for consumers, and there are clear reasons why businesses and brands should be paying attention. In this report, we will explore how we can take positive steps to reduce our impact on the environment.

Read how Carat’s media campaign for Arla reached 17.5 million people, earned a 4% social media engagement rate and strongly delivered the message that Arla cares about their cows’ wellbeing.

Read how Carat’s purpose-led campaign for Cadbury resulted in a 53% YOY increase in value sales and led to over 1 million people pledging to ‘donate their words’ for Age UK.

Read how Denstu Creative partnered with KFC to create a full-service virtual dining experience for Gen Z, earning 19 million visitors in five weeks.

Read how Merkle delivered smart adaption to digital demands, increasing Laurastar's online sales by 175%. 

Read how Merkle increased Currys’ CRM revenue by 167% year-on-year and increased engagement by 3x through an award-winning transformation of the customer experience journey.

Read how dentsu X increased sales by 50% and purchase intent by 39% through a creative cross-channel ad campaign for Just BARE chicken in the US.