Tag: Digital experience

London, United Kingdom – M+C Saatchi Group has appointed Karen Boswell as its new global CEO of digital experience, performance & consulting, as the agency continues to sharpen its focus on data, AI, and marketing technology. Boswell will join the company in July 2025, taking charge of its media and consulting operations, as well as its growing Intelligence unit.

In her new role, Boswell will oversee the strategic direction of digital experience, digital media, consulting, data, and technology initiatives. She will also be part of the Group’s executive leadership team, managing profit and loss across media and consulting divisions, and leading efforts to integrate artificial intelligence and marketing technology into client solutions.

Boswell brings a strong background in customer experience and brand transformation. Most recently, she served as global chief experience transformation officer at VML, working with clients including Boots UK & Ireland, Ford EU, and PwC Global. Her previous roles include chief experience officer for EMEA at VML, managing director of The Pharm (WPP’s dedicated agency for Boots), and head of innovation at adam&eveDDB. She has also held senior roles at AKQA and LBi and is a qualified executive coach.

“Karen is a truly client-centric leader, with a deep understanding of how to combine data, creativity, and technology to drive transformative growth,” said Zaid Al-Qassab, CEO of M+C Saatchi Group. “Her appointment is a powerful step forward in realising our ambition to keep our clients at the cutting edge of marketing innovation.”

Commenting on her new role, Boswell said, “Growth today requires more than great marketing – it demands cultural intelligence, sharp technology and brave creativity. That’s what M+C Saatchi is built for. I’m energised to shape the next wave of transformation with our clients and teams.”

In addition to Boswell’s appointment, the agency confirmed that Rhonda Hiatt will step into the role of CEO of M+C Saatchi Consulting on a permanent basis, after serving in the position on an interim basis. Hiatt has played a key role in unifying the firm’s consulting operations and spearheading the launch of new initiatives, including the Cultural Power Index.

Boswell’s appointment follows the recent appointment of Dani Bassil as CEO of M+C Saatchi Group AUNZ, which will take effect in August this year. As part of this move, Justin Graham will step down from his role as CEO of M+C Saatchi Group APAC later this year.

Perth, Australia – Curtin University has appointed S4 Capital’s operating brand Monks, as its strategic digital experience agency to elevate the online experience of its recruitment website, as part of its commitment to deliver a digital journey for the university that aligns with its strong global reputation.  

The partnership will focus on creating a personalised and inspirational experience that mirrors the dynamic and innovative learning environment Curtin offers its students.

Moreover, Monks’ remit includes a digital experience strategy, a UX refresh of the recruitment website and a digital experience roadmap. At the heart of the partnership is a shared commitment to creating digital experiences that raise a new standard of excellence within the higher education sector.

Marco Schultheis, chief strategy and marketing officer at Curtin University, said, “Curtin’s digital experience is a critical enabler to our role as a global leader in education. This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering a seamless and engaging digital journey that meets the evolving expectations of future students.”

He added, “By investing in a best-in-class digital experience, we are ensuring that every prospective student has the tools, insights, and confidence to make informed decisions about their future.”

The appointment builds on Monks’ history of experience within the field of higher education worldwide, a sector that is increasingly internationalising and has a growing need for sophisticated digital engagement.

Meanwhile, Marielle Bouwman, director of client partnerships at Monks, says, “Our work in the higher education sector has given us a deep understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing universities today. We have seen the increasing demand for flexible learning options, self-paced study, and lifelong learning, and the increasing competition to attract domestic and international students.”

She added, “Universities are also increasingly looking to internationalise their programs and attract a more diverse student body. We are excited to be working with Curtin, as one of the leading international universities, which also shares our vision for establishing a world-class digital experience for future students.”

Sydney, Australia – LEVO, a consultancy under the Clemenger Group, has been appointed as the exclusive Asia-Pacific (APAC) launch partner for digital experience platform Optimizely and commerce engine commercetools’ alliance. This partnership aims to revolutionise enterprise B2C retail by leveraging content, commerce, and AI.

The collaboration integrates Optimizely’s digital experience platform (DXP), encompassing its CMS, experimentation, personalisation, and Opal AI suite, within commercetools’ MACH-certified commerce engine. It aims to provide a solution that empowers marketers and developers to focus on innovation.

LEVO’s appointment underscores its position as the sole system integrator with a dedicated APAC presence. With its expertise in implementation, the consultancy will spearhead the go-to-market strategy across APAC.

The partnership offers capabilities such as faster campaign velocity, AI-powered content, and future-proof tech stacks. It also allows enterprise retailers to enjoy marketer-led personalisation, real-time experimentation, and unified content and commerce.

Cale Maxwell, CEO at LEVO, said, “We’re proud to bring this powerful partnership to life across Asia Pacific. Enterprise retailers here are hungry for composable solutions that accelerate speed to market, reduce reliance on dev teams, and allow for real-time, AI-enhanced content experiences. With Optimizely and commercetools, we can now deliver exactly that – at pace.”

Thailand – Minor Hotels has unveiled a major brand transformation, evolving into a guest-centric masterbrand focused on delivering innovative and meaningful hospitality experiences.

Minor Hotels’ transformation, driven by a new brand identity, enhanced digital experience, and streamlined loyalty and B2B offerings, aims to deliver what matters most to guests, team members, and stakeholders.

The new masterbrand strategy unites Minor Hotels’ eight hotel brands—Anantara, Avani, Elewana Collection, NH, NH Collection, nhow, Oaks, and Tivoli—along with its travel experience brands under one banner, enhancing brand visibility and strengthening its position among stakeholders.

Under its major brand overhaul, Minor Hotels unveils a fresh new look. The revamped logo features an arrowhead within the ‘M,’ symbolising direction and guidance—reflecting Minor’s role in shaping meaningful guest journeys.

The refreshed visual identity includes a new colour palette, signature fonts, and striking photography. Anchored by the brand essence ‘What Matters Most’, Minor Hotels’ voice aligns with the evolving needs of guests, stakeholders, and team members.

Guests will experience the rebrand across digital and mobile platforms, marketing, sales channels, and on-property interactions. Multi-brand communications and advertising will further elevate Minor Hotels’ presence, leveraging its hotel brands to strengthen awareness.

Each of Minor Hotels’ brands will retain its unique identity while benefiting from the masterbrand’s development. The rebrand also introduces a new brand architecture, grouping hotels into three segments—Luxury, Premium, and Select—to guide guest choices. Further expansion is planned, with at least two new brands launching later this year.

Beyond its new look, Minor Hotels has enhanced its digital experience. The group has relaunched minorhotels.com as a consumer-focused platform, shifting away from its corporate and development-centric approach.

For the first time, guests can book any of Minor Hotels’ 560+ properties in one place and access destination insights.

A new Minor Hotels app consolidates all brands into a single platform, replacing individual hotel apps. Travellers can use it to book stays, manage reservations, and access destination details. The group will also continue expanding functionality on its website and app, integrating restaurant, spa, and wellness services. 

Alongside its new app, Minor Hotels has streamlined its loyalty programme under ‘Minor DISCOVERY’. The group will continue its partnership with the Global Hotel Alliance’s (GHA) GHA DISCOVERY but will unify its hotel-brand-specific loyalty names—such as Anantara DISCOVERY and Avani DISCOVERY—under a single identity. This change simplifies member access and enhances programme consistency.

Minor Hotels is also introducing ‘Minor PRO’, a dedicated platform for businesses, event planners, and travel agents. Minor PRO consolidates existing B2B programmes, including NH PRO, Anantara Journeys, and Oaks Professionals, providing tailored solutions for professional customers.

Ian Di Tullio, chief commercial officer of Minor Hotels, commented, “The reimagined Minor Hotels brand represents more than just a new identity. Our value-driven evolution, powered by enhanced digital platforms, a streamlined loyalty programme, and a strong distribution strategy, reflects our ambition to deliver extraordinary hospitality experiences to our guests and be the partner of choice for owners and investors.” 

“By uniting our brands under the Minor Hotels masterbrand, we’re excited to enter a new era of growth where Minor Hotels will resonate as powerfully with travellers as it already does with our partners,” Tullio added.

The brand refresh is the most significant evolution in Minor Hotels’ history, marking a key milestone as the group prepares to add nearly 300 properties by 2027. It also builds on the 2018 acquisition of NH Hotel Group—now operating as Minor Hotels Europe & Americas—which tripled its global presence.

Dillip Rajakarier, group CEO of Minor International, said, “The Minor Hotels rebrand is a natural progression for us, building on a success story spanning more than five decades. It isn’t just about driving revenue and profitability; it’s also about harnessing the strength of our diversity, our knowledge and team members to achieve long-term sustainable growth and invest in the guest experience.” 

“Unifying all our hotel brands and travel experiences under the Minor Hotels umbrella will help us strengthen our positioning in the hospitality industry and help us deliver on our growth ambitions,” he added. 

India – Sokrati, dentsu India’s digital media agency, has partnered with experimentation platform VWO to boost client conversions through advanced A/B testing and personalised digital strategies.

This collaboration combines VWO’s expertise in user experience optimisation with Sokrati’s strength in data-driven growth strategies, empowering Indian brands to deliver more engaging, personalised, and high-performing digital experiences.

The partnership between Sokrati and VWO combines their strengths to offer clients comprehensive benefits. By integrating VWO’s optimisation platform with Sokrati’s expertise in media and technology, the collaboration enhances web and app experiences, leading to higher engagement and improved conversion rates that boost ROI. Both companies emphasise a data-driven approach, enabling brands to gain insights into customer behaviour and make real-time adjustments for measurable outcomes.

This alliance bridges media strategies and technology-driven optimisation, providing brands with seamless ways to enhance customer engagement and conversions. Through targeted campaigns and optimised experiences, businesses can achieve greater profitability and sustainable growth. Leveraging advanced optimisation tools and strategic media transformation, this partnership helps brands maintain a competitive edge in the dynamic digital landscape.

The alliance extends beyond Sokrati to the wider dentsu India clientele, integrating media strategies with technology-driven optimisation for seamless customer engagement and enhanced profitability. Clients within the dentsu network will benefit from targeted campaigns and optimised digital experiences that drive stronger performance and business growth.

Commenting on the partnership, Sparsh Gupta, CEO of VWO, said, “Sokrati’s expertise aligns perfectly with our mission of helping brands leverage data-driven insights to enhance customer journeys. With this partnership, we look forward to empowering Indian brands to create more impactful digital experiences that scale conversions and drive growth for them.” 

Nilesh Gohil, CEO of Sokrati, added, “This partnership is a game changer for India’s top brands. By combining our strengths with VWO’s cutting-edge technology, we are setting a new benchmark for digital experience optimization. Brands will not only maximise conversions but also build sustainable growth engines that drive long-term success. This is a pivotal moment for reshaping how digital journeys are crafted and how businesses thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.” 

Organisations across Southeast Asia are risking US$144b in revenue because of poor customer service, with consumers across the region increasingly cutting spending after receiving a poor experience.

This finding from Qualtrics XM Institute highlights the significant business value of great customer experience (CX). At a time when brands find themselves under pressure to drive greater business impact in challenging market environments, delivering a superior CX is one of the most impactful, sustainable, and efficient ways to achieve this. And within this context, the role and value of digital channels and e-commerce platforms cannot be overstated.

Consumers are ever more digital

Consumers continue to conduct more brand interactions through digital channels. For example, in the last year 56% of consumers in Singapore opened a bank account on their mobile phone – up from 48% a year previously; in healthcare 42% of people used a telemedicine service in the last 12 months, up from 35%; and 26% of superapp users say they use one every day, up from 22%.

Great digital support also has an outsized impact on consumer loyalty, with consumers more likely to return when they get great digital support compared to in-person. The challenge for brands, however, is consumers are less likely to be satisfied by their digital customer support experience compared to human support.

As brands, consumers, marketing and CX teams increasingly adopt and mature their e-commerce platforms and digital capabilities, organisations that invest in improving the services, support, and experiences delivered through them are well placed to pull ahead of the competition, unlocking greater customer retention, satisfaction, brand awareness, and ultimately revenue.

5 steps to e-commerce success and impact

Forge partnerships with digital stakeholders

For marketing and CX teams looking to drive improvements across e-commerce platforms, a critical step is identifying and getting to know potential partners across the business – such as web and app development teams, digital marketing, UX/UI, data analysts, product managers, and IT. Understanding the internal digital landscape highlights collaboration opportunities, generates organisational alignment and support, helps define roles and responsibilities, and enables faster-decision making to accelerate progress and business impact.

One of the most successful ways we see CX and marketing teams partner with digital teams to improve the performance of e-commerce platforms is when they begin their collaboration with a focused use case, such as high cart abandonment. As part of this collaboration, the teams combine CX insights from surveys, reviews, and support conversations with operational data, such as web analytics, and customer segmentation, to understand the issue, outline recommended next best steps to resolve it, and demonstrate the business impact to garner greater support in broadening the project scope.

Map the customer journey and understand their behaviours

To improve CX across digital channels and e-commerce platforms, brands need to understand consumer behaviours for these types of offerings, and their preferences when using them. For example, research shows the majority of consumers in Singapore prefer to speak with a representative directly when purchasing a TV compared to online or mobile. In contrast, when booking a flight the preference is to self-serve using a digital channel.

Most customer engagements span multiple channels and departments; for e-commerce these often include account management, purchasing a product, resolving an issue, research, and getting a status update. Taking the time to understand the customer journey and behaviours for specific use cases ensures teams prioritise their investments and efforts in areas where they will have the greatest impact. Looking at digital CX in the context of a complete journey helps teams remove siloes that might otherwise hinder progress and impact, cultivate strategic alignment, and uncover unmet needs and opportunities.

Capture customer feedback in the moment

Early in the partnership between CX and marketing teams with digital, it’s important to establish a set of passive listening posts across all digital channels and e-commerce platforms – these should supplement the existing customer feedback programs CX and marketing teams traditionally manage, such as surveys. Common examples of passive listening posts include having a visible and easy-to-use always-on feedback button, or using modern AI-powered experience management technologies to analyse feedback shared by customers across social channels, online reviews, and through calls to the contact centre.

Giving customers the ability to share feedback in the moment helps uncover authentic, targeted, actionable insights and enables teams with real-time, focused insights to drive improvements when and where it matters most.

Use digital analytics to understand online consumer behaviours

Digital analytics help teams capture behavioural data from all site visitors, such as rage-clicking, mouse thrashing, and click-paths. This data is more objective and accurate than traditional feedback data – it reflects what people actually did rather than what they think they might do – and it can be captured continuously and in real time. All these benefits make digital behavioural insights critical for helping develop a dynamic understanding of digital journeys and pain points. 

Take action on feedback when and where it matters

Using AI, CX and marketing teams can benefit from workflows that automatically route feedback to the right stakeholders to take action on. These automated workflows should integrate with the systems and processes stakeholders already use as part of their everyday role, such as Jira, Slack, or Salesforce, to ensure swift adoption. AI will also empower teams to instantly identify and support customers encountering difficulties online, such as using digital analytics data to flag customers that might not be able to find what they’re looking for, or advanced conversational analytics to escalate online chat conversations. 

AI will help teams deeply understand the emotion, intent, and effort behind every engagement, and become more pro-active and predictive to resolve problems before they arise. The keys to optimising the impact of AI-powered workflows is identifying the initial triggers driving action – which can be metrics including CSAT, effort, satisfaction, digital analytics, or even key words – and ensuring ticketing notifications are routed to the correct teams.

AI accelerates and expands e-commerce impact

As organisations and consumers increasingly adopt and embrace AI, there are significant opportunities to drive improvements across every aspect of the customer experience, including digital and e-commerce. 

Right now, organisations are focusing on where AI can have the greatest impact on their business – be it growth, productivity, or operational efficiencies. From these starting points we will see AI programs scale, and there will be a first-mover advantage for those leading the way. Organisations already using AI in their e-commerce and digital offerings – or about to begin – have a head start on the competition, and will be better positioned to deliver great CX in the moment, across every channel, and across every engagement.

This thought leadership is written by Eleanor O’Dwyer-Duggan, CX Solution Strategist, Southeast Asia at Qualtrics

MARKETECH APAC is leading the conversation on the future of e-commerce marketing strategies this 2024 and beyond with the E-Commerce Marketing in Malaysia 2024 conference on July 25, 2024 at Sheraton Petaling Jaya and the E-Commerce Marketing in the Philippines 2024 conference on August 14, 2024 at Crowne Plaza Manila Galleria. Join us and become an integral part of a dynamic community committed to pushing the boundaries of innovation and fostering unparalleled growth in the e-commerce domain.

Sydney, Australia – Large businesses in Australia that collaborate internally between marketing and technology teams and align to business objectives gain productivity benefits of an average A$110 million per year, according to data from end-to-end digital experience software Sitecore, in its latest report with Deloitte Access Economics and Deloitte Digital.

Furthermore, the data suggests that collaboration between marketing and technology functions is critical to making the most of digital investments, where businesses leading the way in collaboration forecast an additional 11% revenue growth in the next year when collaboration is centred around customer needs.

Notably, the report warned that a major challenge to success was that bad projects require more management time to course correct, resulting in diversion from other business matters. 

Sitecore’s survey found that 62% of business leaders who experienced negative impacts of technology investments saw this as a problem, with key challenges mentioned by survey respondents including integration difficulties, money wastage, and loss of innovation.

According to the report, the top two priorities for business leaders over the next five years are scaling existing digital solutions and broader digital transformation, which rank higher than traditionally important objectives like revenue generation and customer retention. Of the business leaders surveyed, 98% consider digital investment pivotal to business strategy.

Lastly, the report recommends that business leaders should develop co-investment strategies to overcome budget barriers, remove organisational barriers to promote collaboration, align marketing and technology teams on business strategy and priorities, and create clear, structural accountability for shared focus areas.

Talking about the report, Joey Lim, president of Sitecore APAC and Japan, said, “Challenges to collaboration can make the case for further digital investment difficult and add to executive resistance to transformational initiatives. Sitecore’s commitment to offering choice through its leadership in both on-prem and SaaS digital experience software uniquely places it as a powerful collaborator when overcoming internal resistance by offering multiple solutions that merge marketing and technology.”

Meanwhile, Troy Outtram, partner at Deloitte Digital, added, “As brands continue to invest in their digital transformation, the benefits for teams that work in harmony are becoming more apparent, with ruthless alignment to business goals serving as the key to success for major projects.”

Australia – Cancer Australia, the lead cancer control agency for the Government of Australia, has worked with independent creative agency Paper Moose to launch an elevated digital experience for its landmark Australian Cancer Plan (The Plan) website.

The creative agency’s remit is to elevate the engagement for Cancer Australia’s ‘The Plan’, a 10-year national strategy to improve cancer care in the country. This included revising the complex information contained within the report to adhere to Web 3.0 standards and making it more consumable for all stakeholders across the cancer care journey.

Furthermore, the visual design of ‘The Plan’ also featured artwork created by Ngarrindjeri artist Jordan Lovegrove of Dreamtime Creative. Titled ‘Our Journeys’, the artwork symbolises the experiences of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with cancer and illustrates the exchange of information and engagement between Cancer Australia and these communities.

With their digital strategy, Paper Moose transformed ‘The Plan’ from a full static document to an accessible and adaptable digitally native format that will continue to develop as it rolls out.

A rigorous planning process made up of Indigenous Australian co-design and stakeholder consultation was undertaken to ensure that the digital ecosystem would benefit all relevant communities, especially the diverse population groups that have vested an interest in the success of ‘The Plan’.

Cancer Australia’s ‘The Plan’ is a transformative agenda that aims to improve the lives of all Australians affected by cancer and works to achieve equity through the acceleration of world-class cancer outcomes.

Brad Bennett, head of client success at Paper Moose, said,  “We’re incredibly proud of our rad work supporting the Australian Cancer Plan. This has been a big effort by the digital team and the whole agency that will ultimately help improve cancer care for all Australians.”

Meanwhile, Claire Howlett, deputy CEO for Cancer Australia, praised Paper Moose for their work on developing the new website for The Plan. 

She said, “For their exceptional understanding of our vision for a transformative platform and their invaluable partnership in creating an innovative digital experience for the Australian Cancer Plan. This collaborative effort will go a long way towards improving outcomes for all Australians affected by all cancer.”

Australia – Local football club Sydney FC has tapped content management system (CMS) company Storyblok to create digital experiences to boost fan engagement amongst its club and reignite their enthusiasm.

For this partnership, the football club worked closely with Herbert Digital, a Storyblok Certified Partner, to build a digital stadium experience with Storyblok in 4 months.

Along with being the main source of content for everything about Sydney FC, the website features an ‘Experience Selector’ that enables fans to pick the best seats for their circumstances and the atmosphere they want to enjoy.

Sydney FC only planned to use the website for the initial return to the stadium, but after seeing this success and experiencing how easy and cost-effective it is to manage content with Storyblok, they decided to continue using it as their primary membership hub.

Jeremy Butler​, head of consumer business, marketing and content at Sydney FC, said, “We were under intense time pressure to create relevant content for the website. The intuitive design of Storyblok was effective in allowing our content team to approach the project with minimal training.”

He added, “We, as marketers, can independently change the content without having to involve developers. This, combined with the ability to view changes in real-time, allowed us to achieve our objective ahead of the deadline.”

Meanwhile, Dominik Angerer, co-Founder and CEO of Storyblok, said, “Great digital experiences generate excitement far beyond the devices that they live on. Sydney FC has been able to use compelling content to drive action by their fans, leading to record revenue and attendance. This is a winning strategy, both on and off the pitch.”

Australia – Marketing platform XRii has revealed details on how various sports clubs are utilising a mix of digital experiences and experiential marketing in order to drive resulst for their respective clubs. This comes at a time where interactivity and engagement have been prevalent through the rise of virtual venues and concerts enabled by AR (augmented reality) and VR (virtual reality) technology.

First off, the baseball league Perth Heat tapped XRii to develop a customised app, which facilitated a AU$50,000 cash giveaway, enabling data collection and rewarding users with in-app incentives. The seamless integration of XRii’s AR technology with digital campaigns and in-venue experiences led to noticeable results.

Meanwhile, the popular sports organisation Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) also tapped the agency for various digital experiences. In 2022, it released FIFA+, an AR app that offers viewers immersive content via mobile devices to bring the action to fans wherever they are, which is sure to bring interaction to the current FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia & New Zealand.

In addition, the Major League Baseball (MLB) also releasedits immersive ‘MLB All-StAR Scavenger Hunt’ last July, bringing the game to life like never before. The first-of-its-kind MLB scavenger hunt engaged fans, earning participation and gaining valuable customer information that could be further used to personalise experiences.

Lastly, the National Football League (NFL) introduced an app with augmented reality (AR) features. Fans can use their cameras to create and share images, incorporating virtual helmets and eye black, on social media platforms. Moreover, it also collaborated with popular sandbox game Roblox to develop a series of virtual experiences.

According to Matthew Endresz, CEO and founder of XRii, the impact of the digital revolution goes beyond enhancing the quality and accessibility of live events. It is also reshaping the business landscape of sports and entertainment, generating new and innovative business models.

“The integration of technology has opened up a plethora of revenue streams, allowing for monetisation opportunities that were previously untapped. To truly capitalise on this exciting time and this massive opportunity, sports clubs must evolve. They have to ensure sports remain captivating for the next generation of fans whilst keeping the current state of sports fandom strong,” he said.