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1DIGITAL.DELAWARECONSULTING.COM

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DIGITALMATURITY

SURVEYWHERE DO YOU STAND TODAY?

2015 REPORT


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WHERE DO YOU

STAND TODAY?

THE WORLD IS CHANGING, AND WE NEED TO CHANGE WITH IT. TO MEET OUR CUSTOMERS’ DEMANDS, WE HAVE TO INVEST IN A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THAT IS FUN, EASY AND EFFICIENT. TO DO SO, WE NEED TO REACH A HIGHER LEVEL OF DIGITAL MATURITY.


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PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRST

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ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEY

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OUR VISION ON DIGITAL MATURITY

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CX AS FUEL FOR GROWTH

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ABOUT THE RESEARCH

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BUILDING DIGITAL MATURITY

INDEX

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SOME ‘‘LOVE STORIES’’


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PUTTING THE CUSTOMER FIRSTTHANKS TO TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTERNET, CUSTOMERS CAN GET THEIR PRODUCTS FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, AT COMPETI-TIVE PRICES. TO KEEP CUSTOMERS HAPPY, COMPANIES WILL HAVE TO GO THE EXTRA MILE.

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TODAY, WE ARE ALL GLOBAL PLAYERSTHANKS TO TECHNOLOGY AND THE INTERNET, CUSTOMERS CAN GET PRODUCTS FROM ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD AT COMPETITIVE PRICES

They are always connected and have high standards when it comes to products and customer service. This modern customer would like everything served on a platter, in real-time, wherever they are. It is difficult to overcome that changing digital landscape, but for most companies it is do or die.

Start-ups are answering customers’ questions with answers that push the boundaries of whatever was the norm before. Customers don’t want to

hunt down a cab or wait for half an hour for it to get to a certain location? Uber gives them an answer that traditional taxi cab companies had not previously thought of or were postponing. This is called disruption, and it is all around us.

Companies have to adapt to these new realities; there is simply no alternative. In order to stand out, they have to change the way their organization works and thinks. They need to put the customer in the spotlight. Offer a better service. Create a lasting connection. Businesses need to write their customer’s love story, across all of the different touch points in the customer journey.

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THE IMPORTANCE OF DIGITAL MATURITY

Writing your customer’s love story will require the support of each department within the company. That is why a general mind shift is so important in reaching digital maturity.

The readiness with which companies can embrace disruption and this new customer journey, as it were, is very much dependent on company culture.

We see a strong correlation between a customer-centric organization, overall digital maturity and ultimately, revenue.

A lot of data concerning foreign markets already exists, but thus far, we don’t have a clear overview of the digital maturity in Belgium. A survey seemed like a valuable tool to determine the disruption-readiness of our Belgian organizations.

A clear overview of the current state of digital maturity will allow companies to devise a roadmap to grow and mature, and to remain successful in an increasingly complex world. The future is now, and you can reach it one step at a time.

The future is now, and you can reach it one step at a time.

6 DIGITAL.DELAWARECONSULTING.COM


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ABOUT THE RESEARCHTO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE DIGITAL MATURITY OF BELGIAN COMPANIES, WE INTERVIEWED 213 OF THEM. WE ASKED QUESTIONS ON TWO MAJOR TOPICS: DIGITAL INTENSITY AND THE DIGITAL ORGANIZATION.

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METHODOLOGY

Before conducting this survey, we asked the students of Karel de Grote University College to conduct 14 unstructured interviews with a diverse selection of companies to gauge their views on digital maturity and today’s business landscape.

With this feedback, we created a list of 42 questions that would allow us to map the overall digital maturity on two axes: the intensity of digital activities (elements visible for the customer) and operational aspects related to digital within the organization (strategy, governance, tools).

Our researchers then used a stratified random sample to conduct structured interviews with 327 companies. Out of these, 114 companies do not actively operate in an online capacity. They were therefore not included in the survey. Instead, we are only taking into account the 213 companies that did report at least some level of digital activity.

These are the regions the companies are active in

Students conducted full surveys from 213 companies

BELGIUM

100%EUROPE

13%INTERNATIONAL

37%

327 companies

responded to our survey


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ABOUT THE COMPANIES

To get a realistic view of the Belgian digital landscape, we interviewed a diverse range of companies of different sizes and from different sectors. That way, we created a balance between

B2B and B2C companies, those who offer e-commerce services (B2B as well as B2C) and those who don’t, multinationals and local companies, you name it.

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We see a rather varied range of digital budget spending. That being said, it is clear that the vast majority of Belgian companies invest as little as 0-10% of their annual budget on digital development and innovation.

REVENUE

Revenue is a delicate matter in a lot of organizations, and a little under half of the respondents were not comfortable disclosing revenue information about their company or simply did not know their organization’s revenue.



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DIGITAL MATURITY AXESTHE DIGITAL MATURITY AXES ARE THE TWO DETERMINANTS FOR CALCULATING DIGITAL MATURITY. THEY ARE TWO VERY DIFFERENT YET RELATED DIMENSIONS AND TOGETHER, THEY GIVE US A CLEAR VIEW OF THE CURRENT DIGITAL STATE OF OUR BELGIAN ORGANIZATIONS.

1/ DIGITAL INTENSITY

This is the first axis on which we’ve mapped digital maturity of our 213 Belgian companies. Digital intensity measures the digital activities of a company, without taking into account attributes such as organization, strategy, governance and cross-channel consistency. A high digital intensity shows eagerness to break into digital and awareness of potential digital advantages.

You will primarily recognize these activities in customer-facing initiatives such as mobile, social and e-mail marketing.

2/ DIGITAL ORGANIZATION

In order to truly become a digital leader, it is important to take into account the way a company is organized to deliver digital activities. This is the second axis on which we assess digital maturity in Belgian companies.

Digital organization measures the vision of the company regarding digital, governance and tools, omni-channel thinking and the evolution of company culture. To succeed in today’s world, companies need a mind shift. This axis measures the company’s readiness for digital transformation.


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1/ DIGITAL LAGGARD

The digital laggard has taken its first steps toward digital maturity, but is still finding its footing. Laggards often see the potential of digital, but hold off because they are afraid to lose the physical connection with their customers, are scared to make mistakes or are hesitant to invest in digital with no guaranteed results.

Some of them state that they are in a holding pattern because most of their sector-specific competitors are reluctant to move as well.

2/ DIGITAL CAMPAIGNER

These busy bees are the first to adopt new technologies. They are building mobile apps, rocking it on social, launching remarketing campaigns — you name it. They do, however, tend to struggle with vision and a cultural mindshift, which is where we find their room to grow. Their efforts tend to be a tad uncoordinated, their data analysis limited.

They are eager to take the next step toward digital leadership, but might lack funds, vision or C-suite buy-in to incorporate governance, tools, strategy and omni-channel thinking into the heart of their business.

3/ DIGITAL OPERATOR

On the opposite end of the spectrum we have the digital operator. This particular creature realizes the importance of the digital organization, but holds off on launching full-fledged digital initiatives. They might be thoroughly planning their digital efforts and releasing them in phases, or they might not yet see the urgency for action. Either way, we will not be seeing advanced digital evolutions from them in the near future.

4/ DIGITAL LEADER

These are the front-runners in the digital maturity race. Digital leaders have a clear vision of their place in the digital future, and they are working hard to transform into an organization that thrives in the face of disruption. They have a dedicated team that concerns itself with digital and they have useful tools and technologies in place.

THE CATEGORIESWhen we map our two maturity axes on an XY graph, we can divide our companies into four distinct categories. Each category is characterized by a different organizational stage and activity level. All categories have specific challenges cut out for them.



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THE DIGITAL MATURITY OF BELGIAN COMPANIES MAPPED

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ANALYSIS OF THE SURVEYAPART FROM A COLLECTION OF GENERAL CONCLUSIONS, WE’VE DISCERNED A FEW FACTORS THAT HAVE A GREAT INFLUENCE ON THE DIGITAL MATURITY OF COMPANIES.


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WHAT’S INTERESTING ABOUT MEASURING THE LEVEL OF DIGITAL MATURITY IN BELGIAN COMPANIES IS THAT IT’S A REALLY GOOD INDICATOR OF CUSTOMER CENTRICITY.

For a lot of companies, putting the customer first is truly becoming the main differentiating factor in grappling with the competition.

Mapping the digital intensity and the digital organization can show us how companies are dealing with today’s digital disruption. It helps us to understand how organizations keep the customer on top of their priority list, despite the lure of new tools and technologies.

Companies that understand how to use these tools and technologies to simplify their customers’ lives are the ones who come out on top.

1/ E-COMMERCE

We made a distinction between those that are involved in e-commerce and those that aren’t, both in B2B and B2C markets. Companies that bravely walk the path of e-commerce have to be extra careful catering to customers. fulfillment flows become more complicated, and there is more room for error in the user experience process. Those who provide e-commerce will often be further up the digital maturity ladder, simply because they have to be.

LAGGARD 35%

CAMPAIGNER 16%

OPERATOR 18%

LEADER 31%

LAGGARD 74%

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2/ SECTOR

Digital maturity also tends to be dependent on the company’s sector. Some sectors require a more advanced level of digital maturity to survive. Others tend to be conservative purely because of the precarious nature of their sector. Think of banks and insurance for example. That’s why it is not surprising to see such companies in the digital operator quadrant.

COMPANIES THAT OFFER E-COMMERCE COMPANIES THAT DON’T OFFER E-COMMERCE

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DIGITAL MATURITY BASED ON COMPANY SIZE

3/ NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

Larger companies tend to be more digitally mature than their smaller counterparts. This is most likely because they tend to have more funds available to invest in personnel, tools and technologies. Don’t count out the little ones just yet though. Constraints can lead to creative innovation.

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STRONG SUITS1/ THE WEBSITE

The company website is still the pinnacle of most organizations’ online activity. Although it takes very different shapes and forms depending on the digital maturity of a company, it remains a staple in the digital strategy. Our research suggests that 68% of Belgian websites are still purely informative. They are a one-size-fits-all digital brochure.

2/ MOBILE

Currently, 44% of these websites are responsive, and therefore easily viewable on mobile. 8% of respondents claim to have a separate mobile website and 14% of respondents offer a mobile app. This is starting to become rather worrisome, as 80% of users view websites from their smartphone. Brands seem to be catching on though, as a lot of respondents in this survey reported that they are working on releasing a mobile solution.

3/ UPDATE FREQUENCY

Most websites are still quite basic, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t well tended-to. One third of respondents update their website at least once a day, closely followed by those who make changes weekly (29%) or monthly (18%). It is but a small minority that updates their website less frequently (periodically or annually). Customers are always looking for up-to-date information and the newest products and luckily, brands are following suit.

4/ ONLINE ADVERTISING

Half of the respondents in this survey claim they advertise online, but there is a lot to be considered when talking about online advertising. Investing in Google Adwords that are only displayed on the Google Search Network can be a low threshold initiative with limited initial upkeep rates. We notice, however, that digital leaders tend to invest more in advanced advertising solutions and smart remarketing techniques.

Top players will make sure that users that have already purchased a certain product will be offered cross & upsell opportunities for their purchase, rather than receiving generic advertising for one particular item, even when that item has already been purchased. For some sectors, such as retail, these more advanced advertising techniques are more relevant than for others.

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5/ SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media appears to be quite popular with most companies. The seemingly low- effort investment of starting a social channel is considered ‘low-hanging fruit’, but these channels are often challenging to maintain. Social media management is often lumped in with the day-to-day tasks of an employee from the marketing or communication department. Only 4% of companies claim to employ a full-time community manager.

We see that 76% of companies have at least one social media account. Among which, Facebook is definitely the most popular, with 87%. Twitter and Linkedin lag closely behind with percentages in the 60s. Surprisingly, a whopping 45% of respondents claim to have a YouTube account. Google+, Instagram and Pinterest each garner around 15%, despite the growing popularity of the latter two.

In Belgium, social media is still mostly a one- way street though. Only 28% of companies active on social media actually respond to customer queries.

That means, that for 72% of companies, social media is nothing more than a broadcast channel. The survey shows that more advanced players invest in interaction and community.

6/ E-MAIL MARKETING

Newsletters remain a popular marketing tool for many companies, B2B and B2C alike. They are currently sent out by 61% of all companies questioned. They are followed closely by invitations to events (48%) and promotions (39%). Remarketing remains elusive for a large portion of companies. Only 8% reports practicing remarketing through e-mail. Most companies send an e-mail blast at least once a month.

28%of companies reply

to questions on social media



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PROFICIENCY GAPS

DURING OUR RESEARCH, IT BECAME APPARENT THAT COMPANIES STILL HAVE A FEW STRIDES TO TAKE WHEN IT COMES TO DIGITAL MATURITY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE.

A lot of companies know this and are eager to move forward, but limitations such as budget constraints and lack of buy-in from the C-suite make it harder for them to really go full throttle. Today’s customer is often expecting a type of added value that is challenging to achieve, because it requires the implementation of additional new technologies or an impactful change in the organization.

1/ FEAR

Among many Belgian companies, fear seems to be the main factor that is holding them back from growing digitally. 23% think digital is just too much to take on or too complex. They fear that you can only go from 0 to 100 and there is no in-between. 17% think they will stumble upon

technological challenges. Investing in unknown technologies, especially when you have no idea of the eventual return, can be daunting. 14% think a lack of physical contact will do them in.

Shifting the entire way you’ve always done business is not an easy feat. Miscommunication, spam and security and negative feedback from clients are some less common stumbling blocks.

A lot can be said to reassure these hesitant innovators. It is by no means necessary to shift from 0 to 100 in one fell swoop. Digital transformation is a process, and small steps will go a long way.

2/ DATA AND PERSONALIZATION

Every customer wants a product and a service that is tailored to them, and businesses are eager to please. Half of the respondents in this survey already practice personalization in some way or another, but there is definitely room for improvement.

Many companies are currently capturing basic data, but they don’t really know how to use it. In order to truly leverage the power of personalization, companies need to learn how to select the right data and turn it into actionable insights. The biggest challenges to achieve this are a lack of appropriate data mining technology, a lack of high-quality data and a lack of talent to interpret that data.

3/ ORGANIZATION At this point, marketing, communication and sales are the main contributors to the digital aspect of the organization. Few organizations have a dedicated digital department. Those that do usually have 1-5 employees.

This means that there is a great opportunity for organizations to create internal digital task forces that concern themselves with fostering a company-wide digital transformation.

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SURFING BEHAVIORPROFILE INFORMATION

LAGGARD CAMPAIGNER OPERATOR LEADER

BELGIAN COMPANIES PERSONALIZE BASED ON

NAME LOCATIONCUSTOMER SEGMENT



BUILDING DIGITAL MATURITYNOW THAT WE’VE TAKEN A LOOK AT THE DIGITAL STRONG SUITS AND PROFICIENCY GAPS FOR OUR BELGIAN ORGANIZATIONS, WE WILL DIVE DEEPER INTO FOCAL POINTS FOR FUTURE GROWTH.

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FOCAL POINTS FOR GROWTH 1/ OPPORTUNITIES

89% of all companies believe their digital activities will be expanding in the following years.

The remaining respondents cite the following causes for the stagnation of their digital activities: no need to grow, no funds to grow, or a lack of digital growth in their sector.

Those who are planning to invest in digital are most excited about new technologies, increased digital performance and the rapid expansion of mobile.

On average, companies awarded themselves a 6.5/10 regarding their

digital pursuits, regardless of the quadrant they were in. All companies appear to be equally satisfied with their digital marketing efforts,

whether they are beginners, intermediates or experts.



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2/ TOOLS Most Belgian companies only have a limited number of tools available. Just a little over half of the Belgian companies have a content management system in place. Analytics tools are doing a lot better, with 77%.

We notice, however, that they are not always actively used. Companies should at least have a few basic KPIs in place that they are motivated to measure.

More advanced systems such as product information management systems or data asset management systems (a single source of truth) are more rare and often even unknown to companies.

Tools will play an important part in winning over the customer, as they are the gateway to a consistent customer experience. Solid, connected back-end systems that distribute product information in a unified data stream will ensure a harmonious customer experience.

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3/ MOBILE

The smartphone has become a constant companion. It is not only a great tool for customers, but it is also very useful to marketers as it allows communication whenever, wherever, and it can add relevancy through factors such as location. At this point in time, brand communication should be useful to the customer, not just add more noise to an increasingly loud world. Context is a great way to make sure you are getting your communication to the right customer at the right time.

4/ THE DIGITAL DEPARTMENT

Only 8% of companies claim to have a digital department. Most of those departments have 1-5 employees.

The digital department can be a great asset to companies as it helps to accelerate a general mindshift within the company. They are essential to breaking down silos that will bring organizations to the next level of digital maturity. Presently, digital activities are often monitored by either the marketing, the communication or the sales department.

5/ STRATEGY

Having a clear view of how you want to grow as a company is a vital step in actually achieving it. It blatantly shows in the numbers: digital leaders have a clear strategy set out, not just a vague plan or general approacch

8%Only 8%

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OUR VISION ON DIGITAL MATURITYTHE TRENDS THAT WE DIS- COVERED IN THIS SURVEY LED US TO A CLEARER VISION FOR DIGITAL MATURITY IN THE FUTURE. IN THIS CHAPTER, WE SHARE OUR THOUGHTS ON THE EVOLUTION OF THE BELGIAN DIGITAL LANDSCAPE.


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2/ THE NEW CUSTOMER JOURNEY

There are myriad tools and technologies that can help us adapt to this new way of doing business. Take iBeacons for example. These small devices can minutely register a customer’s smartphone when the two devices are in proximity to each other. This gives businesses a great advantage, as they can use location to create a better context and higher relevance.

Context and relevance are rapidly evolving into the big guns that fuel the improvement of customer satisfaction. If we know when to engage with a customer and why, we avoid being annoying and unwanted, and we can target customers with relevant offers and campaigns that will be sure to put smiles on their faces.

3/ SINGLE SOURCE OF TRUTH

In order to craft this unique customer experience, you need to offer the customer information that is relevant, consistent and always up-to-date. To do that, you need a uniform, consolidated source for your data. This is a multi-disciplinary process, because today’s customer will often consult various touch points before making a decision. Having a unified, reliable data stream or single source of truth is a must at this point.

To achieve that, you not only need the technology that makes it possible, you also need a certain digital maturity in your organization in order to reach greatness. That’s why we found it so important to truly map the digital maturity of Belgian companies. It will help companies to take the next step in their quest for success.

1/ THE EVER-CONNECTED CUSTOMER

Customers will pretty much literally not put their smartphone down. This constant companion is a great opportunity for businesses to get to know a lot more about their customers.

Research shows that most consumers are very much willing to give up personal information if it means they will be provided with some form of added value. Whether this is a more personalized service or a great, relevant product discount is up to you.

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TYING TOGETHER DIGITAL MATURITY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

IT HAS BECOME CLEAR THAT THERE IS AN INTRICATE LINK BETWEEN DIGITAL MATURITY AND CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE. DIGITAL MATURITY WILL BECOME THE MEANS TO CREATE A CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE THAT IS FUN, EFFICIENT AND EASY.

1/ BACK TO BASICS

Despite huge technological innovations, business is essentially devolving back to its roots: helping the customer and providing high quality products and services. Because of this, the customer is once again at the heart of all of your business initiatives. Making your customer fall in love with your brand will become your biggest priority. Technology evidently still plays an important part in this digital world, but merely as a driver for customer experience, not a purpose in its own right.

2/ DIGITAL MATURITY AS A PREREQUISITE FOR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

All companies agree that customer experience is going to be the way to go in the near future. Customer-centric measures such as targeting and personalization, content optimization, social media engagement and multichannel campaign management are at the top of companies’ priority lists for 2015.

In order to develop these areas, however, you need a certain level of digital maturity. This goes to show how important the digital maturity of our Belgian companies is.

As soon as a certain level of maturity is reached, companies can take the next step and become a truly customer-centric, digital organization.

3/ NURTURING YOUR CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Growing your maturity level will allow you to nurture your customer experience, and there are three things you really need to focus on when doing so.

Firstly, it is important for customers to get value from your customer experience. Secondly, they have to get that value without difficulty. And lastly, they should feel good about the experience.

These focal points will guide you to the heart of your customer, with the help of tools, technologies, and the conviction of your entire, united organization. This theory is also confirmed by international research organizations like Forrester.



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ˮSOME LOVE STORIESˮDiscover how brands like Game Mania, NMBS, Acerta,

Pioneer and Unilin put their customers first, time and time again, in these in-depth interviews.


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AVEVEWE BELIEVE THAT DIGITAL AND PHYSICAL WILL PERFECTLY COMPLEMENT EACH OTHER INSTEAD OF COMPETING.


EVER VISITED A SHOP OF AVEVE, BELGIUM’S MARKET LEADER IN AGRICULTURAL AND HORTICULTURAL SUPPLIES? IF YOU DID, YOU WERE PROBABLY SURPRISED TO SEE HOW ITS ASSORTMENT MEETS THE NEEDS OF EVERYONE WITH A PASSION FOR GARDENING, ANIMALS AND HOME BAKING.

More than in its brick-and-mortar stores, however, AVEVE is also connecting with its customers online. It’s even constantly sharpening its digital sales strategy.

1/ STEP-BY-STEP ACTION PLAN

“AVEVE is a strong brand, with loyal customers. Yet we knew that we had to reach out to our customers online too, if we wanted to retain or, better still, strengthen our bonds with them,” explains Christel Berings, Marketing and Communications Manager.

In 2014, AVEVE developed a well-defined digital strategy and an action plan, including clear milestones. Step one was the design of a responsive, interactive website targeting AVEVE’s ‘home-baking’ customers.

2/ THE WEBSITE AS A VISITOR EXPERIENCE

Christel: “In fact, we first mapped the customer journey to understand how people interact with AVEVE today. These insights were of great help when building the website.” The brand-new home baking website is a Pinterest-style site, with a fresh look and feel, where visitors find recipes, inspiration, stories, expert advice and product information.

The site is linked to Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Pinterest – the social media channels that AVEVE uses to actively communicate with its customers too. “The results are very encouraging,” says Christel. “We have more

visitors, who stay on our website longer. Customers are really wowed and tell us how they appreciate the inspiration and information.”

3/ PRODUCT CONTENT MANAGEMENT

“Based on the learnings from this pilot project, we’ll soon be building new websites for our ‘animals’ and ‘gardening’ target groups, as well as a new general AVEVE website. In addition, we are currently defining the scope of a product content management system that will help us define what content to share with which customers, when and via which channels.”

In a next stage, Christel and her colleagues also want to leverage the power of Business Intelligence to gain better insights into customer needs and demands. In this way, they’ll be able to personalize their marketing efforts.

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4/ PRODUCT CONTENT MANAGEMENT

AVEVE has 250 sales outlets, 200 of which are operated by independent franchise holders. In spite of the rise in digital efforts, the physical stores continue to play a lead role in the company’s business strategy. “We resolutely chose to use an omnichannel approach: our digital communications help us generate traffic to the physical shops, where customers find the real AVEVE experts.

Personal service and knowledgeable assistance may be one of the main reasons why customers are coming to our shops. That means that our shopkeepers and assistance must be available at all times, to lend advice and assistance. We’re therefore also looking for ways to digitize workflows and systems in our stores, so that our people have more time to focus on the customers.”

5/ BLURRED LINES

Christel adds how she insists on involving the franchise holders in every digital effort that AVEVE takes: “We share our initiatives with them and ask for their feedback. They, too, understand how crucial it is to embrace and leverage the digital revolution.”

And what about e-commerce? “That’s another item on our wish list. Anyway, the lines between online and offline are blurred already. We are, for example, currently testing a new approach that allows customers to occasionally reserve product packages online and pick them up from a local store. Or reserve a product from the catalogue in a store and have it shipped to their home. We believe that digital and physical will perfectly complement each other in the future of AVEVE, instead of competing with each other.”

“We first mapped the customer journey to understand how people interact with AVEVE today. These

insights are of great help.”



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UNILINLEADING THE PELOTON, IN FLOORING, IN CYCLING AND IN DIGITIZATION


103 DAYS: THAT’S THE STAGGERING AMOUNT OF TIME THAT CONSUMERS, ON AVERAGE, SPEND GATHERING INFORMATION BEFORE TAKING A DECISION ON THE PURCHASE OF FLOORING. MOST OF THEM DO THAT RESEARCH ONLINE BEFORE HEADING OUT TO THE STORE.

As a manufacturer of premium parquet and laminate under the Quick-Step and Pergo brands, UNILIN invests big in its digital strategy to engage with its (potential) customers in the best possible way.

1/ FLOOR ADVISOR

Just before writing this article, we read how Quick-Step had introduced a ‘Virtual Floor Styler’. Using the latest Oculus DK2 technology, the head-mounted display offers a unique 3D experience that allows users to select a floor

covering, project it into a real-life interior and walk around in the virtual room. A brochure that’s come to life, so to speak. A sneak peak at UNILIN’s online presence reveals that the company is indeed following the latest trends, also when it comes to digitization.

“We would even venture to say that we’re frontrunners,” says Tim Hennin, International e-business manager. “In 2012 already, we decided to seriously upgrade our websites to enhance the visitor experience. After all, showing static samples of flooring and providing product information is not enough, these days, to connect successfully with prospects. What people really want, is inspiration and, most importantly, an idea of how our flooring will look in their home. So we developed our ‘Floor Advisor’ simulation tool. As a result, we see that people stay on our websites much longer.”

2/ E-COMMERCE + DEALERS

To further strengthen its bond with (potential) customers, UNILIN is now launching a dedicated mobile website. The new website will mainly aim at providing details on dealers, for people to check ‘on the go’, and ‘how-to’ information, which comes in handy for handymen who are installing their UNILIN floor. What about e-commerce? “In 2009 already, we added e-commerce capability to our sites, for four countries and we’re working hard to reinforce that channel too,” Tim explains.

He does underline the importance of omnichannel, though: “Omnichannel is about allowing the consumer to take each step of his journey in each channel. So we provide online visitors with information on our dealer’s showrooms. In our e-commerce approach, we make sure that our retailers can fulfill the orders we get.”

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3/ METRICS AND PERSONALIZATION

An in-house team team is involved in the digital marketing efforts of Quick-Step and Pergo. “In fact, everyone in our company believes in the power of digital,” says Tim, “which is really crucial to make this a success.” Right now, UNILIN focuses on metrics to measure and analyse the success of its digital efforts and hopes to increasingly personalize the digital experience it offers: “We keep track of our Facebook advertisements, use Google Analytics and also test what emails, banners or campaigns work best.

We hope to advance our marketing automation efforts in the near future, to see how we can further improve communication with the consumers, in every single step of their purchasing journey. Personalization will be increasingly important, that’s for sure, to win the customer over.”

“Technology changes at dazzling speed yet UNILIN is really committed to leading the peloton. Whether it’s in flooring, in cycling or in digitization…,” says Tim, laughing.

In fact, everyone at UNILIN believes in the power of digital, which is really

crucial to make this a success.



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GAME MANIADIGITIZATION AS A WAY OF ADDING VALUE TO A COMMUNITY OF EARLY ADOPTERS


WHEN GAME MANIA SOLD ITS VERY FIRST COMPUTER GAMES IN 1994, ‘GAMING’ WAS STILL A NICHE PHENOMENON. TODAY, IT HAS BECOME A BILLION DOLLAR INDUSTRY. DIGITIZATION IS, HOWEVER, ROCKING THE FOUNDATIONS OF THE GAMING BUSINESS.

Game retailers like Game Mania are facing double digital disruption, as both the retail channel and the products themselves are increasingly digitized. A threat? Not for Game Mania. Always a game changer, the company is reshaping its strategy to position for success in today’s increasingly digital world.

1/ 500,000 UNIQUE VISITS/MONTH

Game Mania has always been at the forefront of technology. The gaming expert has been communicating with customers via text messages for over ten years now. Its interactive website went on line in the early 2000s, when the first

e-newsletters were sent, and in 2011 Game Mania opened its Facebook account. The Belgian and Dutch Facebook pages currently have ca. 70,000 likes – without any ‘like and win’ contests or any other commercial initiatives - while the websites boast over 500,000 unique visitors per month. “Our target group is, of course, strongly digitally oriented so it’s simply critical for us to embrace digital,” says Kris Lenaerts, managing director.

2/ CREATE ADDED VALUE AND BUILD A VIRAL COMMUNITY

Kris highlights how Game Mania’s digital strategy revolves around the importance of ‘adding customer value’, through an omni-channel approach: “We’ve always put the customer first. The technology that’s available today – from online thru’ to mobile, social media and maybe even beacon technology in the near future – helps us create more value, by providing gamers with relevant and fun content and bringing them

together in a community.” Game Mania does, however, strongly believe in an omni-channel approach that combines online, offline and mobile with its physical network of shops. The recent, successful launch of the ‘Click and Collect’ service, which implies that customers can order on line and collect the products in their favourite Game Mania store – is a good example of this.

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3/ THE RIGHT MINDSET So who’s behind this well elaborated strategy, we wonder? “Every single Game Mania employee understands how crucial it is for us to go digital. So we’ve all got the right mindset. More specifically, we can count on a strong and creative team to develop and maintain our website and launch social media and community initiatives. Our in-house team is backed up by external experts, who work out our digital strategy and measure and analyze the results. Just recently, we’ve also hired a community manager – a fanatic gamer herself.

Her job is to create relevant content for social media and expand the channel, while also elaborating our community. Last but not least, let’s certainly not forget our passionate staff in the shops. As our live customer touchpoints, they can provide our customers with real added value too, in the omnichannel Game Mania experience.”

4/ EARLY ADOPTERS Kris and his team are ambitious. They have plans to launch a revolutionary, mobile loyalty app (including, of course, gaming features), build an online shop that is fully integrated with the offline channel, install an in-store kiosk with real time insight of stock availability and are looking into the possibilities of personalization. “Sure, it’s a challenge to stay relevant in today’s fast-paced digital world. Yet our customers are early adopters and we’ve always been a game changer. It’s really exciting to ride this new digital wave!”

The digital technology helps us create more value, by providing gamers with relevant and fun content and bringing

them together in a viral community.



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HOW KEY IS IT FOR SERVICES COMPANIES LIKE ACERTA, ONE OF BELGIUM’S LEADING HR SERVICES PROVIDERS, TO GO DIGITAL? “IT’S SIMPLY A MUST,” SAYS ACERTA’S ICT DIRECTOR KOEN WILLEMS. “DIGITIZATION IS REWRITING THE RULES OF COMPETITION.

As our customers are always connected, we have to be available round the clock to offer the information and support they’re looking for, 24/7.” Acerta is well on its journey to becoming a truly digital organization.

1/ DIGITAL VISION AND STRATEGY

“Customer expectations are high these days,” says Koen. “People are searching online for the information or products they need – whenever and wherever they want, via all kinds of devices.” To optimally meet these customer demands, Acerta decided, in 2014, to define a clear digital vision and strategy. “A digital transformation

requires much more than digital technology. Operating models, skills, organizational structures, and roles need to be redesigned. That means that the IT – or the marketing – teams are not the only ones in the driving seat,” Koen explains. “We’ve therefore set up a cross-divisional project group that meets regularly to outline our digital vision, organize resources and write a roadmap. We’ve now determined the stakeholders, defined the roles and written an investment file.”

2/ WWW.ACERTA24.BE

Not that Acerta was totally digital illiterate before it embarked upon this ambitious project. The company already provided many online services for its users to gain insights, engage and transact. “Our website covers a broad range of HR-related topics and social media plays a lead role in our external communications approach. One dedicated colleague manages our social media

presence. We make sure that she’s backed up in the weekends too, so that we can always react fast to any question or comment that’s posted.” In 2014, Acerta launched ‘www.acerta24.be’: an online portal with HR-related tips, information and intuitive tools and apps that provide true added value. “The customer journey was our starting-point here: we built the website around the different steps that an HR team is involved in, from recruitment through to dismissal.”

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3/ PERSONALIZED CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE

Organisations that wish to truly improve the customer experience must indeed clearly focus on the customer journey. That implies a deep understanding of who the customer is and what (s)he needs. “In 2014, we launched ‘Acerta Connect’, a platform of digital tools that grow in line with the customers’ needs,” says Koen. “In fact, the fundamental cornerstone of putting users first lies in great user research: we need to know what our customers need and how/where/when they want it. So our data models should be adjusted and rebuilt to gain customer insights. Once we’ve achieved that aim, we’ll be

able to provide a truly personalized customer experience, 24/7 – to serve our customers to the max and market Acerta as the expert in HR services.”

The fundamental cornerstone of putting users first lies in great user

research: we need to know what our customers want and how/where/when

they want it



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PIONEER BELGUMSTEPPING UP A GEAR TO ENGAGE WITH OUR CUSTOMERS


PIONEER SPECIALIZES IN DIGITAL ENTERTAINMENT PRODUCTS. BUT IS THE COMPANY ALSO A DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS PIONEER THAT LEVERAGES THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION TO ENGAGE WITH ITS ‘ALWAYS CONNECTED CUSTOMERS’?

We asked Philippe Weyers, Marketing and Communications Manager at the Pioneer Europe headquarters in Melsele. “We understand how crucial it is to go digital and we are working hard to get there – step by step.”

1/ BUILD A VIRTUAL COMMUNITY

Pioneer markets and distributes several different product lines: entertainment solutions for the home (audio and video) and the car, DJ gear and, more recently, cycling computers too. Philippe and his team focus on promoting the home and car products. “The markets for DJ equipment and

cycling products are really niche markets, which are addressed through a dedicated marketing strategy. Social media, YouTube and technology like apps are vital to engage with these target audiences and build a close community. As for the home and car products, we’re now stepping up a gear too.”

2/ NEW WEBSITE TO CULTIVATE CUSTOMER ENGAGEMENT

“No matter how broad the range of new technologies and channels, we believe that a company website remains crucial to share product information and engage with customers. The Pioneer website that went live in 2008, however, no longer meets the needs of today’s digital customers. We are therefore preparing a complete makeover of the layout, concept, platform, etc.,” Philippe continues. “The new website will be responsive, of course, and share Pioneer stories, inspiration and advice in order

to truly engage with (potential) customers, rather than being an encyclopedia stuffed with product information.”

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3/ FROM SOCIAL MEDIA TO APPS

Interaction is also the main objective of the Pioneer Facebook page, which was created back in 2008, and of Pioneer’s new Instagram account. Consumers also appreciate the videos – including a broad range of ‘how-to’ videos – that Pioneer posts on its dedicated YouTube channel. “

Pioneer is developing high-end equipment so we should really be at the leading edge of digitization as well,” says Philippe. “Besides strengthening our social media approach, we developed several mobile apps to support, for example, our car navigation solutions, as we’re well aware that mobile is the way forward.”experience, 24/7 – to serve our customers to the max and market Acerta as the expert in HR services.”

4/ FOLLOWING TRENDS

“Pioneer follows trends, rather than being a trendsetter. The road to digital transformation is long and paved with several challenges in the fields of both technology and people/organization,” Philippe admits. “Our organizational structure is, for example, not ready yet for e-commerce, and our team is currently too small to elaborate a unified approach to digital transformation. Yet we are learning a lot and the change has started. The new website will be a major leap forward, which will surely spark new initiatives.”

The fundamental cornerstone of putting users first lies in great user

research: we need to know what our customers want and how/where/when

they want it



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SNCB (NMBS) EUROPEDIGITIZATION@NMBS EUROPE: FULL STEAM AHEAD


SNCB EUROPE, A SUBSIDIARY OF THE NATIONAL RAILWAY COMPANY, SELLS OVER 500,000 INTERNATIONAL TRAIN TICKETS PER MONTH, 45% OF WHICH THROUGH ITS WEBSITE.

As competition is growing fiercer day by day, we are continually fine-tuning our e-commerce tools to make them more responsive and easier to use, while driving up our social media efforts. Moreover, personalization is now key to win the hearts of today’s travelers,” says e-commerce manager Sven De Clercq.

1/ FROM EUR 35M TO 125M

Sven came on board SNCB Europe in 2009, just in time to coordinate the construction of the brand-new e-commerce website: “Train bookings are complex processes in which many systems and business rules need to interact with each other. For an end-user, however,

booking an international train should be an easy, straightforward process. That was our key focus while developing our new website and, later, the mobile apps.”

These efforts clearly bore fruit: the turnover of online sales grew from EUR35m in 2009 to EUR125m today, while the number of NMBS staff involved in the digital transformation quadrupled. Sven: “The results were very good, yet we keep growing our online expertise and updating the website to further improve the booking process. Continuous innovation, effort and investment are simply a must to remain the frontrunner that we want to be. ”

2/ WINNING THE CUSTOMER’S HEART

The next big projects of the SNCB Europe team include developing a truly responsive website, making the sales and marketing efforts more international and conducting far-going customer

segmentation. “Our customer base is large, featuring many satisfied clients from around the world,” says Sven. “But the competition is ever fiercer, with several start-ups that are really disrupting the market of ticket booking services. So we really have to pamper our (potential) customers, by providing the very best booking experience. Customer segmentation can help us communicate with our clients in a personalized way, so that they feel like we really know them. This approach requires an advanced use of our CRM system, as well as sophisticated data management.”

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3/ @NMBSEUROPE: 2,351 FOLLOWERS; FACEBOOK: +100,000 FANS Does SNCB Europe have a social media strategy too? “Absolutely. We are very active on Facebook and Twitter, sharing information and, increasingly, answering questions and providing support. Our staff, e.g. the people in our international contact center, who were used to handling questions and sales of SNCB Europe products via offline channels in the past, have attended a series of training sessions and hands-on workshops to work adeptly with social media. They can now help our customers via email, Facebook, Twitter, chat or even screen sharing.”

4/ THE POWER OF OMNICHANNEL People who have questions on complex journeys that are not bookable online are, of course, automatically redirected from the website to the SNCB Europe contact center, the stations or approved travel agencies. “That really is the power of SNCB Europe. The online competitors, who are rapidly gaining market share, can’t assist their clients in the stations in case of incidents, strikes, etc.

Our multichannel approach, focusing on optimal customer service, is an important strength and a critical competitive advantage that we must absolutely keep. While, of course, continuing to reinforce our digital efforts too. These certainly are exciting times,” Sven concludes.

Customer segmentation can help us communicate with our clients in a more personalized way, so that they feel like

we really understand them.



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CX AS FUEL FOR GROWTHCUSTOMER EXPERIENCE IS GOING TO BE THE MAIN FOCAL POINT FOR MOST COMPANIES IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS. DIGITAL MATURITY WILL ENABLE THEM TO GROW AND TO OVERCOME THE CHALLENGES OF DIGITAL DISRUPTION.

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WE HOPE THAT THIS WHITEPAPER LED YOU TO MANY VALUABLE INSIGHTS REGARDING DIGITAL MATURITY IN BELGIUM. WE ARE CONVINCED THAT DIGITAL MATURITY WILL BE DETRIMENTAL TO THE GROWTH OF YOUR COMPANY IN THE FUTURE.

Customer experience will most definitely be at the heart of your business plan in the coming years, and Belgian organizations have already taken some great steps towards improving this customer experience. When we map them on international models, it is obvious that these organizations have grown in the way they differentiate themselves to offer the best possible service to their customers.

To provide an even better customer experience in the future, we need to stop waiting for our peers to take action and increase our digital maturity levels today.

A lot of Belgian companies are still situated in the digital laggard quadrant as of now. There is no need to panic, but now is the time to act and stand out.

In order to attain a higher level of digital maturity, companies can make the journey step by step, creating a roadmap based on their customer’s needs. The customer has to come first.

Companies are going back to the heart of marketing: making the customer fall in love with a product or brand, and involving all parts of their business to do so.

Are you ready to write your customer’s love story?

Olivier Verberckmoes Partner of Delaware Digital, Delaware Consulting CX

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Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing: 2015 Digital Trends. (Econsultancy). Retrieved from https://econsultancy.com/reports/quarterly-digital-intelligence-briefing-2015-digital-trends/

Megan Burns’ Blog: Want Better Customer Experiences? Adopt The Six Disciplines Of CX Maturity. (Forrester Research). Retrieved from http://blogs.forrester.com/megan_burns/13-05-22-want_better_customer_experiences_adopt_the_six_disciplines_of_cx_maturity

Curatti Blog: Why Smart Companies Put People Before Profits. Retrieved from http://curatti.com/smart-companies-put-people-profits/ Harvard Business Review: The Truth About Customer Experience. Retrieved from https://hbr.org/2013/09/the-truth-about-customer-experience The Gartner Customer Experience Management Maturity Model Comeos: E-commerce in Belgium 2014 Lori Wizdo’s Blog: Buyer Behaviour Helps B2B marketers Guide The Buyer’s Journey. Retrieved from http://blogs.forrester.com/lori_wizdo McKinsey: The three Cs of customer satisfaction: Consistency, consistency, consistency

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