Anticipating Customer Needs Effectively

The recent transformations within leading Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) and Fast-Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies signify a paradigm shift underscored by the necessity to adapt to evolving consumer preferences. As these brands pivot away from traditional food categories toward personal care and wellness, they are responding to critical market dynamics: shrinking profit margins in food sectors, a surge in health-conscious consumer behavior, and eroding brand loyalty among food products. This transition illustrates how businesses must not only recognize but anticipate changes in consumer values, particularly the growing inclination towards premium self-care and wellness products. The implications of this shift are profound. For instance, while the global personal care market is projected to reach $758 billion by 2030, the sluggish growth within processed food sectors signals a pressing need for CPG leaders to innovate continually. The evidence revealed through L'Oréal’s robust revenue growth in skincare juxtaposed with declines in traditional food categories serves as a clarion call for all CPG firms: the future lies in aligning product offerings with consumer demands for personalization, health optimization, and quality over quantity. Thus, the critical question posed to FMCG executives is not merely one of survival but of strategic foresight: Are you actively redefining your brand strategy to harness the potential of emerging categories, or are you resigned to merely managing a downward trajectory? This moment is not just about adaptation; it represents an opportunity for reinvention and sustained relevance in a rapidly changing consumer landscape.

As an analyst, I was intrigued to read an article about Instacart's innovative "Ask Instacart" feature integrating chatbots and chatgpt, allowing customers to create and refine shopping lists by asking questions like, 'What is a healthy lunch option for my kids?' Ask Instacart then provides potential options based on user's past buying habits and provides recipes and a shopping list once users have selected the option they want to try! This tool not only provides a personalized shopping experience but also offers a gold mine of customer insights that can inform various aspects of a business strategy. Here's what I inferred as an analyst : 1️⃣ Customer Preferences Uncovered: By analyzing the questions and options selected, we can understand what products, recipes, and meal ideas resonate with different customer segments, enabling better product assortment and personalized marketing. 2️⃣ Personalization Opportunities: The tool leverages past buying habits to make recommendations, presenting opportunities to tailor the shopping experience based on individual preferences. 3️⃣ Trend Identification: Tracking the types of questions and preferences expressed through the tool can help identify emerging trends in areas like healthy eating, dietary restrictions, or cuisine preferences, allowing businesses to stay ahead of the curve. 4️⃣ Shopping List Insights: Analyzing the generated shopping lists can reveal common item combinations, complementary products, and opportunities for bundle deals or cross-selling recommendations. 5️⃣ Recipe and Meal Planning: The tool's integration with recipes and meal planning provides valuable insights into customers' cooking habits, preferred ingredients, and meal types, informing content creation and potential partnerships. The "Ask Instacart" tool is a prime example of how innovative technologies can not only enhance the customer experience but also generate valuable data-driven insights that can drive strategic business decisions. A great way to extract meaningful insights from such data sources and translate them into actionable strategies that create value for customers and businesses alike. Article to refer : https://lnkd.in/gAW4A2db #DataAnalytics #CustomerInsights #Innovation #ECommerce #GroceryRetail

I used to believe Customer Success should drive the product roadmap. Here’s what I know now. The roadmap should be a collaborative design, built by Sales, CS, Support, Product, Marketing, and Leadership together. No one team sees the full picture. ▶️ Marketing sees market shifts. ▶️ Sales hears why deals are lost. ▶️ Leadership ties it all to strategy. ▶️ Product builds scalable solutions. ▶️ Support sees recurring pain points. ▶️ CS sees where customers struggle. When we isolate roadmap ownership, we build for one team. When we collaborate, we build for the entire business. Want true collaboration? Set it up intentionally: 1️⃣ Monthly cross-functional planning meetings: Bring leaders together to align on customer feedback, market signals, and business priorities. 2️⃣ Voice of Customer (VoC) programs: Collect real user feedback consistently — surveys, interviews, success metrics. 3️⃣ Closed-lost analysis with Sales: Review why deals are lost and what patterns could inform the roadmap. 4️⃣ Support ticket and escalation reviews: Identify top friction points that need attention. 5️⃣ Market research and trend studies: Analyze competitor moves and emerging trends quarterly. 6️⃣ Executive alignment sessions: Validate that roadmap priorities map directly to company strategy. The roadmap shouldn’t be a surprise. It should be a shared vision. One that every team feels connected to — and proud of. How does your company approach roadmap collaboration today? Because if you're only building with one team's input, you're only solving one piece of the puzzle. ____________________ 📣 If you liked my post, you’ll love my newsletter. Every week I share learnings, advice and strategies from my experience going from CSM to CCO. Join 12k+ subscribers of The Journey and turn insights into action. Sign up on my profile.

Not a lot of businesses are recognizing the power of Change Management as a vehicle for enhancing customer experience efforts. Here's how to unlock the power of change management principles in the context of CX. 🎯 Understanding Customer Needs Before initiating any change, you must have a deep understanding of what your customers really want. Utilize data analytics, behavioral data, operational and financial data, customer interviews, surveys, market dynamics, competitive information, and other signals to assess and understand needs. 🤝 Aligning Objectives Leadership Alignment: Ensure that your leadership is onboard and committed to customer experience improvement. Stakeholder Involvement: Involve the frontline employees who interact with customers daily to contribute to the decision-making process. 🗓️ Planning Identify Key Changes: Prioritize which areas require change based on customer feedback and business metrics. Set Targets: Establish measurable KPIs to gauge the success of the changes you plan to implement. These should be business- and customer-driven metrics. Don't make this a metric like "increase OSAT from X to Y." 📣 Communication Internal Communication: Clearly communicate the why and the how to all internal stakeholders. This should include executives, directly impacted employees, and the broader line of business. Tailor it to the stakeholder. Customer Communication: Be transparent with customers about what changes to expect and how they will benefit. Keep them up to date on progress. 🛠️ Implementation Pilot Testing: Conduct a small-scale test of the changes to assess their effectiveness. Feedback Loop: Gather continuous feedback from customers and employees throughout the implementation process. 📊 Evaluation and Adaptation Assess Impact: Examine metrics regularly to determine whether the changes are having the intended impact. Iterate: Use data-driven insights to make necessary adjustments. 🚀 Sustaining Changes Training: Continuously train your team to adapt to new changes. Feedback Mechanisms: Keep the dialogue open with customers and employees for sustainable improvements. 👩💻 Leveraging Technology 👨💻 Data Analytics: Use analytics to pinpoint improvement areas. Communication Platforms: Use tools like Slack or Teams for internal communication. Automation: Implement bots for routine tasks. CRM Systems: Manage customer relationships digitally to gain insights. 💡 Involve Employees Effectively Employees are the face of your customer service. Include them in planning, provide training opportunities, establish regular feedback forums, and reward those who contribute to customer experience improvements. Have you applied change management principles to enhance the customer experience in your organization? What worked for you? What didn't work for you? #ChangeManagement #CustomerExperience #Leadership #DataAnalytics #EmployeeEngagement #Technology

🛑 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗙𝗹𝘆 𝗕𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗱: 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗔𝗜 𝘁𝗼 𝗞𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 Having trouble keeping pace with your customers' desires and needs? If you're not leveraging real-time data on customer behavior and preferences, you're essentially flying blind. 💥 This lack of insight can cripple your marketing and sales efforts, leading to ineffective customer engagements and stunted sales growth. Here’s where Voice AI steps in as a powerful ally: ❇️ Real-Time Data Collection: Implement Voice AI to engage with customers directly. This technology collects essential data on preferences, concerns, and feedback as the conversation happens. ❇️ Instant Feedback Loop: Set up your Voice AI to provide real-time feedback to your marketing and sales teams. This means they can pivot and adjust strategies instantly, enhancing the effectiveness of your campaigns on the fly. ❇️ Real-Time Alert System: Integrate a real-time alert system within your Voice AI setup. This can notify team members immediately when it detects key customer triggers, like expressions of dissatisfaction or excitement, prompting swift and appropriate action. By integrating these strategies, you'll not only meet but exceed customer expectations, enhancing engagement and driving sales. How are you leveraging technology to stay on top of customer preferences? Share your strategies below! #innovation #digitalmarketing #technology #bigdata #entrepreneurship #voiceai

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 𝗡𝗼 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝘄 𝗶𝘁. But one sock brand did. A sock brand I spoke with spotted a tiny shift in consumer behavior—𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦 it blew up—and turned it into their lowest CPA campaign ever. The wildest part: they found the trend using a 100% free tool. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗶𝘁 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸? 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴. The biggest difference between a winning DTC brand and a struggling one isn’t budget—it’s timing. 👉 Move too late, and you’re in a price war. 👉 Move early, and you print money. Here’s what happened: On a call last week, I casually mentioned Pinterest Predicts—because Pinterest has an 80% accuracy rate in forecasting viral trends months before they peak. 𝗔𝗞𝗔: 𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲, 𝗣𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗲𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗼𝗳𝗳 𝗯𝗲𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗲𝗹𝘀𝗲. This sock brand took action. We noticed that "cherry" patterns were quietly trending up. Within 24 hours, they launched a cherry sock collection, tied their creative to the aesthetic, and started testing new ads. 🚀 Today: → The product/ad combo is their 3rd highest spender → Lowest CPA across all campaigns → Crushing their new customer acquisition costs 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲. 🚀 Brands that move fast have: ✅ Ads that convert immediately ✅ Higher margins (first-mover advantage) ✅ Less reliance on discounts & promos 🐢 Brands that wait too long: ❌ Spend more to compete ❌ Launch when the market is saturated ❌ End up in a price war just to survive 𝗪𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗽𝗼𝘁 𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 before they blow up? Here are 4 free tools I use daily to track consumer trends before they hit mainstream: 📌 Pinterest Trends/Predicts → Forecasts viral trends months in advance 🛍️ Etsy & Amazon Search Data → Shows what niche buyers are actively searching for 🎥 TikTok Comments → Raw, unfiltered consumer obsession in real time 💬 Reddit Threads → Where micro-trends are born Most brands have access to this data—but never use it (or aren’t using it enough). 𝗕𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝘀𝗻’𝘁 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲.

Sales dropped? Is it a real problem or just seasonality? Most can’t tell the difference. Reacting to short-term changes leads to bad decisions. January sales dip? ↳ Check last year before panicking Low ROAS in Q4? ↳ Ad costs always spike during peak season Traffic dropped? ↳ Competitors might have launched a promo Plan for seasonality instead of reacting to it. - Forecast demand using YoY data - Optimize ad spend based on seasonal trends - Adjust inventory and fulfillment before peak months Save this to stop making panic-driven decisions. How do you prepare for seasonal fluctuations?

One of the biggest challenges in customer experience (CX) initiatives isn't just getting buy-in—it's making sure communication flows seamlessly across different teams to drive meaningful progress. It's not enough to have passionate people involved; it's about aligning everyone around a shared purpose and ensuring that action follows. I see it all the time—CX councils or teams that meet to discuss customer feedback, but the conversation doesn't always translate into real change. It's critical to go beyond just reviewing the numbers. We need to collaborate, co-create, and drive real impact for our customers. So how do we ensure communication within cross-functional teams leads to action? ▶️Structure your meetings to drive progress. If you have cross-functional buy-in, it's essential to manage those meetings effectively. Make sure that everyone understands their role, the goals, and what success looks like. It's not enough to simply review metrics—what are the actions you'll take based on those insights? ▶️Unify efforts across the organization. In many organizations, different teams—like those working on journey mapping and those focused on customer insights—work in silos. We need to bring those efforts together around your customer experience mission, ensuring that all teams are aligned with a shared definition of success. ▶️Be proactive and resourceful. Don't wait for things to fall through the cracks. Be a resource to your team members, follow up, and offer support where needed. This could mean helping a colleague facilitate a journey mapping session or providing customer feedback to help illustrate a challenge. Communication is key, but proactive support is what drives progress forward. When working cross-functionally, the responsibility doesn't end with the meeting. We need to be deliberate about setting expectations, following up on actions, and ensuring everyone understands how their efforts contribute to the larger customer experience mission. Great communication can turn fragmented efforts into unified progress. Let's make sure we're not just talking about customer experience, but working together to make it happen. How do you ensure effective communication across teams in your organization? Drop your process below! #CustomerExperience #CX #CrossFunctionalTeams #Collaboration #Leadership #Communication #CXStrategy #CustomerJourney

𝐃𝐢𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐠𝐥𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐚 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐜𝐡 𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 77.5 𝐞𝐱𝐚𝐛𝐲𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡 𝐛𝐲 2027? This explosion of data presents both a challenge and a massive opportunity for telecommunication companies. But are they equipped to handle it? The telecommunications industry is undergoing a seismic shift. Why should you care? Because this transformation impacts how we connect, communicate, and experience the digital world. A recent study showed that poor network performance can lead to a 30% increase in customer churn. 👉 In today's hyper-connected world, customer expectations are higher than ever, and telcos need to leverage data to stay ahead of the curve. 👉 Traditional data management systems struggle to keep pace with the sheer volume, velocity, and variety of data generated by modern telecom networks. Sifting through massive datasets to gain actionable insights is like finding a needle in a haystack. 👉 This makes it difficult to optimize network performance, personalize customer experiences, and develop innovative new services. Telcos need a new approach to data management to unlock the true potential of their data. 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧? 👉 Deutsche Telekom, one of the world's leading telecommunications providers, is leading the charge by designing the telco of tomorrow with BigQuery. 👉 By leveraging BigQuery's powerful data warehousing and analytics capabilities, Deutsche Telekom is able to ingest and analyze massive datasets in real time. This enables them to gain valuable insights into network performance, customer behavior, and market trends. 👉 They can now proactively identify and resolve network issues, personalize offers and services for individual customers, and develop new revenue streams. 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬: 👉 Real-time Insights: BigQuery enables real-time analysis of massive datasets, allowing telcos to react quickly to changing network conditions & customer needs. 👉 Improved Customer Experience: By understanding customer behavior and preferences, telcos can personalize services and offers, leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty. 👉 Innovation & Growth: Access to rich data insights empowers telcos to develop innovative new services & explore new business models. 👉 Scalability & Flexibility: Cloud-based solutions like BigQuery offer the scalability and flexibility needed to handle the ever-growing data demands of the telecommunications industry. This journey highlights the transformative power of data in the telecommunications industry. By embracing cloud-based data solutions, telcos can unlock valuable insights, improve customer experiences & drive innovation. The future of telecom is data-driven, and companies that embrace this reality will be the leaders of tomorrow. Follow Omkar Sawant for more. #telecommunications #bigdata #cloud #digitaltransformation #datanalytics

Ever wonder why some e-commerce brands always seem to have the right products in stock, while others struggle with overstock or empty shelves? It all comes down to demand forecasting—and in 2025, it’s getting an AI-powered upgrade. ● From guesswork to precision Traditional forecasting relies on historical sales data. AI-driven tools now go beyond that, integrating real-time factors like weather, local events, and even social media trends. The result? Forecasts with 90%+ accuracy instead of the usual 50%. ● GenAI: the next step Generative AI takes it further by analyzing unstructured data (customer reviews, trends, emerging demand signals) and answering questions in plain language. No more complex spreadsheets—just instant insights for better inventory planning. ● AI tools leading the way: ✔ Simporter – AI-powered forecasting that integrates multiple data sources to predict sales trends. ✔ Forts – uses AI for demand and supply planning, ensuring optimized inventory. ✔ ThirdEye Data – AI-driven forecasting that factors in seasonality and customer behavior. ✔ Swap – AI-based logistics platform that enhances inventory management. ✔ Nosto – AI-driven personalization that recommends the right products at the right time. ● Why this matters for #ecommerce? ✔️ Avoid stockouts that frustrate customers ✔️ Reduce excess inventory and free up cash ✔️ Adapt quickly to market shifts How are you managing demand forecasting in your store? #shopify