At the Asian Carriers Conference (ACC) 2024 held last Sept. 2 to 6 in Mactan, Cebu, top executives from various technology companies emphasized the need for local businesses adopt a new strategy with the rise of the “phygital” era.
Phygital, which combines the terms “physical” and “digital”, refers to the blending of digital experiences with physical ones.
Huawei Technologies Philippines chief technology officer Arnie Alvarez underlined the importance for businesses to adapt their marketing approach to fit the phygital age.
Alvarez discussed how the fusion of physical and digital components enhances customer experience and necessitates a reimagining of the traditional marketing landscape in order to ensure business success in this evolving technological era.
Acknowledging the transformative power of technological advancements, Alvarez highlighted the importance of leveraging the phygital environment to enhance customer experience.
He emphasized that it needs a foundation of good data and connectivity, powered by AI, for stores and businesses to evolve and match the convenience of digital transactions.
Examples of this include providing online assistance prior to in-store transactions and implementing green energy solutions for utilities.
Furthermore, Alvarez shared Huawei’s vision of leveraging intelligent AI solutions to help industries identify new opportunities and value in their businesses, ultimately providing a better customer experience.
Meanwhile, keynote speaker Alex Hunter, a branding expert and former head of digital for the Virgin Group, addressed the audience at the conference, underscoring the significance of “The Art and Science of ‘Wow’” as a strategic marketing approach.
Hunter emphasized the importance of transcending transactional interactions, showing the human side of brands, and engaging customers on a deeper level, to foster trust and brand loyalty.
Furthermore, he stressed the critical role of AI technology in enabling businesses to serve customers better while simultaneously freeing up employees from repetitive tasks, allowing them to focus more on customer relations, and opening up new job opportunities.
However, Hunter also acknowledged that the transition to a more technology-driven operational landscape may result in short-term job loss.
Nevertheless, he emphasized that AI should be viewed as a tool to augment business relations and foster sustainable customer-company relationships.
He stressed the need to eliminate the perceived division between offline (physical) and online (digital) operations and embrace the evolving customer involvement in business processes, facilitated by technological advancements.
In doing so, Hunter said businesses can better understand and respond to market dynamics, leveraging customer influence to drive strategic business decisions.
