With just a few days until the end of 2024, most companies have already started their planning for 2025, attentive to market movements and trends for next year. Thinking of assisting business leaders in this process, Vivian Jones, Vice President LATAM of Twilio, brings some analyses about the current scenario, together with investment recommendations in technologies, like AI, and strategies to guide companies' actions in order to overcome challenges, reduce costs, increase the return on investments and optimize operations.
It is important to start this planning process by observing the current market situation, attentive to the main economic indices presented for 2024 and forecasted for the coming years, explain the executive. The first data pointed out by him is part of the study Global and Brazil Macroeconomic Scenario 2025, carried out by the Intelligence Center for Medium Enterprises of the Dom Cabral Foundation (FDC). He points out that the growth of the Brazilian GDP has proven to be more robust than expected, and it is estimated a growth above 2,5% per year for 2024, with growth exceeding 2% for 2025.
"This is a positive piece of information", but despite this it is important to outline a more detailed overview, since the Central Bank is expected to raise interest rates in order to address inflation targets, comment Jones. "The specialists indicate that", due to the rise in interest rates, consumption-based growth is expected to slow down in the following year, what will require companies new sales strategies if they want to maintain their loyal customers and their constant growth.”
According to the latest Focus report, of the Central Bank, it is expected that the official inflation will close 2024 at 4,64%, exceeding the limit of the target set by the CMN (National Monetary Council). The IPCA is expected to reach 4,12% in 2025, what is a value that is above the previously projected, following this way in 2026. The market raised the interest rate projection to 12% in 2025.
"In addition to the scenario of persistent inflation", 2024 ends with the dollar above R$6,00, what does increase in various everyday consumer products mean, comment on the executive. With higher prices, the consumer's posture will be more cautious in spending, so conquering new clients will be more challenging and retaining existing clients will be crucial. It is essential to think about how to engage in this scenario, or this can mean financial failure.”
Focus on customization
For Jones, the central strategy is based on focusing on segmentation, in the context and preferences of your audience. This will allow for greater personalization in the relationship, what guarantees a greater financial return. Customers want a personalized relationship, unique, and for that it is necessary to understand who you are talking to, in what context and what are your preferences, so many products and services, how much customer service and relationship with brands.”
The Consumer Preferences report, from Twilio, showed that 91% of consumers, in the world, they expect engagement through their preferred channels and are willing to spend 32% (a figure that reaches 45% in Latin America) more on brands that allow them to communicate through these channels. "With this data, and thinking about segmentation, context and preferences, it is clear what needs to be done from now on, explain Jones.
Segmentation is a way to understand which group of customers a specific customer belongs to, ensuring that he is impacted, not by general messages, but for something personalized for what is interesting to you. Furthermore, it is necessary to consider the context in which it is inserted, be this geographical context, economic or social. A brand that offers the right type of product to its right target group converts more. Regarding preferences, it's simple: respect what your consumer wants. If he wants to talk to you on WhatsApp, be there! If he wants to talk to you by voice, be there!”, explain the executive.
His proposal, therefore, is to be more efficient, directing resources and efforts to the appropriate places, optimizing operations and marketing actions, sales, customer service etc. The general idea is to retain more customers and establish new relationships by creating offers specifically targeted at individuals. "People do not want to waste time and money on brands that do not understand them or do not deliver quality service". It is a period of caution, so there is no reason to focus on what does not resonate with your desires, or with brands that do not care to get to know them.To support this strategy, allowing its application on a large scale, however, it is necessary technology.
Data and AI in personalization at scale
Gartner pointed out that, until 2026, 75% of companies will use artificial intelligence to create synthetic customer data, optimizing demand forecasting and inventory management. The 2024 Customer Engagement Report, from Twilio, showed that Brazilian companies are pioneers in the use of AI, with 86% of companies already using AI for personalized product and service recommendations.
"Today, AI is the most valuable tool for companies to handle large volumes of customer data", given these that, many times, companies have had for years, but they can't use, unify, treat and make useful for the relationship, "especially on a scale", comment Jones.
For the executive, the key is to use engagement and customer data platforms powered by AI as tools to personalize at scale, ensuring unique dialogues that value customers and, as a consequence, make them spend more on your brand and be more loyal to it. "Furthermore, it is always important not to stop investing in better data, because they allow for better customizations. AI is enabling stagnant data to become useful resources, that generate return.”
Furthermore, he points to efficiency gains, what reduces long-term costs and increases gains. "The adoption of AI allows companies to handle data at a scale never seen before", as well as the automation of repetitive processes, ensuring a co-pilot that makes customer service and sales faster. This gives human agents or marketing and sales strategists, the time to deal with customers in a humanized way. The focus on the customer is the most important, and it is he who will enable us to navigate the challenges of this new year, finalizes.
