Revolutionizing Customer Engagement in The Age of AI, Marketing & Advertising News, ET BrandEquity

In a utopian world, the customer journey is blissfully linear, with each touchpoint seamlessly leading to the next, forming a perfect path from awareness to loyalty. Customers, trusting and eager, willingly share their data, enabling brands to tailor experiences with precision. However, the reality is that the customer journey is often unpredictable and non-linear, with brands facing significant challenges in building trust and driving engagement.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is emerging as a powerful tool to enhance customer engagement. AI-driven insights enable brands to personalize experiences, predict customer needs, and streamline interactions. Yet, leveraging AI effectively requires a careful balance; over-reliance can feel intrusive, while underutilization misses opportunities for connection.

At ‘The Big Leap’ roadshow in Bangalore, organized by ETBrandEquity in association with CleverTap and Adjust, industry leaders gathered to share insights on how organizations can harness the new season of AI and craft profitable engagement programs within tight budgets.

In the opening address, Arpan Biswas, Chief Marketing Officer at AJIO, shared the distinctive challenges and opportunities within the fashion e-commerce industry and highlighted how the strategic implementation of CRM propelled AJIO’s growth.

“Fashion e-commerce requires constant user engagement,” Biswas remarked. “Unlike categories like food delivery, where purchases are frequent, fashion requires regular nudges to bring customers back. This is where the role of CRM becomes crucial, driving both retention and profitability.”

AJIO’s journey began almost a decade after the leading player in the market, positioning it as a challenger brand. “Our strategy has heavily relied on leveraging MarTech and CRM, specifically CleverTap, to stay competitive.”

Biswas detailed the three key pillars of AJIO’s CRM strategy: customer activation, purchase acceleration, and loyalty. He mentioned that focusing on multi-channel onboarding engagements via WhatsApp, email, SMS, RCS, etc., and tailoring communications based on hyper-segmentation of consumers, has significantly improved the experience and engagement rates.

Retention and re-engagement have seen substantial improvements through automated campaigns and creative use of MarTech and CleverTap tools. The impact of these strategies is evident. Biswas reported that AJIO witnessed a 16% increase in the add-to-cart funnel, a 41% rise in monthly retention, and a 28.3% increase in win-back rates. “Our CRM efforts now contribute 20-25% of our total revenue, a testament to the effectiveness of our approach,” highlighted Biswas.

This was followed by an insightful panel discussion featuring industry experts including Yashwanth Kumar, Group President – Customer Loyalty & Analytics, Landmark Group; Ishendra Agarwal, Founder, GIVA; Malini Adapureddy, Founder & CEO, Deconstruct; Krishnan Venkateswaran, Chief Digital Officer, Titan Company; Chetan Siyal, Founding Member & CMO, SNITCH; Kapil Bonde, Head of Insights – India & SEA, Adjust, and Abhishek Gupta, Chief Customer Officer and Chief Operating Officer, CleverTap. The session was moderated by Gautam Srinivasan, Senior Consulting Editor.

The discussion kickstarted with the all-pervasive nature of AI. Whether processing large volumes of data with ease, identifying patterns, generating insights, or automating repetitive tasks, brands are leveraging AI to enable marketers to deliver delightful and engaging experiences.

Venkateswaran stated that in the eyewear category, addressing the customer’s emotions is paramount. By leveraging AI, they can proactively reach out to families with youngsters suffering from myopia and invite them for free eye tests to ensure timely checkups.

Moreover, he shared that they are working on creating an AI engine that can interpret prescriptions and advise optometrists, ensuring the right recommendations for customers. “This will enable us to deliver the right recommendations and consistent experiences across the countrywide network, making the customer’s experience positive each time,” noted Venkateswaran.

Today, customers want the brand to be relatable and speak to them in their language. Elaborating on this, Siyal commented that as consumers are constantly bombarded with brand messaging, vernacular engagement plays a significant role in enhancing customer connection.

According to Siyal, “Empathy is not just about converting a customer but about being relatable. Speaking a customer’s language, whether Marathi or Malayalam, helps in resonating better and engaging them longer.”

Similarly, Siyal added that regionalization is important in search as well, stating, “Monitoring search patterns and providing relevant results is crucial. If a customer searches for a ‘Kaali (black) shirt,’ we need to show precisely that, ensuring a seamless shopping experience.”

Adapureddy shed light on the role of data and AI in product development. She explained that by processing the data, they can understand the skin types and geographical needs of the consumers, enabling them to create products that suit their requirements.

Highlighting the role of AI in enhancing marketing creatives, Adapureddy said, “We use AI to optimize every aspect of our visuals—from logo placement to color selection and even creating heat maps to see where customers focus. This ensures our marketing materials are not only engaging but also highly effective.”

The line between online and offline touchpoints is blurring. Consumers participate in both, so much so that while standing in stores, they browse online for better deals. Kumar emphasized the strategic integration of AI in enhancing omni-channel experiences at Landmark Group.

Kumar said, “AI is pivotal in identifying high-risk customers and implementing re-engagement campaigns to reduce churn. By leveraging AI, we can predict customer behavior patterns and address potential issues before they escalate, ensuring a smoother customer journey.”

Echoing similar sentiments and deriving insights from the jewelry industry, Agarwal explained, “AI enables us to seamlessly integrate online and offline interactions, providing a unified experience for our customers. By analyzing browsing patterns and purchase history, we can recommend products that perfectly match their preferences, whether they’re shopping online or in-store.”

Agarwal added that this helps the brand differentiate from its competitors and create lasting relationships with the customers.

Data serves as the critical foundation for effective AI implementation. High-quality data enables brands to unlock powerful insights, personalize customer interactions, and drive strategic growth. Bonde emphasized the significance of data quality and strategic measurement in harnessing AI’s full potential.

Bonde remarked, “In India, the challenge often lies in integrating online and offline data seamlessly. Ensuring data accuracy is crucial because the insights derived from AI are only as good as the data fed into the system.”

Bonde highlighted the importance of partnering with vendors who simplify complex AI technologies. “Marketers need tools that make AI accessible without requiring deep technical expertise. Working with vendors who provide user-friendly interfaces can significantly accelerate AI adoption and effectiveness. These partnerships allow marketers to focus on strategy and creativity while leveraging cutting-edge technology.”

Gupta, shedding light on AI’s transformative impact on marketing, stated, “AI is akin to the industrial revolution, fundamentally changing how companies engage with customers.”

Customers today expect brands to know them, not just to sell to them but to serve them in a personalized manner. Gupta explained that CleverTap’s flagship product, Clever.ai, allows marketers to generate and deliver multiple variations of messages and analyze user responses in real-time. Moreover, the system automatically shifts users towards the most effective messages, ensuring that the campaigns are always optimized.

The panel concluded with a shared optimism about AI’s future, envisioning a landscape where businesses harness AI to create seamless, personalized interactions that resonate deeply with customers, driving growth and innovation across industries.

It is established that retail stores also play an integral role in building trust in a brand in the country. And the success of retail chains and brands is equally pillared by customer support in tandem with product/services. This puts the idea of continuously working towards elevating customer experience and ensuring support at necessary touch points a cornerstone when formulating brand strategies.