Businesses should be ready for power shifting to the customer - Simon Woods

That business and society are interlinked is no longer up for debate. When consumers became more eco-friendly, private sector organisations were expected not just to follow but also to come up with solutions. When diversity hits the headlines, all organisations are expected to respond. Now waves of crisis, from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine to the rising cost of living, have changed people’s lives. And once again, how society reacts is critical to business.

People are seeking ways to adapt to an uncertain world. After months of isolation, people have found new ways to connect, building and joining communities using online channels. We’re continuing to reappraise our relationship with work and in particular the ongoing balance between office and home working. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is now routine. It is no longer just ‘backstage’ curating our preferences online, but part of our creative culture. And our privacy matters. How personal data is used and by whom is under increasing scrutiny.

As 2023 gets into full swing, the underlying theme that all businesses need to be aware of is one of control and how the power dynamics between the organisation and their consumer or customer are shifting as emerging technologies become mainstream.

In our Life Trends 2023 Report, we explore the major forces in society that impact business, and now that we live in a state of permacrisis, how brands build trust and ultimately leverage new technologies for growth.

Simon Woods, Accenture Song Scotland Co-Lead

Starting with the drive in all of us to survive, whatever the crisis, we looked at the type of responses we can expect. Some will default to ‘fight’ mode, heightening the inclination to protest; something that is already catching companies and whole economies by surprise. The ‘flight’ response is even now manifesting itself in what is being termed the “Great Cancellation” as gym memberships, pension contributions and insurance policies are jettisoned in face of rising costs. People will likely look for alternatives and brands must be ready.

People will also cope by focusing on what they can control. Some people will channel their attention into communities where they feel they belong. They will seek out new places online such as single-function platforms where like-minded individuals can relax and bond over shared interests. For many organisations looking at this trend, new technologies are enabling a new wave of community-first, product-later models that boost customers’ connection with the brand. This goes way beyond the hitherto popular loyalty schemes to a place where brands actively contribute to communities and the communities actively participate in shaping, funding, governing or advocating the things they love.

Alongside, new tools are springing up that put tech-powered creativity right in people’s hands. AI is breaking new ground and both businesses and their customers can use it to produce original products, artworks and even entire immersive spaces.

Although AI has been used in the creative process for some time, for example in architecture and vehicle design, it is now breaking into the fashion world. By learning a set of preferences, from colours to fabrics and trims, and by mimicking styles, AI programmes can create new designs for the professional and amateur human couturier to develop and refine.

The same is possible in music, art and literature. Our designers used the power of AI generated art to illustrate the Life Trends Report. First highlighting and pulling words and phrases from the text to use as an initial prompt, they then worked hand-in-hand with the technology to explore new avenues for creativity.

As the pace of development accelerates, it presents an array of interesting applications for business, such as rapidly developing multi-variate marketing campaigns, on-demand interior design, seamless textures for video games, new kinds of rapid animation that could launch new streaming content, and books, concept art, plugins for design tools and software, and much more. With greater adoption, however, there will be questions about the control of copyright and how data and creativity work together with integrity – matters that businesses must approach in tandem with technology development.

Across all life trends we are seeing shifts in control in favour of the customer, that will ultimately lead to shifts in power. For those organisations that embrace rather than fight this shift, there is a new world of progress ahead.

Simon Woods, Accenture Song Scotland Co-Lead