Matthew GriffinFounder, President and Futurist, 311 Institute
G7 · G20governments advised
850+keynotes
102countries
17codexes
Retail and consumer sessions forTASDEmnesAdobeCoca-ColaManagement EventsRich's Products
Featured inBloombergThe Wall Street JournalThe Telegraph
Andrea, Ana and the team at LinkedIn asked Matthew to give their keynote on the Future of Customer Experience. Because the pandemic meant nobody could meet face to face, the event ran virtually, and to capture its spirit at home every participant was sent their own coffee and gin-making kit beforehand. The kits were a big hit.
Matthew began with the accelerating rate of global disruption and its effect on company strategies and buying behaviours. New, science-fiction-like technologies are changing the customer experience like never before, and there is plenty still to come.
"Today's increasingly powerful tech giants see every industry as fair game, irrespective of the size or reputation of those industries' legacy incumbents."Matthew Griffin, New York, November 2020
He then looked closely at what these changes mean for how companies collect and analyse customer data while keeping it private and secure, before moving on to how they can use new technologies, such as digital humans, to re-imagine the customer experience.
The session also covered the importance of culture and vision, and new disruptive innovation frameworks that help companies both defend themselves and go on the offensive against today's increasingly powerful tech giants. As Matthew pointed out, those giants now see every industry as fair game, whatever the size or reputation of its legacy incumbents.
He described it as a great virtual event, with real collaboration and camaraderie among everyone taking part.
311 Intelligence
What this means for your leadership team
Rivals now come from anywhere.
The keynote's central warning was that tech giants see every industry as fair game, whatever the size or reputation of its legacy incumbents. This matches the cross-industry competition trend, where companies move into other sectors and new rivals come from outside the industry. Leaders should stop benchmarking only against direct peers.
Customer data needs trust built in.
The session looked at how companies collect and analyse customer data while keeping it private and secure. Those goals pull against each other if they are treated separately. Firms that design for privacy and security from the start give themselves a firmer base for every new customer experience.
Culture decides how fast you adapt.
Matthew stressed culture and vision alongside new technology, and described disruptive innovation frameworks for both defence and attack. Digital humans are one example of the tools on offer. They are life-like computer-made people that can talk and show feelings, with wide use expected by 2035. Technology choices only pay off when the organisation is ready to use them.
Three questions for your next leadership meeting
Which rivals outside our industry could realistically enter our customer relationship?
How do we collect customer data while keeping it private and secure?
Where could a digital human improve a customer experience we offer today?
The trends and technologies behind this session
From the 311 Starburst, the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit’s map of the technologies and trends shaping the next 50 years.
It means customer experience is now a strategic contest, not a service function. Disruption is speeding up, tech giants are entering any industry, and customer data must be handled privately and securely. Culture, vision and innovation frameworks decide who defends well and who attacks first.
How do digital humans relate to customer experience?
Digital humans are life-like computer-made people that can talk and show feelings. The keynote named them as a way to re-imagine the customer experience. 311 rates the technology at readiness level 8, with wide use expected by 2035, so leaders can explore it now.
How does cross-industry competition relate to this session?
It is the same pressure Matthew described. Tech giants treat every industry as fair game, so companies are moving into other sectors and new rivals increasingly come from outside an industry. Leaders should plan for competitors they do not yet track.
How can 311 brief our leadership team on this?
Through a private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector, in person first.
Bring this to your leadership teamA private executive briefing or leadership workshop, tailored to your sector. In person first, anywhere in the world.
Analysis by the 311 Strategic Intelligence Unit, from Matthew Griffin’s session and 311 data.
If Matthew gave this session today
Bots make most web traffic, yet people still buy.
311 Institute's research finds bots make 53% of web traffic, yet people still do the buying, and prices what that means for reaching real customers to 2040. It is the next chapter in the customer experience shift Matthew described.
