Haste or hype? Don’t lose your head

We all do our very best to stay sharp and not miss any developments. But which trends are worth paying attention to – and which ones can we safely ignore? Arjen de Boer explores three of them.

In every issue of SoMe, Arjen de Boer shares his expert vision in a few areas that are currently topical. And during the next few weeks we’ll be sharing that vision with you in this blog. Want to read the last SoMe? You can download it by clicking this link. And to read Arjen’s previous blog click here.

MILLENNIALS? AND NOW ITS GENERATION Z

“A lot of attention has been expended on millennials these past two years. This is partly because they constitute an attractive target group, but mainly because of how they make choices when buying products. They are willing to buy insurance products from (online) retailers and major brands (which are not insurers). Over two thirds of this target group base their choices on peer-to-peer and user reviews and they prefer a one-on-one approach. Millennials want to be in control, whether doing business directly themselves, or through intermediaries. Insurers have certainly acknowledged that millennials are an important target group, but so far they’ve done very little to reach them.”

“In addition to this, another very interesting target group has appeared, namely Generation Z. This group can best be described as young people born after 1995, and in two to three years this sizable demographic group will constitute a third of the population of the US. They are characterised by a number of important traits. They are less focused, for example, they are big on individuality, weaned on Social Media and 92 per cent of them have a digital footprint. They are more global in their outlook and they are never without their mobile devices. All this demands a massive shift in advertising methods and marketing messages. But whatever you do, don’t perceive them as a hassle; see them instead as an opportunity. Act quickly and you’ll be the first to win them over.”

THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FACEBOOK MESSENGER, WHATSAPP AND CHATBOTS IS NOW URGENT

“There’s been a lot of talk about the customer journey and personas. The market leaders have already passed this point and they are now integrating the Social touchpoints into the customer journey. Smart moves perhaps, but sometimes you have to make sure you have the basics right first. At the end of the day it’s all about serving the customer properly and this can easily be improved by the rapid implementation of messaging channels. The use of Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp is set to further increase in 2018 and the possibilities offered by these channels will quickly expand.”

“Take, for example, the chatbot functionality in Facebook Messenger, which might well accelerate the digital transformation of insurers more than any other development. It’s having a substantial impact on insurers’ internal processes, turning the logistical process on its head. It’s transforming the whole company into a sort of contact centre, with Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp as the main contact channels. But whatever they do, insurers will have to provide full service through Social Media.”

SILICON VALLEY IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER

“Many managers have been waxing lyrical about visits to Silicon Valley and all the exciting things they’ve seen there. From autonomous cars and trucks to the delivery of packages by drones, about Artificial Intelligence, the Internet of Things, robotisation and even the cloning of DNA. True, these are all inspirational developments that we cannot ignore. But, by the same token, we shouldn’t aspire to go straight to the promised land either by trying to step directly into the future. It’s better to start with the basics and proceed incrementally, particularly when it comes to improving customers’ experience of apps. The focus, as is the case with these insure-tech start-ups, must be on the interaction between the customer and the insurer.”

What opportunities do you see?

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