We live in a fast-phase world where change is the only constant we experience in the current digital age. With so many businesses competing for the same customers, companies not only need to find new ways to differentiate themselves, but also need a proactive approach to stay ahead of the cut-throat competition, especially in today’s digital world.
With new technologies emerging every day, the world’s most innovative and forward-looking companies continue to use these new technologies to their advantage by offering better, newer solutions to their customers while the laggards are left behind. These days, remaining at the top of your industry is not only difficult but very challenging.
In order to stay on top of the latest trends and new advancements, organizations now need to constantly be aware of the latest trends and technologies that could affect the market and always remain one step ahead of their competitors. Staying current comes with rewards as it helps prepare your business for changing customer demands and also increases your relevancy within your respective industry, and ultimately sets you apart from the competition.
Why should I care to stay current when my business already has a trusted customer base? The problem is if you don’t keep up with the changing technology landscape, over time your business is going to be faced with the risk of losing out to competitors that are offering better services and products. The other problem is companies that fall behind risk losing new business opportunities as well as keeping existing customers and attracting new ones.
What’s more, we now live in an age of customer service where our customers not only expect loyalty and rewards, but also expect to become part of the brand story, to be included, engaged with, and involved in service and product decisions. In order to meet this demand, businesses are now finding new ways to stay ahead of the curve, from innovative apps and platforms that enable customers to engage more frequently with the brand, through enhanced social media and thought leadership content strategies, and much more.
So how do you keep abreast of new technology and trends? One of the best ways to do this is to learn from other successful companies that have done similar things in the past. Below, we’ll look into brands that are staying ahead of the curve most effectively and the tactics they’re engaging with in order to meet new demand.
Foursquare
Foursquare is a New York-based location technology startup that offers business solutions and consumer products through a deep understanding of the location. For those who have been following the company since its early days of social media, the first thing they may probably think of is a consumer app that offered a way to “check-in” at different locations, review businesses, read recommendations and get badges for their activity. However, Foursquare has evolved beyond that.
What changed: Brand Refresh
Foursquare has since rebranded to show it’s not just “the check-in app.” Following an “identity crisis,” the location app has repositioned itself with a focus on the B2B sector with a minimalist aesthetic. Now the company’s brand refresh reflects its mission as a location-based services company. Foursquare also launched a redesigned website and logo.
Kilentboost
KlientBoost is a paid media agency that has nailed its brand image. The California-based company may have a bit of an advantage as an expert marketing company. However, KlientBoost certainly demonstrates a range of tactics that can be used to effectively promote a business and closely engage with the target audience. Let’s take a deeper dive into why KlientBoost is so successful.
Key Advantage: Aesthetically Pleasing Website
The aesthetics and layout of KlientBoost’s website are engaging, interactive, and easy to use. As an organization within the creative industry, KlientBoost utilized great graphic design and smart website navigation to ensure the user is provided with a seamless journey. After navigating to the website, users can see exactly what this company offers, what the benefit of using KlientBoost as a service is, and most importantly, how they can get in contact with the organization. It’s this crisp, clear, and engaging approach that is making the Californian based brand so successful.
888 Poker
As one of the leading brands in the iGaming industry, 888 Poker is a well-known brand across the globe, thanks to their innovative online platforms that form part of a wider offering with the 888 Casino and 888 Sports brands. After two years in development, the online poker operator has brought out a brand-new poker platform. The development came about after 888 Poker has listened to and involved their customers in their organizational growth by gathering feedback from players on how they could offer a better service and improve the existing online poker platform.
Key Advantage: A brand new intuitive gaming platform
In order to keep up with consumer demand, as well as the latest technological releases, 888 Poker has designed a platform that is more intuitive and entertaining. One of the key aspects of the platform re-design is their mobile offering, in which players are now able to effortlessly navigate between multiple poker tables. Additional new features include:
• A gift drop – Players now have more opportunity to anticipate in competitions and win bigger prizes, right from the table.
• The winner spinner – Players are now able to win on every spin with two.
Alongside, the 888 Casino and 888 Sports brands, the 888 Holding group are definitely one to keep an eye on in terms of technological innovation.
Monday.com
As one of the newest project management tools on the scene, Monday.com is taking the sector by storm. One thing that stands out for this brand is their level of advertising is above the rest. With many customers stating that they had seen countless ads which eventually led them to the decision to use Monday.com, it seems that this organization has mastered the digital touchpoints that are essential along the buyer journey in order to convert prospects to leads.
Key Advantage: A clever digital advertising plan
Deploying the latest digital advertising strategies, Monday.com has developed a strategy kit that enables them to tab into specific parts of the customers’ buyer journey and target their pain points. Through a range of paid ad and paid social media advertising efforts, the brand has been able to create different ads that target a specific segment of their target audience, whether that be a freelancer, a corporate team, an agency on multiple project stakeholders.
If you’re looking for new advertising methods, Monday.com is the one to use as a prime example.
PayPal
While PayPal is up against a lot of competition at the moment with the likes of Monzo, Venmo, and Zelle, a lot of these apps focus on the individual user, whereas PayPal has retained its reputation as a leading payment method for business use as well as being suited to consumers.
Key Advantage: Usability
While a lot of startups have missed the mark by overcomplicating their services, PayPal has a straightforward and easy to use platform that has enabled them to build and maintain a strong reputation throughout the business and consumer worlds.
Overall, those organizations that are embracing technological change and are adapting the way they do business are the ones that are thriving.
