1Jun2022
Customer journey is the new battleground for retailers and brands
The customer journey has become a major challenge for companies, as they need to opt for a customer-centric approach and optimize the customer experience throughout the buying process via an omnichannel strategy that includes all the channels that a potential customer may use.
According to a study conducted in collaboration with more than 500 marketers from leading consumer brands and retailers by Tiendeo, a company that specializes in the digitalization of the retail sector, 91.2% of marketers want to improve the customer journey within their marketing strategy. Shops will become progressively better equipped with sensors and cameras that will make it easier to better understand consumer behavior, control the availability of products on the shelves or identify the best locations within the shop.
“The study reveals how important it is for brands and retailers to optimize the customer journey that unites both the online and offline experience. Today, consumers expect to experience an integrated mix of touchpoints across both channels with no friction between the two. Companies that manage to create these experiences under this omni-channel approach will gain a competitive advantage in the industry”, explains Eva Martín, CEO of Tiendeo. “Embracing technology this year will be an advantage for any company that wants to maintain the relationship with its customers. Digital transformation in all its forms and not least digitalization and other cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence are no longer a trend but have become a reality today.”
As seismic global events persist, Fortune 500 companies focus increasingly on the future by infusing their boards with fresh perspectives and diverse backgrounds
Global events like the pandemic, climate change, increased calls for racial and social justice, and now the war in Ukraine have prompted corporations to focus more attention on organizational purpose. In response, Fortune 500 boards of directors notably shifted to bringing in a wider range of experience, including more directors who are women, diverse and serving for the first time in the boardroom.
In 2021, 449 board seats were filled with a record percentage of first-time public board directors, at 43%, up from 38% in 2020, and women directors, at 45%, up from 41% the previous year. Forty-one percent of directors appointed last year were racially or ethnically diverse, on par with 2020. And, continuing a trend for all directors, a growing share are active (62%) rather than retired executives (38%).
“The unprecedented events of the past two years have significantly altered the nature of corporations’ license to operate – the fundamental contract is changing between organizations, their stakeholders and the communities in which they do business,” said Bonnie Gwin, Vice Chair and Co-Managing Partner of the firm’s global CEO & Board of Directors Practice. “Boards continue to seek fresh thinking as evidenced by the appointment of directors with more diverse backgrounds. And the truly cutting-edge boards are taking a strategic, holistic approach to board succession by continuously monitoring refreshment opportunities to meet today’s challenges and respond with resilience when the unexpected occurs.”
Back to the future: new website reveals first look at DeLorean’s Alpha5 EV
DeLorean Motor Company, Inc. has given the public its first complete look at the highly anticipated Alpha5, their all-new EV. Gallery photos explore the coupe’s exterior and interior, revealing sleek lines, classic louvers, and DeLorean’s iconic gull-wing doors. Images and accompanying details of the vehicle shed light on the dimensions of the car, two of its exterior paint colors, including a launch edition debuting at the Pebble Beach Concours d’ Elegance in August, and the long-awaited specs. Estimated specifications include a range of 300+ miles, a battery of 100+kWh, and electronically limited top speeds of 155 mph.
Taking design cues from the past to inspire the future, the new EV visibly showcases its iconic DNA. “The Alpha5 is a representation of the past 40 years of DeLorean,” said Troy Beetz, Chief Marketing Officer of DeLorean Motor Company. “There was this enormous responsibility to make sure we honored the history of the DeLorean brand, but an even greater responsibility in curating its future…I think we did both with the Alpha5.”
The reveal closes months of excitement and speculation around the new vehicle. However, there is much more to be learned about the history of DeLorean. A generational page on the website indicates there is an untold story uncovered from DeLorean’s archives. Previously unseen logos and rare imagery leading to the Alpha5 hint that there is much more to be revealed from the company.
Global health and wellness foods market to reach USD 1 Trillion by 2026
Amid the COVID-19 crisis, the global market for Health and Wellness Foods estimated at USD 733.1 Billion in the year 2020, is projected to reach a revised size of USD 1 Trillion by 2026, growing at a CAGR of 6% over the analysis period. According to the “Health and Wellness Foods – Global Market Trajectory & Analytics”report, growth in the global market for naturally healthy foods is being fueled by the increasing consumer focus on health and wellness and rising consumer awareness about the health benefits offered by such foods.
Health and wellness foods are foods or beverages, which are capable of imparting a physiological benefit aimed at improving overall health, helping in the prevention or treatment of a disease, or enhancing physical or mental performance due to the addition of a functional ingredient or through change in processing. Growth in the global market is being fueled by rising focus on healthy eating, growing popularity of organic foods, and increasing sensitivities to foods. Growing sedentary lifestyles and the ill effects of such lifestyles have resulted in the shift towards healthy eating.
Focus on health and wellness food products is also rising due to increasing obesity levels and rising incidence of chronic illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, and blood pressure, among various others in both developed and developing countries. Naturally healthy foods are known to play a vital role in the prevention and treatment of several medical conditions.
Trends such as organic, range-fed, low carbohydrates, dairy-free, and gluten-free are all by-products of consumers` drive towards a healthier lifestyle. In addition, recent outbreaks of health scares, including the present COVID-19 pandemic have popularized the consumption of healthy foods to improve immune responses.
