Event Unveils Results of Customer Experience Trends Report, Highlighting Organizations’ Need for Flexibility in the Face of Economic Change

Digital experience company Acquia today launched the Acquia Engage Digital Freedom Tour with a two-day event in Miami, Fla. Throughout the rest of 2022 and into early 2023, Acquia will host five events in the US and UK, showcasing the innovators and technology powering today’s always-on digital economy. The event series kicks off with the release of the annual Acquia Customer Experience (CX) Trends Report, which highlights the need for resilience and flexibility in the face of nearly constant change.

“Our signature research and event themes share best-practices for how top marketers have achieved this flexibility in the face of adversity, and how they’ve leveraged technology innovation to create a competitive advantage.”

“With all of the changes associated with the past few years, one thing remains true. Marketers must be able to quickly pivot their digital strategy to align with the market’s and consumers’ demands,” said Mike Sullivan, President and CEO of Acquia. “Our signature research and event themes share best-practices for how top marketers have achieved this flexibility in the face of adversity, and how they’ve leveraged technology innovation to create a competitive advantage.”

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Embracing Digital Flexibility and Freedom

Nearly all (94%) marketers surveyed in the report say that their organization changed its digital CX strategy over the past 18 months, particularly in response to macro factors like COVID-19 and the current economic downturn. However, despite unpredictable economic indicators, most marketers’ budgets are on the rise; only 15% believe their budget will remain flat or decrease. Most have doubled down on marketing technology investments and see the return. 93% say their organization’s return on investment for marketing tech tools has improved this year.

A major priority for marketers has been flexibility in their marketing technology stack. Some choose a composable digital experience platform (DXP), so they can select the components and technologies they need to differentiate their brand. Others have not yet achieved the digital freedom they’d want from their marketing technology stack: 72% of marketers say their organization’s marketing technology holds them back from creating and delivering innovative or creative digital experiences for their customers.

Setting Up For First-party Data Strategy Success

Even though they’ve faced nearly constant change over the last few years, only 35% of marketers feel fully prepared to embrace a “cookieless” future to adjust to third-party cookie tracking technology changes. Yet marketers understand the growing sense of urgency around this challenge: 88% report that gathering first-party data is more important to their organization than it was two years ago. Even still, only half (51%) of consumers trust how brands handle their personal data. Marketers, on the other hand, are more optimistic: 78% think their customers trust their company’s use of their personal data more this year compared to last year.

Learn More at Acquia Engage

The Acquia Engage Digital Freedom tour will cover how top brands have navigated the challenges discussed in the 2022 Customer Experience Trends Report and beyond, sharing strategies and tips on how to leverage a composable DXP to move faster, empower stakeholders and achieve superior business outcomes.

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