Broadcasting
5 Customer Experience Trends You Need to be Aware of this Year
By Prashanth Krishnaswami, Head of CX Market Strategy & Thought Leadership, Zoho Corp.
It’s no secret that customer experience (CX) is a major point of differentiation between organisations. “One in three consumers (32%) say they will walk away from a brand they love after just one bad experience,” according to PwC’s 2018 consumer intelligence report that surveyed 15,000 people from 12 nations. Besides, the definition of a ‘first-class CX’ evolves constantly, and organisations need to similarly adapt, tweak and innovate their CX program to match changing needs and preferences.
With that in mind, here are some of the major trends that will define CX in 2022.
Privacy and trust-by-design
With governments around the globe introducing stringent privacy laws, all companies now have a baseline to work from. Nigeria is no exception. On 25th January 2019, the National Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) was issued in accordance with section 6 (a) and (c) of the National Information Technology Development Agency Act 2007 (‘NITDA Act’) in recognition that a lot of public and private bodies have migrated their respective businesses and information systems online. But simply meeting those basic requirements won’t be enough for customers who are increasingly concerned about how their personal data is used and stored.
Organisations shouldn’t just view customer privacy as a legal imperative, but also as an ethical priority. That means adopting a privacy-first approach for their business operations including product management, supply chain networks, software partner choices, CX programs, and workplace culture. Customers will switch to brands that offer more privacy and take data security extra seriously. They would even pay a premium for offerings from such brands. This is already starting to be true and will only get stronger as a trend.
Additionally, customers will be increasingly drawn to brands that demonstrate trustworthiness through focus on inclusive and sustainable growth, responsible sourcing practises, thoughtful waste management, and fair wages, among other things.
Self-service becomes increasingly critical
Today’s customer prefers to be in control of their interactions with companies. Whether it’s billing, commerce, or account management, customers would rather handle it themselves than have to deal with a number of people within the organisation. And while self-service has long been in play in the B2C space, it’s growing in importance in the B2B segments too.
It’s also important for organisations to think about how they deliver self-service functions. Zero UI, for instance, is gaining popularity. Organisations need to understand invisible user interfaces that are activated by voice, gestures, and movements. While these technologies may not be as prevalent in Nigeria as they are in more developed markets, it’s still important that organisations work on them now and not risk getting left behind.
Unified technology platforms come to the fore
Creating seamless customer experiences depends to a huge extent on how well your internal functions and teams can converge and collaborate during every customer touch-point. That internal collaboration can be made a great deal smoother through the use of unified CX technology platforms that blend organisational functions and show the entirety of each customer’s story.
Unified platforms help your organisation avoid wasting time trying to integrate disparate pieces of software and instead bring together data from across the organisation for various needs such as cross-referencing customer context, performing automation, and coaching employees.
Reliability matters
With so many areas of everyday Nigerian life plagued by unreliability, customers are desperate for reliable experiences. In fact, consistently good experiences will probably win you more favour than the odd exceptional experience. That’s not to say organisations shouldn’t try out fancy ideas and experiences from time to time. But they should only do so if they have the basics firmly in place. A birthday gift from a bank is meaningless if you can’t move your money around when you direly need to.
Personalisation will pay off
While there was a time when simply including a customer’s name on a piece of communication counted as personalisation, that’s no longer the case. Today, personalisation is about reaching customers with the right message on the right platform at the right time. Of course, achieving that level of personalisation requires data. That means organisations have to balance the usefulness of personalisation with the responsibility of upholding customer privacy. For brands with an international presence especially, this means having a firm grasp of the technological and regulatory environments they operate in.
As these trends may indicate, CX leaders and program managers have a tricky year ahead, with both technology and customer expectations evolving alongside the pandemic itself. The best attitude to have is a mix of flexibility and pragmatism.
MTN Group, one of Africa’s leading mobile network operators, has announced a strategic partnership with UK-based video software provider Synamedia to develop a new streaming platform tailored for mobile and fixed broadband subscribers across the continent.
Through the partnership, MTN aims to enhance digital content accessibility and cater to the evolving preferences of African audiences.
“We see a unique opportunity to transform video consumption in Africa with high-quality, accessible, and relevant content,” said Selorm Adadevoh, Group Chief Commercial Officer at MTN Group.
“This partnership enables us to leverage cutting-edge technology and deep customer insights to enhance entertainment experiences and drive digital inclusion.”
With the new streaming platform, MTN enters the streaming market in competition with streaming giants like Netflix, Showmax, Multichoice, and Prime Video.
By leveraging Synamedia’s advanced cloud-based technologies, the service will deliver linear television and video-on-demand content.
It is designed to support various monetisation models, including subscriptions, ad-supported content, and free streaming channels with targeted advertising.
The streaming service will offer locally adapted content based on a curated content strategy.
Each market will benefit from content curated to reflect local cultures, languages, and viewing habits, ensuring that viewers across the continent resonate with its offerings.
“Thanks to MTN’s leadership and innovation, smartphone owners across Africa will be able to enjoy innovative linear TV and on-demand video,” Paul Segre, Synamedia, CEO, said.
“By taking advantage of the breadth of our integrated, cloud-based portfolio to quickly deploy new services at scale, MTN will be able to create a groundbreaking set of offerings for customers and viewers that will drive new revenues.”
Alhaji Mohammed Idris, minister of Information and National Orientation, has said that the federal government has commenced investing in cutting-edge technologies and acquiring state-of-the-art equipment for federal media organisations to ensure effective service delivery.
Alhaji Mohammed Idris, minister of Information and National Orientation,
Alhaji Idris stated this in Las Vegas during discussions with leading broadcast and information companies at the ongoing National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show 2025.
He said such investments have led to the upgrade and replacement of obsolete infrastructure across radio and television stations owned by the Federal Government.
Dr Suleiman Haruna, director, Public Relations and Protocol, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, said the ministry was already forging partnerships with broadcast equipment manufacturers to avail local broadcasters the opportunity to benefit from emerging technologies and industry-specific training.
The minister underscored the commitment of government to collaborate with key stakeholders in the global information and broadcasting sector to strengthen Nigeria’s information dissemination framework.
Some of the executives who received the Minister and his team are Thomas King, Chairman of KINTRONIC Laboratories; Enrico Vaccari, COO of Axel Technology SRL; Gianluca Baccalini, System Engineering Solutions; and Calvin Carter, COO of Continental Electronics.
They all expressed their organisations’ readiness to collaborate with the Federal Government to enhance Nigeria’s broadcasting landscape and regulatory agencies.
Alhaji Idris is leading a delegation of senior officials, including Salihu Abdulhamid Dembos (Director-General/CEO Nigeria Television Authority), Ali Muhammed Ali (Managing Director/CEO of News Agency of Nigeria), Charles Ebuebu (Director-General/CEO of National Broadcasting Commission), Dr Lekan Fadolapo (Director-General, Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria), and Jibrin Baba Ndace (Director-General/CEO, Voice of Nigeria).
The NAB show, running from April 5 to 9, with the theme “The Technology, The Trend, The Future”, provides valuable insights into industry trends, covering topics such as Artificial Intelligence, cloud visualization, the creator economy, and sports production and streaming.
The Nigerian delegation aims to forge new partnerships, explore content-sharing opportunities, and enhance collaboration within the global broadcasting sector, ultimately advancing the country’s media industry.
Professor Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, GCON, former Nigerian Vice President, has called for stronger enforcement of Intellectual Property (IP) protections across Nigeria and the African continent.
Speaking during the National IP Stakeholders Forum held at the UN Building, Abuja, in commemoration of WIPO Nigeria 5th anniversary, Osinbajo highlighted the role of innovation and creativity in driving economic growth.
He emphasised the need to enhance copyright enforcement and digital rights management on platforms like YouTube, Spotify and Netflix, urging more support for artistes and filmmakers to protect their works both nationally and internationally. Osinbajo also stressed the importance of safeguarding Nigeria’s folklore and traditional expressions to unlock their commercial potential.
Addressing the challenges of IP enforcement, the former Vice President called for international cooperation, public awareness and legal reforms to combat piracy and protect Nigeria’s cultural heritage.
He also advocated for a unified African IP system to streamline patent rights and create a larger market for African innovators.
Speaking at the event, Director-General, Nigerian Copyright Commission (NCC), Dr. John Asein, reaffirmed NCC’s commitment to fostering a vibrant IP system through collaboration with WIPO Nigeria Office and other stakeholders. He lauded WIPO’s impact on Nigeria’s IP landscape.
Director, WIPO Nigeria Office, Dr. Oluwatobiloba Moody while welcoming participants expressed gratitude for the continued support from the Nigerian government and stakeholders.
The forum aims to provide a platform for ongoing discussions on IP development in Nigeria.
Some of the dignitaries at the event were the Hon. Minister of Arts, Culture, Tourism and Creative Economy, Mrs. Hannatu Musawa; Director-General, NOTAP, Barr. Dr. Obiageli Amadiobi, Representative of Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Onowu, Director-General SMEDAN and many others.
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