'Superior digital experience' the key to unlocking greater growth: study

NEARLY eight in 10 South-east Asian consumers consider themselves "digitally curious" and look forward to organisations delivering more digital experiences and services, according to a survey, putting them ahead of the world when it comes to embracing digital technologies.

The figure is 64 per cent in the United Kingdom, 59 per cent in the United States, 57 per cent in Germany and 55 per cent in France, based on software firm VMware's Digital Frontiers 3.0 Study.

About 69 per cent of consumers South-east Asia also said that while 2020 had forced them to engage with organisations digitally, they found the experience to be enjoyable.

This contrasts with the rest of the world, with just 40 per cent in the US and France, and 33 per cent in the UK and Germany saying the same.

The digital transformation in South-east Asia is led by financial services and retail, with the number of respondents saying they are now happy to engage with such organisations at 63 per cent and 60 per cent respectively.

More than half the respondents also said financial services and retail organisations delivered improved digital experiences now, compared to before the Covid-19 pandemic.

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In terms of trust, 58 per cent of respondents said financial services provide them with the assurance that their personal data is well protected, while the figure was 40 per cent for governments.

Some 77 per cent of South-east Asian consumers said they have started engaging with brands that delivered "super digital experiences", while 59 per cent said they would switch to a competitor if an ongoing digital experience does not live up to expectations.

For companies, this suggests that the key to unlocking greater growth - beyond responding to the initial shift in digital expectations - is the delivery of "superior digital experiences that delight South-east Asian consumers", said Sanjay K Deshmukh, vice-president and managing director for South-east Asia and Korea at VMware.

"This means as businesses adapt and accelerate to the digital future, they must be able to develop, deliver and better secure applications and services seamlessly across platforms, devices and locations to digitally-hungry end users," he said.

Organisations must also enhance the security, user experience and speed of the digital services they offer to capture this market opportunity, VMware said.

This is because the top three critical digital experiences that South-east Asian consumers value most are a high level of protection for personal data, ease of access to all platforms and devices, and a faster speed of service.