Opinion Piece
Middle East Banks Double Down on Digital Customer Experiences PostPandemic Mike Plimsoll, Global Head of Industry Marketing, Sitecore sees that our region is enthusiastically forging ahead with digital banking innovation but that they should also consider mobile access, user experience, compliance, pervasive security and the right tools for success in this new era of digital banking. DUBAI, United Arab Emirates -- The pandemic has fundamentally shifted how Middle East banks deliver on customer experiences, rapidly shifting from a branch-centric, in-person approach to one that is digital-first, across websites, mobile apps, and customer call centers. Having one flexible and composable digital platform that can unify how banks engage with their customers across all channels is vital for optimizing customer experiences and retaining their loyalty.
EMIRATES NBD AND MASHREQ BANK LEAD DIGITAL BANKING INNOVATION 40
MEABUSINESS
Banks should evolve their thinking from “the next best content” or “the next best option” towards combining the right content with the right insights in realtime to deliver “the next best customer experience.” In order to keep pace with the rapid pace of technological change, banks need to adopt an adaptable and composable architecture to deliver more relevant, consistent, and high-quality customer experience – regardless of new and emerging platforms or channels.
M ike Plimsoll, Global Head of Industry Marketing, Sitecore
Business News for the MEA region
Gartner predicts that by 2023, organizations that have adopted a Composable Commerce approach will outpace the competition by 80% in the speed of new feature implementation. Leaders are adopting a MACH approach: Microservices, API-First, Cloud-Native, and Headless. Already, the Middle East has been among the global leaders in transforming customer experiences. According to a recent YouGov survey of more than 650 IT decision-makers across the Middle East and North Africa, 88% said they fundamentally changed their customer experiences in response to the pandemic, leading to deeper customer engagement. Emirates NBD and Mashreq Bank Lead Digital Banking Innovation In the Middle East, leading banks such as Emirates NBD, and Mashreq Bank are all driving digital innovation to optimize employee and customer experiences. At Emirates NBD, a new app and website with engaging, personalized banking and lifestyle content has helped Liv. to shake up the UAE financial market and become one of its top service providers. Sitecore’s platform has delivered operational efficiencies and introduced new governance and analytics capabilities. The response from employees has been very positive with 80% liking the new experience. More than 50 years on from Mashreq’s inception, the bank maintains an unwavering commitment towards customer centricity. Through Mashreq’s digital-first approach, customers can benefit from a banking experience that is convenient, tailored to their needs, and meets their evolving demands. A
