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Author: nicolo.righetti

Towards omnichannel: processes and technologies of the new Digital Customer Experience

Posted on by Neosperience Team

Verso l'omnicanalità

Today, more than ever, the customer needs to be heard.

The latest customer experience statistics are clear: companies that implement customer centricity policies are 60% more profitable, while more than two in three consumers are willing to pay more for services that meet their needs.

In Neosperience we have been dealing with Digital Customer Experience for years: we have experienced multiple changes in trends, in the interaction between brands and consumers and in the way of living the customer experience. Throughout this time we have championed the importance for businesses to build and maintain a strong online presence.

For a company, however, being present with its products and services on different touchpoints is no longer enough: in the face of a complex and fragmented Customer Journey, it is time to evolve the Digital Customer Experience from simple multichannel to omnichannel.

What is an omnichannel strategy and why is it important to put it into practice? What are the processes and technologies that can enable it and what role does Artificial Intelligence play in this new ecosystem? Let's discover it together.

 

Stuck in the (messy) middle

In a context of increasingly accelerated digital transition, where the physical world and the digital world are now inextricably connected, consumers expect to live increasingly fluid, personalized, coherent and synergistic shopping experiences.

On the other hand, Buyer's Journey has never been so fragmented. Digitalization on the one hand, and the scenario of strong social and economic instability on the other, have contributed to the disintegration of the sales funnel in a complex central phase, renamed in the marketing lexicon just as "messy middle".

A recent report by Think With Google analyzed the messy middle, trying to understand the most complex part, that is, the way in which buyers process the information they discover along the way: a process as delicate as it is fundamental in influencing purchase decisions.

In Google's analysis, there are two main mental mechanisms that the consumer implements while searching for information about a product or service:

  • Exploration: an expansive activity, where you explore different purchase options;
  • Evaluation: a reductive activity of classification and comparison of possible choices.

In addition to this, there are of course innumerable cognitive and social biases that shape the purchasing behaviour of future consumers and influence why they choose one product over another.

In this more complex scenario than ever, learning to hold the attention of the potential consumer in the "messy middle" on multiple points of contact, both physical and digital, is the key to the success of a brand in the current scenario, also and above all in Italy.

 

The multiverse of omnichannel

Before proceeding, it is good to make clear the distinction between the terms “multichannel” and “omnichannel”.

A multichannel sales strategy assumes that companies explore different channels of contact (touchpoints) with customers, individually optimizing their management and performance.

Omnichannel, as we will explore later, instead provides a synergy between processes and technologies for the construction of a personalized and consistent relationship with the potential customer during the entire Buyer's Journey.

An effective parallel to better understand the concept of omnichannel is that with the mass media industry.

Multimedia involves the coexistence of multiple media on a single medium, in order to tell a single story and convey a single message, involving different sensory cues in the user.

Multimedia has taken a leading role since the birth of the World Wide Web, by nature the result of a combination of audio and video content connected to each other through hyperlinks.

In recent years, however, there has been more and more talk about cross-media and trans-media, at the center of the choices of the franchises protagonists of today's popular culture.

In detail, cross-media identifies a story adapted on multiple media, while trans-media presupposes the existence of “multiverses” that create a single coordinated entertainment experience.

Immersed in what the scholar Henry Jenkins calls “convergent culture”, a landscape in which stories unfold and meet between screens, pages of paper and console joysticks, we expect totalising and immersive experiences – both in free time and in purchases.

 

Multichannel is not enough!

Now back to the world of commerce: thanks to the setback to traditional shopping experiences caused by the pandemic, over the last few years Italian companies have dedicated more and more resources to building a multi-channel sales strategy.

According to recent research by the Omnichannel Customer Experience Observatory at Politecnico di Milano, 60% of multichannel experiences do not meet customer expectations.

The data gives a harsh scenario: both in the B2C sector and in the B2B sector, there are still few companies that have gone beyond simple multichannel, implementing technologies capable of enabling an interconnected system of communication between corporate touchpoints.

Both globally and nationally, surely the waters are moving, thanks to the years of pandemic that we have behind us and the consequent push towards the digital transition.

As many as 76% of companies, according to a Zendesk report, say for example that they have increased investments to offer diversified customer service channels.

On the other hand, according to the Observatory, only 33% of Italian companies come to possess a complete knowledge of customer data (Single Customer View), which integrates customer contact information with behavioral data and feedback.

Just over one in four companies, even more alarmingly, has adopted advanced Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools.

Overall, in the face of an interest of more than two thirds of Italian companies in the topic of Digital Customer Experience, only 6% of medium and large companies have adopted a truly advanced approach to an Omnichannel Customer Experience.

 

Omnichannel and Digital Customer Experience

The omnichannel customer experience enhances customer data collected on multiple touchpoints, integrates them together to obtain a unique and hyper-personalized view and favors the sharing of the information obtained between the various company departments.

Omnichannel provides a synergy between processes and technologies that seamlessly crosses all touchpoints, regardless of their nature:

  • Digital – Websites and e-commerce, social media, mobile applications, Digital Advertising platforms, e-mail;
  • Physical – Shops and points of sale, events and fairs, paper catalogues and brochures, workshops and meetings, direct sales channels;
  • Hybrids – Product configurators, Click-and-collect, interactive in-store displays, Digital-out-of-Home campaigns, customer service.

In an omnichannel context, data is the crucial element. Technologies that support an omnichannel journey collect, analyze, and process large amounts of customer data at every stage of the customer experience.

Customer Experience e omnicanalità

1) Collection:

Goal: Integration between all the data available to the company, both internal and external;
Technology: Customer Relationship Management Data Hub, a platform that integrates and harmonizes data from multiple sources and touchpoints.

2) Analysis:

Goal: Elaboration, through models and algorithms, of consumer insights;
Technology: Analytics tools able to extract value from complex data, of different origin and format.

3) Activation

Goal: Use of the insights obtained during the analysis phase in the corporate communication, marketing and sales functions;
Technology: Marketing Automation tools that support the company in defining and managing interaction with customers.

4) Evaluation:

Goal: Improvement of the Customer Experience thanks to continuous listening;
Technology: Voice of Customer platforms, able to optimize communication between the company and the customer over time.

 

Artificial Intelligence and Omnichannel

Investing in the implementation of interconnected technologies and processes to give value to business data pays off, both in terms of customer base growth and existing customer loyalty.

In this regard, as we well know in Neosperience, Artificial Intelligence plays a fundamental role. We have therefore selected two exemplary scenarios for the inclusion of AI in an omnichannel Customer Experience.

1) New generation chatbot

Large Language Model-powered chatbots like OpenAI's GPT-4 can be used to improve customer service management.

A properly trained chatbot can provide timely responses on websites, applications or social media and handle routine requests, increasing customer service efficiency, reducing response time and freeing staff for more complex tasks.

Moreover, thanks to the analysis of the collected data, AI-powered chatbots can provide valuable insights to further improve the customer experience and marketing strategy.

2) AI-powered Product Configurators

AI-powered product configurators, such as our solution Declaro, allow customers to customize products to their needs and preferences, offering suggestions based on machine learning algorithms.

Product configurators also integrate with the enterprise software suite, from CRM to inventory management, for complete synergy between the logistics component, promotion and product sales.

In this way it is possible to significantly improve the customer experience, increasing the satisfaction and the possibilities of loyalty of the public, to always stay one step ahead.

 

Conclusion: Enabling omnichannel with Neosperience Cloud

Even small and medium-sized businesses can embark on the path to an Omnichannel Customer Experience, thanks to the support of modular and scalable application platforms such as Neosperience Cloud.

Our omnichannel solution combines the best expertise in Artificial Intelligence and cloud technologies with our experience and creativity.

We take advantage of the most advanced technologies and know-how built over the years to carry out our mission: to guide the evolution of business strategy and the go-to-market of companies, always putting the customer at the center of business priorities.

Relying on a suite of integrated solutions by design and fully customizable helps streamline the process of transitioning to omnichannel, thus helping companies to define and market new channels of purchase and promotion.

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Smart Agriculture: seizing the opportunities of a growing sector

Posted on by Neosperience Team

Technology shows all its destructive nature when applied to what has always seemed unchangeable. It is the case of agriculture, and its enormous possibilities for growth and development if interfaced with the latest innovations and technological solutions of Smart Agriculture. 

In fact, it went from a market of 450 million in 2019 to one of 1.6 billion in 2021. This is the figure reported in Research 2022 presented by the Smart Agrifood Observatory.

Going into more detail, the largest investments in the sector are dedicated to connected machinery (47 %), monitoring and control systems for vehicles and equipment (35 %), and then at a distance by management software (6 %), followed finally by remote monitoring systems for land and crops (5 %)

First of all, it should be noted that the technological field that seems to have the greatest application opportunities within Smart Agriculture is IoT (Internet of Things), obviously assisted by other technologies such as Drones, Blockchain, Machine Learning, etc.

Italy invests in Smart Agriculture about 20% of the total of the EU.

But what are the practical advantages of agriculture in adopting these instruments?

In this article we will explain the technological applications within the cultivation processes that can help the farmer manage processes, materials, machinery, human resources, and, of course, the crops themselves more efficiently.

Phytopathology

Phytopathology often causes enormous economic losses to the farmer if not recognized in time. To limit the damage, it is essential to discover its onset punctually, while at the same time preventing its start by highlighting the conditions that increase its risk.

How? For example, through the implementation of sensors (IoT) in the fields, on the trees, on the individual fruits, in the drainage channels, and so on, thanks to which it is possible to recover qualitative information on the health of the plants, on the humidity of the soil, on the presence of harmful substances, insects, diseases, etc.

At the same time, by using drones, orthophotos, and 3D images, it is possible to highlight the different parts of crops, which receive less water, grow less, or appear less healthy or sick.

Precision Farming

Another application of IoT, drones, but also Machine Learning, is explained in the concept of “Precision Farming”.

Usually, resources are used according to the schedule or in any case homogeneously in a crop, without considering the intra-field variability and the real needs.

The new technologies make it easy to collect information to carry out selective treatments, saving time, and applied products. Through predictive analysis, made possible by Machine Learning algorithms, the farmer can predict when certain crops and areas will need to be sown, irrigated, or fertilized.

Other Smart Agriculture Applications

But now let's go into the various features, imagining a ready-to-use solution dedicated to Smart Agriculture. What are its practical applications? 

Plot mapping

Thanks to the solution, the operator can easily draw web maps of their plots using the orthophotos of the area as a background. The system also allows you to upload the cadastre maps. It would be possible to map not only the plots but also tare or parts of land destined for other uses.

Georeferencing plants or rows 

In addition to displaying the plots, when the information is relevant for each plant, it is possible to geo-report plants or rows, using the GPS in the field and reporting the information on the map.

Computerization of crop data 

Each plot drawn on the map can be associated with a multiplicity of useful information both during the evaluation and monitoring of the crop and during the sending of data for regulatory compliance. 

Interface with soil and plant sensors

The solution interfaces directly to IoT sensors positioned in the plots to provide important information about soil and plant response to weather conditions. 

Weather data display

The application provides weather data from fixed control units or IoT sensors installed directly in the plots. The sensors provide useful information about the microclimate that insists on a certain area, which is essential for the assessment of the possibility of occurrence of certain phytopathologies. 

Warehouse management for fertilizers and plant protection products

A specific section of the solution would be dedicated to the management of the fertilizer and phytosanitary warehouse. The system automatically displays a counter to monitor the presence of products in the warehouse.

Processing of graphs and statistics

Smart Agriculture produces numerous graphs and statistics that allow you to carry out a specific analysis for various factors, in particular:

  • Forecast modeling: the solution would be able to produce very accurate forecast models for each area, indicating the probability of generation, fertility, and mortality of a pest agent. This information allows knowing promptly the beginning of a phytopathology or the degree of infestation.
  • Optimize the use of products: the Smart Agriculture solution would allow optimizing the use of fertilizers, plant protection products, and irrigated water thanks to the use of distribution maps and soil parameters obtained from soil sampling.
  • Support in the choice of soil sampling points: the platform would support the farmer to choose sampling points through pedological data, orography, and previous sampling.
  • Highlight the presence of localized criticalities: the solution would highlight various criticalities, such as nutrient deficiency,  phytopathologies, or the presence of water stagnation in the soil through vegetation vigor maps. These maps are created from remotely sensed data by satellites or drones.

Conclusions

In summary, the Smart Agriculture solution that we have imagined allows you to:

- Improve and modernize crop management by replacing paper maps and data;

- Optimize data handling and loading times;

- Prevent the onset of disease and contain its spread;

- Optimize management choices;

- Save on the use of products (fertilizers, plant protection products, water);

- Contain the environmental impacts of activities;

- Produce higher quality goods;

- Conduct time comparisons for the management of criticalities in the plots. 

The time has come for agriculture to enter the era of digitalization.

The future is 4.0. also for agriculture: by developing new solutions for Smart Agriculture it is possible to benefit a growing market, which offers opportunities to companies that believe in an ecological and prudent approach to resources.

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Dario Melpignano at the 51st National Conference of Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria

Posted on by Neosperience Team

Dario Melpignano at the 51st National Conference of Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria

PaesEuropa – Time for a new globalization

Dario Melpignano, CEO of Neosperience, spoke on Friday 24 June at the 51st National Conference of Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria in Rapallo with a speech entitled "The Intelligent Enterprise".

Together with journalist Davide Parenzo, Dario discussed the prospects that artificial intelligence offers for the health and economy of the country in front of an exceptional parterre, composed of prominent personalities of Italian politics, institutions and entrepreneurship.

Intelligent enterprise, according to Dario Melpignano, is able to adapt to change, survive and prosper:

If today the primacy of intelligence is in the so-called "emotional intelligence", our companies must first learn to be empathetic, that is, capable of adapting to the changing time of the new globalization.

Empathy is also at the heart of Neosperience's commitment in the field of health.

On Rapallo's stage Dario Melpignano successfully demonstrated how Neosperience Health uses Artificial Intelligence to improve the performance of pre-analytical and diagnostic processes.

 

Watch the panel

Instead, below you can download the ebook on the 6 key qualities for an empathic enterprise, that is the continuum of Dario's intervention on Italo Calvino's American Lessons.

Discover
 

Towards a new business model

The era of the new globalization has begun: today's and tomorrow's CEOs will have to overcome the Taylorist-Florist approach to work as soon as possible and integrate technology into their baggage of experiences.

Only by bringing emotional intelligence into play and leveraging empathy will it be possible to create greater business value than the sum of the parts, capable of harnessing the potential of digital.

The Mediterranean, Melpignano stressed, citing personalities of the caliber of Federico Faggin and Giulio Tononi, is a hotbed of entrepreneurial talents. Precisely from this context, in fact, an alternative company model to the Californian technological oligopoly comes to life.

And it is precisely from an author very far from Silicon Valley that Dario has taken inspiration to outline the qualities of the intelligent enterprise of tomorrow, which Neosperience already puts into practice day after day: Italo Calvino.

As his American Lessons suggest, now more than ever we need lightness, speed, accuracy, visibility, multiplicity and coherence to face the future.

Italo Calvino lezioni americane

Look again at Dario Melpignano's speech at the 51st National Conference of Young Entrepreneurs of Confindustria at this link and discover the solutions that Neosperience offers companies for a digital transition to the power of empathy:

Our solutions

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Artificial Intelligences and Gender. Why we need to fight stereotypes

Posted on by Neosperience Team

artificial intelligence and gender

From last November until next June 6, at the Futures Festival organized by the Smithsonian Institute, an event where you can admire the innovations that are destined to change the world, we can hear a very special voice: Q.

Introduced in 2019 as the first genderless virtual voice, Q was created to be used by virtual assistants to spark a debate on gender in Artificial Intelligences.

In fact, as Ryan Sherman, one of the co-creators of the project, says: "Q was designed to initiate a conversation between insiders and the public about why Artificial Intelligence technology - of a genderless nature - was gendered." To design Q a team of linguists, sound engineers and creatives collaborated with non-binary individuals sampling their voices, to create a unique sound range neither female nor male.

Does the gender in Artificial Intelligence favor stereotypes and discrimination?

When Q was announced several years ago, it was hailed as "the genderless digital voice that the world needs right now," recognizing the potential harm that today's virtual assistants, in their quintessential feminine being, perpetuate in proposing misogynistic stereotypes, representing women as performers without decision-making autonomy.

Project Q was highlighted and recognised in a UN report on gender divisions in digital skills. "Almost all the assistants have been feminized in name, voice, models and personality" you can read in this report entitled I'd Blush If I Could, that is the answer that Siri originally provided to users who apostrophe her with vulgar or sexist epithets.

Today's context: how the relationship with virtual assistants is changing

Today the situation is fortunately changing: at the beginning of 2020 Apple eliminated the default "female" option for Siri, and now allows you to choose a male voice from a set of items called 1, 2 and 3 (in Italy there are 1 and 2). Only at the end of February 2022 Apple added another voice, number 5: this, the company said, was recorded by a member of the LGBTQ+ community and sounds much more gender-neutral. We keep in mind, of course, that these kinds of updates are very often not distributed in the same way and at the same time around the world, so in fact even today the scenario is different from country to country.

But to overcome gender stereotypes, more needs to be done than simply adding a male or gender neutral vocal stamp. In fact, even the idea of a "genderless" voice reveals some of the misconceptions we still face when we think of ways to avoid reinforcing the stereotypes themselves.

Returning to Q, for example, its use could reinforce the stereotype that non-binary individuals are neither men nor women, but “something in the middle” rather than “outside it.” In fact, it is not a question of fighting for "neutrality" but rather of starting to face much deeper reasoning, which goes from the very roots of the construction of the relationship between human beings and digital

A step in this direction was taken by Yolande Strengers, associate professor at Monash University and co-author, with Jenny Kennedy, of The Smart Wife: Why Siri and Alexa Need a Feminist Reboot.

In this text the authors state that they do not think that the solution is to completely remove the gender from the equation of Artificial Intelligences, because "this excessively simplifies the way in which these devices treat the gender, which does not only concern the voice, but also the type of things they say, their personality, their form and their purpose".

Queering: a possible solution to the problem

So Y.Strangers and J.Kennedy propose to "queerize the intelligent wife". What does it mean?
Queering the smart wife means offering virtual assistants different personalities who more accurately represent the many versions of femininity and masculinity that exist around the world, as opposed to the pleasant and servile personality that many companies have chosen to adopt for their assistants.

Artificial Intelligence Gender

An example could be Jibo, a robot introduced in 2017 that uses male pronouns and has been marketed as a social robot for the home. Jibo is characterized by a "sweet and effeminate" masculinity: for example, Jibo answers questions politely, with a flirtatious look, and often rotates and approaches people in an extravagant way.

Queering virtual assistants can also mean fighting stereotypes with irony. This is the case of Eno, the bot of Capital One Bank, launched in 2019 which, if asked about its gender, jokingly answers: "I am binary. I don't mean I'm both, I mean I'm actually just one and zero”.

“A bot is a bot is a bot”: providing a specific gender to Artificial Intelligence

Another approach, perhaps more courageous, is that of Kai, an online banking chatbot developed by Kasisto, an organization that builds artificial intelligence software for online banking. Kai completely abandons human characteristics, and rather assumes a specific identity of the robot.

When asked if he is a real person, Kai responds, “A bot is a bot is a bot. Next question, please", thus indicating to users its non-humanity, not even claimed, given also the no-sense of the answer itself.

That's also why Jacqueline Feldman - the bot's creator - said she designed Kai to be able to deflect and stop harassment. For example, if a user repeatedly harasses the bot, the bot responds with a phrase, like, "I'm imagining white sand and a hammock, please try later!"

This example then raises another problem of humanized bots. According to Feldman, when companies that design bots make them too human, making it difficult for users to understand whether they are talking to a machine or a person, it creates a point of friction with the often frustrating experiences that bots themselves offer. Simply put, if you are thinking of talking to a human, and the experience is not up to it, it inevitably generates a negative reaction in the user.

artificial intelligence gender

For example Google Duplex, a technology now integrated into Google Assistant, imitates the human voice to perform activities such as making restaurant reservations or making an appointment to get a haircut: this technology has often been called misleading to the user.

For this reason in 2019 California became the first state to require bots to identify themselves as such and, although the law has been described as imperfect, it can certainly be defined as the first step of a new path in the context of the rules governing communicative relationships.

Conclusions

To redefine the future of the relationship between digital assistants and human beings, companies and society must be willing to face deep reflections, with significant impacts in various work and private environments.

Reflections that we at Neosperience are also pursuing regarding the identity of our virtual assistant, Sofia. Although it has a feminine name, in choosing it we have been guided by the desire to refer to Σοφία, wisdom, in its ancient meaning, which derives from the adjective saphés ("clear", "manifest", "evident", "true"). Sofia the wise and the true, then.

Sofia is also fully customizable, in appearance and personality. It can assume any kind and style of communication, depending on the wishes and needs of users and customers. In addition, although the virtual avatar is extremely convincing, the voice is deliberately made more mechanical than other virtual assistants, so as not to risk deceiving the interlocutor about the real nature of Sofia.

But our intention is to continue to evolve Sofia, so that it is suitable to be used by everyone always, without putting in difficulty or creating damage to the sensitivity of people.

Only thanks to the heterogeneity and the approach of realities that deal with developing an advanced Artificial Intelligence will we be able to carry out truly inclusive digital developments, starting from a correct representation of gender.

Progress comes only from the acceptance and appreciation of differences, and the technological field is no exception. 

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Technological trends and new challenges in the sport sector

Posted on by Neosperience Team

Foto copertina articolo sport

In a context where the world of sport is constantly growing, but at the same time in need of change, the emergence of innovative technologies, the diffusion of new tools and their use have become factors of enormous importance for the growth and evolution of the sector.

If we take the economic and social situation of the world's richest and most popular sport - football - then it is clear that, between scandals and crises, the need for innovation is urgent. A change must be made, and the technology in this game can play a leading role.

Today more than ever, it is vitally important to face the continuous evolutions thanks to long-term solutions and strategies that involve all the stakeholders of the system, with the aim of making the online and offline interaction between company/team and customer/fan unique and relevant.

In this article we will illustrate the technological trends that will be able to revolutionize engagement, relationships and experience with fans in sport.

 

Technological trends on the methods of involvement of sports fans

Tifosi allo stadio

A sport, in order to continue to exist, needs two things: people who practice it and enthusiasts who follow it. Teams and federations therefore have every interest in stimulating the engagement of fans, creating a sense of belonging and loyalty to strengthen the relationship with fans/customers/stakeholders and obtain a concrete return from a long-term business perspective.

In recent years we have witnessed a great change in the relationship between society and fans. New technologies for the use of sporting events have become increasingly important, and the recent pandemic years have given a further boost to this phenomenon.

The imposition in Italy of Dazn and Amazon Prime Video as providers of sports content in live streaming is the best example. The transfer from the television medium to the digital one opens the way to new possibilities of involvement. It is demonstrated by numerous use cases that the technology is able to increase business opportunities, creating new sources of revenue, and at the same time improving the satisfaction of the fan/stakeholder.

Of course, there are still considerable limitations (for example the frequent problems encountered by Dazn and Amazon with the quality of streaming), but no one doubts that the future is digital.

Involvement, challenge and sharing are the objectives of an entire sector, which must regain the trust and love of its audience. Let's see some examples of new technologies that can play a leading role in this revolution:

 

Blockchain

Blockchain technology has seen remarkable development in recent years. From the first dubious approaches, today the public and businesses have learned to know and appreciate it. The uses of this technology are growing, and its potential is not yet fully expressed.

In the sports field, the use of blockchain for public engagement is linked to a sub-branch of this technology: NFTs. These are digital "objects" that - purchased on the blockchain - are unique and therefore not copyable. For this reason, they are sold by companies as collectibles, stimulating the involvement of fans.

Take the case of the NBA Top Shot. This passionate initiative is based on a blockchain platform, where users can buy, sell, and exchange “moments”, or NFTs in the form of official video highlights of the best NBA games.

It is a similar experience to the traditional physical sports card market, but instead of the image of a player with statistics on the back, we collect videos of a specific play represented on a cube, whose faces contain all the data and statistics relating to that moment.

banner nft eng

 

5G

As we have already said, the use of live content has been shifting for years towards the digital medium. 5G - once it has become widespread - will be the technology that will definitively transform the way we follow sport. 5G networks are spreading around the world, delivering speed, increased capacity and ultra-low latency.

In addition, 5G allows you to enrich the user experience with live interactive content. BBox - for example - develops engaging Augmented Reality (AR) content that fans can access via their smartphones, such as the ability to take photos with players, 360° stadium tours and infographics on player performance.

For today's fans, it's not enough to have the game in front of their eyes: they want analysis, statistics and additional information about the players and opponents of their favourite teams.

 

Personalization and loyalty

The use of new technologies allows the development of deep loyalty and fan engagement programs. As organizations in the industry manage to connect all points of a single fan's journey, they will be able to drive personalized connections and experiences that will increase the lifespan value of fans.

An example of this is dynamic advertising during matches. Virtual advertising within stadiums is in fact making giant strides, and promises to become a crucial element to allow brands and leagues to structure revenues in a more organized way, and to offer content more in line with their audience. Thanks to this technology, the physical spaces dedicated to sponsors and present in the stadiums with the side panels of the field, during the course of the games can be replaced by virtual video content, produced in real time and customizable.

 

Live Initiatives

During a live streaming match, the possibility for the user to intervene live to participate in contests, initiatives and actions is unlimited. Receive digital autographs from your favorite character, win a prize if you guess who the next marker will be, choose the camera from where to follow the match: anything is possible.

 

Crowdfunding for fans

Some crowdfunding platforms allow fans to invest in projects proposed by their favorite team. In this way, companies can receive funds to grow the club, and at the same time fans can invest safely and become part of the company itself, receiving benefits and prizes in return.

 

E-Sport

Another trend - now consolidated - is that of E-Sports. Suffice it to say that there is a corresponding Serie A TIM championship, simply called eSerie A TIM, dedicated to matches on FIFA and PES video games. Sports clubs must, however, stimulate this use more, with their own direct active involvement. In fact, many of the youngest fans relate to their favourite sport first and foremost thanks to gaming: starting in the creation of their future fan base through E-Sports has now become essential, also because it is a market that now moves billions of euros every year.

Organizing and highlighting championships for teams, proposing prizes, investing in common games rooms are just some of the most interesting uses of this medium.

 

Technological trends on sports performance analysis

Atleta che sorride

Technology, of course, also plays a focal role in training activities. Digital and new technologies provide - first and foremost - new data, and thus a new approach. For example, applications of Artificial Intelligence for the analysis of data collected during training sessions are already in place in many realities: working on individuals, with more analytical and personalized strategies (ad hoc), is the path that many are following. The study of training and match videos, the continuous evaluation of health, the study for the prevention of injuries are only some of the possible applications.

To do this, wearable IoT technologies are used, through which the athlete's physical parameters (heartbeats, efforts, etc.) are monitored. Nowadays, smart cameras are also increasingly used, in this case to record movements and actions in order to turn them into data to be interpreted.

 

AI for sport

Once the physical and behavioural data have been collected, the next and necessary step is to translate them into useful information. At the moment there are tools that combine data analysis and artificial intelligence to study behaviors, understand mistakes and opponents, and identify the most useful corrections. Thanks to sophisticated algorithms and models, this technology helps give athletes and teams an extra boost in terms of performance.

 

Conclusions - Technology for the need of change in sports

Campo di atletica

Sport and the relationship of societies with enthusiasts is changing. Offering new and engaging experiences is what will allow the sector to grow again and overcome the economic and image crisis that many realities have experienced in the last two years of the pandemic.

Investing in new technologies, already used by its audience, and creating a relationship of respect and trust with fans are the tools available today to look to the future of sport.

After all, sport is a game and a passion that unites almost all the people in the world. Playing sports and following it is a way to return children: impulsive, reckless and happy even in fatigue. Sports clubs should not forget this when deciding their business plans: without fun, involvement, it is no longer sport. 

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All about NFTs: past and present, limits and potential

Posted on by Neosperience Team

nft 3d design model

In this article we want to pull the strings on the new buzzword of the moment: NFT. 

Born a few years ago as a natural development of the blockchain, in recent months the NFTs have seen a boom both in the market and in the media. 

Many things have been said about this technology, both enthusiastically and critically, and often not too objectively. Today we will try to define the real role of NFTs in our everyday lives, especially for tomorrow. But before we get into a long discussion about what the reasons are for the birth of NFTs, and what future prospects we should expect, let us start from the ground up.

 

What is an NFT? 

It is an acronym that stands for "Non-Fungible Token". What does it mean? With respect to fungible goods, such as banknotes (which can be exchanged with other banknotes of the same value), non-expendable goods indicate that these goods are not replicable and replaceable, because they have a specific individuality. 

nft individuality pattern

This individuality is given by a digital mark, with a certificate of authenticity and uniqueness. This certificate is issued thanks to blockchain technology. NFTs are therefore associated with digital content, which guarantees the characteristics of uniqueness and authenticity, giving the owner a certificate of authenticity of the digital product in question and owned by the NFT. Each NFT, thanks to the blockchain, is a unique piece and therefore is not fungible, or non-interchangeable. This is - in a nutshell - an NFT. 

Are there limits to creating NFTs? Not special: anything that is stored on a digital medium can be transformed into NFT, as long as you have the rights of use (if the purpose is then to sell it).

 

How NFTs Work Today 

Today NFTs are an investment trend that moves billions and billions of dollars. A fashion that is destined to last for a long time, although probably with different implications than current speculation. Just think of the prices at which numerous NFTs were sold: Everydays: The First 5000 Days, Crypto Punks and Bored Ape Yacht Club, respectively at 69 million, 1 billion and 542 million dollars. 

Everydays: The First 5000 Days

Many shouted at the scandal when these figures were made public, and many responded by defending NFT technology. For example, an NFT investor named Matt McNally reminded skeptics - a few weeks ago - that many of the goods that can be purchased today are - at the end of the day - many similar to NFTs: "Sure, you can say that spending money to buy a certificate that says you have an easily copyable image is ridiculous, but this is where I remind you that you can say about the same thing about 99% of everything else," McNally said.

"NFTs can be a lot of speculation, but what isn't? I may have thrown away thousands of dollars buying NFTs, but maybe you're throwing away thousands of dollars playing in the stock market, or buying lottery tickets, or buying products you don't need”

In general, when a market attracts so much money, there is only one meaning: there are needs that are not yet satisfied, and that find relief - in this case - thanks to the NFTs. 

And what are these needs? First of all, to give value to what did not previously have any: digital art and the rights of creators on it. Secondly, the need for "recognition" (social, economic) of people also in digital spaces (and thanks to digital assets), currently not satisfied. 

Currently, NFT sales skyrocketed to $10.7 billion in the third quarter of 2021. This boom can also be attributed to COVID-19, which has pushed many people to live digital in a different way. In addition, many artists, performers and musicians - among the categories most affected by the pandemic - have found themselves in a position to reinvent themselves, finding in the NFTs a way to earn money from their work.

 

Metaverses

One thing that surely cannot be said about NFTs is that they were born without a goal. However, a question arises: has the objective been achieved? It depends, above all, on the field of application. For example, one of the limitations of NFTs is that many people ask, “What is their practical utility? How can I make use of it?" A question that can be answered - only partially - by saying that they are financial investments.

But this situation is changing thanks to the birth of metaverses, where users can use and display their NFTs. Facebook's announcement that it wants to launch its own metaverse is a clear signal that the road to virtual worlds in which it can use its NFTs has now been paved. 

But what is a metaverse? The canonical definition is: a three-dimensional space within which natural persons can move, share and interact through personalized avatars. In truth, there is no unambiguous definition, but it generally indicates a virtual place where you can hang out with other people, interact, invest and create your own character in the image and likeness of what you want to be. 

Today there are about a dozen (depending on which metaverse definition you want to use). Let's see some examples. 

An example of a metaverse is the Roblox game. Today the system is also integrated with certain NFTs, through which users can customize their characters. 

An example of an NFT initiative is the one made by Gucci, which has tried to reach new consumers within this metaverse by creating an exclusive "Gucci Collection" composed of NFT, which includes bags, glasses and hats that can be used by users' avatars within the game.

decentraland metaverse with nft

Another well-established metaverse is Decentraland. An example of an initiative with NFT in this virtual world is that of Coca-Cola, which has launched branded virtual clothing as NFT, even hosting a Rooftop Party on the platform to celebrate the launch.

 

The advantages of NFTs: why create and sell them?

For brands and creators, NFTs are a godsend, if you will.

A whole new billionaire market born out of thin air in recent years: the possibilities of profit are practically unlimited, and the costs for companies and individuals are minimal. 

The application fields are equally endless: everything can be sold as NFT, just create a digital copy of what you want to sell and the game is done. You can tokenize individual products or digital works of art, or create collections of thousands of objects. 

nft of michelangelo's David

In addition, NFTs incorporate all the classic advantages of blockchain, namely decentralization, disintermediation, registry immutability, traceability and verifiability of its contents, movements and transfers. 

Another advantage is the possibility of earning even from second, third, fourth, etc. level sales: in short, every time your NFT is resold to third parties, you are paid for your rights. All thanks to the fact that on the blockchain every transfer of ownership is traceable. A continuous revenue stream, and unlimited in time.

 

The limits of NFTs

We come now to talk about what are the problems that today risk undermining the success of NFTs. Let us start with the problem of rights of use and sale.

 

Copyright 

Quentin Tarantino - the well-known film director - recently announced his entry into the world of NFT art by creating seven scanned digital copies of his original handwritten scripts with audio commentary, linked to the script of the film Pulp Fiction. The problem is - in this case - that the film production company, Miramax, decided to send a warning letter to the director, stating that they own and do not want to grant the rights to the film materials, when in fact the script is owned by the director. 

pulp fiction poster

Let's see another case: the model and actress Emily Ratajkowski sold a NFT a few months ago that represents a composite image, showing a photograph of herself in front of a print of another artist that contains a photo (of herself) taken (presumably) by another artist. A nice fuss, but basically the objective of this work is precisely to reflect on copyright in the world of digital art. 

In general, NFTs empower artists to regain rights to their works, as mentioned before by providing royalties for subsequent sales of the same object: but at the same time, NFTs - if you can say so - are nothing more than links that point to different URLs, and can be anything. They can be a script, or a photo, or a 3D model, or a song, and so on. The medium is unique, but the output is different. NFTs are one of the answers to the copyright problem, not the answer. 

A step forward is therefore also needed at the legislative level, which takes into account instruments such as NFTs and finally finds an effective way to protect digital art.

 

A fashion that does not focus on quality...

Another "problem" linked to the sector, which also risks undermining its success, is the proliferation of very poor quality NFTs: since anyone can create NFT - with a minimum of technical knowledge - the strong growth of the market has encouraged a generalized poor quality of the objects for sale that however - and it must be said - are often purchased equally. 

Take for example a collection of NFTs that has had some success: the Neopets. 

neopets nft models

They are small animals, real and mythological, that the user is encouraged to collect and then use them in a dedicated metaverse.

Well, the quality of the pet models - sold for about $500 each - leaves a lot to be desired. Ears that pass through hats, glasses that rest on the mouths of animals, clothes that eliminate the front legs in the trunk, and whoever has more, put more. 

As you can well understand, such an operation has no interest in the NFT itself, but rather in the economic investment behind it. It is the cryptocurrency that interests and counts, and the fact that there is something "attached" - that is, the NFT - no matter, is one more. 

If this is the context, then buying NFT is equivalent to buying cryptocurrencies. 

Our belief is that this behavior is only given by the initial phase in which this technology is found: inexperienced people can easily get hold of the hand and make wrong investments. Over time, quality will stabilize towards parameters closer to a mature market.

 

Digital and immortal: two words that do not go hand in hand

When we talk about NFT we must bear in mind that there are also some structural technical criticalities, some specific to blockchains. As we have seen in the first chapter, NFTs are ultimately smart contracts placed on a blockchain that refer to the digital object of which you are the owner. 

nft 3d models of mirrors

But what happens if the reference blockchain ceases to be a blockchain, or simply ceases to exist? And what happens when the contents that are linked by a smart contract cease to be reachable - because they are expired or obsolete? 

For example, the NFT Hic et Nunc marketplace, after more than $50 million in sales and based on the Tezos blockchain, was closed a few weeks ago without giving an explanation to users. Nothing serious, also because no one has been damaged and no one has seen their NFTs disappear (since the marketplace has the only task of intermediating), but what has happened must sound an alarm bell to fans. 

Whenever new technology takes over the market, shaky new companies try to ride the wave of success without having the tools, endangering unsuspecting investors and users. To avoid danger, the only way is to trust the major players in the market: in this case - for example - OpenSea and Ethereum.

 

NFTs consume a lot of energy (?)

A few months ago Jason Citron, CEO of Discord - one of the most popular messaging applications in the world - made an announcement that he was sure would blow the fanbase: he tweeted a screenshot of the app that shows how Discord would soon be integrated with MetaMask and WalletConnect, the most popular cryptocurrency and NFTs purchasing systems. Unfortunately for him, the users did not take it very well. 

Reflecting the feelings of many, one user responded to the tweet: "I can't wait to tell my friends that Discord is encouraging pyramid schemes at great environmental cost. Thanks for the warning!" Citron eventually retracted his statement, and said Discord has no intention of integrating NFTs and cryptocurrencies at the moment.

This teaches us that NFTs can also elicit critical reactions, especially when targeting an audience that is sensitive to environmental issues. In fact, many are aware of the environmental impact of blockchain technology, which in order to exist needs enormous amounts of energy to track and store transaction information. 

wwf campaign with NFT

Having said that, it is not really true that NFTs are a damage to the planet, on the contrary. In truth, they are only a very small part of the energy consumed by the blockchain, and NFTs are often used by non-profit organizations to recover funds for the protection of the planet. For example, the WWF also sells its NFTs to safeguard endangered species...remember, however, that it is always good to mitigate the environmental impact of your operation, either using green and renewable energy for mining, or setting as the purpose of the initiative to recover funds to finance energy transformation and the conservation of the planet to improve your brand reputation.

 

Too much power for intermediaries

One limit of NFTs is also that of intermediaries. In fact, a brand or a creator who wants to create and sell their NFTs must necessarily turn to two third parties: the blockchain, on which to undermine their token, and a marketplace, where they can put it on sale. A solution marketplaces - which earn thanks to commissions - exists, and is NFT-Commerce, our digital commerce platform dedicated only to NFTs. 

nft-commerce website

How does it work? It is very simple: through our system, we will allow you to create a direct link between your site/app with the reference blockchain, either through a dedicated wallet or directly with a payment gateway through a credit card. The user can then directly buy your NFTs on your digital property, either through their own cryptocurrency or by paying by card. 

This system allows you to save yourself the commissions of third parties, as well as to manage the shopping experience, and to recover customer data. 

If you want to know more, write to us and we will offer a free assessment! 

 

Conclusions: why selling NFT earns you

NFTs are the future - it is undeniable - because they respond to needs that have long been neglected by institutions and companies. Starting to explore this world right away can bring significant gains, and offers a competitive advantage over others companies. 

It is important to consider the benefits but also the challenges that a new technology poses, and not fall into the trap of superficiality when approaching NFTs. For this reason, it is essential to ask for support from those who already live and work in the world of blockchain. Because when a new market arises, relying on those who have already succeeded in creating expertise is essential.

 

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The AI as Cassandra: predicting the points of no return in climate change

Posted on by Neosperience Team

AI to predict climate change

Climate change is the great challenge of the 21st century.

Within a few decades the climate on earth risks becoming unrecognizable. How much? We do not know, because today we are not yet able to predict what the post climate change world will be like, nor do we know what and how many points of no return in this battle we will have to face.

To help scientists, however, a new application of AI has arrived, able to function as an early warning system against climate change, when it approaches - precisely - thresholds from which it is impossible to go back.

 

The algorithm that predicts the irreversible

Chris Bauch, professor of applied mathematics at the University of Waterloo, is co-author of a recent article that reports the results of the new deep learning algorithm he has helped develop, and that is able to identify the thresholds beyond which a rapid or irreversible change occurs in a climate system.

"We found that the new algorithm was able not only to predict turning points more accurately than existing approaches, but also to provide information on what type of situation is likely to develop beyond the point of no return," Bauch said.

Some turning points that are often associated with climate change include the melting of Arctic permafrost, which could release large amounts of methane and stimulate further change in the atmosphere; the breaking of ocean currents, which could lead to almost immediate changes in weather patterns; the disintegration of the ice sheet, which would lead to a rapid change in sea level.

The innovative approach with this AI, according to the researchers, is that it has not been trained only on the known types of points of no return in the climate field, but on the characteristics of the points of no return in themselves. After training AI on a "universe of possible points of no return", made up of about 500,000 different models, researchers tested it in recognizing specific real points of no return in various systems, including historical climate samples.

Timothy Lenton, director of the Global Systems Institute at the University of Exeter and co-author of the study, said: "Our method could send danger signals when we are close to a critical point. Providing early warning could help societies adapt and reduce vulnerability to the changes that are coming, even if they cannot be avoided.”

 

Predict changes in complex systems: are we close?

Deep learning is making great strides in recognising and classifying models: the case in question is an example of how far we have come. An algorithm that can recognize the patterns that occur before an event, and therefore know if a point of no return is coming, is what brings us closer to predicting complex, social and natural events for the first time.

"People are familiar with no-return points in climate systems, but there are breakthroughs in epidemiology and stock markets as well," said Thomas Bury, a post-doctoral researcher at McGill University and another of the co-authors. "What we have learned is that AI is very good at detecting the characteristics of non-return points that are common to a wide variety of complex systems."

The new deep learning algorithm is a "game-changer for the ability to anticipate big changes, including those associated with climate change", said Madhur Anand, another of the project's researchers and director of the Guelph Institute for Environmental Research.

So we're getting closer to what Isaac Asimov called psychohistory? We do not know, but many professionals are asking themselves more and more frequently (and it is no coincidence that the AppleTv Foundation series has just come out) if it will be possible to predict mass events thanks to new technologies related to AI, and if so with what precision and with what ethical approach.

The computing power that we have today, supported by the vast amount of data available, in fact, can only increase exponentially and therefore be decisive, also thanks to the development of quantum computers.

 

Conclusions: Climate change is less obscure thanks to AI

Now that the algorithm has learned how nonreturn points work, the team is working on the next step, which is to provide the data to the system to enable it to identify the trends in climate change that are developing today.

It is often said that ignorance is dangerous...thanks to AI, today we are a little less ignorant about what awaits us in the future. Will we be able to react and change as we are asked? Not even the most advanced AI on the planet is able to answer this question, for now.

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Italian Wineries and the next year opportunities

Posted on by Neosperience Team

vigna all'alba

The wine sector today

The wine sector has not yet risen from its lowest point, and is likely to return to pre-Covid levels only in 2021.

Current data - provided by the TradeLab analysis company - predicts a closure of 2020 for wines equal to -28%. This contraction, however significant, is better than one percentage point compared to previous forecasts, but still not sufficient. 

The main reasons for this collapse are due to the sharp decrease in consumption outside home, in the HO.RE.CA channel, due to the closure of the spaces and the clear decrease in foreign tourism. 

Regarding exports, the first half of 2020 saw a 3.4% decrease in value: the largest percentage collapse was that of the Chinese market (-40%). While large production companies are reacting a little better, small companies, those that put quality and territoriality first, are the most in crisis. 

But not everything is lost. Indeed, for many wine producers the coming months will be full of opportunities.

The substantial change in the types of consumption requires a change in the product proposals: in this context, the possibilities for the sector to return stronger than before are considerable.

In this article we will describe the growth opportunities for the wine sector in terms of product positioning, new market opportunities and experiential offerings, with an eye on both the digital world and the indispensable physical experience. 

 

Voice of Customer: listening to improve

vino tavola rotonda

The first thing companies should do today to get back on their feet is “try to understand” what is happening to their customers. The months of chaos we have all experienced have undoubtedly changed our habits, thoughts, behaviours and desires.

Companies cannot ignore these changes: it is necessary to understand which direction the public is moving in. This is the right time to stop and start asking yourself questions.

The Voice of Customer can absolutely help: this is the branch for the collection of feedback and desired users (prospects, customers, employees) with the aim of providing a better user experience (UX), but also aimed at collecting information to support marketing and branding strategies. 

Thanks to digital technology, market research is now much cheaper and more effective. Through major social networks, email, whatsapp, chatbots, but also Amazon Alexa, you can relate one-to-one with your users. Starting from the data collected, it is possible to discover relevant and potentially disruptive information, especially today.

It is therefore essential for the wine sector to start from listening to what the present has to say to us.

 

Digital Commerce: selling without the intermediary of third parties 

Another factor that can no longer be postponed is the adoption of a digital sales channel. Having a Digital Commerce where you can sell your wine to the general public and professionals has become essential. 

This period has allowed millions of Italians to discover the value of Digital Commerce: therefore, it is difficult to go back to pre-pandemic habits. Of course Digital Commerce does not necessarily have to be an exclusive platform for individual producers.

To improve its effectiveness, it would be better to create hubs of more players who together decide to join forces: doing so would reduce costs, increase the visibility of the platform and give more choice to consumers and merchants. An example? A platform that unites all Piedmontese producers of Barolo.

What other benefits does Digital Commerce provide? Obviously it allows wineries to expand their market, differentiate the public and eliminate the expenses of third party operators, whether they are restaurants, wine bars or large retailers. 

In addition, being able to create a direct relationship with the public helps to create all those loyalty dynamics so dear to the company's income statements.

From this point of view, it is necessary to devote a specific study to what is called a subscription economy.

 

Product Subscriptions: Building Lasting Relationships

abbonamento vino

The subscription economy - which has been booming for some years - is an opportunity which, if well exploited, can be a major economic discriminator. What is it? It is simply the offer of a subscription to the products to the customer, in exchange for a discount. We are well aware that this mode of sale is already widespread within the wine sector. Many families, every year, call the trusted manufacturer to stock bottles. 

Digital, however, makes a qualitative leap to this service. In fact, as we have already said, the greater probability to create a loyal relationship with the customer improves the probability that a subscription will take place. Obviously all this applies to both B2B and B2C audiences.

Digital Commerce and Subscription Economy go hand in hand, and in our opinion it is right to implement both once you decide to move a part of the business online. 

 

Gamification: entertaining and engaging the public

Gamification consists of offering to the customers an experience, digital or physical, that aims to involve them through a "game”. Marketers have always known that linking product experience to fun is a winning tool to gain public trust and appreciation. Thanks to digital the possibility of engagement is considerably greater, and allows customers to be reached wherever they are.

Prize games, competitions, badges, trophies and competitions are not to be underestimated if you want to increase your customers and make them loyal to your products. Until a few years ago, only large companies were able to bear the costs for activities of this type: today this is no longer the case. 

In addition, the games themselves have also changed, which over the years have become increasingly engaging: if previously we were limited to collecting stickers, today we can create interactive competitions (contests on social media, in-app games, etc.).

Ultimately, playing today has never been so beneficial for companies.

 

Internationalisation: taking Made in Italy all around the world

Made in Italy has a future only as long as it can attract and involve even the most distant peoples.

To make this, you need to continually renew your offer and distribution channels, to be relevant in the digital age. One of the most complex markets for Italian companies, both culturally and because it is highly digitised, is the Chinese one. 

As we pointed out in the introduction to the article, the Chinese market was the one that experienced the steepest collapse due to the pandemic: -40%. 

As the first country to suffer from the consumption crisis caused by lockdown, China was also the first nation to emerge from it, and to resume growing and buying as usual: at the moment, foreign alcohol purchasing rates are growing rapidly.

The Chinese market was the fastest growing market in wine consumption worldwide. Although the pleasure of wine is universal, in order to be able to communicate with the Chinese people it is necessary to have a valid cultural knowledge of the country: for this reason it is not advisable to engage in promotional and internationalization activities without relying on external consultancy companies, which are able to support and recommend the best strategies. 

Value China, a subsidiary of Neosperience and composed of young Italian-Chinese, has recently implemented a digital promotion program dedicated to Italian wineries. 

Winease offers Italian producers the opportunity to learn directly about Chinese consumers, to discover the most effective ways to communicate with them and to use the most suitable tools to promote their uniqueness.

Through partnership with Wechat, China's largest social media platform, Interwine, the largest and oldest professional wine fair in China, and Putaojiu.com, China's leading press release platform in the wine sector, Value China is able to support and guide Italian winegrowers in conquering the market.

 

Conclusions

Ultimately, the growth possibilities for the sector are considerable and necessarily pass through the implementation of strategies focused on digital channels.

Understanding the public, engaging and retaining customers, eliminating third-party brokerage, joining stronger and more structured hubs, selling online and reaching distant and untapped markets: these are the guidelines for the wine sector that guarantee immediate success against a medium-term investment.

If you have any questions, please contact us and we will be happy to answer your questions.

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5 tips for an effective Lead Generation

Posted on by Neosperience Team

5 tips lead generationThe great salesmen of the past have now become legendary characters, whose stories feature films and television series. In fact, we are all bewitched by the skills of a good salesman, who alone can make a business prosper.

Although it is still important for companies to have a talented sales department, many companies are tempted to give up the human component in commercial activities in favor of digital solutions that promise the moon, but ultimately are very ineffective.

In fact, although they are cheaper and faster than any vendor, Social Selling or Account Based Marketing platforms are far less effective than human activities.

The reason? They lack an essential component: empathy.

Communicating the right message at the right time is complex: it is necessary to analyze the context and a whole set of subjective factors that a machine is not yet able to take into account.

However, this does not mean that digital is not helpful. Today you can find thousands of potential customers using platforms like LinkedIn, or simply browsing the web. Problems arise when a machine is asked to operate independently in the “contact phase”. The risk of passing for spam is more than real: for a company, this is the worst thing to do.

How is it possible to carry out digital sales activities without risking being irrelevant, ineffective, or even harmful?

 

5 Tips for Effective Lead Generation

In this article, we will show you the 5 tips that our sales department has always followed, and we will explain how our solution for Social Selling and Account Based Marketing works and how Neosperience Customer Generator can help your business grow.

  • To sell your products you need to know how to sell yourself

A trivial statement that it is often not put into practice.
Usually, those who contact us on social media or through our website are complete strangers: this obviously makes us think that their communications are spam. Getting noticed before contact is the first step to getting a response, hopefully positive. Create a relationship before direct contact. Like and comment on what is shared. Discuss, show yourself, and hear.

  • You need to examine

Before contacting potential prospects, you need to find out their role in the company and what their interests are, what their company does, and the trends and risks of their sectors. In business, you don't have to assume, but know how your company and services can be useful to that particular person.

  • Be personal

Today companies continually receive copied and pasted messages sent from poorly programmed bots: no wonder the results of these operations are virtually nil. A good sales activity must in fact be as “personal” as possible. So don't just talk about the product, but focus on your personal experience and that of your interlocutor: be “personalized”, tell who you are and what you do in the company, and find points of contact with your interlocutor.

  • Get organized and keep track of everything

The activity of a salesman must be organized. Keep track of what you write and who is your prospect. Take notes on what your prospects do and how they "are", and try changing your strategies to see which ones work best.

  • Supports your direct contact strategy

Sometimes it's the same prospect that finds your company. In fact, value-specific content for different targets is a natural “magnet” for new contracts: articles, whitepapers, ebooks, webinars, or videos, the important thing is that they are interesting and show the value of your business.

Neosperience Customer Generator

 

Neosperience Customer Generator

This is "Neosperience Customer Generator" by Neosperience on Vimeo, the home for high quality videos and the people who love them.


What is interesting about this drawing of “empathic” advice is that all the activities described can be supported by our Lead Generation platform, Neosperience Customer Generator, based - among other things - also on Lead Champion, a digital marketing solution that we acquired just a few months ago.

The Neosperience Customer Generator allows you to:

  • Identify

Choose your target audience by combining information from all departments;

  • Discover

Recover the firmographic data of your ideal clientele - company size, location, sector, market position, and annual revenues - as well as strategic factors such as market influence, the likelihood of repeated purchases and the expected profit margin;

  • Save

Automatically load profiled leads and relevant information into the Customer Data Platform (CDP) of the Neosperience Customer Generator. Fill out notes and tags on Lead profiles; reuse this information later to boost your business;

  • Interact

Attract your potential customers and dialogue with them by generating Qualified Leads. View the profiles of your potential customers, identify their skills, follow their activities and send personalized messages automatically;

  • Engage

Create targeted content for each of your leads, dedicated to the specific offers you want to promote. Combine the effects of two strategic approaches: Account-Based Marketing (ABM), to communicate in a personalized way with each corporate actor, and Inbound Marketing, to generate new leads offering relevant and quality content;

  • Measure

Each marketing activity must produce measurable results. Thanks to Neosperience Customer Generator you can always know the conversion rate of your activities, the increase in the number of Leads over time, and their economic value.

Conclusions

Neosperience Customer Generator is a facilitator. It is the union of the best of digital - intelligent and empathetic - with the immeasurable value of the human relationship.

Digital is a tool, not the solution to all problems: for many years to come, the human factor will be indispensable. Our 5 tips are the foundation for a “human” and effective Lead Generation, and the guidelines on which we have developed our solution. If you want to learn more, read the article What is Lead Generation: the definitive guide to acquiring customers online (in 2021), by Lead Champion!

Only by combining digital and physical we can survive in today's ultra-competitive market, governed by digital intermediaries and made even more complex by the crisis that companies are experiencing today.

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Digital Opportunities for Furniture and Design Industries

Posted on by Neosperience Team

In this article, we will talk about the opportunities for growth and innovation in furniture and design industries.  

Today, the environment in which the furniture and design sector is moving is complex. Although major trade fairs have been postponed, and many key market sectors, such as tourism and catering, are in difficulty, the rebound has been more positive than expected, especially as regards B2C.

Many entrepreneurs in the sector have said that - after the lockdown - they witnessed a flow of purchases 50% higher than the previous year. 

Although this is good news, which demonstrates the industry's unwavering value, it is nevertheless necessary for companies to address the changes that have taken place in the last period, both for the B2C  and - especially - the B2B markets.  

In this article, we will tell you what are the best solutions to deal with the months and years ahead.

Online Lead Generation for B2B and B2C

As we said before, B2B sales to key furniture and design sectors are still in difficulty. Tourism, events, and catering were important items for the budget of many producers. Today these revenues have practically disappeared. 

It is, therefore, necessary to find - with the courage to look in unexplored “places” - new sources of income. 

Neosperience Customer Generator is the ideal tool to achieve this goal. 

The platform allows sales and marketing departments to automate and optimize the search for new leads. 

How? 

  • Keeping note of identity, company, and other characteristics of those who visit social profiles (LinkedIn) and the company website.
  • Analyzing their unique characteristics, such as interests and personalities (thanks to the Artificial Intelligence).
  • Automating the search for people and companies potentially interested, such as sector influencers (architects, designers, etc.) or companies operating in the sectors of tourism, catering, construction, events, etc.
  • Automating contact with these users and companies with personalized messages.
  • Collecting all this information on a dedicated platform, easily integrated with the systems already in use by the company.

At the same time, the Neosperience Customer Generator allows you to implement the same dynamics also for a B2C audience; for this purpose, it is interesting to mention the possibility of finding and contacting people potentially interested on major social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube, as well as LinkedIn.

Finding new sources of income has become essential: traditional lead generation strategies, such as participating in fairs to talk vis a vis with prospects, are no longer feasible. Sales and marketing departments must move their activities online, using a tool that allows them to achieve quality and efficient work, and that brings certain and measurable results.

The physical store 

The physical store remains the most important touchpoint for the furniture industry. Being able to see and touch furniture and finishes is essential.

Today, the pandemic has forced brands to rethink the customer's visit to the store: it is essential to be able to offer safe experiences, but no less effective or engaging. 

When customers decide to buy new furniture for their own home, they are emotionally involved: it is an important choice, which will accompany them for many years to come. In light of the moment we are experiencing, it is important to remember the value of this experience, so as not to betray the most intimate and authentic side of our customers. 

The Neosperience People Analytics solution helps the sales network give the right weight to the customer experience, enhancing their purchasing behaviour, and ensuring that today's health regulations do not preclude the success of the Customer Experience.

How does it work? 

The solution requires high-resolution cameras in the strategic points of the store. The recovered images are then analyzed by Machine Learning algorithms that allow you to highlight the behavior of visitors.  

What information does it provide? 

  • How many people walk past the store
  • How many people stop in front of the windows
  • How many people go in and out of the store
  • How people move around different areas of the store
  • How customers behave, for example when interacting with products and promotions

Also highlights: 

  • Whether or not people wear the mask, and whether or not they wear it correctly;
  • If the maximum number of store presences has been reached;
  • Possible assemblies.

Thanks to the data retrieved, the retailer is able to find out which products, promotions, showcases, and physical dispositions work - and which do not. As a result, he can change - for example - the layout of the store to meet the visitor's natural behavior. 

In addition, real-time information on compliance with health regulations allows the store manager to intervene promptly to avoid situations of danger not appreciable for the customer experience.

Neosperience People Analytics can be implemented on its sales network or even in multi-brand stores.

Mixed Reality for Furniture and Design

As we have already said, the furniture sector must be able to make customers feel the products themselves. However, the majority of the public - at a pre-purchase stage - decides to inquire through digital channels. 

Usually, after searching Google or browsing some design magazines, interested users inevitably end up visiting the brand's website, eager to see and learn more about the products. At that moment, on that touchpoint, the potential buyer makes a decision: go to the store to - perhaps - buy, or continue the search. 

It is therefore essential that the brand offers an engaging and effective virtual product viewing experience, which stimulates the user's interest and convinces them to go to the store. 

This is true for B2C, but also - especially today - for B2B markets. 

The Salone del Mobile of Milan has been postponed until next year: many brands, large and small, have not been able to present their products. But there is a solution to this problem, and it's called Mixed Reality. 

The term groups two technologies that are conceptually similar, but different as modes of use: Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality.

The first uses a tool - the smartphone mainly - to position 3D models of objects, even animated, in the surrounding environment.

The second instead needs a dedicated viewfinder, which - once worn  - projects the users into a totally virtual reality, where they can move freely and interact with the environment. 

What are the applications of these technologies for furniture? 

As Ikea Place has taught us over the years, there is no better tool than Augmented Reality to allow users to test how the furniture is positioned within living spaces. The success of the experience proposed by the Swedish giant demonstrates that the public is ready and wants such an offer.

Regarding Virtual Reality, this technology has proved particularly effective for B2B market. As we said, fairs and events are currently off-limits: why not offer buyers a virtual experience within the showroom?

By sending viewers directly to the interested agents, they can discover and interact with the new collections. Open a sofa bed to see what it's like inside? It can be done. Today, this technology has reached unimaginable levels of quality.

Enriching the pre-purchase stages has become essential. 

The value of customer experience - now increasingly focused on digital - is the discriminator between success and failure.

Customer Data Platform

Without going into technicalities, in this section we will explain the benefits of adopting a Customer Data Platform (CDP) and implementing strategies to obtain personal information of users and customers. 

Companies selling furniture, both B2C and B2B, often make a mistake: they forget to retrieve customer data. 

Why? 

As far as B2B is concerned, the motivation is only one: since medium-small buyers (architects, restaurateurs, etc.) turn directly to third parties, their data remain with retailers and do not arrive at the brand. 

As for the B2C, on the other hand, in addition to the talk about retailers (equally valid), there is another very simple reason: those who buy a kitchen, sofa or toilet hardly repeat the purchase in the short or medium-term; for this reason, many companies decide not to retrieve the customers' data to contact and retain them. The common view is that this is too expensive and dispersive. 

In doing so, however, the company misses an opportunity to establish a bond with the customer that, although perhaps not immediately, will undoubtedly bring advantages. 

Let's imagine that a lawyer - an amateur but passionate cook - has to renovate his home. He shows up at a retailer and buys his dream kitchen. The brand retrieves the new customer's data asking him to activate the guarantee on the corporate website. 

It then stores its data and inserts it into its Customer Data Platform. 

A few days later the brand sends an email to the client offering him a discount on a cooking course.

After a month, however, it gives him a discount code for the purchase of professional cooking utensils. 

The second month the brand writes to the client to invite him to participate in a contest: by filling out a questionnaire he can win a dinner cooked in his own home by a three-Michelin star chef.  

As time passes, a link will be created between the brand and the user.

When the customer has to advise his friends about which kitchen to buy, he will advise his own. When he has to change the cuisine in the beach house, he will buy it from the same brand. 

The same is true for B2B: perhaps the manufacturer in this case - after the purchase - will offer discounts for a partner's tiles, or to architects a masterclass with a famous international designer. The more benefits the brand offers, the more professionals will go back to buying. 

In any case, creating a relationship with customers is what allows a company to grow over time, with the knowledge that it can rely on a solid base of enthusiasts. 

This is precisely what the Customer Data Platform is for: to create relationships and make contact with the public easier, thanks to automation and customization, and to facilitate the management of customers and their data.

Conclusions

In short, for the furniture and design sector it is time to change some operational and strategic paradigms, to continue to grow and bring the quality of Made in Italy worldwide.

If you are interested in exploring the applications of Neosperience technologies in the sector, please contact us by clicking on the link below.

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