Focussing on Experience-led growth Adobe held a media and analyst briefing bringing together a distinguished panel for a thought-leadership deep dive. Renowned futurist & ecocentrist K D Adamson joined Luc Dammann, President EMEA for Adobe and Zachery Anderson, Chief Data & Analytics Officer of NatWest to discuss how customer experience (CX) demands have increased the impact on content, costs and teams, how brands can remain competitive, what ‘experiences’ will look like in the future with an explosion of new formats on the horizon, and the role of purpose-led issues.

The panel also discussed Adobe’s latest research findings based on two studies conducted across 14 countries from February to May 2023, capturing the perceptions of over 4,000 marketing and customer experience professionals and more than 13,000 consumers in each study.

In economic uncertainty, consumers prioritize great experiences – 50% of consumers said that they expect even better experiences from brands when economic conditions become more challenging. This figure raises to 65% for younger consumers (Generation Z and millennials)

Consumers asked to identify the best formula for keeping their loyalty during difficult economic times ranked “a balanced approach” – balancing profitability, customer experience and corporate responsibility needs. It is not all about the price

Consumers want companies to use generative AI – responsibly – to improve their business – Nearly nine in ten (89%) consumers want companies to use generative AI – as long as it’s done responsibly – to improve product and service quality, make work easier for employees, and enhance customer experiences.

Responsible business practices build consumer trust – According to the research, the #1 way brands can build consumer trust is by keeping customer data safe and using in line with their expectations– especially during challenging economic times.

When it comes to environmental sustainability, 82% of consumers say they will decrease spending with brands that don’t care about the environment.