How will consumers interact with brands in the near future? What channels will they use and what sort of experience are they looking for? These are the questions that McKinsey consultants Dahlström and Edelman (herein referred to as ‘McKinsey’) aim to shed light upon to help companies prepare themselves for this changing world.

McKinsey believes that emerging technologies will mean that consumers demand a radically different, personalized experience from companies. Sensors in devices, the Internet of Things, the rise of Big Data and the ubiquity of smartphones will hasten the current shift in the balance between consumers and brands, adding a physical dimension to previously virtual transactions. And customers will want these experiences in real time and almost everywhere.

The way customers judge brands is changing. Gone were the days that our brands are judged based on the quality of one’s marketing efforts, customer-service, or of the product/service individually. In this on-demand world, consumers will judge brands by their ability to deliver heightened experiences, which McKinsey defines as interactions that offer high levels of value and are radically customized and easy to access, across the entire customer decision journey. Relevant and unique, tailored, and seamless experience is the key.

So what can companies do to adapt to these changes? Companies must change what and how they deliver by finding ways to engage customers, by assessing on every way a customer engages with the company, and finally, by creating awesome experiences for their customers. Based on McKinsey’s report, there are five key areas to focus on:

1. Work Together: Bring together teams across disciplines and departments to meet customer needs. The rise of social media has shown that the customer journey is not just the responsibility of a single department – everyone will need to