Over the past 18 months, the creative sector and related industries, including tourism and hospitality, have been profoundly disrupted by the pandemic. However, when it comes to creativity within these organisations, the show must go on.
As the first line of defence, brands have adapted to the “new normal” by tapping into creativity to solve challenges brought on by the pandemic and build innovative experiences for their customers. As such, the creative and design process is no longer a nice-to-have, rather essential to sustain and revitalise operations.
We recently hosted a webinar – Designing the New Creative Experience for Businesses – examined how creative processes are helping APAC organisations navigate business challenges during COVID-19 and beyond.
Here are the key insights for business leaders:
Businesses must reimagine the purpose and impact of creativity
The business benefits of good design and creativity are no longer up for debate. 86 percent of companies in the APAC region have established internal design teams, allowing them to get their products into the market 35 percent faster than competitors.
The increasing reliance on creativity has rapidly advanced the role creative teams play within businesses. In 97 percent of organisations, creative and design teams are now core contributors in strategic decision making. These companies are already reaping the benefits from repositioning the creative function.
As businesses look to reinvigorate their operations, they should look to invest in a core design system led by a team of evangelists. Organisations should manage these systems like they would a product or service, establishing a roadmap for progress and constantly evaluating bottom-line business impact.
Investment in design helps improve customer experiences and ROI
The continuing fallout from the pandemic has seen businesses ramp up efforts to build more authentic and meaningful relationships with their customers. Leaders who invested in design expenditure reported improved customer experiences and a 17 percent higher return on investment.
Luke Wheatley, former Head of Content and Creative at Flight Centre, says notions of business success today have changed significantly.
“A critical part of enterprise survival under new operating conditions rests on how quickly businesses can reach out to its customers.”
Using established internal digital teams, Flight Centre was able to turn around campaigns within 48 hours, saving $2 million annually on outsourcing costs to external agencies.
Such time and cost reductions are echoed throughout the industry, with 68 percent of business leaders reporting that their design system investment improved their speed-to-market by 66 percent.
In addition, design systems allow organisations to deliver more consistent and impactful experiences at a time when remote and hybrid working poses significant challenges to delivering excellent customer service.