Top Emerging Trends in CPG Technology and Consumer Engagement

Technology and consumer engagement trends are shaping the way consumer goods companies leverage content to resonate with audiences and compete in a digitally-forward world. In this fireside chat, CGT spoke with Nicole France, chief evangelist at Contentful, about her perspective on the evolving role of content in driving seamless consumer experiences, the importance of behavioral data over demographics, and how brands are leveraging social media and digital platforms to develop and nurture relationships. From integrating omnichannel strategies to enhancing product visibility with cutting-edge technology, France shares how brands can stay ahead of emerging trends through digital innovations and differentiated content.At Contentful, France sees herself more as a “problem evangelist,” identifying and solving challenges around friction in how CPGs create content and ideas, and sharing how to successfully put them into practice. When it comes to addressing the need for user-friendly interfaces and seamless integrations across a variety of platforms, France says it’s really a shift in consumer perspective and understanding what the experience is like on the receiving end. Consistency is key, she says, as is taking advantage of different channels and engaging with people where they are and where it matters most to them at that moment. Among the priorities is effectively using consumer data to create personalized experiences, and within that effort, behaviors are often more significant than demographics. CPG brands need to consider consumers’ tastes and priorities as well as where and how they engage, and where they are spending their time. What is likely to capture their attention?To be successful in this, CPGs need to have an operating environment that is designed for the digital age. While many heritage brands have established brick-and-mortar presences, they’ve also likely done a great job moving into the digital age to resonate across both channels. On the flip side, says France, there are many brands that started out as direct-to-consumer and are now bridging the divide by selling in brick-and-mortar as well. Either way, in order to have a cohesive strategy that works across both channels, companies need to design it to be digital-first and have the kind of infrastructure and tech stack that supports that. Social media is another space in which brands have the opportunity to communicate the big messages they want to get across, she says. It’s also a way to directly engage with consumers and audiences that might not yet be dedicated fans, but have the potential. Companies can also use it to receive input from consumers to better inform product research. When it comes to messaging, content plays a key role, appearing as advertising content, product content, and even user-generated content. There needs to be a framework around that to build and deliver content in various formats and combinations across multiple channels. Having a strategy around this will ensure content is helping to build relationships and trust rather than just becoming a talking point about the brand. Within this, data allows CPGs to build marketing content designed effectively around different customer segments based on differences, tastes, and behaviors. Marketing on Instagram shouldn’t be identical to marketing on Roblox or Facebook, says France. Brands need to understand the medium and the audience and identify unique ways of engaging directly with the consumer.

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