With travel once again nearing its pre-pandemic peaks, both customers and companies face a very different landscape – lingering economic uncertainty, increased safety concerns and an ever changing set of rules and restrictions to navigate. In addition to their reservations, tickets and passports, travelers must now contend with masks and vaccination cards, all before reaching the airport security checkpoint or hotel front desk. The stresses encountered before enjoying a relaxing trip or delivering an important client pitch have become overwhelming, not to mention the fact that a majority of travelers are completely out of practice. 

On a more positive note, the travel marketplace is ripe with opportunities. Office bound employees have been freed from the tyranny of their desks and can now work from anywhere with a reliable WiFi connection. For innovative airlines, hotels and platforms, new business models, amenities and services have created new customer touch points where they can deliver value and build strong relationships.

To meet the needs of the re-emerging traveler, companies are offering a new set of digital tools to remove common points of friction throughout their journey and help customers feel more connected and in control along the way. What’s more, they must extend and enhance assurances for their passengers and guests to allow them to book and travel more comfortably and confidently. Beyond ensuring ease and convenience, companies must continue to encourage the aspirational aspects of travel by creating new ways for their customers to visit more places and extend their stays through subscription-based packages and improved loyalty programs.

Featured Trends

Subscription Platforms

Offering subscription services that allow consumers to rent clothing, not only for formal occasions but for everyday, giving them a commitment-free alternative to buying and allowing them to easily adapt wardrobes to their changing needs.

Biometric Gateways

Retailers are building personalized, secure moments into the customer experience that are unlocked by biomarkers or other unique customer identifieers.

Frictionless Checkpoints

On-the-go and time-strapped consumers don’t want the inconvenience of waiting in long lines to pay for items, check in or pull out tickets, credit cards and more.  Advanced image recognition and mobile responsive technologies are removing the friction from these moments, seamlessly logging in customers as they enter a space and logging them out as they leave. With payment information on file, these systems can also automatically charge people for any items they may have consumed on premises or taken away and check people into expreiences.

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ECONOMIC DISCUSSION (Clockwise from upper left) Citi Philippines country head Aftab Ahmed, The Manila Times columnist and Hungry Workhorse Chief Executive Officer Reynaldo ‘Rey’ Lugtu, Times President and CEO Dante Francis ‘Klink’ Ang 2nd, Times Chief Operating Officer Blanca Mercado, Philippine National Bank President and CEO and Bankers Association of the Philippines President Jose Arnulfo ‘Wick’ Veloso, and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas and keynote speaker Governor Benjamin Diokno during ‘The Manila Times Midyear Economic Report’ on July 30, 2021. SCREENGRAB FROM FACEBOOK LIVE

STRUCTURAL shifts in the global economy, such as digitization, are expected to persist even after the coronavirus disease 2019 (Covid-19) pandemic has been contained, according to a Citi executive speaking at the “The Manila Times 2021 Midyear Economic Report” online forum on Friday.

Digitization and faster digital innovation, Aftab Ahmed, Citi Philippines country head and Citi country officer, said will have a far-reaching impact and will revolutionize the use of technology.

He went on to say that the importance of digitization will expand in both the public and commercial sectors, and that banks will employ these digital capabilities.

“Changing customer expectations have resulted in the emergence of more digital operating models, and is creating an ever growing need to deploy new technologies,” Ahmed said.

He said Citi has a digital diagnostic framework that may be used to analyze the existing stage of digital maturity versus the desired future state. The framework is structured along five key dimensions: strategy, customer journey, process digitization, innovation, and culture.

“The reason why we feel this framework is important is because a lot of digital transformation initiatives fail if the approach is purely technology focused,” he explained.

“In summary, as the digital landscape continues to evolve and transform many facets of banking, Citi remains highly committed to playing a leadership role in the emerging digital ecosystem,” Ahmed concluded.

The bank’s digital focus and initiative, according to Ahmed, are closely aligned with the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas’ (BSP) digital priorities.

It is strongly committed to leveraging emerging technologies; differentiating, as well as enhancing its mobile platform; and remaining highly engaged on the financial inclusion front.

The alignment of our strategy to that of BSP is also evidence of the following facts: We are the number one bank in terms of PESONet value,” Ahmed said.

He also mentioned that Citi is the sole settlement bank for the Philippines’ domestic dollar transfer system.

San Miguel Corp., Yale and Casino Filipino are the forum’s co-sponsors with Philippine National Bank, Citi, City Savings Bank, Union Bank of the Philippines, Moneybees and Hungry Workhorse as special partners.

The event’s organization partners include the British Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines, French Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the Philippines, Davao City Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc., Financial Executives Institute of the Philippines, Italian Chamber of Commerce in the Philippines, Management Association of the Philippines, and The Manila Times TV.

Originally Appeared Here

Joey Moore, Head of Product Strategy and Evangelism, Optimizely 

Although UK lockdown measures have finally begun to ease and the end to all Covid-related restrictions is within reach, the past year has seen a dramatic shift in consumer attitudes, behaviours and purchasing habits — changes that are likely to remain permanently even after life goes back to some form of normality.

 

As many of us rapidly turned to working, shopping and socialising online when the pandemic hit, just as quickly brands had to adjust the way they operate and sell in order to keep up with the new wave of virtual demands. As claimed by Richard Branson, “every success story is a tale of constant adaption, revision and change,” which has proved to be true for brands in 2021.

 

While it’s been over a year since the pandemic began, digital channels have remained central to consumer buying habits, and we’re set to see a continued increase in online consumption this year and beyond. According to Deloitte, over half (63%) of consumers stated that they plan to use digital technologies more than they did before Covid-19.

 

The rise in subscription services

 

One example of the digital habits consumers turned to during lockdown was subscription-based retail models as an alternative method to repeat purchases of goods in-store.

 

In fact, according to TopCashback, 2 in 5 consumers have joined a subscription service since the pandemic began, meaning just over half of Brits are now signed up to one — up nearly 10% from 2019.

 

While key players in the retail space such as GlossyBox, Gousto or HelloFresh have largely dominated the subscription sector for a while now, the past 12 months have seen other major brands pivot their existing offerings and make a move towards this model, including Hotel Chocolat, Nespresso and Majestic Wine.

 

Subscription boxes were previously used as a way for non-essential brands to increase revenue and build customer loyalty, with makeup and beauty brands accounting for the highest share of the subscription-based pie. The pandemic has presented a significant opportunity for those selling essential goods to move into this space, as consumers quickly turned towards digital channels to purchase essential items including pet food, groceries and toiletries.

 

While most shops around the UK have once again opened their doors, subscription services can still offer an alternative means for brands to boost sales and consumer engagement — which is particularly important for those who saw significant revenue loss as a result of store closures during 2020 and 2021.

 

 

However, while there are many advantages involved with this approach – the fact that the market is full of dominant and established brands means that retailers must focus on distinguishing themselves from the competition to stay ahead.

 

Experimentation is key

 

For retailers to create this competitive edge and entice new customers, experimentation is crucial.

 

Without constant experimentation across different offerings, retailers will be left in the dark about what their customers are responding to favourably. It’s important to consider implementing an experimentation culture within every retail strategy.

 

It’s also vital that after launching a subscription based-service, retailers continue a programme of ongoing, rigorous testing to uncover the areas that need work and the areas that are performing well across the customer journey.

 

Experimentation can be put into practice once testing has been completed to identify any specific elements that need improving — whether it’s adjusting the product pricing or altering the checkout or basket page to reduce cart abandonment.

 

The power of personalisation

 

While personalisation isn’t necessarily a new technique for retailers, those that have jumped on the subscription-based retail bandwagon now have an even bigger opportunity to embrace personalisation.

 

Through the use of tools like digital experience platforms, retailers have better access to customer data than ever before — helping them to gain a deeper understanding into exact behaviours across each stage within the customer journey, and which aspects can be personalised in order to increase sales and in turn, achieve better business outcomes.

 

But in order to use personalisation effectively, optimising the online customer journey is key. Experimentation can help to achieve a better long-term impact that resonates with consumers – whether that is through content, pricing or even messaging. However, it is important that this is a continuous exercise — personalisation is an ongoing journey that must have the ability to keep up with the needs and requirements of today’s consumers.

 

Those retailers that are not embracing experimentation and optimisation are minimising their chances of succeeding in the subscription-based retail race, and face losing out to those who have this side of the retail market mastered.

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Almost 90% of all beer, wine and spirits purchases in the last year were made in-store, and that number is expected to rise post-pandemic, according to new research by ChaseDesign, a human-centered design agency. Customers still prefer shopping in-store vs. online because they enjoy being in control of their experience and want the ability to browse, the report concludes.

The ChaseDesign Beer, Wine and Spirits Shopping Trends survey also reports that while buying alcohol online for pickup at store and home delivery levels increased dramatically during the pandemic, it is now experiencing a decline. During the pandemic, 40% of consumers reported buying alcohol online, but that number is down to 35% now, and trending toward the 30% pre-pandemic levels. 

Related: Local wines and beers find success in the supermarket

Chase Design

“The results of our shopper survey certainly support the need for both online and in-store as part of an overall solution in adult beverages. But overall omnichannel strategies should recognize shoppers’ preference toward in-store, and be mindful of the trade-offs online purchases mean,” said Joe Lampertius, president at ChaseDesign.

Related: FreshDirect summers in the Hamptons with new Rosé Express service

Walmart ranked first among retailers providing the best overall experience for beer, wine and spirits, at 38.6% of consumers surveyed. It was followed by Target (25.4%), Costco (21.3%), liquor retailer Total Wine (19.5%) and Kroger (17.4%) among the top five chains. Independent liquor stores performed strongly, right behind Walmart at 34.6%.

Chase Design

Lampertius suggested that the strong showing for local independent liquor stores certainly isn’t due to selection, lower prices or one-stop-shop convenience but instead “the power of localization and trust in store associates — often the most undervalued asset at retail.”  

When shoppers buy alcohol online, the top fulfillment method is through home delivery, different than most other consumer product purchases. Hence, customers ordering alcohol online often result in a lost trip to the store. And when shoppers choose to pick up online orders at store, only 13% report also shopping for other things when they go to the store to pick up. This is substantially below the 50% of shoppers who report going into stores for additional purchases when buying mainstream groceries.  

Of those consumers who purchase beer, wine and spirits online for delivery, DoorDash was the no. 1 service chosen (by 35.8% of respondents), closely followed by Instacart (33.0%) and Uber Eats (32.1%); others ordered directly from retailers online (32.1%) or through wine subscriptions (30.0%).

While buying alcohol online provides the convenience shoppers like, they report missing the in-store experience, with 53% saying they enjoy seeing beverage choices in person, 42% reporting they like to pick up products to learn more about them, 41% saying it’s easier to discover new brands in-store and 37% indicating they like the overall atmosphere in a store. And critically, 35% commented that store associates who know about options and choices are missed while shopping online.

“The online buying experience isn’t one that tends to deliver inspiration, discovery or emotional satisfaction,” Lampertius noted. “In fact, it’s all about convenience.” And after convenience, the top reason reported by shoppers for buying alcohol online is a desire to stay safe, with 44% of shoppers buying online for pickup at the store so they can “limit potential exposure to COVID-19.” Lampertius added that as the pandemic continues to recede, this powerful motivator will diminish, likely followed by still more in-store shopping.

 “The future of shopping is neither digital nor physical stores, but rather the convergence of digital and physical in a retail shopping environment that truly makes the customer journey more enjoyable and productive,” said Lampertius, who pointed to survey findings that show 25% of respondents use a retailer’s app most of the time or always when shopping and another 23% use it at least sometimes. “And the retailer’s app is where shoppers go to expand the experience and possibilities of the physical store,” he said.

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By Anjali Malhotra

Customer experience is probably the most coveted metric in today’s tumultuous times when everything we have known as life, has been disrupted- both as customers and as corporates.

Finding means to get by in an intensely divergent world, customers clamor to experiment with &receive new online products and experiences with brands. Enterprises too, are toiling hard to meet this refreshed consumer with novel mechanisms, in an effort to appease and serve them.

Yet, surprisingly so, Customer Experience is oft mistaken with customer service. The truth is far away from this. In fact, Customer Service begins, where Customer Experience Fails!

Experience is a series of preordained and orchestrated set of interactions, a sum total of accumulated engagements over time, which, when they function seamlessly, with clock-work precision, leave the customer with a unique taste of contentment. Or, at least the distinct lack of dis-contentment! If it transpires so, the consumer continues to maintain his status quo with the brand.

Any severance in the designed process, may lead to a feeling on dis-approval – which in turn may trigger a series of different responses, depending upon the plane of patience from which the customer operates.

Most young consumers, Millennial and Gen Z have low endurance for sub-optimal outcomes and 80% may instantly choose to switch brands after just one poor experience! For older profiles, the numbers switching brands after only one bad experience may be close to 50% – but still a very steep risk for businesses to lose customers rapidly, stemming from non-delivery of great CX

More tolerant customers may also choose to exercise the option to reach out to customer service desks in an effort to resolve the “issue”. This second customer service interaction could transpire differently, dependent on a multitude of variables- both human and/or tech, taking the customer higher or lower down the vortex.

The important message for business leaders is not just to assuage the customers that reach out to them seeking resolution and service, but more importantly to recognize the fact that much greater loss from customers happens, from those who choose not to even contact them, silently meandering away from the brand!

It is the iceberg effect of customers who choose to simply quit, not even providing a single word of feedback. They may speak, of course, to friends and family warning them with regard to dealing with the brand in future. In a nutshell, by the time we get to customer service, it is probably already too late!

Service is mandatory and universally pursued – this is a no-brainer. However, It is the few that focus on building experience, that truly win the race for the customer – by building great experiences &relying lesser & lesser on customer service to pick up the threads.

The tasks of experience and service are actually quiet polar and dissimilar. Yet one finds, more often that not, CX heads reporting to Customer Service and Operations leaders. There is a strong rationale for CX owners to be holistic in the width of their capability and report to none other than the head of business.

CX is about accumulated experiences over the lifetime of the customer, across a myriad of brand journeys, navigating direct & indirect touch-points, online and offline interactions over owned and earned digitals assets. Sometimes even completely unrelated online forums or informal “catch-ups with friends” become focal points for brand conversations, sparked by people interested to “learn” from others’ experiences.

These too can lead to immense impact on product perceptions and brand purchase decisions. How may a brand manage to control such a wide plethora of conversations and impact them positively?

The ability to conceive great CX involves wide ranging subjects from Customer strategy, Product differentiation and Brand promises… to Technology tools that provide access to right data at the right point at the right time. Often enabled with AI/ML intelligence and delivered through customized UX & UI designs. To make the customer offering,“feel” relatable, comfortable, clear, transparent and enable ease of transaction.

This brings digital transformation front and center. Not merely the creation of digital pipes that somehow connect customers to companies, through the world wide web, that enable purchase and transaction. But beyond that, to the “how” these pipes deliver the results, in a neatly packaged fashion.

This is an age where we, as consumers, are spoilt by the likes of Netflix, Uber, Amazon, where just a few simple clicks in a well laid out interface, allow any and every concern to be settled within seconds. Moreover, they empower us with moment-to-moment information with respect to our query, flowing seamlessly to our devices, placing us in demi-control of what we desire at all times.

Suddenly every brand, irrespective of category and size, finds itself competing with Amazon & Netflix today. Much to their dismay, that is the benchmark customers have come to accept and expect from all brands. Living up to that is not easy since it takes years of capability around people, process and technology to orchestrate the end results.

Corporates are hustling to invest in digital installations. CFO’s approve project after project, despite budget cuts in the overall environment, in an effort to play catch up. Steadily but surely the progress is mounting as the industry has risen to the occasion magnanimously. Let’s remember though that digital investments are the Means towards achieving the End objective of providing great CX.

Increasingly now, more than ever, it has become mandatory to ensure that your customers stay content, if not “delighted” after each interaction with your business. In a time when product and operational efficiencies have tapered, CX can be the big competitive advantage for your brand.

The author is Founder, C-Xcel.

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Catch.com.au chief commercial officer, Jason Bagg has taken on an expanded and newly created role as chief marketing and commercial officer to lead the marketing team and look after customer strategy and loyalty programs.

Bagg joined Catch in early 2020 and has been instrumental in building the marketplace’s growth strategy and success to date. The newly created role will allow Catch to form an end-to-end view of the customer journey with teams working together to further strengthen its customer focus and provide an enhanced customer experience.

Bagg’s appointment coincides with the recent launch of a refreshed ‘Everyday Aussies’ TV campaign and he will be responsible for continuing to grow and develop the Catch brand.

Speaking to his new role, Bagg said it has been a fantastic experience to see the brand grow over the past year and a half. “I am looking forward to doubling down on our commitment to our customers, investing in Catch’s brand and leveraging data and analytics to create a world-class online shopping experience for all Australians.”

Bagg started his career in investment banking at Macquarie and his expertise lies in market analysis and business development. As the company’s first employee in Melbourne, he was a founding team member of Uber’s Australian operations and its local launch in 2013.

Since then, he has continued to work with highly successful founders and management teams in investment and strategic advisory roles.

Related

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People fall into debt for a wide range of reasons, and that’s why it’s unwise to judge them. Some are poor money managers who spend it as soon as they receive it, whilst others may fall prey to gambling or other addictions. Misfortune can create financial issues too, whether it’s a bereavement, illness, or work accident.

It may be that you wish to help people who have poor credit ratings. It can be a highly rewarding occupation, especially when people are enabled to get out of debt and improve their credit scores. You can be the person who helps them get a mortgage or take out a new credit card account. If this is your desire, read on because we will now be discussing eight tips for creating your own business.

1. Be Willing To Keep Learning

You’ll need to do plenty of study at the beginning and to perpetuate this in order to stay up to date. While the industry changes and laws and regulations are updated, people will be dependent on you to be the expert. There may be new business strategies you can adopt and new software to use.

You may need to do such things as attending trade shows and reading industry blogs. There may be networking to do with other similar professionals, as well as online training to discover. In return for your commitment, it may be easier to be more competitive in this busy marketplace.

The internet is usually the best place to start, no matter what your business is. When it comes to credit restoration, you can learn about this year’s best credit repair companies and how they work. Specialist websites can also advise if this can help with identity theft, and protect people from credit repair scams.

2. Create A Business Plan

This should operate like the center of a wheel, with many spokes coming from it. One key element needs to be the customer journey, from their free initial consultation to the end result. Don’t forget to include credit reports, audits, and recommendations as well as post-plan support.

You also need to set short-term to long-term goals, with measurable targets along the way. Your finance, marketing, IT, and more need to be factored into the plan.

3. Find Your Target Audience

Unless you have specific data on this, your marketing could be aimed at the wrong demography. You don’t need to reach everyone who wants to come out of debt, however. Decide who you feel able to help, whether it’s single moms or people looking to get a mortgage.

Whilst you may be keen to give a listening ear to anyone who approaches you, not everyone is prepared to change. From a business angle, you need to have specific strategies designed for specific situations with successful results.

4. Establish Your Pricing Structures

This forms part of your business plan, and it’s essential you get the math right. You can learn a lot about costs by visiting your rivals’ websites. People who are in debt are obviously not in a position to pay huge sums of money, and they are more likely to cope with paying by installments.

The balancing act is to be competitive enough to attract custom, yet profitable enough to succeed as a business. It’s worth choosing between one-time beginners’ fees and flat fees, per deletion fees, and ongoing subscription fees.

5. Obtain A Surety Bond

They are designed to protect your clients from potential damages and are mandatory in most states. Fortunately, it’s a simple process to request one, and you’re likely to get the bond within 24 hours if you are successful.

This time it will be your credit score (and your business’s) that’s under the spotlight as well as information on assets, debts, and bankruptcies. The age of your business would also be factored into the application.

6. Create A Website

If you harness the power of automation, you can save both money and time. This can apply to people completing their personal financial profiles as well as your service updates and marketing campaigns. The website can be your center of operations where people find you on Google searches, and pay you online. This calls for learning about Search Engine Optimization (SEO) or using an IT specialist to do the work for you.

Additional “bells and whistles” can be added as you go along, providing extra services for your clients who will be wanting regular updates. If people want to know the best companies to fix credit report errors, they could access helpful URL links that take them straight to the relevant websites.

7. Understand The Legal Side

This is a central aspect of the ongoing learning we discussed previously. Both federal and state laws can have a direct bearing on your business activities. Whilst there would be no state regulations for your operation if you live in Wyoming, Alaska, or Alabama, there are specific requirements in places like Georgia. Regardless of your location, however, you’ll need to know all about such laws as the Credit Repair Organizations Act (CROA). This concerns itself with such potential issues as charging in advance, misleading your clients, or not providing a cancellation period.

Whilst you can do a lot of research yourself, it’s advisable to speak to a more experienced business professional or lawyer. This way you will be more relaxed about external audits and compliance, and less likely to fear penalties or business closure for malpractice.

8. Be Prepared To Put In The Hours

As you go along, you’ll need to address a host of different things. They could range from gaining a personal certification to creating an affiliate network. You may wish to make a payment gateway available and invest in new credit repair software.

As we have now discovered, it’s important to go into this business with your eyes wide open. Your company will take a while to set up and there will be plenty of things to occupy your time. Having said that, you should keep your business goal in mind and picture the many people whose lives you will have benefited.

Originally Appeared Here

Fisker Inc. – designer and manufacturer of the world’s most emotion-stirring, eco-friendly electric vehicles and advanced mobility solutions – has announced its commitment to being a global leader in measuring and reporting on the company’s environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices.

Fisker Inc. (NYSE: FSR) (“Fisker”) – passionate creator of the world’s most sustainable electric vehicles and advanced mobility solutions  announced details for the first wave of its global brand experience centers. Starting in the first half of 2022, the company will open its inaugural center in Los Angeles, followed by a European center in Munich. Fisker Brand Experience Centers will offer prospective customers the opportunity to see and experience the company’s vehicles, as well as speak with product experts on hand.

Following Los Angeles and Munich, the company plans to open at least four additional centers in London, New York, Miami and Copenhagen through the second half of 2022. The Fisker Ocean will make its global debut at the upcoming 2021 LA Auto Show in November, with production starting Nov. 17, 2022. Production prototype testing will begin this year.

“With less than 500 days to run before we start on-time production of the Fisker Ocean, we are simultaneously focused on crafting our customer journey,” said Fisker Chairman and CEO, Henrik Fisker. “Our brand experience centers will be the primary physical touchpoint for the majority of our prospective customers. Our global rollout plans are focused on the largest metropolitan areas for electric vehicle adoption – and where we can meet the greatest number of our reservation holders.”

The Fisker Ocean will enter the U.S. market at a starting MSRP of $37,499 (excluding EV-related subsidies) and below €32,000 in Germany (including taxes and EV-related subsidies), offering compelling, high-value option packages to customers across the Ocean’s entire price range.

Including fleet orders from companies such as Credit Agricole Consumer Finance, Onto and Viggo, Fisker has more than 62,000 hand-raisers and 17,300 paid reservations for the Ocean. The Fisker reservation system, accessed via the Fisker App and Fisker website, was set up in late 2019, enabling prospective customers to place a vehicle reservation with the flexibility to cancel at any time. Each vehicle reservation requires a $250 deposit with a 10% charge ($25) to cover third-party and administrative costs in the event of a cancellation.

“Our reservation and order process was designed from the outset to be transparent, to prioritize quality over quantity and to ensure our stakeholders have confidence in the commitment of our reservation holders,” added Mr. Fisker. “As we get closer to launch, we will be working with our prospective owners to transition their reservations into contracted orders. We have many loyal supporters of the company waiting for their Ocean, and the reservation system is purposely designed to be fair to those who reserve with the intention to ultimately take delivery.”

Fisker Inc. is an American electric vehicle company headquartered in California and publicly traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the FSR ticker symbol. The co-founders are the largest shareholders, with the majority of the shareholder base located in the United States.

Fisker Inc. has the stated aim to lead on Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) – and to produce the world’s most sustainable vehicles.

Related

Originally Appeared Here

• Fisker Ocean SUV will be shown at LA auto show in November, ahead of the start of production in 2022.
• The battery-electric SUV will start at $37,499, promising a range of 300 miles, in addition to features like a solar roof.
• Fisker plans to open brand experience centers in a number of major cities in 2022, ahead of the start of production.

Henrik Fisker’s EV start-up will bring a production version of the battery-electric Ocean SUV to the LA auto show this fall, following its first appearance at CES nearly two years ago. Promised with a 300-mile range and a $37,499 starting price, prior to any incentives, the Ocean is slated to be produced by Austria’s Magna Steyr starting next fall, using Magna’s own EV architecture.

The SUV itself is due to enter production in the fourth quarter of 2022, a timeline from which Fisker has not backed away from since the deal with Magna was announced, with the LA auto show later this year serving as its big debut. Testing of production prototypes is set to start later this year, with the company stating that it has 17,300 paid reservations for the SUV so far in addition to 62,000 hand-raisers, as well as fleet orders from companies including Onto, Viggo, and Credit Agricole Consumer Finance.

“Our reservation and order process was designed from the outset to be transparent, to prioritize quality over quantity and to ensure our stakeholders have confidence in the commitment of our reservation holders,” said Fisker Chairman and CEO, Henrik Fisker. “As we get closer to launch, we will be working with our prospective owners to transition their reservations into contracted orders. We have many loyal supporters of the company waiting for their Ocean, and the reservation system is purposely designed to be fair to those who reserve with the intention to ultimately take delivery.”

The Ocean has a relatively low planned starting price in its favor, but it remains to be seen whether the company will be able to carve out a niche for itself as a newcomer of sorts (even though it isn’t), after a decade of Tesla sales.

Fisker

The company also plans to open six Fisker Brand Experience Centers. The first such locations will open their doors in early 2022 in Los Angeles and Munich, with the rest (likely New York, Copenhagen, Miami, and London) scheduled to open in the second half of 2022. The centers are expected to serve as analogues to various company-owned stores launched by a number of other automakers, popularized by Tesla, where customers can experience the Fisker models, talk to vehicle experts, and place orders.

Fisker the company has been on the periphery of EV start-ups the past few years, after briefly offering its Fisker Karma range-extended electric sedan early last decade, starting in 2011. That was a year before the Tesla Model S debuted, and for a brief time the two looked they had about equal chances of success in the marketplace. But just under 2,500 examples of the Karma ended up being produced, with the effort stalling after its battery supplier entered bankruptcy. Since that time, the remains of the Karma project had been bought up by a Chinese industrial giant and rebranded as Karma Automotive, while Henrik Fisker has been plotting a return to the EV game under his own name, a return that imminent for quite some time.

That return began to seem more likely almost a year ago when the company announced that it had reached a deal with Austria’s Magna International to produce the Fisker Ocean SUV.

The Ocean will also arrive in a markedly different EV landscape than that of just a few years ago, as the number of competitors in late 2022 will be quite extensive. Just how Fisker will be able to distinguish itself and grab a slice of the EV pie given all the other players that will be in the game by then remains to be seen.

“With less than 500 days to run before we start on-time production of the Fisker Ocean, we are simultaneously focused on crafting our customer journey,” Fisker added. “Our brand experience centers will be the primary physical touchpoint for the majority of our prospective customers. Our global rollout plans are focused on the largest metropolitan areas for electric vehicle adoption—and where we can meet the greatest number of our reservation holders.”



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Originally Appeared Here

Online marketplace Catch.com has appointed chief commercial officer Jason Bagg as its new chief marketing and commercial officer: a newly created hybrid role.

Bagg, who joined Catch in early 2020, will take on leadership of the company’s marketing team while continuing to look after its customer strategy and loyalty programs.

According to Catch, the new role will allow the company to form an end-to-end view of the customer’s journey, strengthening its customer focus and taking its customer experience to the next level by working cross-functionally with the customer at the centre of the business.

The company is also zeroing in on its commitment to brand building, with Bagg continuing the work he started with the Everyday Aussies campaign that was launched last year. The campaign, which was designed to demonstrate the wide variety of products available on Catch, saw Aussies made famous with the products they’ve purchased on the online marketplace.

“I’m looking forward to doubling down on our commitment to our customers, investing in Catch’s brand and leveraging data and analytics to create a world-class online shopping experience for all Australians,” Bagg said.

Prior to joining Catch, Bagg had a role in investment banking at Macquarie and was part of the founding team of Uber’s Australian operations and local launch in 2013.

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