Technology is constantly rewriting life as we know it. The evolution and improvement of modern tech also make it a perpetual force of change in business. Its mass adoption across every industry and niche means any innovative leader can utilize the latest tech to create a uniquely positive impact on their company.
Here are a few examples of brands that are using tech to revolutionize business and change the status quo in their industries.
1. Teachers on Call
A few years ago, the thought of teaching and tutoring students online felt like an impossibility, or at the very least, a rarity. The pandemic helped with this stigma by normalizing virtual schooling and online learning, but even then, it was generally looked at as a stopgap until in-person classes could resume. Even so, the potential of remote learning was apparent to everyone, and some companies are still finding ways to cultivate the potential that online learning offers.
Teachers on Call is finding ways to wield bleeding-edge technology to positively impact students, regardless of external factors (i.e., whether it’s a pandemic or not). The organization offers personalized online tutoring organized and optimized for students to receive the best academic support possible.
Teachers on Call selects its tutors based on strict guidelines. These start with hard facts, such as certifications based on the necessary curriculum. It also includes soft skills, such as empathy and experience. Maintaining this multi-faceted attention to professional qualifications and applying it to a digital environment means Teachers on Call can match each student with a tutor that fits their personality as well as their educational level — both of which were challenging in the geographically restricted past. This technological approach also allows students of diverse backgrounds access to educational resources that have been more difficult to access in the past.
2. emoty.AI
Data drives the world, including the advertising and marketing industry. In fact, as online marketing has exploded in popularity, it’s brought a menagerie of different data analytics options.
Each social media platform has its own analytics dashboard. Google Analytics can plug into any website to track SEO factors like site traffic and dwell time. These are powerful tools, but the data that they harvest is often generic and limited.
For instance, if someone visits a company’s website and stays on a resource page for six minutes, that’s good news. But what they read on that page and how it impacted them is completely hidden.
emoty.AI is using technology to improve these customer insights. The company utilizes things like facial expressions, eye tracking, engagement, and attention to understand how consumers are reacting to and interacting with various ads and promotional material. Pre and post-exposure surveys help gauge an audience’s response before and after seeing ads, too. From there, the company provides demographic breakdowns and detailed analyses that can better inform an organization’s marketing strategy.
3. MassMutual
Some organizations and industries are as old as they come — including areas like finance and insurance. When an organization can provide basic services like these for decades and even centuries, you know that they’re able to adapt to the times.
MassMutual is one of those companies. The insurance provider is well over a century and a half old, and it runs a massive operation with thousands of employees. Organizations this large are often sluggish behemoths that can’t keep up with the times, but MassMutual is bucking the trend.
According to the company’s Head of Digital Experience, Keia Cole, MassMutual is investing in tech talent and looking for ways to stay at the forefront of technologically-driven change. More importantly, the company is finding ways to weave that innovation into its age-old products and services.
For instance, in 2020, during the pandemic no less, the brand’s IT department launched two different mobile apps and developed a voice-based technology tool. The company also utilized its tech tools to offer a free term life insurance plan for frontline healthcare workers.
4. Cinemark
The entertainment industry is massive and growing. One area that has struggled of late, though, is the movie industry. The pandemic shut down theaters and forced their patrons to rethink the movie experience.
Once restrictions were lifted, cinematic entertainment came roaring back. However, the disruption reinforced a growing trend. Going to the theater has steadily become more of a tentpole experience rather than a regular weekend activity.
This shift has theaters looking for ways to draw more customers back and make each visit as complete as possible. Cinemark is one well-established enterprise that’s turning to technology as a way to improve the customer experience.
The theater chain has had an app for years. As time goes on, it continues to provide customer-focused benefits through this mobile portal. Along with buying tickets, moviegoers can now select seats, change seats, and ask for refunds, all through their phones. They can also order snacks through the Cinemark app and even have them delivered to their seats.
The Technological Pressures of 21st-Century Business
From education to entertainment, advertising to insurance, technology continues to revolutionize life as we know it. The constant need to innovate remains a growing trend, too, as businesses respond to the pressures of operating in the 21st century. Modern consumers are well-informed and have both lofty and evolving expectations.
The organizations that strive to proactively meet these needs — no matter where or how they manifest — are the ones who will continue to maintain an edge in their industries in the future.
