ICYMI: Top Stories of 2021, CMSWire Contributors of the Year

In 2021, we learned how to navigate new restrictions. We learned how to adapt with new software and also switched to hybrid or virtual workspaces. But nonetheless we survived 2021. Before we get our brand new business year started, let’s see what we reflected on in our last week of 2021.

Quick, Catch Me Up:

• CMSWire's Top 10 Digital Marketing Articles of 2021 Dom Nicastro | Dec. 27. Marketers confront the challenge of complying with existing consumer data privacy rules, navigating new ones due in 2022 and maintaining customer data — all while dealing with factors like the demise of third-party cookie tracking. Having said that, 2021 left an indelible imprint on digital marketers, with plenty of lessons learned.
• 2021 Contributors of the Year: Ali Alkhafaji Siobhan Fagan | Dec. 20. "That's the Way the Cookie Crumbles," Ali Alkhafaji's first piece of 2021 illustrated the unexpected repercussions of third-party cookies. He told a tale of how targeted adverts spoiled a surprise gift for his kid. Ali recognizes that these tales help people learn and understand concepts, but he backs up his storytelling with information gleaned from his more than 20 years in the IT industry.
• CMSWire's Top 10 Digital Customer Experience Articles of 2021 Dom Nicastro | Dec. 20. Even in the midst of the pandemic's economic uncertainty, digital customer experience (DCX) teams remained aspirational and focused on progress and growth. Of course, difficulties such as fragmented systems, technological integration, limited insights into customer wants or customer journeys, money, in-house experience and skills, and cooperation continue to be major concerns for DCX practitioners.
• CMSWire's Top 10 AI in CX Articles of 2021 Scott Clark | Dec. 22. Over the last year, artificial intelligence (AI) has been a hot issue, and it has continued to expand into a technology that is transforming the landscape for organizations all over the world. AI is already playing an increasingly important role in customer support, product suggestions, personalization, marketing, and, of course, customer experience.
• Why Marketers Are Thankful This Holiday Season Gabrielle Rodgers | Dec. 20. Marketers have dealt with countless forces of change as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. Marketers are still remaining thankful, whether it is their marketing team, social media, technology, or their health. Marketers have been through a lot as a result of the pandemic, and they are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate and reflect with their coworkers and family.
• Financial Services Customer Experience: 3 Success and 3 Failures Phil Britt | Dec. 27. CX is consuming a sizable portion of financial services organizations' expenditures. According to a Microsoft Dynamics 365 survey of insurers, banks and other financial services organizations, 86% assign 25% or more of their overall budget to customer experience, where nearly half (45%) assign 50% or more.
• 2021 Contributors of the Year: Lisa Loftis Siobhan Fagan | Dec. 28. Tunnel vision is a condition that impairs a person's peripheral vision. Lisa Loftis' peripheral vision is a strength, allowing her to focus on the one thing that matters: the customer, despite the hustle and bustle of the corporate world. Lisa applies this undivided attention to her position as a principal management consultant at SAS Best Practices, as well as her monthly articles, where she's written about the cookies demise, the pandemic's continued impact on the customer experience sector, and more.
• CMSWire's Top 10 Call Center Articles of 2021 Scott Clark | Dec. 29. Customer service has never been more crucial than it has been in the last year, as customers' shopping and purchasing habits have changed. The call center for a company has evolved into the hub of customer service, and it may mean the difference between a pleased, loyal client and a former one.
• CMSWire's Top 10 Leadership Articles of 2021 David Roe | Dec. 30. While some may claim that the pandemic prompted a shift toward digital transformation, in actuality, digital transformation had already begun prior to COVID-19. The pandemic hastened the pace of change, putting organizational leaders under pressure to cope with the repercussions. While technology made remote working possible, it could not and did not provide a method for managing the expanding number of remote and hybrid work patterns. That task was delegated to enterprise executives, who lacked a well-defined plan for dealing with the difficulties that come with the role.

Featured Events

• January 5 — Driving Digital Adoption for a Competitive Edge
• January 12 — Why CX Programs Struggle to Demonstrate Results 
• February 23 — Social Media Strategies Summit 2022

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