Jonathan Keane, Managing Director, Aviation at Accenture, on Staying Hyper-Relevant

“What are your customers doing right now?” Jonathan Keane, managing director and global lead of aviation at Accenture, starts his discussion with Skift chief executive officer and founder, Rafat Ali, with a video that asks this question. As the video goes on to explain, “Customers expect brands to know where they are, what they want, and how to find it. Travel companies need to stay connected to the customer every step of the way, even when they’re offline.” In order to achieve this real-time connection, travel companies need to become digital businesses and focus on agility, flexibility, and embracing new workforce tools and IT technology to power it all.

Accenture recently conducted research on the challenges that businesses are facing today in becoming hyper-relevant to their customers and their workforce, thereby creating the vitality needed to develop into a Living Business. The research surveyed about 120 travel executives to get their perspectives. According to Keane, these businesses are being attacked in two ways: by several smaller companies disrupting traditional players and taking their share—what he calls, “the ants”—and by big organizations who are coming in to “eat their lunch”—or what he calls, “the wolves.” The research also found a big disconnect between the C-Suite and their leadership teams in how they approach and achieve growth.

Keane said there are two major things businesses can do to become hyper-relevant and succeed in today’s world. Internally, businesses need to fuse a culture where people are empowered and want to succeed. When it comes to engaging with customers, they also need to differentiate themselves from their competitors and make sure the products and propositions being offered are clear and distinct.

Watch the full discussion below.

At this year’s Skift Global Forum in New York City, travel leaders from around the world gathered for two days of inspiration, information and conversation. In 2018, Skift will be analyzing travel trends around the globe with four Forums. Get the details now and register here.