Happy Friday! ‘This week in CX’ brings you the latest roundup of industry news.
This week, we’ve been looking at how reviews impact customer behaviour, what’s happening with the job market and is cloud technology the frontier in CX and personalisation.
We’re also discussing new updates from Apple, Tesla, and more!
Key news
- Apple debuted many Apple Intelligence features in beta on Wednesday, including an image generator and ChatGPT integration. Investors are betting the new tools — available only on the latest iPhones — will encourage upgrades. Apple has reportedly cut orders for the new iPhone 16 by about 10 million units for the end of 2024 and first half of 2025. It also slashed production of its pricey Vision Pro headset, which hasn’t taken off, The Information reports, citing anonymous sources.
- Small breweries in the UK are moving away from the terms “craft” and “indie”, as global corporations have diluted their meaning by acquiring once-independent brands. A YouGov survey found that 40% of consumers mistakenly believed Heineken-owned Beavertown’s Neck Oil was independent, underscoring the confusion. Over 75% of respondents said they felt misled, thinking brands like Beavertown, Camden and Fullers – now owned by multinational corporations – were still independent.
- Tesla said it’s expecting a big uptick in demand for its electric vehicles, offering investors some reassurance after a shaky start to the year. The company said it anticipates growth in deliveries and is on track to introduce cheaper vehicles in 2025. The outlook accompanied Tesla’s third-quarter earnings, which surpassed expectations with the biggest profit in over than a year. Efforts to diversify Tesla beyond EVs — including with energy generation — are early, and its recent robotaxi debut disappointed.
CXM news stories
Here’s the full news stories that CXM have reported on in the past week. Learn all about the latest research about cloud technology, the tightening of the job market and rising prices in 2025.
Reputation finds strong influence of online reviews on consumer decision-making
A new survey by Reputation, reveals that online reviews have become one of the most influential factors in consumer decision-making, surpassing traditional sources such as company marketing efforts, influencer opinions, and even advice from friends and family.
The survey was conducted to support National Leave a Review Day, which takes place on October 22, and to shine light on the importance of online reviews. According to the findings, 54% of consumers are putting their trust in online reviews first, outweighing the opinions of friends and family (24%), company claims (18%), social media influencers (2%), and media reviews (2%). Notably, 77% of respondents stated that they find online reviews to be “mostly” trustworthy.
Younger generations, particularly Gen Z, place even more emphasis on online reviews, with 76% rating them as the second most important factor behind product quality. Personal loyalty to the brand (44%) and a brand’s stance on social and political issues (24%) were the least important attributes to consumers.
These findings underscore the critical need for businesses to prioritize their online reputation and maintain active review management to ensure they meet the changing expectations of today’s shoppers.