Did you know that more than 80% of digital transformations actually fail? To say that digital transformations aren’t complicated would definitely be an understatement. They are hard and go further than picking up a one-size-fits-all tool, plugging it in and calling it a day. The importance of creating an effective digital transformation strategy that differentiates you as a brand as well as implementing the right solutions and processes that support your objectives is often overlooked and underestimated.

Forward You (FWU) is a German tech-financial company that provides life insurance through AI investment methods. They were about to make a big move and realized the importance of having a solid strategy and execution to ensure the success of their digital overhaul. That’s when they reached out to us for help and we got to work.

Life insurance is anything but boring

FWU wasn’t just looking for a fresh look, they were transitioning into a whole new market. Moving from a traditional business to business (B2B) brand to a business to consumer (B2C) brand is never easy, even more so in an already crowded and competitive insurance marketplace. On top of that, they wanted to attract the coveted millennials and offer them a better experience than ever before.

But how do you transform a traditional B2B brand into its new digital B2C self?

To make sure that their customer experience (CX) was a key differentiator, a complete rebranding was the first step. We looked at three pillars: strategy, personality and identity. Together these form what we call the brand design system which guides all future digital products and communication.

FWU is a tech company with people at its heart. They stand for possibilities and are all about making people’s lifelong dreams come true by offering tailor-made investment solutions. The rebranding focused on this emotional core and creativity to create a message that resonated with the target audience and highlighted what made FWU different from other financial companies.

We brought this vision to life by using creativity as a driving force and bringing this to the forefront of the CX, where the brand, content and product come together. Hybrids, a trending animation style that combines illustrations, photography and film, were developed and became the creative focus. They were hand-drawn and convey the promise of FWU by making a customer’s dream world a reality.

From there, the online experience was developed through a corporate (CMS) website, video and portal. The new cutting-edge website caters to the needs and wants of millennials by balancing practical information with emotional appeals. The brand video, which is an integral part of the site, combines videography, motion design and animated illustrations while representing the core of FWU’s brand message. FWU’s digital transformation winds up with the introduction of a customer portal. Built as a progressive web app, the portal provides an optimized and secure user experience while remaining intuitive and user-friendly.

After their digital overhaul, FWU saw the benefits across the board. The website’s new features keep visitors engaged and coming back for more. More than 40% of the site’s visits are from returning visitors. While the customer portal lowered administrative costs, increased customer retention and improved customer satisfaction.

It would have been easier for FWU to stick to what they know about the B2B industry, enter the B2C market and see what happened. However, the same ambition that made them seek out new markets also made them realize how important it is to have a unique and unified CX. Ultimately, a CX that’s based on your unique brand identity, innovative products and engaging content is the only way to truly differentiate your brand.

Written by Michael Vromans, Chief Creative Officer at DPDK Digital Agency

The original article can be found at https://dpdk.com/stories/how-digital-transformation-brought-new-life-cutting-edge-tech-financial