When society is shifting, how do you identify short-term consumer trends versus the lasting impacts? That’s the key question facing insight and product innovation teams navigating these turbulent times. Nimbus Ninety members leading CPG teams convened virtually, to explore how social data can yield answers.

The gradual reshaping of office life has been underway for some time, but the shift to remote work witnessed globally in the past few months has unleashed a fundamental rethink of what the office is for. Members convened for a fascinating virtual breakfast in partnership with Zscaler, to discuss how to adapt culturally and technically to this new world.

“In the next ten months, we will see change that was previously going to take ten years to happen.” So I read in an article a couple of weeks ago, sent to me by a friend and colleague. For the last year, I have been in a role where I am constantly working to create what it means to be a disruptive leader of innovation. Suddenly, the world has changed in weeks. No longer am I creating the catalyst for change, but trying to keep up with the change that is happening around us so that we can plan for the future: a future called “the new normal”.

Automation has always been with us. 200 years ago, on average half of the labour force in Europe was working the land.1 Today, this number is about 5%. Looking for the opportunities to automate has carried us into modernity - and it is nothing to fear.

How best to respond to rapidly shifting priorities is a theme occupying all our minds at this time of worldwide disruption to social and economic realities. In the midst of a global pandemic, digital capabilities are proving fundamental. Maximum agility is required to cope with the current landscape, and this has implications for IT strategy and the infrastructure that underpins it.

The digital landscape has evolved massively, thanks to progress in cloud, automation and artificial intelligence. With rapid growth in data and intense market competition driving business leaders to rethink digital strategy, innovation is crucial to remaining competitive. As automation and AI technology progresses, businesses have the potential to truly transform their processes and lay the foundations for growth. This is particularly true in today’s uncertain climate brought on by COVID-19 and the economic downturn. Nimbus Ninety members gathered virtually to discuss how to realise a new wave of operational efficiency and what it means for business productivity.

Advancements in artificial intelligence has left organisations striving more than ever for digital transformation success. With the business potential that can be unlocked with AI, it is crucial to lay the right foundations to innovate in the next decade. However, research shows that 81% of executives aspire to derive value from AI, but don’t understand the data and infrastructure required to support it. As this year’s Digital Trends Report showed, cost of the technology proved to be a big hindrance for implementation with 45% struggling, as well as lack of skills to enable the change (42%). The journey to AI at scale is clearly a bumpy one from a data, skills and cost perspective. Nimbus Ninety members gathered in Prince Philip House opposite St. James’ Park to discuss how to navigate this path and build the right foundations for leveraging AI at scale.

Great brands interact with their individual customers. Today, customers expect more and more from brands, to the point that 69% of businesses rank improving customer experience and engagement as a very high priority in 2020. Across the board, organisations need to develop their relationship with their customers to compete in the marketplace and create enduring brands. The key to this goal is personalisation. However, businesses repeatedly come up against common foes: inconsistency of experience, data privacy concerns, time-consuming curation. Nimbus Ninety members gathered in The Mercer to discuss how to accelerate their personalisation dreams, and learn from the best-in-class.

The pressure is mounting on digital marketing teams to complete projects at speed. However, the increased workload is causing employees to spend the majority of their time “working about work” rather than doing the skilled work they should be undertaking. Nimbus Ninety members sat down for breakfast at The Mercer in Central London to discuss best productivity practices and how to remove barriers that hinder efficiency.

Data is being gathered at an accelerated pace, by everyone from governments to businesses to individuals. For businesses especially this is resulting in huge potential for growth and innovation. However, this is affecting organisations’ ability to strategise as managing the vast volumes of data has become a strain on infrastructure. Nimbus Ninety members gathered at the Andaz Hotel in Liverpool Street to discuss how to overcome the problems of an increasingly datafied world.