Aqueduct / Only Human

Only
Human
How a human-centric, collaborative
approach can unlock potential in
marketing and business.

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Aqueduct / Only Human

Everyone knows
that technology is
changing the world
at an incredibly
rapid rate.
But how fast are
things moving —
and more importantly,
what are the impacts?

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Introduction
The cycle of corporate birth and death has accelerated. While
it took 75 years for the telephone to have 100 million users, the
mobile phone only needed 16 years to reach this number while
the internet took just seven.1 But it took less than a month for
Pokemon Go to reach this number.2
Since the birth of Moore’s Law, almost
all aspects of technology (and often,
their adoption by consumers) have seen
exponential growth. To match this, there are
companies which have grown at trajectories
which are also blazingly fast. At the time of
writing, there are 186 ‘unicorns’ - startups
which have achieved a valuation greater
than $1 billion. 3 But unicorns are rare,
meaning there is a much more common
story. For companies which established their
place in the market before the emergence
of the consumer internet, this change in
pace has been very challenging. While the
average human lifespan has increased from
61 to 75 years since the 1930s, the average
age of companies on the S&P 500 Index has
decreased from 75 years to just 15. 4 Sadly,
firms which fail to adapt have been pushed
towards extinction.
What has led to this accelerated
state of change?
The flow of information, communication
and commerce is easier than ever before.
The barriers to entry for new products
and services has never been lower. With
the adoption of smartphones and other
digital technology, it is extremely easy for a
customer to find the same or similar product
or service from another company.
The use and adoption of ecommerce,
search engines, reviews and customer
forums means it is very easy to switch and
buy from another brand. Incumbents that
provide experiences that lag behind more
innovative competitors and startups will
lose out. The ‘Lean Startup’ is a risk to the
legacy giant. As a result, brands today must
be transparent. Consumers not only have
two-way conversations with brands, but
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also between each other. Marketing
academic Philip Kotler has suggested that
rather than identifying and approaching
customers through segmentation and
targeting, brands should think first of
communities of people; he also suggests
the traditional 4Ps of marketing should be
replaced by the four Cs of co-creation,
currency, communal activation and
conversation. 5 Now that trust worldwide
has hit a new low, this approach is even
more significant. 6
So what is the answer?
Until computers become truly smarter
than human beings (a point in the future
dubbed as ‘The Singularity’), new digital
products will not be invented by themselves.
This means that people are the answer. In
a world of both personal and corporate
change, this is the common thread.
Behind every digital interaction or the
creation of an online experience, there
are people. And by understanding this as
a fundamental principle, companies can
create foundations which enable them
to succeed. Technology is just a tool, not
an answer in itself. Without the context of
people to use and interact with it, there is no
purpose. Indeed, the so-called ‘Fashionistas’
of the digital world (i.e. those who adopt
shiny technology without managing it
properly) see a drop in profitability of
11%.7 This report explores three areas that
focus on both the interactions customers
have with brands and the interactions that
brands have internally with their agencies
and partners. We highlight the difference
between the promise of new approaches
versus the reality when brands get it too
wrong too often.
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Time to reach 100 million users worldwide

Year of launch

Source: http://media-publications.bcg.com/BCG_Technology_Advantage_April_2015.pdf

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Big data as a
term has existed
since the 1990s.8
Since then it’s gone
through various waves
of popularity and
awareness, from
reaching the top of
Gartner’s Hype Cycle
to disappearing
all together.9

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Big Data and

One-to-one Communications
According to a McKinsey report from 2011, big data for
marketing could improve profit margins by around 10-30%
through methods such as micro-segmentation and enhancing
multichannel customer experiences.10
The consultants argue there is a lot of
money to be made if brands can use data
to personalise experience down to a
one-to-one level. Marketers themselves
have also got caught up in the excitement. In
an Econsultancy survey of more than 1,100
of them, 94% stated that personalisation
‘is critical to current and future success’.11
But despite the enthusiasm for the potential
in data to create personalised one-to-one
communications, the reality is unfortunately
very different. The same survey cited above mistakes in this area. Smart appliance
reported that more than half of companies manufacturer Nest (owned by Google)
(56%) weren’t actually personalising the is also guilty.13
web experience for visitors, while only 15%
stated they ‘definitely’ were getting a good Examples of bad use of data for
return on investment. communications (especially in terms of
contextualised ads) is now so common
So how are customers that magazine Private Eye has a recurring
perceiving personalisation? column titled ‘Malgorithms’ highlighting
some of the most egregious examples
With retargeting being an oft-used (and of the week.
too often simplistic tactic), it seems that
nearly everyone has a story about a product So why has this happened?
following them around the internet. This
subject was covered in research by InSkin While some might explain these various
Media, who surveyed 1,600 UK adults faux-pas by claiming that IT and legacy
about how they feel about display ads technology are barriers, this can’t be the
depending on how much they see the same case. The examples above all require
one recurring (see graph on page 10). If an at least some core technology to be in
ad was seen between three and five times, place before they can be implemented.
the most common response was that “it Instead, it is because the personal element
is annoying”, with over 35% reporting this has been forgotten about - and as such,
when they had seen it four or five times. the technology has been used badly,
But once an ad had appeared 10 times or particularly in the case of contextualisation
more, the most common response was “it rather than personalisation. Behind the data
makes me angry” - cited by over a quarter that has powered all of these examples,
of respondents.12 there was individual behaviour that could
have been understood to provide a better
Even companies who are supposed to be experience. In terms of personalisation, big
at the cutting edge of technology make data shouldn’t be seen as something to put

6

in one end of a black box to take money
(from higher conversions or order values)
out of the other side. Doing so might turn
a profit initially, but it comes at the cost
of losing touch with your customers.
Examples of best practice using data
Despite the examples above, there are innovative
and interesting ways of using data more effectively
to communicate in relevant and personalised ways.
L’Oreal’s Makeup Genius
Who would know that data can come
from someone’s face? L’Oreal has
taken this data and not only created
a truly personalised experience, but
also one that solves a real problem.
Buying cosmetics can be a frustrating
experience, particularly for people
who have features or skin tones which
mean it is difficult to find makeup that
works for them. Traditionally, only a
visit to a makeup counter (which is
not only inconvenient, but for some
customers intimidating) or finding a
friend would allow someone to try on
makeup. L’Oreal aimed to solve this
through creating an augmented reality
app which identifies and processes
more than 60 data points on the face
in real time, allowing people to try on
makeup using their phones. Users can
choose from suggested ‘looks’ or try
on individual products, and share the
results with friends or buy direct from
the app. The app was so successful
that it hit the top of the App Store
charts for several weeks and had
over 65 million product trials.
Toyota USA
Traditional TV advertising can’t be
personalised. As a result, much of
the audience remains unengaged
due to its lack of relevance. However,
online data provides an opportunity
Aqueduct / Only Human
In this context, teams which understand
their users and can create experiences
in line with their needs will be those that
succeed in the long term.
to offer personalised videos.
Toyota USA used user interests
from Facebook to create over
100,000 personalised videos to
advertise the RAV4. Based on what
someone had ‘liked’, a video was
served that was customised based on
100 interchangable video clips and
tailored marketing copy.14 As a result,
what would have been a broad brand
awareness campaign was instead
one where messages were tailored
to resonate with individuals in very
personal ways.
Waitrose and the
Christmas Turkey
Loyalty cards have been an effective
way to collect purchase data offline for
many years now. This can be used to
great effect for personalisation.
Using data from MyWaitrose cards,
the supermarket identified which of
its customers had previously bought a
turkey for Christmas 2015. With this,
they offered a 20% off voucher to just
these customers who had yet to buy
another bird for 2016. This tailored
offer saw a 20% uplift in conversion.15
With other personalised approaches
(such as allowing customers to pick
their own discounts), this shows how
data can be used to create offers
which are of real value to those that
receive them.
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How ad frequency affects opinion

0 5 10 15 20 25 30 35 40

It is clever

It is helpful

It is motivating
(to click or buy)

It is surprising

It is relevant

It is creepy

It is annoying

It makes me
angry

It is intrusive

3 times
It is distracting 4-5 times

10+

Source: http://www.inskinmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/Whitepaper_Familiarity-Frequency-and-Fine-Lines_for-site.pdf

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Key considerations
1 Research and understand your customer. This will allow you to start thinking
creatively about ways in which you can personalise their experience. User stories
with ‘soft’ and ‘hard’ elements can be a highly effective outcome of this research.

2 Think of interesting forms of data to use - and inferences on that data. Attempts
at personalisation are all too often simple. Weather, Facebook likes, geography,
past purchases, search history, and even sports scores can be used.

3 Set frequency caps for your online advertising and cancel retargeting on
shoppers who have completed a purchase. Test your creatives on real people
to see their response.

4 Think widely about ways to create digital experiences. While augmented

reality apps aren’t for all brands, testing the waters will almost always yield
valuable insights.

5 Use social listening to gain feedback.

If your customers don’t like something, change it!

1
http://media-publications.bcg.com/BCG_Technology_Advantage_April_2015.pdf
2
https://www.appannie.com/insights/mobile-strategy/pokemon-go-an-opportunity-not-a-threat/
3
https://www.cbinsights.com/research-unicorn-companies
4
http://www.slideshare.net/MelinaGouveia/didier-bonnet-senior-vice-president-global-practice-leader-digital-transforma
tion-capgemini
5
Kotler, P. et al (2016). Marketing 4.0. London: Wiley
6
http://www.edelman.com/trust2017/
7
https://www.capgemini.com/resource-file-access/resource/pdf/The_Digital_Advantage__How_Digital_Leaders_Outperform_
their_Peers_in_Every_Industry.pdf
8
https://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/02/01/the-origins-of-big-data-an-etymological-detective-story/?_r=0
9
https://www.datanami.com/2015/08/26/why-gartner-dropped-big-data-off-the-hype-curve/
10
http://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/digital-mckinsey/our-insights/big-data-the-next-frontier-for-innovation
11
https://econsultancy.com/reports/the-realities-of-online-personalisation-report
12
http://www.inskinmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/Whitepaper_Familiarity-Frequency-and-Fine-Lines_for-site.pdf
13
https://twitter.com/jamielow/status/189760204513083394
14
http://www.netimperative.com/2016/11/video-case-study-toyota-usa-makes-100000-versions-facebook-ad/
15
https://econsultancy.com/blog/67889-how-waitrose-is-using-personalisation-to-increase-conversions/

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We all learn the

power of community
and social proof
as we grow up
attending school.
The fact that these
behaviours influence
customers has been
well-known to
marketers since
Cialdini’s book
on the topic.

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Community & Social Proof
Techniques such as celebrity endorsements, pushing
newspaper journalists for good coverage and setting up
fan clubs have been used by marketers for years.
Online the same rules and principles apply,
particularly for product reviews, with many
studies providing quantitative evidence of
this kind of people power. When it comes
to driving sales, having 50 or more reviews
can increase the conversion rate by
4.6%.16 According to Pew Research, 82%
of adults say they at least sometimes read
online customer ratings or reviews before
purchasing items for the first time, including
40% who say they always or almost always
do so.17 On the B2B side, 55% of buyers also
use reviews.18
Social media also plays a big role.
Research by analysts at Forrester shows
that across a number of categories, those
who engage with a brand through social
media are more than twice as likely to
have made a purchase in the last 12
months. Those who use social media in
brand interactions are also more likely to
turn to social (37%) than a brand website
(27%) when it comes to deciding which
product or service they will use or buy.19
However, not all branded content on
social media or product reviews perform
as they should, with many either failing to
engage appropriately with the audience
or encouraging reviews that can reduce
trust. An example that demonstrates a lack
of personal understanding comes from
Morgan Stanley, which initially only allowed
its brokers to tweet using a pre-approved list
from the compliance department. 20 While
they can now tweet more openly (after
completing an online training course), such
an approach such an approach failed to
understand how a confined approach would
not build trust, aggravating perceptions at
a time when banks needed (and still need)
to build bridges.
On the other hand, it doesn’t always make
sense to go the other way in an attempt to
Aqueduct / Only Human
get down with the kids. One recent example
was that of House of Fraser, which used
emojis in a way hat was so far removed
from its previous tone of voice and much
of its audience that it was widely derided. 21
But perhaps the best masterclass in how
not to perform online was made famous by
Amy’s Baking Company - a small business
which featured on Gordon Ramsay’s
Kitchen Nightmares. The owners responded
to criticism on social media in such an
aggressive way that it went viral. 22
Online reviews are another area where
brands can fall. While some miss out on
the opportunity to use them, the use of
fake reviews can lead to reduced trust.
Companies need to also tread lightly on
using incentives, particularly given recent
research by ReviewMeta which showed
incentivised reviews on average rate
products .38 stars higher - leading Amazon
to ban the practice. 23 Strangely it actually
makes better business sense to accept the
presence of negative feedback. More than
two-thirds (68%) of consumers trust reviews
more when they see both negative and
positive reviews, while consumers seeking
out negative reviews have almost twice
the conversion rate. 24
Negative reviews are also an opportunity to
show your business cares. By responding to
and fixing problems, your future customers
will see that if something does happen to
go wrong, you will do your best in making
it right.
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Consumer Behaviour In Numbers

Source: https://blog.reevoo.com/ebook-bad-reviews-good-business/

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Examples of best practice in community

and social proof

The examples below come from brands which don’t

simply add social widgets without context. Rather, they
have understood the deeply held needs and wants of
their customers and used them to create an experience
that delights them and is commercially successful.
Giffgaff that in less than a year, more than
10,000 reviews had been posted
This mobile operator is an with an average score of 9.1 out of
example of how communities can 10. Its car sales rose from 66,629 to
be at the heart of the brand when 72,090 - its highest ever. And the brand
the site becomes its platform. switched its key messaging focus to
Operating differently to other ‘Our cars speak for themselves. Our
networks, there is no big-budget customers speak for us.’ 26
advertising, widespread retail
distribution or even a call centre. My Starbucks Idea
Instead, the network’s members
provide customer support online The coffee retailer’s CEO Howard
(with the exception of billing) Schultz wanted to use the internet to
and recruit new members, being increase the focus on the customer,
incentivised through ‘kudos’ (virtual build a sense of community and learn
points for call credit) and ‘Payback’ how to make his stores even better.
(cash) to do so. And when decisions
such as increasing prices are made, The result was My Starbucks Idea, a
the community is always consulted site where customers can not only
first. The result is that since its launch, submit new ideas but also vote on
giffgaff has risen to become the other ideas and see them put into
third-largest mobile virtual network practice. As a result, over 230,000
and has seen annual growth rates ideas have been submitted and over
in excess of 50%. 25 1,000 put into action.

Kia
While Kia’s customers knew that
their cars were reliable and affordable,
their brand perception was poor.
In order to change this, Kia worked
with independent review site Reevoo
to collate thousands of unedited and
uncensored reviews and put them all
in one place for potential customers to
see. The approach was so successful
Trafalgar
Specialising in guided tours and
escorted vacations, Trafalgar knew
it offered a great service to its
customers but wanted to ensure
visitors to its site were reassured of
the quality of its holidays.
Research uncovered that customers
booking a holiday aren’t using a trip
as the end in itself. People book

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holidays to alleviate the stress of
work, create a romantic environment
in which to propose or improve a
relationship, or catch up with friends
away from the daily grind. As such,
there is a huge responsibility on travel
companies, and those without wide
brand awareness might not be as
trusted at face value v as others.
To solve this, Trafalgar decided to
put its customer reviews and social
proof at the heart of its website. To do
this, they partnered with independent
review site Feefo to collect more than
13,000 reviews which had an average
satisfaction rating of 97%, highlighting
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this with the tag line “Our guests love
us”. They also showcased their award
of Best Escorted Tour Operator from
the Telegraph, noting this was based
on 75,000+ readers. And to create
further proof, they encouraged the use
of the hashtag #simplytrafalgar and
pulled in Instagram posts and social
media photos that guests took while
on holiday. This approach has led to
a marked increase in the number of
bookings made through the website
and allowed Trafalgar to expand its
loyal customer base.
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Key considerations
1 Speak to your customers in the way they want to be spoken to. Feel free
to experiment, but don’t fake a tone of voice just because it’s fashionable.

2 Think of ways customers can help you co-create content to enhance

social proof. Pull in social media feeds, online reviews and commentary
directly to your website.

3 Use social media openly and transparently. If someone is delighted,

share their comments. If they are disappointed, fix their problem.

4 Identify those that are especially loyal and vocal about your brand. Give
them a platform from which to share and encourage them to do even more.

5 Give your employees the chance to speak openly.

Don’t hide their light under a bushel!

16
https://econsultancy.com/blog/9366-ecommerce-consumer-reviews-why-you-need-them-and-how-to-use-them/
17
http://www.pewinternet.org/2016/12/19/online-reviews/
18
http://www.demandgenreport.com/resources/research/2016-b2b-buyer-s-survey-report
19
http://static.ow.ly/docs/REPORT_Forrester_Best_Customers_1xJ0.pdf
20
https://www.ft.com/content/77e52974-bf08-11e1-8ccd-00144feabdc0
21
http://www.thedrum.com/news/2016/02/01/house-frasers-emojinal-social-media-campaign-invokes-ridicule
22
https://econsultancy.com/blog/63901-the-top-16-social-media-fails-of-2013/
23
https://reviewmeta.com/blog/analysis-of-7-million-amazon-reviews-customers-who-receive-free-or-discounted-item-much-
more-likely-to-write-positive-review/
24
https://blog.reevoo.com/ebook-bad-reviews-good-business/
25
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/mediatechnologyandtelecoms/telecoms/11630738/Giffgaff-the-bonkers-mo
bile-network-proves-that-the-crowd-can-run-your-business-for-you.html
26
https://econsultancy.com/blog/66107-three-award-winning-marketing-case-studies-from-the-digitals/

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Amongst the
many definitions of
‘Digital Transformation’
there’s one thing
that’s agreed on...
The team you
construct & practices
you employ are what
will affect change the
most. Co-Creation is
key to doing this.

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Co-Creation and
Digital Transformation
At the beginning of this report, we described how the lifecycle
for businesses has rapidly accelerated through the growth
of technology. While the previous two sections discussed the
external customer — facing elements, it is also vitally important
to understand the internal aspect that create them. The term
‘digital transformation’ has been used to describe the ways
in which organisations are looking to change themselves
to become fit for the digital age. But a whole number of
definitions exist:

“The use of technology to “Digital transformation is

radically improve performance another [term] for what I call
or reach of enterprises.” business transformation.”

CapGemini / MIT 27 Thom Groot, Digital Director, The AA 28

“What is important to say is that (digital transformation) is not big IT... we are not
talking about £40m/£50m projects that require four years and almost certain
failure. What we’re talking about are small incremental steps based around proof of
concepts, based around agile methodology, based around engagement with
users who will use the service.”

Christopher Wroath, NHS Scotland 29

“The realignment of, or new investment “The transformation and

in, technology and business models reinvention of the resources, priorities
to more effectively engage digital and processes of a company in order
consumers at every touchpoint in to be fit for purpose in a digitally —
the customer experience lifecycle.” empowered world.”

Altimeter Group 30 Neil Perkin and Peter Abraham, Agile specialists

Despite these all having a slightly different often cited are the practices within agile
focus, there are common themes that approaches to software development,
almost all practitioners use. Perhaps most in particular the emphasis on teamwork,

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communication and collaboration. What changes on the fly. Traditional approaches

companies increasingly realise is that
they need to focus at least as much on the
people involved in their brand and how
they work together as they do the tools and
technology which are at their disposal. As
marketers, product owners, technologists
and others come from very different
backgrounds, having an effective way of
working is critical to collaborative success.
So what can businesses do to transform?
Co-Creation can have multiple benefits
in terms of agencies working together
with client teams. It’s a term which has its
roots as a user-centred design approach
describing how brands and their customers
can work together, but also can cover the
client-agency relationship.
Research by staff at the University of
Michigan and Rutgers University found
that co-locating teams had a near doubling
of productivity. 31 This was because they
had easy access to each other for both
coordination of their work and learning,
while their “work artefacts” such as designs
and tasks pasted on to the wall remained
visible to all. When agency staff and their
clients sit together, it becomes easier
to understand requirements and make
would depend on account management
calls of fixed duration and time, where
it might be difficult for the agency to
understand exactly what was being
communicated by the client and difficult to
communicate back a potential solution.
Research by Harvard Business School
also confirms that working as a team
develops organisational learning and task
mastery. 32 As today’s technology is diverse
and ever changing, working together with
experienced practitioners helps embed that
knowledge internally, leading to a team with
greater skills and capabilities.
In this way, brands which co-create and
co-locate with their agency partners
can end up gaining far more than just
services delivered in response to a project
brief. Rather, they can end up with richer
experiences for the their customers
(by communicating, understanding and
developing products more effectively
together) and become transformed as
they learn and adopt practices suited to
the digital world. It also reduces external
agency fees in the long run, as clients
upskill sufficiently and can confidently
bring work back in-house.

“When you’re faced with a complex business

challenge, the best way to overcome it is by getting
different groups, organisations and stakeholders
together into a single, cross-discipline team.

When Clients, Agencies and users co-locate and

co-create the solution is more insightful, inventive and
robust, and on top of that, it’s completed in less time
(and less budget) than when the silos and walls are
not brought down.”

Gareth James – Creative Partner, Aqueduct

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Examples of best practice in co-creation
and digital transformation
Gaydar
Founded in 1999, Gaydar is one of
the internet’s original gay dating
sites. Since its founding, a slew of
new communities, apps and ways of
dating have emerged, meaning dating
providers need to think of innovative
ways to acquire new users and keep
engagement of those already on the
platform high.
To facilitate this, Gaydar brought
in Aqueduct to help increase the
speed with which they could make
improvements to their community and
improve their own capabilities. The in-
house team co-located with the agency
in London for a fixed three month
window and worked together using
agile best practices to solve problems
and improve the product. This resulted
in a high and sustainable velocity from
the team. With the momentum raised
and the in-house team having learnt
new skills, ownership transitioned back
to Gaydar with the agency in support,
ensuring new ways of working were
fully embedded.
Government
Digital Service
In 2010, lastminute.com co-founder
Martha Lane Fox wrote a report
titled ‘Directgov 2010 and Beyond:
Revolution Not Evolution’ 33 for the UK
Government. Directgov was a website
run by the government that provided
citizens with access to services and
wider information, from how to get a
passport through to articles on staying
healthy. But it was oriented around the
needs of government, and aside from
this website there was much wastage
elsewhere in the public sector.
20
Lane Fox recommended that
government needed to move to
a ‘service culture’, putting user
needs first and using digital
services to do things in an agile,
open and cheaper fashion.
To action the recommendations of
this report, the Government Digital
Service (GDS) was established and
in January 2013, the government
gave itself 400 days to transform 25
major services, making them digital
by default and simpler, clearer and
faster to use. 34 Despite only having
around 80 employees at the time, GDS
staff embedded themselves with civil
servants, policy makers and those with
a compliance role. In-depth research
was performed to understand user
needs and where various frustrations
were present. As a result of this project
and wider work with GDS, not only are
now millions of people able to access
services easier than ever before, but
the taxpayer has saved vast sums
through improved efficiency (estimated
at £600m in 2013/14 alone). 35 This
approach now means the way of
creating services for citizens has
been radically transformed. Today,
GDS continues its work improving
skills, capability and leadership
across government and helping
government departments meet
the needs of their users.
 Aqueduct / Only Human

Key considerations
1 Place customers at the heart of your transformation efforts. Carry out user
research to identify the pain points they are suffering. Session videos and
recorded interviews can be very powerful in winning over even sceptics.

2 Start by creating a sense of urgency within your organisation, highlighting

the risks of not taking action. This is the first step in driving change. 36

3 Consider using maturity models in order to close the gap between

where your organisation is and where it needs to get to.

4 Start a few experiments to prove the case for co-creation and digital
transformation. Make sure any teams have the space and freedom to
test the waters without traditional barriers.

27
http://sloanreview.mit.edu/article/the-nine-elements-of-digital-transformation/
28
https://www.marketingweek.com/2016/04/14/what-does-digital-transformation-really-mean/
29
https://www.holyrood.com/articles/feature/tech-100-digital-transformation-doesnt-mean-were-talking-about-big-it
30
http://altimetergroupdigitaltransformation.com/img/dt-report.pdf
31
Teasley, S. et al (2000). ‘How does radical collocation help a team succeed?’. Proceedings of the 2000 ACM conference on
Computer Supported Cooperative Work. 339-346.
32
Edmondson, A.C., Dillon, J.R. and Roloff, K.S. (2006). ‘Three perspectives on team learning: outcome improvement, task mas
tery and group process.’ The Academy of Management Annuals 1. 269-314.
33
https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/60993/Martha_20Lane_20Fox_s_20let
ter_20to_20Francis_20Maude_2014th_20Oct_202010.pdf
34
https://www.gov.uk/transformation
35
https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2015/10/23/how-digital-and-technology-transformation-saved-1-7bn-last-year/
36
See Kotter, J. (1996). Leading Change. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business Press

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Aqueduct / Only Human

What next?
This report has covered just three areas which we feel
highlight the need for a human-centric approach in marketing
and business today. But we believe that understanding people
is critical across every area of business.

As we’ve demonstrated in some of the not-so-brilliant examples,

forgetting the human aspect leads to an experience that simply
doesn’t feel right. Both customers and those who want to serve
them end up frustrated.

We believe it is impossible to simply insert technology and

create excellent experiences without thinking about and
working closely with people. But when a collaborative and
understanding approach is taken, the potential is enormous.
Even small steps can have big impacts. So do get in touch
with us - we’ll be more than happy to chew the fat, listen to
your ideas and share some of ours.

We look forward to hearing from you soon.

14 Gray’s Inn Road,

London, WC1X 8HN

+44(0)20 8004 4746

info@aqueduct.co.uk
www.aqueduct.co.uk

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