Navigating the future: Airtel Business on personalisation and demand prediction

Personalisation and demand prediction have become cornerstones of contemporary business strategies. Airtel Business, a company with 350 million subscribers, is at the forefront of this paradigm shift. In an interview, Avinash Deepak, SVP & Business Head at Airtel Business, shares key insights into how Airtel has evolved beyond the traditional marketing approach, embracing a data-driven approach that tailors services to individual preferences while identifying broader patterns within segments of consumers. By leveraging data insights and customer analytics, Airtel Business is well positioned to capitalise on the rising demand for more personalised and tailored services.

By mastering the art of personalisation and harnessing the potential of demand prediction, you can gain a competitive edge and fully unleash the power of these five invaluable strategies.

1. Navigating the personalisation horizon

Personalisation is the bedrock of Airtel Business's engagement strategy. The company creates a nuanced understanding of consumer behaviour by integrating massive data sets derived from its 350 million subscribers. It is not a matter of dissecting individual actions, but rather of identifying patterns within a large consumer market.

"When you have 350 million subscribers, you cannot have 350 million data points," Deepak acknowledges. Instead, the company operates at a surrogate or segment level, employing analytics to categorise consumers into segments. Taking this approach ensures that a tailored approach is provided without compromising individual privacy, a cornerstone of Airtel Business' operations.

In a Airtel Business and YourStory Round Table series that delves into how digital businesses prioritise customer needs, SVP-Growth and Customer Experience Head of Jumbotail, Prabhu Jaganathan’s, insights underscored the vital role of backend optimisation in achieving scalability, while preserving an exceptional customer experience.

Just as Jumbotail invests in forecasting customer behaviour to enrich engagement strategies, Airtel Business leverages extensive data sets from its vast subscriber base—350 million strong—to curate bespoke experiences. Despite differing methodologies, both companies share a common recognition of the significance of understanding consumer behaviour at scale.

In Airtel Business's case, this involves segmenting consumers and deploying analytics to tailor experiences, all while safeguarding individual privacy—a principle fundamental to their operations. It's a testament to the delicate equilibrium between customisation and confidentiality that defines the modern digital landscape.

2. Privacy, ethical data handling, and technological fortifications for data security

Crucial to Airtel Business’s operations is a commitment to data privacy. As a licensed operator under the government of India, it adheres to stringent rules governing data privacy. It operates within the bounds of a Data Privacy Act, ensuring that individual data remains confidential. The scale at which the company operates necessitates segment-level engagements, avoiding any intrusion into individual behaviours.

According to Deepak, "We are not allowed to share data with anybody else," which emphasises the non-negotiable nature of data sharing. The commitment extends to a clean room approach, deploying a robust Customer Data Platform (CDP) that facilitates information exchange without compromising individual identities.

Airtel Business's arsenal against data breaches involves robust technological fortifications. With 25 petabytes of consumer data in its systems, it employs firewalls and DMZ technology to prevent leaks. The cybersecurity measures are so advanced that other organisations leverage its platform for security monitoring.

"We have not had any single breach of any great meaning in the longest time," states Deepak, highlighting the seriousness with which the team safeguards customer data. The technology ensures that, even within the organisation, access to sensitive customer information is limited, focusing on metadata rather than content.

3. Expanding horizons: AI's impact across industries and B2B spaces

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are integral components of Airtel Business's strategy, particularly for personalisation and demand prediction. Utilising powerful AI tools such as Natural Language Understanding (NLU) and Natural Language Processing (NLP), Airtel Business enhances customer interactions by facilitating the processing and routing of customer issues, resulting in interactive and personalised experiences. Internally, AI optimises network resources in real-time, a task that was previously inconceivable in manual-intensive environments. Beyond Airtel Business, AI has made significant inroads into sectors such as banking, retail, and other digitally-driven industries.

Moreover, AI transcends traditional sectors and demonstrates its impactful presence in B2B engagements. For instance, Airtel Business highlights AI-driven insights benefiting millions of kirana stores, optimising inventory, and enhancing supply chain efficiency to meet varying needs and capacities. In healthcare, AI showcases its potential by anticipating patient responses and delivering personalised engagement beyond hospital settings, introducing elements of virtual monitoring and timely intervention to elevate healthcare experiences. “From predicting patient behaviour to delivering personalised engagement outside hospital settings, AI fosters a sense of well-being and attention, backed by real-time data analysis and personalised communication,” says Deepak.

Furthermore, AI's influence extends to the B2B sector, particularly in understanding and predicting demand for products and services.

4. Pioneering personalisation post-purchase

Airtel Business understands that personalisation doesn't end with the purchase of a product. The post-sales engagement process plays a crucial role in building brand loyalty and maximising customer lifetime value. With AI integrated into the communication process, proactive communication is ensured, addressing customer concerns and needs even before they arise.

One striking example lies in the healthcare domain, where AI-enabled devices monitor patients remotely. The system analyses data, assures patients of their wellbeing, and even facilitates periodic calls from healthcare professionals. This post-purchase personalisation not only enhances customer satisfaction but also redefines the healthcare experience.

5. The hybrid approach: Humans validating technology

As the world oscillates between physical and virtual realities, Airtel Business recognises the significance of a hybrid approach. It is undeniable that technology plays a key role in automating, personalising, and predicting demand. In spite of this, humans are crucial in validating these interactions, particularly in areas where trust and empathy are particularly important. "Humans will increasingly play this role," Deepak says.

In essence, as the B2B landscape pivots to personalisation and demand prediction, Airtel Business is architecting the interactions of tomorrow. The lessons learned from its journey transcend data points and algorithms; they resonate with a fundamental truth that the most successful business relationships are built on a foundation of trust, empathy, and a perfect harmony between the digital and the human.

As we move forward, Airtel Business shows us that the key to achieving excellence lies in embracing the perfect balance between technology and human connection, as they guide us towards a future where personalised interactions and demand prediction are the norm.