Regional Spotlight: Customer Experience Transformation in Asia Pacific Financial Services
Unlocking Growth Through Customer-Centric Digital Transformation
Asia Pacific (APAC) is at the epicenter of financial services innovation. With its diverse economies, rapidly growing middle class, and a digital-first population, the region presents both unique challenges and immense opportunities for banks and insurers. As digital transformation accelerates, customer experience (CX) has become the defining battleground for financial institutions seeking to differentiate, grow, and remain relevant in Southeast Asia and Australasia.
The APAC Landscape: Unique Challenges and Opportunities
Financial Inclusion and Digital Adoption
A defining characteristic of Southeast Asia is its large unbanked and underbanked population—three out of four people in the region have insufficient access to financial services. This gap presents a significant opportunity for banks and insurers to develop accessible, digital-first offerings that reach new customer segments. Rapid smartphone adoption and the rise of digital challenger banks are reshaping expectations, making seamless, mobile-first experiences the new standard.
In Australasia, the focus is shifting toward life-integrated finance and empowering consumers beyond transactions. Here, established banks are challenged to deliver personalized, value-added services that address holistic financial well-being, not just basic banking needs.
Legacy System Modernization
Across APAC, many incumbent banks and insurers are hampered by aging core systems that stifle innovation and slow the pace of change. Modernizing these legacy platforms is essential to unlocking agility, enabling real-time data insights, and delivering the personalized experiences today’s customers demand. Cloud-native architectures and AI-driven solutions are increasingly being adopted to future-proof operations and accelerate digital transformation.
The Rise of Digital Challengers
The competitive landscape is intensifying as digital-first entrants and fintechs redefine what “good” looks like in financial services. These challengers are not only raising the bar for customer experience but also forcing incumbents to rethink their operating models, embrace enterprise agility, and innovate at speed. In this environment, the ability to deliver consistent, personalized, and frictionless experiences across all touchpoints is no longer optional—it’s a necessity.
Shaping Customer Expectations: Trends and Insights
- Personalization at Scale: Customers expect experiences tailored to their individual needs, powered by data and AI. From proactive financial advice to seamless onboarding, personalization is a key driver of loyalty and growth.
- Omnichannel Engagement: Whether in-branch, online, or via mobile, customers want consistent, connected experiences. Banks and insurers must break down silos and integrate channels to deliver a unified journey.
- Digital Self-Service: Empowering customers to manage their finances independently—through intuitive apps, chatbots, and self-service tools—drives both satisfaction and operational efficiency.
- Security and Trust: As digital adoption grows, so do concerns around security and fraud. Institutions must balance innovation with robust risk management and transparent communication.
Publicis Sapient in APAC: Delivering Impact at Speed
Publicis Sapient partners with leading banks and insurers across Southeast Asia and Australasia to deliver transformative customer experiences. Our approach combines deep regional expertise with proven global methodologies, helping clients:
- Redesign Operating Models: We help organizations shift from product-centric to customer-centric models, building cross-disciplinary teams and agile delivery frameworks that accelerate innovation.
- Modernize Technology: From cloud migration to AI-powered personalization, we enable clients to unlock the full potential of their data and platforms, driving real-time, relevant engagement.
- Drive Financial Inclusion: By co-creating accessible digital offerings, we help institutions reach underserved populations and unlock new growth opportunities.
- Balance Cost and Experience: Our service design and human-centered design methodologies streamline operations, reduce costs, and enhance customer value—proving that efficiency and customer-centricity go hand in hand.
Real-World Success Stories
- Siam Commercial Bank (SCB), Thailand: Publicis Sapient partnered with SCB TechX to launch XPlatform, a one-stop cloud and DevOps solution that accelerates the development of cutting-edge digital banking products. We also helped SCB expand its offerings with a food delivery app, rewriting the rulebook on customer engagement and driving business growth beyond traditional banking.
- Bangkok Bank, Thailand: We delivered an innovative mobile app that puts the customer first, simplifying the banking process and enabling lightning-fast service—demonstrating how digital transformation can deliver both speed and satisfaction.
- Multinational Insurance Company, Asia: By implementing a new cloud-based platform, we enabled our client to deliver industry-leading customer experiences and unlock new growth opportunities across multiple Asian markets.
- Australian Banks: Our work in Australia focuses on elevating customer experience while driving down cost and risk. By leveraging lifecycle-led design and modern service design practices, we help banks balance operational efficiency with next-level customer engagement.
The Path Forward: Building the Future of Financial Services in APAC
The future belongs to those who put the customer at the center of everything they do. In APAC, this means:
- Embracing customer-centric journey reinvention—moving beyond products to focus on the outcomes customers seek.
- Modernizing legacy systems to enable agility, personalization, and real-time insights.
- Leveraging data and AI to deliver hyper-personalized, secure, and seamless experiences.
- Fostering a culture of continuous improvement—piloting high-impact journeys, measuring results, and scaling what works.
With over 30 years of digital innovation experience and a track record of delivering industry firsts, Publicis Sapient is uniquely positioned to help APAC financial institutions lead the charge. Our blend of strategy, design, technology, and sector expertise ensures that transformation delivers measurable value—now and in the future.
Ready to transform your customer experience and unlock new growth in Asia Pacific? Connect with our regional experts to start your journey today.