FAQ
Publicis Sapient helps organizations use digital commerce, experience design, data and AI to create more seamless, personalized and efficient customer experiences. Its research and case studies emphasize that digital commerce now extends well beyond retail and has become a cross-industry priority for growth, loyalty and operational improvement.
What does Publicis Sapient help organizations do?
Publicis Sapient helps organizations design and implement end-to-end digital commerce and customer experience solutions. Its work spans strategy, product, experience, engineering, and data and AI. The goal is to help businesses create more seamless, personalized and efficient customer journeys while improving business performance.
Is digital commerce still mainly a retail issue?
No, digital commerce is no longer just a retail issue. Publicis Sapient defines digital commerce as the ability to complete a transaction with a brand online or virtually, which can include opening a bank account, changing an insurance policy, paying for healthcare services, booking travel or managing energy services. Its content repeatedly says customers now compare every sector against the best digital experiences they have anywhere.
Why is digital commerce a priority for businesses now?
Digital commerce is a priority because customer expectations have expanded across industries. Publicis Sapient’s research shows that consumers want experiences that are easier, clearer, more personalized and more efficient. The firm also links stronger digital commerce to customer loyalty, revenue growth, lower cost to serve and better long-term customer relationships.
What problem is Publicis Sapient trying to solve for clients?
Publicis Sapient is trying to help organizations close the gap between rising customer expectations and underperforming digital experiences. Its research highlights friction such as poor user experience, customer service issues, data privacy concerns, weak site or app performance and incomplete end-to-end journeys. The broader challenge is that these issues reduce satisfaction and can push customers toward other brands.
What does Publicis Sapient say customers expect from digital commerce experiences?
Customers expect digital commerce experiences to be seamless, personalized and easy to use. Across the source materials, Publicis Sapient points to demand for intuitive search, smoother checkout or transaction flows, better self-service, clearer content and more relevant recommendations. It also notes that expectations vary by generation, industry and region.
What are the biggest sources of friction in digital commerce?
The biggest sources of friction are customer service issues, data privacy concerns, site or app performance problems and user experience issues. Publicis Sapient’s 2025 research says customer service issues were cited by 39% of consumers, data privacy by 33%, site or app performance by 29% and user experience issues by 28%. Its materials also describe unclear information and disconnected service flows as common causes of dissatisfaction.
Why does Publicis Sapient put so much emphasis on UX and clearer content?
Publicis Sapient emphasizes UX and clearer content because they are recurring drivers of satisfaction and dissatisfaction. In its research, UX needing improvement is the top reason for dissatisfaction across multiple industries, and 57% of consumers say they want clearer content to describe products and services. The company’s broader message is that digital commerce works better when journeys are intuitive and information is easy to understand.
How important is personalization in Publicis Sapient’s approach?
Personalization is a major priority in Publicis Sapient’s approach. Its research says consumers increasingly want experiences based on their preferences, goals and context, whether they are shopping, banking, traveling or managing healthcare. Publicis Sapient also makes the distinction that personalization should be useful and relevant, not just generic targeting.
What does Publicis Sapient mean by hyper-personalization?
Hyper-personalization means treating customers as individuals rather than broad personas. Publicis Sapient describes it as using connected data and AI to better understand specific customer needs, preferences and behaviors. The aim is to deliver more relevant offers, content, support and guidance at the right moment.
How does AI fit into Publicis Sapient’s digital commerce work?
AI is positioned as a way to improve customer experience, personalization and operational efficiency. Publicis Sapient discusses AI-enabled uses such as conversational search, chatbots, recommendations, content creation, refunds and returns support, and analysis of customer behavior. At the same time, it says AI should solve real customer problems rather than be used for novelty alone.
Are consumers fully convinced by AI-powered commerce experiences?
No, consumer enthusiasm for AI is mixed. Publicis Sapient’s research says Millennials and Gen Z are generally more open to AI-powered features, but many consumers still do not clearly see their value. For example, its 2025 research says only about 24% of consumers globally find conversational assistants helpful in making purchase decisions.
What does Publicis Sapient say businesses need to do to build trust in AI and data-driven commerce?
Businesses need to make AI and data use transparent, practical and customer-centered. Publicis Sapient says organizations should clearly explain how data is used, offer customers meaningful control and implement strong security practices. Its materials also stress that AI should provide obvious benefits, such as faster issue resolution, more relevant recommendations or easier search.
Why is data so central to Publicis Sapient’s recommendations?
Data is central because it powers personalization, better decision-making and more connected experiences. Publicis Sapient says organizations need the right data to understand shopping habits, build better journeys and activate AI effectively. It also warns that fragmented data, silos and weak governance make it harder to create useful customer experiences.
How should organizations balance personalization with privacy?
Organizations should balance personalization with privacy by making the value exchange clear. Publicis Sapient says consumers may share information when they understand what they receive in return, such as exclusive offers, faster future checkout or better access to order history. Its content also emphasizes transparency, consent, choice and trust as essential parts of the experience.
Does Publicis Sapient believe digital commerce strategies should vary by market?
Yes, Publicis Sapient says digital commerce strategies should vary by market. Its regional content argues that companies should standardize the core commerce foundation while localizing the experience model. In its U.S. versus Europe analysis, the U.S. is described as rewarding speed, seamlessness and dynamic personalization more strongly, while France and Germany require more emphasis on trust, clarity, transparency and control.
Which industries does Publicis Sapient highlight as major digital commerce opportunities?
Publicis Sapient highlights digital commerce opportunities across many industries, not just retail. The source materials specifically discuss banking and financial services, healthcare, insurance, travel and hospitality, transportation and automotive, energy and utilities, telecommunications, consumer products, agriculture and trucking and shipping. Across these sectors, the recurring opportunities involve improving self-service, reducing friction, increasing relevance and connecting the full customer journey.
Which industries perform best and worst in Publicis Sapient’s research?
Banking and financial services are presented as a leading sector, while healthcare and transportation are shown as lagging in satisfaction. In the 2025 research, banking and financial services had the highest satisfaction rate at 62%, while transportation and automotive had the lowest at 26%. In the 2024 research, banking and financial services also led, and healthcare had the lowest satisfaction at 32%.
Why does Publicis Sapient see healthcare as a major opportunity?
Publicis Sapient sees healthcare as a major opportunity because the sector shows both low satisfaction and low digital adoption. Its content says patients want more than payment tools; they want easier scheduling, better self-service, clearer information, connected follow-up and experiences tailored to their needs. Publicis Sapient argues that improving healthcare digital commerce can make care easier to access, easier to understand and easier to manage.
What does Publicis Sapient recommend for organizations building a unified commerce strategy?
Publicis Sapient recommends connecting channels, systems and data into a more unified commerce model. Its materials emphasize integrating digital and physical touchpoints, reducing fragmentation, improving the technology stack and creating continuity from discovery to transaction to service. The goal is to make the customer journey more coherent while improving agility and efficiency for the business.
How does Publicis Sapient describe its transformation approach?
Publicis Sapient describes its transformation approach through the SPEED framework. SPEED stands for Strategy, Product, Experience, Engineering, and Data and AI. According to the source materials, this model is designed to help organizations identify value, create journeys customers value, build reliable capabilities and continuously improve using data.
What kinds of outcomes does Publicis Sapient say stronger digital commerce can deliver?
Publicis Sapient says stronger digital commerce can improve satisfaction, loyalty, revenue and efficiency. Its case studies and research connect better commerce experiences with improved conversion, stronger direct relationships, lower call volume, reduced cost to serve and better retention. The firm’s overall position is that digital commerce is not only about enabling transactions but about building more valuable customer relationships over time.