INNOVATION | 02.03.2021
Monica Garcia Cristóbal: “Innovation is a necessary step towards transformation; both must involve the entire company”
The head of transformation at MAPFRE España discussed–in a chat [i] organized by Amazon Ads at its pavilion at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona–the acceleration of trends in organizations, which aim to provide 24/7 customer service in the wake of the pandemic. “Customers are more demanding than ever, because they have all the information at their fingertips,” she remarked alongside Germán Martínez, Managing Director of Amazon Ads in Spain.
Changes can be rather traumatic. The last few years have been quite demanding on a personal, economic, and social level. But they have also reinforced the use of new technologies that already have–and will continue to offer–undeniable benefits. “Telemedicine is one example. Although it seems to be improving mainly in developed countries, it has tremendous potential to democratize access to health care in developing countries, since 3G has reached remote areas ahead of some medical specialties,” Mónica García pointed out.
The strategic commitment to innovation is what defines MAPFRE Open Innovation (MOi), she explained, and technology is an accelerator in the face of changing customer needs. “Innovation is one of the necessary steps towards transformation. And, like transformation, it must involve the entire company. That’s why it’s important for it to be organized and reinforced through corporate strategies,” she stressed.
Relationships based on trust
“After the situation we have been through, we are more emotional and seek more simplicity. We need to respond to customers in real time, in a personalized way, and be more timely and also more relevant. We need to microsegment. (…) Artificial intelligence can help us better understand and serve customer needs,” she said. “We care about families… and young people. We must identify their tastes and preferences, find out what they need… That’s why we’ll be on the channels where they are, such as Amazon and Twitch,” she explained.
Regarding the partnership with Amazon, she stressed that it is not limited to digital advertising but aims to serve customers across all the new forms of interaction, delivering a seamless experience. Among other initiatives, she pointed out that MAPFRE has promoted youth recreation–supporting events such as Gamergy or Amazon Universities–and launched YipYop insurance, which is activated as soon as an item that may need insurance coverage is purchased on Amazon. When asked about the company’s plans, Mónica García Cristóbal alluded to the need to continue improving its understanding of customers and to become increasingly efficient with its proposals and in serving their needs.