Our research Digital Leaders in Sweden 2025 shows that industries like telecom, insurance and energy have all seen limited digital progress since 2017, especially in online development. How can these industries realign their strategies to bridge the digital gap and meet evolving consumer expectations?

Underinvestment in digital solutions: a persistent lag

Telecom, insurance and energy firms have been lagging in digital maturity since our Digital Leaders in Sweden research in 2017 . While retail and digital-native industries have quickly adapted to digital channel best practices, these three remain near the bottom in our industry ranking. Our 2025 research shows only minor improvements since our 2021 research, with many firms scoring below the four-point threshold considered very good in our global benchmarks.

The focus of our research on these companies’ digital channels reveals a critical insight: these industries must have invested little in improving the core digital touchpoints most accessible to consumers. For example, telecom’s website scores show minimal increases, especially in e-commerce, where it has only risen from 2.77 in 2017 to 2.99 in 2025 on a scale 0-5, where 0=poor and 5=outstanding. Insurance and energy perform similarly, failing to get a competitive score. This shows low prioritization of website-based digital customer engagement, which risks losing ground to industries where digital is paramount.

Shifting consumer behavior in a high-inflation era

Inflation and economic uncertainties since 2022 have had a major impact on consumer behavior, creating a ripple effect across telecom, insurance and energy. Our survey data reflects how consumers, more price-sensitive than ever, increasingly expect transparent and user-friendly digital platforms for their accounts and services.

The telecom, insurance and energy industries have seen limited digital progress since 2017, especially in online development. Looking ahead, how can these industries realign their strategies to bridge the digital gap and meet evolving consumer expectations? Telecom companies reached a high in the research area digital marketing in 2021, with a score of 3.24 likely driven by Covid-19, but by 2025 this has dropped to 2.51, reflecting less focus on digital acquisition channels despite rising consumer expectations. The insurance and energy industries show a similar decline in digital marketing, with energy seeing a steep drop from 3.19 in 2021 to just 1.72 in 2025. This underperformance proves these industries’ struggles to respond to the shifting demands of a financially cautious consumer base. As other industries lean into digital engagement to address cost-conscious consumer behavior, telecom, insurance and energy may face increased churn unless they revamp their digital marketing efforts to communicate value effectively.

Legacy systems: a barrier to agile transformation

Telecom, insurance and energy are weighed down by legacy systems that hamper digital innovation. Historical scores from our Digital Leaders in Sweden research reflect this barrier in their website-based experiences. For instance, telecom’s overall website experience in the area of digital product experience rises minimally from 3.55 in 2017 to 3.73 in 2025, while insurance improves from 2.96 to 3.95.

Although these gains are positive, they remain modest against advancements in retail and banking. These industries’ dependency on traditional infrastructure limits their ability to rapidly implement changes to their digital platforms, resulting in websites that seem outdated and lack the smoothness and agility customers expect. Even minor gains in digital product experience are dampened because these changes are largely cosmetic, rather than functional overhauls enabled by fully integrated systems. For energy firms, for example, website improvements have been mainly aesthetic, with limited functionality gains to meet the growing demand for real-time account control and seamless user interfaces.

Demand for personalization and enhanced e-CRM: rising expectations, limited offerings

As digital service standards grow, consumers expect telecom, insurance and energy providers to deliver responsive e-CRM experiences. However, our research shows that these industries are lagging, with minimal improvement since 2017. Scores in the e-CRM dimension reveal gaps in three areas: customer service functionality, subscription and loyalty management, and personalization.

Customer service functionality – where many companies struggle – lacks real-time support and easy self-service, frustrating users accustomed to faster, more intuitive digital experiences. Subscription and loyalty management shows similar gaps; telecom and insurance sites offer limited flexibility and underdeveloped loyalty programs that miss chances for deeper engagement.

Although personalization is a smaller portion of the e-CRM score, it remains critical, as consumers now expect tailored interactions. Without data-driven personalization, these industries risk losing relevance to those that prioritize tailor-made digital experiences.

Conclusion: a shared imperative for digital advancement

The 2025 results show a clear mandate for telecom, insurance and energy to reevaluate their digital strategies. Our research Digital Leaders in Sweden 2025 confirms that, across the board, website and digital marketing investments remain insufficient to meet the evolving needs of a digitally-savvy consumer base. By addressing underinvestment, improving transparency on websites and prioritizing personalization, these industries can redefine their digital presence and align with the best practices embraced by other industries. Embracing this evolution will be crucial to close the digital maturity gap, retain customer loyalty and ensure long-term relevance in a competitive landscape.

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