Today I’m maybe a bit boring talking about things which should be self-evident. We are in times where we are talking about the Customer Experience, but do we comply with the CX approach?

We need to start to change something. So let’s have a look what we need to change from an operational and not from a strategic point of view. Have a look at the following 5 topics and ask your self where you are at each of them and draw your own conclusions out of it for your business.

Change from a single mass communication and actions to continuous targeted micro-actions

As a brand you need to build a strong connection to your customer. This has a much higher value than just awareness to a broader audience. The following statements are some days old, but they bring it to the point.

• Brian Chesky of Airbnb: „It is better to have a hundred people who love you, than a million people who kinda like you.”
• Another statement from the management board of a big airline is: “I have fear that one day there will be an app which is a digital secretary for your personal travel. With this we will lost our connection to the customer.”

Change from e-commerce to experience

Commerce is a complex process and different from buying a pair of socks or a car. Often it takes place at different touch points. Think about commerce global… online, in a retail store, within the exchange of friends, etc. Think about all channels a shopper could use and make sure that he can get all information he needs at each touch point. Also make sure he has the option to purchase every time.
See also: https://esser.me/channel/

Change from retargeting to conversations

Don’t stalk, be the trusted advisor who wants to help and advice.

Following with reminders about searched products or products left in shopping card IS NOT the way brands should act. A non-pushy value exchange at the moment of a customer need is the right direction to communicate. Communicate on the entire customer experience phase, not only at the point of pre-purchase.

This should be clear these days, but I’m sure everyone knows examples where he was stalked with advertising in the near past. We know it, but we don’t change it in marketing.

Change from the funnel to the customer-decision journey

You are thinking about the shopping funnel or the media funnel (attribution)? That’s your view and not the customer view.

Awareness, like preached since many years, should be replace by trust. Trust will be build by defining customer goals at the individual touchpoints through the customer journey.

Build up an individual 1:1 communication. This means build campaigns which have flexible elements to build up the 1:1 approach.

Change from selling to service

Media planning did connect at the consideration and buying phase of the customer decision-making journey in the past. This needs to change to the entire customer journey. The early phases (evaluate and bonding phase) should be focused. Mass-communication through media does not make sense, replace this with service and curation.

The best example here is Amazon. They have grown up because they offered by far the best services around their shop.