In an article from MediaPost, Ingrid Froelich emphasizes that “brand experience is defined by your customers' perceptions of their interaction with you.” The way that your customers experience your brand across channels whether they are active or passive in this, all affect the way they see your brand. This can make your break your brand experience. “To stand out, organisations now need to meet and exceed customer expectations.”
So how is this done? First, you need to know your customers and what exactly are their expectations.
- Know your customers. The easiest way of doing this is not by assuming what they know but by simply listening to your customers. Take an ‘Outside-In’ perspective to help you to understand and emphasize with your customers because the customer voice can strongly affect the way your brand is perceived. “By hearing the customer voice, the organisation can prioritize change and support the most valuable touchpoints.” Every channel has value, however, by placing your focus on the areas your customers most value, it will become a win-win situation.
- Don’t be a stalker. It’s great knowing your customers but not in the same way a stalker knows their victim. To create a genuine brand experience, it is important to give your customers privacy. Combine your real-time data with information your customers have volunteered to give to you. “Responsible use of customer data enhances loyalty by responding to preferences.”
- Weave customer-centricity throughout your organisation. Customers do not necessarily think about the operations and different departments behind their experience with your brand, whether they are good or bad. “All of the good intentions in the world and all of the speeches from CEOs and customer advocates in your organization cannot replace the need for a fundamental customer-centric culture and process.” Therefore every aspect of your organisation must maintain customer-centric goals so that the customer experience is seamless and consistent.
