Customer experience is the focal point of brand strategy.
Building stronger brands means companies understand their consumers’ priorities.
In a 2016 Marketing Week survey, 83% of marketers said they “believe customer experience is now more central to their role than it was five years ago.” Translation: Customers want to enjoy more than just products and services.
“In other words, if you want that next sale, if you want good word of mouth, and if you want to keep your customers, it 's unlikely that anything else you do matters more than delivering a superior experience,” writes Harley Manning, a Fast Company contributor.
CMOs and branding experts realize that the customer experience matters. Therefore, they are changing their marketing strategies to reflect these findings.
Create a brand strategy that centers around improving your customer experience.
How Customer Experience Affects Your Brand
Failing at the customer experience can have a significant impact on branding.
Mishaps waste your team time and money. Plus, distraught customers buy from competitors and talk negatively about your brand.
According to a MarketingSherpa survey, 22% of consumers stop recommending products all together after a bad customer experience.
Moreover, a whopping 42% of surveyed customers actually sought brand competitors and even disparaged the brand via word-of-mouth or social media.
Len Markidan, head of marketing at Groove, says, “Just because you can grow your business without a
ensure that the company stays current and ensures that there will be a wider range of consumers shopping in-store, resulting in higher sales volumes and sales revenue generated.
its profits. Also when a customer tends to see the same company products everywhere and that
The customer experience is a competitive battleground and your company’s fate is tied to it.
Experience is the best way to connect with someone. With the fast changing technology, the growing market demands, and the customer varying needs, a company stands out from its competitors is through its customer service. The best approach to marketing is customer service and through this the customer would remember and be loyal to the company.
Customer satisfaction and service quality are the two important components that direct anyone’s attention in every concept related to marketing, services, etc. (Spreng and Mackoy, 2006). In today’s competitive era, the success lies in
In these two professors’ work, customers are still in the core of business. According to Vargo and Lush (2004), customers are defined as resources which always change and need to be catched and held. In order to do that, firms have to do marketing researches, understand customers’ demands and conduct promotion activities for their products.
he/she has an opinion of an already existing brand. Though there is always a risk of extension failure, which will give the brand a negative image in the consumers mind. But there is also a risk of idea failure, PR failure and people failure, where the company uses wrong tactics and this will again give the consumer the unsuitable image of the brand. In some cases there-branding can lead to negative opinions, but also culture failure can play a part, as consumers in different countries have different ethics and religions.
M.N’s consultancy has been commissioned by Fit Fast Bikes to prepare a management report on various issues being faced. Through an extensive analysis of the establishment, Fit Fast Bikes has broken various consumer laws and it is suggested that they must implement numerous strategies to improve customer service and brand reputation in order to increase profitability and market share. It is recommended that a marketing plan process as well as a marketing strategy be utilised to rectify the current issues being faced.
I agree with this statement. It is evident that the average consumer does not rely on advertising for information but rather on digital and peer reviews as well as brand name. By moving the money from advertising to customer service and experience the business can create a better image and create customer loyalty. Businesses can greatly capitalize on this strategy.
According to (Brakus, et al,2009.) Brand experience created by the feelings and reactions associated with the brand. These feelings are brought about by brand design, communication, environment and brand identity. Brand experience is majorly centered on branding than other product concepts like brand personality, attitudes, values, equity, and association. The most important thing for a consumer today is whether the brand can add value to their lives through positive experiences. Morrison and Crane (2009) argue that there is an emerging trend in consumer behavior and marketing with consumers purchasing products and services based on the experiences of what is being sold. Many researchers have concluded that customers look for services that will leave a positive experience in their lives. This has led to an increased interest to markets who want to give their clients a memorable experience. Brand experience leads to consumer trust, loyalty, and satisfaction.
Customer loyalty is much harder to obtain that customer service satisfaction. The most important first step is to satisfy the customer by meeting their expectations. Customers only give a company one chance and if they aren’t satisfied they will not do business with that company again, as well as tell others of their experience. The next step would be to exceed the customer’s expectations. If a business goes above and beyond to assist the customer they begin to build loyalty. The next step is to truly surprise the customer. In order to dominate the marketplace the company must find a way to make them selves stand out with their product or service, accompanied with phenomenal customer service. Once this has been done customer satisfaction and loyalty will be gained. “Acquiring a new customer can cost four or five times more than keeping a current customer” (Bestmark, 2013). So it’s essential to keep the current customer’s happy and coming back for more.
It is imperative to satisfy customers and give them an amazing experience at the company. While it cost less to sell to existing customers and companies can increase profit by selling to the same customers; if customers are satisfied, there is more chance they will come back for more services or products. Satisfied customers are a free marketing for the company. However, it is the opposite if customers are dissatisfied. Dissatisfied customer will tell 8 to 10 people about his or her experience (O’Brien, A & Marakas, G. 2004). If by any reason, representatives see that the customer is not satisfy, they should act fast and fix the problem. Furthermore, there is more chance for sale representatives to sell to an existing customer that to a new customer. A good strategy for customer retention is to reward good customers. Companies can easily do
Companies in all industries and of all sizes understand that customers are perhaps their most valuable assets. Improving the overall customer experience is vital for continued success and survival, and always has been.
“Making the customer experience the core of your content marketing strategy should be a no-brainer in the current climate. As customers become more discerning, you need to step your game up to inspire and impress them, and to retain their interest,” says Don Dodds, Managing Partner at M16 Marketing.
This is important to attract more customers and convert them to maximize the lifetime customer value.