The document discusses how brands can build genuine relationships with customers in the digital age. It argues that brands must truly care about customers' needs and desires to succeed. Brands should use digital tools like social media for two-way conversations to better understand customers. And they must deliver personalized experiences through both digital and physical interactions to build loyalty over time. At its core, the customer experience should not change - brands need to continue fulfilling basic needs as well as smaller delights to stay relevant as technology evolves.
The Best Of Snapshot is an ongoing series prepared by the LHBS Inspiration-Hub team. Snapshots are filled with curated signs and cases related to a certain topic or industry and are selected around the three following areas of our expertise: business development, brand building and customer experience.
This one features signs and cases from the fashion industry, how it is changing and what new marketing efforts it's coming up with.
Luxury retail trends and customer experience in a digital era. A perspective on the customer experience of the future, case studies from leading retailers today and the implications for business corporate strategy, retail stores, employees and HR.
For more on Retail, Digital, Employee and Customer Experience connect with Deloitte Digital Southeast Asia @DeloitteDigi_SG. We’re always happy to talk.
From strategy to delivery, Deloitte Digital combines cutting-edge design with trusted business and technology acumen to define and deliver tomorrow’s business, today. Deloitte Digital is committed to helping clients unlock the business value of emerging technologies.
Qudini Samsung KX Future of Retail Leaders Breakfast Presentation by Imogen W...Qudini
On Wednesday 23 October, Qudini hosted a breakfast event for retail leaders alongside Samsung's Customer Experience and Showcase teams at the Samsung KX space in King's Cross.
The Future of Retail event included insights from Qudini's CEO and Co-Founder, Imogen Wethered, who shared some interesting insights into why retailers are transforming "shops" into spaces for brand relationships, community and inspiration.
Read her speech here and let us know what you think. For more information about Qudini, visit our website: www.qudini.com
Connecting with a changing shopper and the future of retailJayant Murty
The future of retail is as much about physical spaces as mental spaces. At this Asian Retail conference at Bali I explored where physical meets virtual , where analog meets digital and where shoppers are intercepted by branded inspiration and information when they need them the most and not polluting or interrupting the consumers life or their life style
The Best Of Snapshot is an ongoing series prepared by the LHBS Inspiration-Hub team. Snapshots are filled with curated signs and cases related to a certain topic or industry and are selected around the three following areas of our expertise: business development, brand building and customer experience.
This one features signs and cases from the fashion industry, how it is changing and what new marketing efforts it's coming up with.
Luxury retail trends and customer experience in a digital era. A perspective on the customer experience of the future, case studies from leading retailers today and the implications for business corporate strategy, retail stores, employees and HR.
For more on Retail, Digital, Employee and Customer Experience connect with Deloitte Digital Southeast Asia @DeloitteDigi_SG. We’re always happy to talk.
From strategy to delivery, Deloitte Digital combines cutting-edge design with trusted business and technology acumen to define and deliver tomorrow’s business, today. Deloitte Digital is committed to helping clients unlock the business value of emerging technologies.
Qudini Samsung KX Future of Retail Leaders Breakfast Presentation by Imogen W...Qudini
On Wednesday 23 October, Qudini hosted a breakfast event for retail leaders alongside Samsung's Customer Experience and Showcase teams at the Samsung KX space in King's Cross.
The Future of Retail event included insights from Qudini's CEO and Co-Founder, Imogen Wethered, who shared some interesting insights into why retailers are transforming "shops" into spaces for brand relationships, community and inspiration.
Read her speech here and let us know what you think. For more information about Qudini, visit our website: www.qudini.com
Connecting with a changing shopper and the future of retailJayant Murty
The future of retail is as much about physical spaces as mental spaces. At this Asian Retail conference at Bali I explored where physical meets virtual , where analog meets digital and where shoppers are intercepted by branded inspiration and information when they need them the most and not polluting or interrupting the consumers life or their life style
From Simple to Splintered to Seamless: In this new technology-enabled world, how can brand marketers and retailers capture the imagination and retain the loyalty of their customers?
360 Degrees of Marketing: The Retail RevolutionFITCH
Wineries have an opportunity to differentiate with an Experience Signature. Michelle Fenstermaker presents at the Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium 2016.
Luxury customer journey: an overview of the new UHNW audience and how to use ...Diana Sherling
This is the session that I gave at the SuperYacht Luxury Marketing Conference #makeyourmark16. In this presentation I talk about the insights and attitudes of the UHNW luxury audience and how you can use the customer journey McKinsey loop as a tool to plan and refine your marketing. I am passionate about luxury marketing, so read my blog at www.dianasherling.com or have a look at my mini luxury brand that I am creating at www.lilyflojewellery.com
Here's what retail will look like by 2025, as retailers blend digital and physical in a new construct that enables a seamless, personalized, distinctive and sustainable shopping experience.
Gen Z Shopping: Designing retail for the constant state of partial attentionFITCH
Meet the most complex yet most critical shopper of all time – Generation Z.
By 2020, today’s 14-19 year olds will be the largest group of consumers worldwide, making up 40% of the US, Europe and BRIC countries, and 10% in the rest of the world. The needs and behaviours of this group will inform not only the next generation of shoppers, but the future of mainstream retail.
So, how do retailers and brand owners engage with a new kind of shopper, who pays less attention but with a sharper and hyper-informed eye? There have been many observations on the lifestyle and digital dexterity of Gen Z (current 14-19 year olds), but until now, their shopping habits have remained unobserved.
In this paper, FITCH not only defines who Gen Z shoppers are, but also clarifies their distinct retail behaviours and offers strategies for retailers to attract them with seamless and highly commercial experiences.
As the global retail sector sees shifts in consumer behaviour retailers must stay ahead of the factors influencing fast-changing market.
We have compiled a trend report which identifies eight key IT, cultural and social trends driving change in the retail sector in order to identify short-term customer opportunities in the run-up to 2020.
Welcome to our annual collection of top 25 signs according to marketing & innovation experts using & working daily with our Inspiration-Hub.
We have selected the 25 most game changing and important signs that drew the attention of our readers this year the most.
Explore the collection of disruptive signs from categories such as consumer insights, product innovation, service innovation, experience innovation & communication and see where the market is going.
"Though economic times and emerging technologies are prompting consumers to change their buying behaviour, and smart retailers are responding with innovative in-store offerings."
Luxury 3.0- a new Retail Scenario for Product Mass Customization and On Deman...ELSE CORP
ELSE Corp offers a new solution for luxury fashion retail: "Luxury Product Customization and Virtual Retail". Introduction to New Trends & New Principles, The Perfect Product and The Virtual Retail. Luxury 3.0 scenario
For more info: http://www.else-corp.com/
The Best Of Snapshot is an ongoing series prepared by the LHBS Inspiration-Hub team. Snapshots are filled with curated signs and cases related to a certain topic or industry and are selected around the three following areas of our expertise: business development, brand building and customer experience.
This one features signs and cases related to Pinterest— and its influence on the consumer behaviour, communication and the e-commerce possibilities.
Continuous Retail is an art. It is the undeniable future of all things retail. Retail is ubiquitous - do you have an Experience Signature? Tim Greenhalgh, Chairman and CCO, shares how leading retailers create new human rituals that are empowered both physically and digitally. This presentation was given at WPP's Global Retail Forum on April 15, 2015.
A Very British Black Friday: The Real Winners and LosersFITCH
Black Friday is perceived as a frantic one-day sale, when shoppers lose control in the fight for bargains and retailers move mountains of stock to get a good chunk of Christmas sales in the bag.
This study on Black Friday in Britain shows that the reality is somewhat different. While there will always be a small proportion of shoppers willing to fight for a bargain, the majority are sensible human beings happily buying online, at home.
The losers are the retailers. Black Friday discounts drive shoppers to open their wallets earlier, but not necessarily deeper, so the idea that they are a major boost to UK Christmas spending is flawed.
Find out about our predictions for the future of Black Friday in Britain, and our recommendations for what retailers should really be focusing on.
Welcome to the latest edition of our Snapshot. In this edition, we will demonstrate how technological innovations both shape the beauty industry and individualize and increase the effectiveness of beauty items.
The report is divided into four parts:
- Digital Beauty - Digitalization is changing customer journeys and stimulating “try & buy” experiences.
- Tech Boosters - Technology is increasingly used to boost the performance and effectiveness of existing products.
- Beauty Wearables - Smart items offer individuality by measuring bio data and giving customized recommendations.
- Ingestible Beauty - Research is working on ingestible products that make keeping up with beauty routines easier and faster.
With the proliferation of desktops, laptops, mobiles, tablets, and smart TVs, there are more opportunities for people to shop anywhere and at any time. But that doesn’t mean brick-and-mortar is irrelevant. In this POV, we discuss how to integrate points of sale to create a consistent customer experience across platforms.
The new smart customers - How they really buy and how we can address thisCarmen Fehrenbach
This slide deck presents the results of a Sapient internal study on consumer behavior during the purchase path and underlying information needs. Moreover, tools and ideas on how to enable connected consumer-brand experiences
over multiple channels are explained.
Retail 2020: Retail Will Change more in the Next 5 Years than the Last 50FITCH
Against a backdrop of seismic shifts in our retail landscape, Christian Davies, Executive Creative Director, Americas at FITCH took the audience on a global tour of the major trends that will be the norm by the time we’re ringing in the New Year of 2020. Emerging trends are mapped against new shopper behaviors and the rise of Gen Z – set to be the largest group of shoppers globally by 2020 – and by new realities of retail operations, language and purpose. This presentation was given at Globalshop in Las Vegas on March 26th, 2015.
From Simple to Splintered to Seamless: In this new technology-enabled world, how can brand marketers and retailers capture the imagination and retain the loyalty of their customers?
360 Degrees of Marketing: The Retail RevolutionFITCH
Wineries have an opportunity to differentiate with an Experience Signature. Michelle Fenstermaker presents at the Direct to Consumer Wine Symposium 2016.
Luxury customer journey: an overview of the new UHNW audience and how to use ...Diana Sherling
This is the session that I gave at the SuperYacht Luxury Marketing Conference #makeyourmark16. In this presentation I talk about the insights and attitudes of the UHNW luxury audience and how you can use the customer journey McKinsey loop as a tool to plan and refine your marketing. I am passionate about luxury marketing, so read my blog at www.dianasherling.com or have a look at my mini luxury brand that I am creating at www.lilyflojewellery.com
Here's what retail will look like by 2025, as retailers blend digital and physical in a new construct that enables a seamless, personalized, distinctive and sustainable shopping experience.
Gen Z Shopping: Designing retail for the constant state of partial attentionFITCH
Meet the most complex yet most critical shopper of all time – Generation Z.
By 2020, today’s 14-19 year olds will be the largest group of consumers worldwide, making up 40% of the US, Europe and BRIC countries, and 10% in the rest of the world. The needs and behaviours of this group will inform not only the next generation of shoppers, but the future of mainstream retail.
So, how do retailers and brand owners engage with a new kind of shopper, who pays less attention but with a sharper and hyper-informed eye? There have been many observations on the lifestyle and digital dexterity of Gen Z (current 14-19 year olds), but until now, their shopping habits have remained unobserved.
In this paper, FITCH not only defines who Gen Z shoppers are, but also clarifies their distinct retail behaviours and offers strategies for retailers to attract them with seamless and highly commercial experiences.
As the global retail sector sees shifts in consumer behaviour retailers must stay ahead of the factors influencing fast-changing market.
We have compiled a trend report which identifies eight key IT, cultural and social trends driving change in the retail sector in order to identify short-term customer opportunities in the run-up to 2020.
Welcome to our annual collection of top 25 signs according to marketing & innovation experts using & working daily with our Inspiration-Hub.
We have selected the 25 most game changing and important signs that drew the attention of our readers this year the most.
Explore the collection of disruptive signs from categories such as consumer insights, product innovation, service innovation, experience innovation & communication and see where the market is going.
"Though economic times and emerging technologies are prompting consumers to change their buying behaviour, and smart retailers are responding with innovative in-store offerings."
Luxury 3.0- a new Retail Scenario for Product Mass Customization and On Deman...ELSE CORP
ELSE Corp offers a new solution for luxury fashion retail: "Luxury Product Customization and Virtual Retail". Introduction to New Trends & New Principles, The Perfect Product and The Virtual Retail. Luxury 3.0 scenario
For more info: http://www.else-corp.com/
The Best Of Snapshot is an ongoing series prepared by the LHBS Inspiration-Hub team. Snapshots are filled with curated signs and cases related to a certain topic or industry and are selected around the three following areas of our expertise: business development, brand building and customer experience.
This one features signs and cases related to Pinterest— and its influence on the consumer behaviour, communication and the e-commerce possibilities.
Continuous Retail is an art. It is the undeniable future of all things retail. Retail is ubiquitous - do you have an Experience Signature? Tim Greenhalgh, Chairman and CCO, shares how leading retailers create new human rituals that are empowered both physically and digitally. This presentation was given at WPP's Global Retail Forum on April 15, 2015.
A Very British Black Friday: The Real Winners and LosersFITCH
Black Friday is perceived as a frantic one-day sale, when shoppers lose control in the fight for bargains and retailers move mountains of stock to get a good chunk of Christmas sales in the bag.
This study on Black Friday in Britain shows that the reality is somewhat different. While there will always be a small proportion of shoppers willing to fight for a bargain, the majority are sensible human beings happily buying online, at home.
The losers are the retailers. Black Friday discounts drive shoppers to open their wallets earlier, but not necessarily deeper, so the idea that they are a major boost to UK Christmas spending is flawed.
Find out about our predictions for the future of Black Friday in Britain, and our recommendations for what retailers should really be focusing on.
Welcome to the latest edition of our Snapshot. In this edition, we will demonstrate how technological innovations both shape the beauty industry and individualize and increase the effectiveness of beauty items.
The report is divided into four parts:
- Digital Beauty - Digitalization is changing customer journeys and stimulating “try & buy” experiences.
- Tech Boosters - Technology is increasingly used to boost the performance and effectiveness of existing products.
- Beauty Wearables - Smart items offer individuality by measuring bio data and giving customized recommendations.
- Ingestible Beauty - Research is working on ingestible products that make keeping up with beauty routines easier and faster.
With the proliferation of desktops, laptops, mobiles, tablets, and smart TVs, there are more opportunities for people to shop anywhere and at any time. But that doesn’t mean brick-and-mortar is irrelevant. In this POV, we discuss how to integrate points of sale to create a consistent customer experience across platforms.
The new smart customers - How they really buy and how we can address thisCarmen Fehrenbach
This slide deck presents the results of a Sapient internal study on consumer behavior during the purchase path and underlying information needs. Moreover, tools and ideas on how to enable connected consumer-brand experiences
over multiple channels are explained.
Retail 2020: Retail Will Change more in the Next 5 Years than the Last 50FITCH
Against a backdrop of seismic shifts in our retail landscape, Christian Davies, Executive Creative Director, Americas at FITCH took the audience on a global tour of the major trends that will be the norm by the time we’re ringing in the New Year of 2020. Emerging trends are mapped against new shopper behaviors and the rise of Gen Z – set to be the largest group of shoppers globally by 2020 – and by new realities of retail operations, language and purpose. This presentation was given at Globalshop in Las Vegas on March 26th, 2015.
The key is digitally retooling the store experience to deliver on consumers’ social shopping preferences and desire to feel valued across every touchpoint.
Welcome to this issue of the Rewir Trend Review where we will give you the latest on where retail is going, why and when. And most importantly, what you need to do to keep up with the consumers of tomorrow. Subscribe today for your monthly brand and business update by sending an email to rewir@rewir.com.
Creating loyal omnichannel customers is critical. Retailers who embrace the customer-centric trend and build better shopping experiences will leap ahead of the competition.
Building a blended customer experience isn't easy. Need some help getting started? Check out our latest in retail trend research.
11 Trends in the Future of Retail According to Brian SolisBrian Solis
Brian Solis Keynotes Acosta Leadership Symposium 2015: The concept of future retail is constantly evolving. But what isn't evolving as quickly is the understanding and widespread experimentation to bring the future to life today by mainstream retailers. Leading digital analyst, futurist and author Brian Solis shares his most important trends for retailers to embrace now. And, the good news is that no matter the date on this video, his words are as true today as they were then. Video Here: https://youtu.be/62OogreQpZA
Retail is changing fast. Customers are embracing digital and behaving in more complex and challenging ways. They are shopping everywhere and at any time. They research and compare. They want to make their own versions of the product. They want to know how things are made.
Companies need to start tailoring people retail experiences.
A co-creation with Maria Lumiaho, at Futurice.
Retail is changing fast. Customers are embracing digital and behaving in more complex and challenging ways. They are shopping everywhere and at any time. They research and compare. They want to make their own versions of the product. They want to know how things are made.
Companies need to start tailoring people's retail experiences.
Presented at Service Design Drinks Helsinki, 14.2.2015.
Consumers today are more ‘SoLoMo’ –Social, Local and Mobile. The article discusses about the key global trends and benchmark practices that would help retailers to build seamless consumer experience and long-term profitability in the near future (2020). Using Big-Data for predictive analytics, leveraging technology to create Omnichannel customer experience, implementing effective Supply-Chain, using prompt methods payments, enforcing efficient employee training and other success factors mentioned in the article, will definitely shape the future of a successful retailers to manage the complexity and diversity of retailing in 2020. All topics covered all supported with concrete examples of worldwide benchmark in the industry.
"Too poor to buy cheap" - Whitepaper Retail by Fitzroy Fitzroy BV
Every year, retailers are faced with new challenges. Sustainability, pandemic lockdowns, new product development, diversity and inclusivity matters, staff shortage, digital transformation and inflation. Just to mention a few. We talked to 10 experts and pinpointed 4 shifts currently influencing retail in the Netherlands and beyond. Curious? You can download your free whitepaper here.Happy reading! If you have any questions, please contact me via: pernille@fitzroy.nl
Pernille Kok-Jensen Insight Director Fitzroy
WHEN IT COMES TO THE RETAIL INDUSTRY, THERE IS NEVER A DULL MOMENT: RETAIL TRENDS IN 2023
Every year, retailers are faced with new challenges. Sustainability, pandemic lockdowns, new product development, diversity and inclusivity matters, staff shortage, digital transformation and inflation. Just to mention a few. We talked to 10 experts and pinpointed 4 shifts currently influencing retail in the Netherlands and beyond. Curious? You can download your free whitepaper here. Happy reading!
Similar to Building_brands_How_can_I_help_you (20)
1.
Building brands: How can I help you?
Molly Aaker
Admap
Shortlisted, The Admap Prize, June 2014
2.
Building brands: How can I help you?
Molly Aaker
Freelance
Approximately two to three times a week, I purchase my morning coffee at a charming French café that's slightly out of the way
on my morning commute. I allow myself this small luxury, despite owning all the necessary requirements for home-brewing.
The moment I step into this café, I am magically transported from the realities of fast-paced New York City to every American's
romantic notion of Paris. Furthering this illusion, I am surrounded by elegant French expats energetically catching up after
dropping their children off at the Lycée Francais, ordering their cafés and croissants. As I approach the register, the refined
Scottish barista, Andrew, greets me with a familiar hello and how are you, already knowing my usual order. I am not just a
customer, but am the mayor (according to FourSquare). And this café is not just a caffeine and gluten–dispensing
establishment, but a well-curated experience. Every employee, cake, cup and decoration has been specifically chosen to
appeal to a particular customer. Impeccable service and friendly employees engage customers, while goodies like imported
French treats delight them. It's no surprise that I am not their only loyal customer.
Frank Rose points out in The Art of Immersion that "[The Internet] is the first medium that can act like all media—it can be text,
or audio, or video, or all of the above. It is nonlinear … inherently participatory … constantly encouraging you to comment, to
contribute, to join in. And it is immersive." (1) The Internet is not just immersive, but mimics real life, in-person experiences. It
can replace the music we hear as we walk into an establishment; the patterns, textures and colors specifically chosen to tell a
story about that store; the stories and information the sales clerk tells us about their products. It can even substitute how
employees interact with customers with a virtual "How can I help you?" through Twitter. As brands show up in our social
network feeds, the line between "Would I like to buy this product?" and "Do I want to have a relationship with this brand?" has
blurred.
As marketers, we are tasked with understanding how our brands should behave in the digital age—with wondering how to
unlock the magic formula, the right amount of customer data with the appropriate social channels and mobile apps. But what if
there is no magic formula? What if succeeding in the digital age means, regardless of the customer or location requires a
different attitude from brands, genuinely caring about their customers to create a unique, branded experience. Digital
technology enables brands to infuse genuine human touch in all communication points - a two-way conversation and
personalization that mirrors the types of in-person interactions that have dominated seller/customer relationships throughout
history.
"May I help you" begins with actually being there. An establishment carefully picks their location to cater to a specific
clientele—to fill an unmet need. Although businesses are developed with the intent of making a profit, successful brands are
Title: Building brands: How can I help you?
Author(s): Molly Aaker
Source: Admap
Issue: Shortlisted, The Admap Prize, June 2014
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3. also closely tied with the intent of helping people – either through their location or actual products. For my favorite café, the
owners may have been compelled by the intention of giving French expats a place to connect. For Warby Parker, their
purpose may have revolved around giving customers affordable glasses, shipped online. But most importantly, both
establishments carefully picked their location based on their customer's needs, whether it's choosing a particular neighborhood
to deciding on an online distribution platform. Brands who genuinely care about their customers' needs and behaviors have an
obligation to continually track where their customer may want to purchase products in the future and to serve those unmet
needs.
Tesco famously catered to the buying needs of their customers when they created a "virtual store" in a Korean subway,
allowing busy customers to conveniently scan products using smartphone-enabled QR codes. Kate Spade did something
similar, creating a 24-hour virtual store in front of a few New York City empty storefronts, allowing customers to purchase
products via the window screen and have it delivered within an hour. While the focus of these examples are often on the
technology used, at the heart of these executions was a recognition by brands that they could use technology to better serve
their customers' needs.
A brand that genuinely cares about their customer delivers what they say they will deliver, and understands exactly what their
customer values and needs. At a basic level, a person entering a coffee shop might value impeccable customer service and
delicious pastries, but nowadays, a caffeine junkie might also seek reliable Wi-Fi. My favorite coffee shop offers free Wi-Fi, a
service that has delighted Starbucks' customers for years. By anticipating and catering to customers' needs, brands are
building their reputation one customer at a time. In the digital age, reputation is critical – the shareable nature of social can
cause one bad Yelp review to go viral. A quick Google search can make it easy to tell which companies genuinely care about
their customers and which companies one suspects are only focused on short term gain. In fact, the only types of companies
that have survived despite bad reputations are those that customers have had no choice in supporting—from cable to health
insurance. But even those are seeing a decline in sales as alternatives become available. Even brands that compete on price,
most famously Amazon, work to ensure quality customer service and products, showing they care about their customers'
needs.
At its core, what a customer seeks in a product is unlikely to change with the introduction of new technology. Even purely
digital brands like Facebook have revolved first and foremost around needs of their users. Apple understood that buying
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4. expensive electronics requires extensive research and the assurance that the product will continue to work. Consequently they
have built their brand on excellent customer service that they have extended to online tools. With banks, people value security
and customer service. In person, that might mean money held in a secure vault and helpful, well-dressed clerks at bank
locations. In the digital space, that could translate to 24-7 online chat access, a user-focused mobile app and online,
informative content. Citi has a history of using technology to serve their customers' needs—first with the introduction of ATMs,
and most recently with a mobile app that allows customers to scan checks into their accounts. Nike sells the promise of fitness
whether through their athletic gear, mobile apps, FuelBand or even in-person athletic events.
Millennials, as a consumer group, are particularly important for brands to understand in the digital age, since they are the
demographic most likely to be heavy consumers of digital technology. In December 2013, The New York Times published an
opinion piece called Millennial Searchers, noting the ways in which Millennials seek meaning and purpose in their lives. For
them, it is no longer enough to purchase something that will give them a fleeting sense of happiness—they seek more
meaning in their purchases. Across categories, we see older brands tying themselves to a bigger purpose – showing they care
about bigger issues and using social to spread that purpose. From IBM's Smarter Planet to Dove's Real Beauty, each seeks to
convey that their products help fulfill a bigger mission. On the flipside, brands built within the digital age started with a genuine
purpose: TOMS's Buy A Pair, Give A Pair campaign was based on the premise of philanthropy, allowing the average person to
be a philanthropist. Warby Parker followed suit. For younger brands, especially those appealing to Millennials, what you do as
a company is more important than what you say because it helps establish you as being genuinely focused on customers.
Each brand helps customers fill an emotional need with their purchase.
It has never been more important to ensure that at the heart of your brand, you care about customers. Digital technology has
pulled away the curtain that marketing previously created around brands. Each communication and customer touch point
becomes an opportunity for everyone to see how a brand treats their customer. Brands like United (Breaks Guitars),
JPMorgan (Ask JP Morgan) and have learned that infusing a customer-focused culture is critical in maintaining the reputation
of the company. On the flip side, companies with excellent customer experiences, such as Apple, Virgin America or Zappos,
have grown in the digital age. In fact, their success is often attributed to a strong company culture. Employee and in-person
experiences have the potential to represent the brand, and interactions can easily go digital through an online review or public
Tweet.
Finally, a brand that truly cares will add that little bit of delight, fulfilling a human desire and want. It's asking how your day is in
a way that makes you feel special. Carefully wrapping your purchase. It's the décor that provides a mini escape to Paris. Or
the music that puts you in a better mood. It's an employee that goes above and beyond for their customer—remembers their
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5. order, ensures a particular product is in stock. Or the particularly knowledgeable store clerk, who, like a good friend, gives you
an honest opinion as to why you shouldn't buy something in their store.
For the online experience, decor can be translated into a well designed website that takes you to another place as you browse
during your lunch break. A busy shelf of curated objects can be turned into a Pinterest board meant as visual eye candy, as in
Anthroplogie's merchandising. It could be having a well-designed e-commerce site that allows customers to browse thoroughly
and uninterrupted before purchasing. It's the technology a company can harness to predict what a customer wants based on
their interactions. Or six-second how-to Vine videos bringing out fantasies of DIY home improvement. Brands can even create
physical spaces to cater to customers' desires. In December 2013, Samsung created a pop-up experience store in New York's
Soho. Customers were treated to free coffee, and the ultimate indulgence - cupcakes - while enjoying a space to relax during
the busy shopping season. In the digital age, what may once have been a local stunt can now be shared instantly and globally
through people's social feeds, allowing everyone to see how a brand caters to the hidden desires of their customers.
Two-way interactions can be built with a brand over time through social media—an exchange never achieved through
traditional advertising. A barista can facilitate conversations between like-minded customers, playing host or even
matchmaker. Social media communities can be built and nurtured by community managers with no direct intention to sell
products, only a direct intent to care about their customers' wants.
Traditional advertising plays a critical role in adding to people's desires and wants. Now that a Google search (ZMOT) has
taken over the role of conveying detailed product benefits and reviews, traditional advertising, more than ever, is a place to tell
a compelling story. Budweiser's "Puppy Love"—a heartwarming story of love between a dog and a horse—was voted one of
the most popular ads of the Super Bowl in 2014. As viewers, we may not exactly understand how the commercial fit into the
heart of the brand, but our hearts were filled with warmth as we viewed the commercial. Popular viral ads of 2013 were likely
to illuminate bigger issues that we are often too afraid to discuss on our own but want to (Dove's Real Beauty Sketches), act
as a purely distracting entertainment (Evian's Baby & Me), make us laugh (Kmart's "Ship My Pants) or make us cry out of joy
(GoPro's Fireman Saves Kitten). Ads that "go viral" are emotive, story-driven, funny and genuinely entertaining—all qualities
that compel us to share so that we can fulfill our desire to connect with others, using them as conversational fodder.
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