In a world where digital personalization meets customer-centricity, how do we reshape our marketing and branding strategies to resonate with modern consumers? This keynote will explore the crucial shift from traditional product marketing to crafting holistic omnichannel experiences. We'll discuss the evolution from transactions to connections, highlighting the key transformations required in today's business landscape. Attendees will access the conceptual frameworks and methodologies to transcend products. The presentation will focus on designing and managing the complex set of “moments” that define modern brands, offering new perspectives on how to enhance brand connection with people. Through a rigorous understanding of how to overlay brand philosophy over customer experience, this keynote is conceived as an opportunity to challenge conventional thinking and inspire innovation in the way marketers approach consumers.

1. From Transactions to
Connections: Resonating with
Consumers in the Digital Age
MASTER
CLASS
Christopher Smith
FOUNDER & CEO
BRANDSMITH
BARCELONA, SPAIN ~ SEPTEMBER 7 - 8, 2023
DIGIMARCONSPAIN.ES | #DigiMarConSpain

2. FROM TRANSACTIONS TO CONNECTIONS:
RESONATING WITH CONSUMERS IN THE DIGITAL AGE
Christopher Smith
Barcelona
8th September 2023

3. INTRODUCTION

4. Intangibles
80%
(mostly brand value)
1975 TODAY
Intangibles
15%
Corporate Value

5. * Source Datareportal: 6 ½ hours on Internet / day / user
How much value is generated online?
OF CUMULATIVE HUMAN EXISTENCE
USING CONNECTED TECH IN 2023 ALONE.*
1.4 billion years

6. But what do people really prefer?

7. Go beyond the conventional view of brands as visual
symbols and associations.
A transformative approach of brands as dynamic
experiences that evolve over time.
Experiences as pivotal moments in a customer's journey
that nurture brand meaning.
Digital touchpoints as a mechanism to enrich touchpoints.
Intentions

8. Marketing
Branding
Digital Analogue
CX

9. CONSISTENT EXPERIENCES
OVER TIME

10. Experience-based marketing
Multichannel strategy: presence on multiple
platforms and devices.
Omnichannel strategy: Well-executed multichannel strategy: seamless
and consistent in content, tone of voice and look & feel, regardless of
where and how the consumer connects.
Omnichannel experiences: Holistic and personalised
consumer experiences over time, both online and offline.
The concept isn’t strictly digital nor new…

11. Symbols, words and experiences

12. Ferrari Land
Apple store (video)
Nespresso
Experiences build more than expectations.
They facilitate understanding.

14. Experiences build more than expectations.
They create richer networks of meaning.
A car A hotel A smartphone

15. FEEL THINK TOUCH
Meaning

16. A brand is a
meaningful
experience
over time.

18. “IT TAKES 20 YEARS TO BUILD A REPUTATION
AND FIVE MINUTES TO RUIN IT.
IF YOU THINK ABOUT THAT, YOU'LL DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY.”
WARREN BUFFET

19. FROM PRODUCT TO
LIFESTYLE

20. Ice cream is not about food.
It’s about fun.

21. Brands grow around what people feel,
not what they buy.

22. A BRAND IS NOT WHAT YOU SAY IT IS.
IT’S WHAT THEY SAY IT IS.
MARTY NEUMEIER

23. People aren’t numbers.
In groups: people like us.
Out groups: people not like us.
What associations do you own?
Which ones don’t you want to own?
Who are your customers?

25. Efficiency: Product attributes. Production.
Effectiveness: Consumer benefit. Marketing and Innovation.
Experiences: Attachment. Transformational purpose.
Products & people

26. It’s not about you.
It’s not about social welfare.
It’s about the customer and why he/she buys.
Transformational purpose

28. If your purpose is not clear, you won’t
be able to orchestrate a truly
omnichannel experience.
Is your brand purpose aligned with
your brand experience?
Or do they fall apart?

29. BRAND PHILOSOPHY &
CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
INTERSECTION

30. Bridging the gap
between purpose
and delivery of
purpose

31. Purpose:
And
A clear statement that does not include the word:

32. What business are you in?
Go beyond your field.
What would the world look like without us?
Think about it in your customers shoes.
Which of his / her jobs to be done do you cover?
Why does he/she need to do that job?
Then you can describe your intention.

33. Give it a try…

35. An awareness of what makes you unique and different from
others, which evolves but remains recognizable.
Identity (feel)

37. A consistent look and feel and message that outlives the
organisation and creates a sense of belonging.
Promise (think)

39. A company-wide understanding of
omnichannel experiences. Brands
need to be more proactive in
embedding a customer-centric
mindset throughout the whole
organisation.
Performance (touch)

41. Experiences: What do consumers expect?
Quick and hassle-free
Availability
Low effort
Some sort of human interaction
Simple and easy
Personalisation
(They don’t demand memorable moments because
they don’t know they can).

42. Funnels talk about what we want the customer to do,
not what the customer actually wants.

43. The objective behind designing a customer experience is to
manage a complex set
of moments that matter.
A combination of data-driven insight, human initiative, empathy and
technology can help create magical moments for customers.

44. When was the last time
you experienced a
memorable moment?

45. Mapping the Customer Journey
The customer journey is about understanding how consumers
interact with your brand over time.
Emotional states
Pain points
Moments of joy

46. Think of the product as an enabler,
not as the protagonist.

47. Fitness app
And use digital to enhance meaning.
Farm management “Smart” dressing rooms

48. Map his / her journey
What are they doing at each stage (using, trying, exploring)?
Find the “-ing” word.
Remember, it’s not a funnel:
Instead of “Attract”, think speaking to friends and family, searching on
Internet, window shopping…
Map organisation touchpoints
Who is involved?
How do we perform?

50. How can we express the
brand experientially at
each touchpoint?

51. Nothing is neutral.

52. Value is cultivated
through connection,
not conversion.

53. Embrace Brand Purpose: Transition from a focus on brand positioning to
emphasizing brand purpose.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Customer-Centric Approach: Highlight the customer journey, ensuring every
interaction resonates with brand values.
Human Element is Key: At the core of every successful brand strategy is the
people — both employees and customers.
Digital Integration: Seamlessly incorporate digital touchpoints and strategies to
stay relevant and effective..

54. Muchas gracias.
Christopher Smith
chris@brandsmith.es
607 70 11 59