TomorrowToday #5 Round-Up

The event focused on client centered thinking, and the crucial role it is going to play in today’s fragmented world. What are the implications of a client-centric approach, and, most importantly, what can we gain from it?

Digital is dead

Together with Steven Cook, our colleague and Creative Director from Berlin, we explored the scope of the theme. How can we grab attention these days? Brands and design are on people’s minds. An important insight comes from the movie The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984): No matter where you go, there you are. Brands should follow you wherever you are. Consumers do not distinguish online presence from physical presence. It’s all the same. So keep this in mind when designing, and take a 360 degree client approach.

A nice addition to the familiar Ps of marketing are the 4 Cs, which make up the foundations of creating a story:

1. Content, like the content loop of the Red Bull case, #givesyouwings
2. Context, such as the permanent pop up store showcased as a living magazine, Story Line
3. Convenience - for example the new Zeit Online case
4. Consistency - demonstrated by the Berlin club Berghain, which became its own brand just by being consistent

And, last but not least, don’t forget the D of Doing.

WineStein: the phygital example

Joost Schaaff shared his do’s and don’ts of ‘phygital’ success.

WineStein (the winner of the Digital Service Idea SpinAward 2016 is the world’s smartest digital sommelier, providing the right wine for every dish. An amazing combination of high-tech artificial intelligence and smart human-oriented design created a solution that has proven to increase top- and bottom-line results in wine stores.

There is limited wine and food knowledge both in retail and among shoppers. If you combine this with a high rate of consumption (63 bottles per person a year is the 18+ average in NL), then you have your insight to create a phygital experience that boosts service, quality wine drinking, and revenue: WineStein.

Customer 1st or 2nd, processes 3rd or later

Prof. dr. Henry Robben, Professor of Marketing at Nyenrode Business University, talked about the business implications of a client-centric approach.

Many studies on client-focused approaches conclude that it pays off, and the firm will do better. Every marketer wants loyal customers because they stay longer, spend more, and are less price sensitive.

We often focus on the customer journey, which is mainly based on the company process and forgets the customer’s needs and wishes. The customer is expected to take this planned route, and while you might think that you and your customer are on track, these journeys often don’t consider that customers might want to take a shortcut, or venture off the beaten track.

The customer only has two evaluation boxes: either it’s a good experience or it’s not. There is, in comparison to the marketer, no box which states “not so bad”.

It is an interesting idea to put your employees first and your customers second. Customer centricity can be achieved through employee centricity.

In his new book, When Digital Becomes Human, Steven van Belleghem writes about the two challenges of digital and human transformation, their relation, and their implications.

We can conclude that business relationships are probably the same as personal relationships. Check which relation your customer wants to have with you, and which route they want to follow, instead of aiming at all costs for a loyal customer. You can compare it to a real relationship: does the potential client just want a fling, or do they want to marry you?

So, let’s rethink the customer journey, and, most of all, our customers’ needs and wishes. We should at least offer an alternative route!

Next destination

This edition of TomorrowToday provided us with some great insights, food for thought and new contacts.

We will be back with a new edition for further discussions and insights.

If you would like to join us for the next in our series of TomorrowToday events, or if you have any questions or suggestions, please check today.edenspiekermann.com or drop us a line at hello@nl.edenspiekermann.com.