As both a marketer and a consumer, it’s clear to me that creating an end-to-end customer journey isn’t the mark of a brand that excels—it is the mark of a brand that is determined to survive in our brave new world of 24-hour interaction.
Gone are the days when a customer experience (and the backend management of it) was limited to a single transaction, an isolated event that ended with currency being exchanged for goods.
Now, that customer, connected via mobile and social, all the time and anywhere, should be—and in fact demands to be—engaged in an endless feedback loop that serves them. And, if you’re doing it right, it delights them, as well.
This modern approach to marketing and customer experience isn’t easy to achieve, nor is it easy to measure. Those challenges show up most tellingly in the data. Research from Forrester and Gartner indicates that while the majority of CEOs and CMOs understand and agree with the importance of bringing together data, technology and context to drive this experience, less than 1 percent are actually effective in achieving that goal.
So how do we, as modern marketers, understand and improve the way our consumers interact with and view our brands? How do we elevate them from a cash transaction to a lifetime loyal advocate?
The answer comes when we’re able to successfully marry the most advanced technology with the analysis and creativity that drives all marketers. Yes, this requires the C-suite, but it also must engage the entire organization, from the very top on down to the front-line employees.
