Customer Experience & The Brand Connection
The power of a brand is undeniable. Your brand goes beyond a mere logo or a tagline; it encompasses the essence of your company. It’s why consumers choose a brand that costs more than its competitors. It motivates customers to recommend a product or service. And it’s the reason people feel proud to wear a brand’s logo on their clothing or with logo stickers on their cars and laptops. One element that flows from both marketing and operations and significantly impacts a brand is customer experience.
How can an exceptional customer experience support and enhance a business’s brand? Customer experience, or as it’s referred to in marketing circles, CX, is a term that covers the ways a company or an organization puts customers first, managing their journeys and serving their needs.
Some stats that support the importance of CX:
- Customer experience results in 3x returns to shareholders. (Source: McKinsey Research)
- 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience. (Source: SuperOffice)
- 49% of buyers have made impulse purchases after receiving a more personalized experience. (Source: SuperOffice)
CX is every touchpoint a customer has as he or she moves through your company. It is the customer service you provide, the emails and invoices sent, and even how an employee answers the phone. It goes well beyond the sales process or your digital footprint. Why do we bring this up? Because when it comes to developing your brand, this is where brand authenticity lives.
7 Key Things To Know About Customer Experience
Understanding the Customer Experience-Brand Connection
Customer experience is the sum of all interactions a customer has with a brand, from the very first touchpoint to the final post-purchase engagement. It’s how a customer feels about a brand, the perceptions they hold, and the memories they carry. This makes it a pivotal element in building and sustaining a brand. CX is a culmination of operations, sales and marketing.
Consistency is Key
Consistency in customer experience is a game changer. A consistent and positive experience at every touchpoint creates a sense of trust and reliability for the consumer. A brand that consistently delivers a great experience at every encounter establishes a strong brand image synonymous with excellence. For example, one of the number one brands in the world, Apple is synonymous with outstanding customer experience, which has solidified its brand as a symbol of innovation and quality.
Building Emotional Connections
Brands that invest in creating emotional connections with their customers win at the CX/Brand game. Emotions are what drive customer loyalty and advocacy. When customers have positive emotional experiences, they form a deep bond with the brand. Think about Nike’s “Just Do It” slogan – it’s not just about shoes; it’s about empowering people to achieve their dreams. This emotional connection has elevated Nike from being a sports brand to a symbol of motivation and aspiration.
Competitive Advantage and Differentiation
In a crowded marketplace, setting your brand apart from the competition is crucial. Customer experience can be a powerful differentiator. If your competitors offer similar products or services, an exceptional customer experience is the deciding factor for consumers. Many brands like Zappos and American Express have built a brand around its exceptional customer service.
Crisis Management and Reputation
When a brand faces challenges and crises, how it handles these situations significantly impacts its reputation. If a brand consistently provides a top-notch customer experience, it earns the goodwill of its customers. When a PR crisis occurs, customers are more likely to forgive and continue supporting a brand they trust. This trust results from the goodwill generated by prior positive customer experiences. But it’s important to know that you should have a crisis communication plan in place. You can’t wish it away.
Adapting to Changing Consumer Expectations
Customer expectations change with time, and brands must continually pivot and adapt to meet these expectations. By staying attuned to customer needs and feedback, a brand can evolve and remain relevant. This adaptability is only possible when there’s a strong focus on delivering exceptional customer experiences.
Customer experience (CX) is central to creating value, and it is even more critical in times of crisis when brands need to fight harder for customers. Excellent customer experience should meet customer expectations across physical and digital touchpoints and deliver your brand’s values in order to drive brand growth.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS?
Are you feeling passionate about these or any other marketing tactics? We would love to hear about them. Connect with Jackie Awve on Instagram to share your thoughts.
Jackie Awve Marketing & Design provides select clients in the commercial real estate industry with marketing, branding and communications strategies and services.
