CX has been the buzzword in the world of marketing for some time now. Yes, it is true that “Brand is the experience and experience is the brand” – a statement encapsulates the core concept very well, but the problem is usually in peeling down the layers.
If all experience is the brand, then a brand marketer would argue that it is all about the brand identity, brand assets, and how well the creative communications are.
The problem lies in the 30,000 feet view given to the organizations by swanky-dressed consultants in board rooms, but when it comes to execution, everything goes for a toss. How many times have we all seen the execution plans going out for a toss in our careers?
Let us take a moment to look at these layers in a very pragmatic way:
- Strategic Vision – We have got the customer at the center, and we have built a long term vision of our strategy. The customer journeys, key touchpoints, and plans are designed at this stage.
- Technology Layer: This is usually where things start to break down. A lot of marketers are not tech people by skills, which means they have to work with a different functional team in the organisation. Both teams focus on their own KPI’s and most of the times have hard time communicating with each other. This is where the right tech stacks like CRM, CMS, Marketing automation, data studios are selected and built. Marketers have hardly any say, and rely on tech teams to provide them with these tools.
- Design: An important stage, where a marketer is busy making communication material for various touchpoints. An important job here for UX strategists and designers, for UX/UI doesn’t mean a piece of good-looking banner. No matter how good the brand assets are, how fancy your video is – if the UX is full of friction, the journey of your customer will break down at some point.
- Operations: This is where rubber hits the road. A lack of service design approach is usually a recipe for failure. A service design approach usually takes an inward look at organisation – what will it take to deliver the desired customer experience. Lack of a vision, shared goals and responsibilities follow.
- Measurement: Every team has different KPIs. Marketers will look at awareness and engagement. Tech teams will look at performance-related metrics of a tech stack to justify the initial investments vs ongoing operational costs.
So what’s the solution?
- Set up a multi-disciplinary team in charge of the entire CX program
- Build a holistic Service Design Blueprint
- Put down a phased plan with common goals, shared responsibilities, and a robust governance model
As we have seen, the answer lies in collaboration and cross-functional teams working together.
The success lies in working together, not in siloes like brand vs technology vs data teams. And importantly, it’s not about a strategic vision but also an execution plan divided into Now, Near & Far goals.
The views expressed in this article are personal, and not necessarily those of the author’s employer.
