Digital Marketing - Study Notes:
What is Customer Experience?
Customer Experience encapsulates more than simply ‘customer delight’ and involves a lot more than call center scripts. Customer Experience, or CX, is the combination of all the interactions an individual has with an organization.
Organizations therefore need to look at CX holistically, across the whole business and across every channel. They need to consider how CX ‘feels’ for the customer, as well as what is done for the customer.
CX management goals
The goals of effective CX management include managing customer expectations, and balancing customer demands with the reality of dispersed (multi-step and multi- channel) customer journeys. This requires a continual CX mindset that recognizes CX management is ongoing, and not just a one-time activity
CX management also aims to increase awareness for your organization by generating recommendations and word-of-mouth marketing. It can act as a defense for your organization, protecting margins and holding on to customers when new players enter the market.
In its bid to attract repeat purchases, CX management can also increase customer retention and loyalty, differentiate your business from your competitors, and help deliver a personalized, friction-free experience. Ultimately, CX management is about building trust and empathy with your customers.
Netflix and CX
Online streaming giant Netflix is an example of a brand with great CX. In fact, the Netflix business model is built around its CX – a CX that is so good it effectively changed the sector.
Netflix is highly personalized. Users get suggestions based on their profile and viewing habits. Purchasing and using the service is easy and frictionless, but there are enough options to satisfy all customer preferences. Similarly, the wide range of quality content is tailored to suit a diverse customer base. There are no ads, users can download and view content offline, and there are various in-app and on-screen viewing options.
When Netflix takes its CX to social media, they have dedicated pages for their top shows on Instagram and Facebook. They offer behind-the-scenes interaction with the stars and creators of their popular shows, building anticipation and interaction with their community along the way.
From purchasing the service, to using the service, all the way through to talking about the service’s content on social platforms, Netflix has shaped their business around delivering exceptional CX.
The three elements of CX
There are three main elements of Customer Experience and all three need to be considered when building a CX strategy:
- Organization: This describes the organization’s business priorities.
- Brand: This relates to how your brand can stand out from the crowd.
- Customer: This involves satisfying the customers’ functional needs and goals; minimizing friction in the purchasing journey; and providing services to meet their emotional needs.
Becoming customer centric
CX is about becoming a customer centric or customer first business. Some organizations appoint a Customer Experience Officer, or CXO, with overall responsibility for the customer. However, every department, even those who don’t have direct interactions with the customer, needs to think of the role they play in CX. A holistic approach to CX therefore necessitates the removal of silos by department or channel. CX is about everyone, and CX is everyone’s concern.
For those occupying the CXO role, it is essential that he or she brings the voice of the customer into the boardroom. For example, Amazon founder Jeff Bezos famously uses an empty chair to represent the customer at board meetings, and he has said: “We see our customers as invited guests to a party, and we are the hosts. It’s our job every day to make every important aspect of the customer experience a little bit better.”
Social is a particularly important element of CX, as it engages customers in dialog. And because that dialog takes place in a public, social realm, it can be amplified rapidly regardless of whether it’s a positive or negative experience.
Back to TopJulie Atherton
Julie is an award-winning digital strategist, with over 30 years’ experience. Having worked both agency and client-side, she has a wealth of knowledge on delivering marketing, brand and business strategy across almost every sector. In 2016, Julie set up Small Wonder. Drawing on her past experience, she now supports a wide range of businesses, from global brands, to educational organisations and social enterprises.She is the author of the book, Social Media Strategy which was a top read chosen by Thinkers360. You can find her on X and LinkedIn.
Clark Boyd
Clark Boyd is CEO and founder of marketing simulations company Novela. He is also a digital strategy consultant, author, and trainer. Over the last 12 years, he has devised and implemented international marketing strategies for brands including American Express, Adidas, and General Motors.
Today, Clark works with business schools at the University of Cambridge, Imperial College London, and Columbia University to design and deliver their executive-education courses on data analytics and digital marketing.
Clark is a certified Google trainer and runs Google workshops across Europe and the Middle East. This year, he has delivered keynote speeches at leadership events in Latin America, Europe, and the US. You can find him on X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, and Slideshare. He writes regularly on Medium and you can subscribe to his email newsletter, hi, tech.
Alison Battisby
Alison is a Social Media Consultant with Avocado Social, she is a Facebook and Instagram accredited social media expert and founded Avocado Social in 2014 having worked in the social media industry since 2008. Alison has worked with a wide range of brands including Estee Lauder, Tesco, and Pringles. Alison has traveled the world training companies including the BBC, Etsy, Canon, and Cambridge University Press. She offers social media strategy, training, and consultancy at Avocado Social across platforms including Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn and TikTok.
