As marketers, we often talk about customer experience and yet there are so very few B2B brands that excel in this area. Why is that? Identified as one of the top marketing trends and the primary job function of the future CMO, a thoughtfully designed customer experience can amplify marketing and sales efforts and give your company a competitive advantage at every stage of the customer lifecycle. Yet, many companies think about customer experience in very broad, generic terms and they don’t consider the brand’s central role in shaping it. Even the strongest of B2B brands often stop short of providing engaging, 100% on-brand experience. What creates raving fans, off-the-charts loyalty and repeat business and referrals is a customer experience that stands out in a way that’s in direct alignment with your firm’s most defining characteristic – its brand.

1. Ida Cheinman
Principal and Creative Director
Substance151
SMPS UBER
@idacheinman
@substance151
NEXT LEVEL CUSTOMER
EXPERIENCE (CX)
Differentiating Through the Branded Experience

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THE STATE OF CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
Source: Econsultancy, Quarterly Digital Intelligence Briefing: Trends 2016
89%
Expect to Compete
mostlyoncustomer
experience
70%
Say understanding
customer journeys
is top priority
22%
Name CX as
the most exciting
opportunity

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VS.

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Source: Bain Company
COMPANIES THINK:
80%
Of Companies think they
are already providing
A “superior experience”
8%
Customers, however, felt
that only 8% of companies
deliver on that level
CUSTOMERS THINK:

5. Customer Experience is the sum of all
engagements a customer has with your
brand, across all touchpoints, throughout
the lifecycle. It’s a blend of perceptions
and interactions.

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CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE ARCHITECTURE
01. BRAND PLATFORM (Brand Definition: Promise, Purpose, Values, etc.)
02. CX STRATEGY (The Experience Brand Promises to Deliver)
03. CUSTOMER SEGMENTS
Customer Segment 1 CX CX CX
Customer Segment 1 CX CX CX
Etc. CX CX CX
04. TOUCHPOINTS Channel 1 Channel 2 Etc.
Source: Denise Lee Yohn

7. 1. BRAND PLATFORM

8. When a company puts its brand at
the center of the organization, it’s able
to creatively design and consistently
deliver great customer experiences.
DENISE LEE YOHN
Author, What Great Brands Do

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BRAND PLATFORM
»» Outlines what a brand stands for
»» Provides reasons to choose a brand
»» Articulates how a brand is different
»» Informs customer experience
Purpose (“Why”)
Positioning
Value Proposition
Brand Promise
Brand Essence
Personality
Brand Values
Brand Story

10. 2. CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE
STRATEGY

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DEFINE CX STRATEGY FOR YOUR FIRM
Define your intended customer experience
(aligned with your brand and corporate priorities)
Develop employee engagement plan
Outline and prioritize implementation strategies
and tactics (management, operations, marketing,
culture, resources needed, etc.)
1
2
3

12. 3. CUSTOMER

13. The best experiences anticipate
people’s needs, tap into their emotions,
and engage the senses.
GENSLER
“Design Forecast 2017”

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UNDERSTAND YOUR CUSTOMER
»» Does your firm conduct regular customer surveys?
»» Do you ask about the experience of doing business
with your firm?
»» Do you map this data to customer lifecycle?
»» Do you know why your customers choose/leave you?
»» Do you use this information and data?

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Male, Born in 1948
Grew up in England
Married for the 2nd time
Vacations in the Alps
Wealthy
Prince Charles
Male, Born in 1948
Grew up in England
Married for the 2nd time
Vacations in the Alps
Wealthy
Ozzy Osbourne
Source: Dr. Peter Gentsch, Business Intelligence Group (B.I.G.)

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DEEPEN RELATIONSHIPS AND BUILD TRUST
Do you know:
»» When to deliver relevant communications
»» What communication channels your customers prefer
»» How frequently to contact customers throughout
their lifecycle
»» When customers want to hear from you

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CREATING CUSTOMER-OBSESSED CULTURE
Common characteristics of CX leaders:
1. Committed leadership
2. Compelling brand values consistently delivered
3. Employee engagement
4. Emphasis on customer feedback
Source: Temkin Group

18. 4. EXPERIENCE

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DESIGNING EXCEPTIONAL EXPERIENCES
DELIVER PERSONALIZE ENGAGE OPTIMIZE
1 2 3 4
5

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JOURNEY MAPPING
»» Map out the entire customer journey (full lifecycle)
»» Define all touchpoints
»» Capture customer’s needs, wants, expectations and
actions for each touchpoint
»» Repeat for each customer segment
»» Inform your map with data, not opinion

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CX JOURNEY
PURCHASE
ONBOARDING
RETENTION
CONSIDERATION
AWARENESS
ADVOCACY

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CX JOURNEY
Source: Gartner

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CX JOURNEY WORKSHEET
CX Journey Phases Awareness Consideration Etc.
Touchpoints
Key Stakeholders
Customer Needs
Valuable Content
Perception/CX Type
Etc.

24. PREPARING FOR THE FUTURE

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MEET THE B2B CUSTOMER OF 2020
»» Customers will expect companies to anticipate their
current and future needs
»» Customers will demand personalization
»» Customers will dictate the experience

26. People want to experience extraordinary
experiences.
BRIAN SOLIS
Altimeter Group

27. People want to experience extraordinary
experiences.
Experiences become brands and great
brands become experiences.
BRIAN SOLIS
Altimeter Group

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CX JOURNEY MAPPING EXERCISE
CX Journey Stages Stage 1 Stage 2 Etc.
Touchpoints
Key Roles/Job Titles
Needs/Wants
Content/Interactions
Perception/CX Type

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brand@substance151.com