What a CEO needs to know about customers- from touch points to journeys

As a practitioner, manager, and board director, and as a widely read observer, i can say clearly that Companies which create exceptional customer experiences can set themselves apart from their competitors and produce significantly better business results.

The practice of mapping the journey of our customers, is well established, but typically these elements have been treated distinctly- a piece of point of sale, a price, a sponsorship, and while there is typically oversight from a brand perspective to ensure there is fit with the brand, there is often little co-ordination from a customers perspective to ensure these touch points align to create a co-ordinated and self-reinforcing customer journey,

thats why I’d like to discuss moving from discussing elements of a marketing plan to the overall perception of the plan from a customers perspective.… Read more

Learning to surf the digital tsunami

In the digital world, your consumers can’t help but shop around.

Regrettable, but true… loyalty is down, but not out.

The past few years have seen exponential growth in tools that have made researching and purchasing products online vastly easier. We’ve seen an explosion of mobile shopping apps that showcase options, simplify pricing, compare product specifications, and facilitate peer reviews that make switching brands easier.… Read more

The momentary joy of pushing buttons


Most products and services, almost everything we buy and use, has but one job—to make us feel better.

The fundamental reason we use technology of all sorts, from stone tools to the latest iPhone, is to improve our mood, our situation.

We can prove this- research documents the real impact of the placebo effect in medicine. But can we extend this to our everyday lives… are we made happier through the placebo effect in our lives?… Read more

Should I believe my Customers?

Is market research accurate?

I’ve been spending a little time dispelling some myths about marketing from the work of Prof. Byron Sharp, et al, and as a sideline, I’d like to talk about marketers and market research.

Is market research accurate- well it depends. As business leaders and marketers we spend a large part of our lives listening to customers, and typically the most effective means of doing this is through market research.  … Read more

How memorable is your brand?

I’ll continue thinking about brands, businesses and growth, by now considering measurement.

We know that to successfully grow brands you need to win the battle for mental availability in your consumers mind by creating a compelling expectation and the battle for physical availability on retail shelves y delivering a distinctive experience.

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So how can we measure mental availability, the quality and quantity of the consumers expectation?… Read more