I’m hearing an unfortunate trend in the industry as I talk with clients and other colleagues. The trend seems to be there are many good consumer experience ideas out there, but not enough knowing how to implement. This is extremely concerning as I hear it more from the more established traditional organizations and their large holding company agency partners. Having been in that world for most of my career, I understand how that can happen, but it’s definitely the wrong path to be heading down. Action is the number one thing that needs to happen in today’s marketplace. With digital insurgents on the rise and the evolution of traditional organizations implementing their digital transformation strategies, competition and consumer expectations are set to steeply increase in all sectors. 

The thing about implementing in today’s marketplace, is that it doesn’t have to be all at once - a myth that we have to dispel on a daily basis. The transformation to become a brand driven by the consumer experience will always be an iterative approach to implement, test, learn, grow, scale. At Chinatown Bureau, we’ve established an approach that builds the foundation to successful consumer experience implementation. One that sets the stage for rapid deployment, continuous learning and triggers for scale. Here’s a sneak peek. 

Audience Definition

Nothing is successful without fully understanding your audience segments and their specific Jobs to be Done. Without this, you’re creating average experiences for average people. We have the ability to make extraordinary experiences for individuals - but we need to fully know who it is we’re talking to. As we go through the consumer experience process, we’ll get to individual based communications through progressive profiling, but it’s ok to start with a persona segment. 

Systems Thinking & Ecosystem Design

This is a tough one - a step where silos have to be broken down, or at least connected. The future of marketing and experience is in systems thinking and ecosystem design - this spans from atomic creative design all the way through artificial intelligence decision making. The system sets the stage for the experience, the ecosystem of touchpoints become the actors. This phase is where we not only map what touchpoints and needs are currently being used by the business and the consumer, but define what should be used and work our way towards optimizing the ecosystem.

Scenario Framework Planning 

Now that we understand the audience and their segmented journeys towards a specific conversion (sale, service, repurchase) and the touchpoints they interact with, we can develop a series of scenarios to execute against. Not only do these scenarios provide a strawman for the audience experience playbook, but they also provide the strategy by channel, making things more tactical and actionable.  

Decision Algorithms

In today’s day in age, the consumer is expecting an omnichannel experience with the brands they do business with. Meaning, they expect their interactions in one channel to carry to the next, creating a seamless relationship throughout their individual journey. This is where decision algorithms come into play. Building off the scenarios we developed earlier, we’re able to identify what information we have about an individual at what stage in their journey and have an assumption about their next Job to be Done. Here we can then model out how the consumer information is passed from one interaction to the next, if at all. 

Triggers + Action

Finally, we get to the triggers and action. These are the moments where the consumer actually triggers a decision algorithm and defining what the brand action or response is. For example, if a consumer is shopping for the perfect dress online and puts three in the cart, then they come into a store to try them on, the brand should be able to respond to that input and have the dresses ready or at least be able to access her cart in store. This phase defines the brand action based on the stage gate triggers - allowing a brand to truly fulfill its brand promise. 

The result of this process is a cross-functional roadmap to start implementing right away. From quick “test and learn” innovations to more long-term connected consumer strategies, going through this process creates immediate and long term action. The fact of the matter is, we need to start taking action, even if it’s a little bit, in order to find new value for our consumers - or someone else will.

Ready to chat - feel free to reach out.