Working In Harmony: Why Aligning Brand & Customer Experience Is Critical In 2023
In this guest post, Matt Yuen (lead image), head of experience design at Switch, says money you invest in building a positive image for your brand and business is wasted if your CX isn’t up to scratch…
That sense of disappointment when an item you’ve purchased, a destination you’ve visited or a service you’ve used has fallen short of your expectations… We’ve all been there: hyped ourselves up for a great experience and felt short changed when it’s failed to materialise – especially, if the build-up was significant.
If your company has invested time and resources into building a positive brand experience, this is exactly what you don’t want to happen. It can mean that years of hard work positioning your organisation as a trusted, high-quality supplier are written off, virtually overnight, in some instances.
Counting the cost of a brand battering
Extreme case in point: Optus. Last year’s cyberattack, which saw the personal details of millions of customers compromised, dealt a $1.2 billion blow to the company’s brand image, according to the Brand Finance Australia 100 2023, an annual ranking released by the consultancy in January 2023.
“Removing the impact of this one-off pernicious event, Optus’ brand value would have otherwise increased by 11 per cent,” Brand Finance Australia managing director Mark Crowe noted.
By contrast, the telco’s chief rival, Telstra, clocked an enviable 29 per cent increase in brand value over the same period, courtesy of improvements in customer service, ease of interaction, perceived value for money and word of mouth endorsement.
Similarly, Woolworths, Australia’s most valuable brand for the fourth consecutive year, saw its brand value jump by 18 per cent to $16.2 billion, off the back of a slew of customer-experience-focused initiatives.
They included the introduction of ‘curated ranges tailored to local communities’, the provision of ‘more inclusive experiences to a wider range of consumers’ and a slew of ESG initiatives aimed at reducing emissions and managing the impact of climate change, the report noted.
Bringing brand and customer experience together
The term customer experience is commonly used to refer to the sentiments that arise following a customer’s direct interaction with an organisation, brand or product, either online or in real life.
Tightly aligning your brand and customer experiences will help you deliver on the promises, explicit or otherwise, that your sales and marketing campaigns make to customers.
A standout customer experience helps to close the gap between expectation and reality, lessening the likelihood of customers feeling let down in any way by the quality of the product or service they’ve purchased, or are considering investing in.
Struggling in siloes
In my experience, as a seasoned digital and CX strategist who’s worked with some of Australia’s largest companies, the majority of organisations have scope to improve in this area.
Typically, we’ll find their internal structures and departments are siloed, with business units all striving to hit their own respective KPIs – think growing revenue, pulling more prospects into the pipeline, getting orders out the door faster and cheaper, and so on.
Team leaders and contributors generally have little awareness of what their colleagues down the hall or on the next floor are doing. And they give even less thought to how they might work with one another, to make every stage of the customer journey a memorable one, for all the right reasons.
It’s good to talk
Most companies have consciously chosen to place their customers front and centre.
They have over-arching alignment strategies in place, which are revisited quarterly or bi-annually, to ensure they remain fit for purpose.
In almost every instance, there’s a senior decision maker sitting at the centre of everything – a brand executive, chief marketing officer or head of customer experience. It’s their job to ensure the sales, marketing, operations and IT teams are tight as a drum; all pulling together to ensure customers’ expectations are not only met but exceeded.
These genuinely customer-centric organisations know that they’re getting it right because they seek customer feedback frequently, about all aspects of their operations. And they do more than pay lip service to the oft-cited mantra of ‘continuous improvement’; refusing to rest on their laurels, and responding at speed when issues are identified.
Unfortunately, scrapping the siloes and getting multiple teams and stakeholders working in sync can be easier said than done. Many organisations find it pays to seek external expertise, from fresh-eyed strategists who can point out what’s missing and help them connect the dots.
Building a stronger future
Today’s customers are an increasingly discerning and demanding bunch – business buyers and consumers alike – and, in uncertain economic times, the competition for customers has never been more intense. Businesses that don’t ensure their brand is underpinned by a stand-out customer experience are unlikely to produce the loyalty and repeat sales they need to remain profitable long term. If your enterprise has scope to improve, there’s never been a better time to get started.
Latest News
The Mars Agency Announces Latest Findings Of Retail Media Report Card
The Mars Agency has developed a scorecard that assesses the capabilities of leading platforms across key criteria required to optimally plan, execute, and measure effective retail media programs. The scorecard aims To help brands efficiently evaluate their spending options across retail media networks in Australia (and New Zealand). With spending on retail media advertising in […]
‘It’s The Lesser Of Two Evils’ – NRL Eyes US Betting Market As Aussie Regulators Circle
US betting firms will be delighted by the circa 50,000 Americans who could soon watch the NRL on their favourite app.
A-League In Deep Discussions With New Partner To Keep Games On TV After Production Company Enters Administration
The A-League's insatiable appetite for scoring own goals continues.
TV Ratings (27/03/2024): Jungle Members At War Over Concealed Lipstick
A heated argument between two jungle members did the numbers for Ten last night, with I’m A Celeb obtaining a total national reach of 1,282,000. Fans were delighted as Candice Warner and influencer Skye Wheatley got into it over a stick of lipstick, leading Warner to dub the Instagram star “selfish.” Wheatley, best known for […]
Is The Australian Music Industry In Trouble? Inquiry Launched Following Splendour Cancellation
Earlier this week, an inquiry was launched into the challenges and opportunities currently facing the Australian live music industry in the wake of multiple festival cancellations. On 25 March 2024, the Minister for the Arts, the Hon. Tony Burke MP, asked the Committee on Communications and the Arts to inquire into and report on the […]
Liana Dubois, Leandro Perez, Aimee Buchanan & More Gather For Inaugural Compadres Leadership Event
Didn't get the invite? Perhaps you're not as important as you thought.
Cathay Captures The Unforgettable Thrill Of Cathay/HSBC Hong Kong Rugby Sevens, Via Publicis
Nobody does rugby like Hong Kong, apparently. Certainly nobody does it as badly as Australia.
Cocogun Nabs Christine Watts, Kirsty Reynolds & Shev Tan Bolstering Management & Creative Teams
Cocogun bolsters its team with new hires. Committed to purchasing a bigger sofa, too.
The Media Store’s Jacquie Alley & Sam Cousins Take The Plunge With Pro-Bono Work For Cure Cancer
B&T chats with The Media Store bosses about their great pro-bono work and sponsored swim.
Hawke’s Brewing Co. Taps Rocket Comms For PR Agency Following Competitive Pitch
We're expecting Rocket Comms productivity to crash in spectacular fashion following this win.
Spotlight On Sponsors: Patties Serves Up A Taste Of Home For Olympians & South Sydney Rabbitohs Recommit To Gambling Reform
While the Rabbitohs commits to gambling reform, B&T reckons the team should commit to a decent auto sponsor.
Google: “Inevitable” That Bad Actors Will Abuse Ads Platform As Advertiser Account Suspensions Double
Google maintains it's simply impossible for it to entirely stop bad people placing & paying for ads using its service.
Quantcast Expands APAC Sales Team With Appointment Of News Corp Account Manager
No pressure at all when you are appointed as a client success manager.
Publicis Sapient Tests Microsoft-Powered Gen AI Search Tool With Homes & Villas By Marriott Bonvoy
Given Gen AI's record for mangling stuff, B&T cannot see the problem with letting it decide your next holiday digs.
Volkswagen & DDB Group’s “Roo Badge” To Reduce Kangaroo Related Road Collisions
Watch out for RooBadge as Cannes Lions' most debated campaign this year.
Twilio Launches Unified Profiles & Agent Copilot Features To Boost Productivity & Engagement
Agent Copilot sounds like James Bond's less interesting cousin.
Reebok & Honda Among New Clients For onetwo agency
OneTwo finally lives up to its name with this double billing.
Ogilvy Report: Throw Out The Social Strategy Rule Book, The Rules Of The Past No Longer Apply
B&T was puzzled that all 'influencers' aren't, effectively, 'virtual', but here we are.
WhiteGREY & AKQA Merge In Australia, Lee Simpson Departs
Fortunately, the combined agencies aren't opting for a trite portmanteau for the new name.
Splendour In The Grass 2024 Music Festival Cancelled!
Music fans all over the country reportedly relieved they can pack away their rain coats and gumboots for another year.
TV Ratings (26/03/2024): “Fairy Bread, F***ing Disgusting”: Gordon Ramsay Slams Aussie Food In Food Stars Launch
Ramsay not one for mincing his words, even when it comes to minced meat pies.
Paramount+ International Boss Doubles Down On Aussie Content, Says Ad-Tier will Grow Audiences And Revenue
Good news as Paramount will not be binning I’m A Celebrity for re-runs of Frasier.
Brent Smart: Telstra Pushing For 50-50 Brand-Performance Split But Warns Numbers ‘Won’t Look Great’ Initially
The old brand vs performance debate continues. But here, Brent is firmly sitting on the fence.
Crowded House, Tones And I & Dom Dolla Win Big At The Shure Rolling Stone Music Awards
B&T staffer reports back with humdinger of a hangover & feeling seriously uncool after mixing with music types.
Opinion: Dyslexia “A Hidden Gem” For Brands & Agencies
Dyslexics offer underappreciated benefits in the corporate field, according to this op-ed.
David Jones Taps Criteo To Power Online Retail Media Arm
Want to see ads for things you probably can't afford? David Jones has got you covered with new retail media play.
oOh!media Sets Up Team To Target Business Audiences Across Airports & Offices
oOh! wants brands to harass you every minute of your next business trip.
QMS Launches Australian First DOOH & TV Partnership With Samba TV
Samba TV, of course, is not a channel dedicated to dancing. Much to our dismany.
Slew Of New Hires At Amplify
Four new faces join the Amplify offices. Team say desk scarcity becoming "acute".
Adobe Announces Content Authenticity Initiative Expansions To Counter Deep Fakes
Try as they might to enlighten them, we suspect Trump supporters will continue to watch and believe Fox News.
The PR Group Appoints TechCrunch Senior Reporter Catherine Shu As Director Of Content & Media
Catherine Shu makes the bold leap from journalism to PR. Says inevitable pay bump was "unrelated".
HERO Nabs Ebony Santin From AMPR
Rumours Santin cleared out the stationery cupboard before departing are as yet unconfirmed.
Karena Noble Checks Out Of EVT Hotels & Resorts To Launch Comms Consultancy
Noble still managed to squeezed in a continental breakfast before departing.
Canva Acquires Design Platform Affinity To Bring Professional Design Tools To Every Organisation
Canva & Adobe face off continues. We're not picking sides but keenly aware that Canva's office is next door to ours.
“Lean On Our Team To Help You Find An Audience”: Why Understanding Audience Engagement Is Essential In Journalism
Engaging the audience is critical to journos, apparently. We'd thought self-loathing & alcoholism were key.
Adobe Summit: Major Gen AI Developments, Data Concessions & Partnerships
What happens in Vegas stays there. Unless it's the Adobe Summit and then you get to read about in B&T.