CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE INNOVATION:March 2013

During March, we investigated customer experience innovations.

Our innovation investigation included exploring how companies are using technology to make the experience more personal and satisfying, what they can do to improve and enrich the experience, and how they are predicting what their customers want next.

Do you focus on customer experience innovation for your customers?

What Does CustomerExperience Innovati on

Mean?When we think innovation we normally think of new and exciting products and fancy campaigns. But we’re more interested in how companies stay ahead of the market to keep their customers.

Can Innovati on Start With Imitati on?

Innovation is often described as “building a better mousetrap.” If you don’t know what your customers are expecting in the rest of the marketplace, it makes it difficult to build anything better.

Clues for What Customers Want Next

• Doctors seeing patients via Skype• An appliance store with activities for kids• A toy store that holds wrapped gifts in “Santa's Workshop” until

Christmas

What do they really have in common?

These businesses are innovating around our growing need as customers for convenience. How can you find the clues for what customers want?

#WomensDay: A Diff erent Kind of Equal ity

March 8th was a special day set aside for honoring the strengthening role of women in society and in business. How could we not think about our own fearless leader, Jeannie Walters? Jeannie was away at SXSW and left our Community Manager Anne in charge of the blog. Anne took the opportunity to show us why Customer Experience Innovation sometimes starts with an innovative way of nurturing relationships within your team and resonates through your community all the way out to your customers. Thanks, Jeannie!

Customer Experience Innovati on via Curati on

There are many advantages to considering your customers’ entire ecosystem, not just their specific experience with your brand or product.

• Your experience can adapt more with your customer’s real life.• Investing in another product doesn’t always make sense.• There is nothing more annoying than a tool that is never updated.

3 Ways to Improve CustomerExperience at SXSW

South By Southwest Interactive Conference has grown from big to enormous. After attending, we offer a few ideas.

• Mobile apps should help users stay mobile.• Customer feedback doesn’t need to be complicated

to act upon.• Trade shows only work if you work them.

Sharpie! Customer Experience Case Fi le

Find out how Sharpie earned our stamp of approval for their innovative approach at customer engagement. Bravo!

5 Customer Experience Innovati on Ki l lers

Innovative ideas are often killed before they start! An objective look at your approach can make all the difference.

1. Lack of coordination2. Same people, same problems3. No room to innovate4. Blaming the product5. Ignoring reality

Growing Companies NeedTo Innovate

Growing companies who are faced with scaling their operations, hiring new staff, finding new customers and staying cashflow positive struggle with how and when to innovate.

But it’s critical to growth. What should they do?

Customers Vote WithTheir Use

In an interview with Nick Pudar, Vice President Planning & Business Development at OnStar, we learned how GM plans to stay ahead by gathering information about how customers interact with features in their vehicles and planning their next innovations based on the habits and preferences of the drivers.

Bottom line: Customers use what they need. Their usage tells you what they really want.

Why the Term “Lurkers” ShowsDisrespect to (Potenti al)

CustomersTo lurk: “To lie in wait, as in ambush”. “To move furtively; sneak”. “To lie in wait in concealment (especially for an evil purpose)”. “Remain in or around a place secretly of furtively”We take a close look at why using such generalized terms to describe community members and potential clients could be offensive and hinder trust and loyalty for your brand.

Keys to Customer ExperienceInnovati on (MAP)

What are the five stages of Customer Experience Innovation?

This nifty, clickable interactive map helps you put it all into perspective! If there are any questions or extra information you’d like tagged in the map, you can just holler at us in the comments. Enjoy!

Microinteracti on of theMonth: No Permission?

Not Impressed. Microinteractions can literally make or break an experience. Our favorite example this month was all about leaving a negative feeling for web site visitors. Just for kicks, we added unimpressed McKayla to perfectly animate the feeling.

(We love microinteraction examples! This one sent to us by a Facebook fan. Thanks!)

Bonus: More Microinteracti ons from March

You gotta click for a closer look!

Thank you! Thanks to our community for joining us in our discussions about Customer Experience Innovation all month long! Want to join in? We’d LOVE to have you!

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