The role of today’s CMO has changed significantly with technologies such as Artificial Intelligence shaking up how brands approach marketing. There’s now much more than just streamlining digital customer experience strategies on CX to-do lists. Technology is shifting how organisations increase brand loyalty by enhancing the customer experience and giving a fresh look to the customer experience management strategy.
In ‘The World’s Most Influential CMOs’ report, Forbes, Sprinklr, and LinkedIn explore how CMOs can introduce fresh perspectives to improve customer experience strategies. The report demonstrates how top CMOs can build better customer experiences for their brands by using data and insights. Marketers are constantly seeking out new approaches to enhance customer satisfaction and alter brand loyalty. And as a result of their actions, all marketers are motivated to consider how they can better understand their clients—not just as a collection of data points, but also as real people.
Defining “Customer Experience”
Building a solid relationship between a brand and its customers is at the core of customer experience. When a customer interacts with a brand, a variety of feelings, responses, and perceptions come together to form their brand experience. Brands are consistently aiming to strengthen and enhance customer experience management strategies to streamline digital customer experiences. The marketing operations team is tasked with identifying strategies to increase engagement and experience across touch points.
“How can we improve the digital customer experience?” This question has always lingered in the minds of top CMOs amid changing customer expectations. Not only this, but marketing executives are under immense pressure to place their brands at the forefront of relevancy and engagement due to shifting customer expectations and the relentless rise of CX players.
How then can we create more satisfying customer experiences?
1. Giving marketers the tools they need to maximise social’s potential
Social media channels and touchpoints must be thoroughly understood to build superior customer experiences. Leading CMOs worldwide are paying close attention to various technologies that can help gather important insights about customer behaviour and are more interested than ever before in social media.
Additionally, they are looking into fresh approaches to provide tailored customer engagement through a variety of channels. Today’s CMOs are exerting every effort to develop fresh concepts to enhance the customer experience and provide individualised care across various social media platforms.
2. Promoting the Customer’s Voice
Top CMOs champion the opinions of their customers; they go beyond viewing them as just numbers and instead celebrate them as distinctive individuals.
Dean Evans, ex-CMO of Hyundai, achieved this by drastically simplifying the way people buy cars. He introduced the Shoppers Assurance programme, which transparently posts car prices online and allows customers to schedule test drives for vehicles that are delivered whenever and wherever they want. The majority of the paperwork for buyers can be completed online, and they even have three days to return their new car.
Customers of Hyundai have embraced this customer experience management approach with open arms. 94% said they enjoyed or loved their shopping experience with Shoppers Assurance, and 65% said it was an improvement over past car-buying experiences. Most importantly, 56% said it had influenced their choice to purchase a Hyundai, with sales in the four test markets outperforming other dealerships.
3. Utilising user-generated content to tell authentic stories
While it’s no secret that customers are controlling brands through user-generated content, from swathes of photos on Instagram to constant hashtags on Twitter, this trend is becoming more evident. Leading marketers and CMOs are moving away from the traditional commercial pitch to promote their brands and instead are investing more in user-generated content (UGC) for authentic storytelling. Similar to this, they are now investing in specialised UGC marketing programs to make lasting impressions on their target market.
4. Implementing Value-Driven Campaigns
By running value-driven campaigns, influential and passionate CMOs humanise their brands and foster customer trust. They prove that corporate success and social good can coexist. They put more emphasis on building relationships with customers than solely selling and promoting. In fact, they never hesitate to take a vocal stance against social inequality by weaving value-based content across all consumer platforms.
For instance, SAP CMO Alicia Tillman partnered with UN Women to address urgent issues such as social inequality and poverty. Additionally, North Face CMO Tom Herbst invested over $1 million in initiatives that fund accessible climbing and public land. These marketing leaders are aware that influence involves both voice and action.
5. Providing cross-organisational support to combat churn
A purposeful corporate culture where everyone can learn and be mentored by the best is a priority for CMOs. These CMOs bring together resources, best practices, and technologies with the aid of subject matter experts to boost marketing effectiveness and streamline creative initiatives.
6. Highlighting major social causes and issues
Real CMOs make a difference by speaking out on pressing social issues that are affecting the world today. The report highlights two areas in particular where top CMOs are speaking out and making a difference.
CMOs did not hesitate to discuss gender issues in the world of business and marketing in the year of #MeToo and #TimesUp.
Additionally, CMOs have taken action to make sure that their brands deliver green messaging and greener products as consumers increasingly consider sustainability in their purchasing decisions.
The customer comes first
Distinguished CMOs understand that social media has permanently changed how brands interact with their audiences and that digital transformation is inevitable. Most importantly, they believe that customer experience is the new brand. Successful CMOs are now prepared to handle the brave new world of marketing, where new touchpoints and technologies are developing rapidly.
New-age CMOs must prioritise their customers to deal with this forceful shift. The most effective CMOs are embracing social media, creating value-driven campaigns, and speaking out on relevant issues. They represent a new breed of tech-savvy marketers who don’t settle for less. In the unpredictable world of marketing, they are adept at seizing opportunities and taking on new responsibilities, never hesitating to become leaders of change.
