Category: Brand Innovation

Breaking The Glass Ceiling: 7 Essential Truths Smart Women (and Men) Need to Know

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

After three decades navigating corporate leadership from London’s trading floors to Swiss boardrooms, I’ve discovered why breaking the glass ceiling isn’t enough for smart women (or men)!

If you prefer to listen rather than read:

The Numbers Tell Only Half the Story

Recent statistics show 10.4% of Fortune 500 CEOs are now women – a record high in 2024.

McKinsey reports that for every 100 men promoted from entry-level to manager, only 87 women make the same climb. By senior management, the ratio drops to 82 women for every 100 men. At the C-suite level? Just 74 women!

And although female workers typically outperform their male counterparts, men are more likely to get promoted, research by Kelly Shue, a professor of finance at Yale School of Management shows.

All these numbers reveal a pattern, but they hide a more profound truth.

Through my journey working across more than 125 countries and multiple industries, I’ve uncovered seven essential truths that every smart woman (and man!) needs to know about getting to the power at the top.

I’ll be sharing them in a Masterclass this coming Sunday; sign up to learn more.

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1. Visibility Is a Double-Edged Sword

When one of my bosses stuttered and physically trembled during our meetings together, it wasn’t weakness – it was fear. And I was lucky enough to recognise this and adapt my behaviour.

Korn Ferry research shows that senior management, including CEOs (71%) and other senior executives (65%) are more likely than early-stage professionals (33%) to exhibit signs of imposter syndrome.

However, what’s rarely discussed is how this manifests as aggression toward rising women leaders, as my experience clearly showed.

The Harvard Business Review found that women leaders are 1.4 times more likely to be dismissed for mistakes and twice as likely to be criticised for their communication style.

Yet paradoxically, being invisible isn’t the answer either.

Strategic visibility requires understanding the delicate balance between presence and power.

Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett, the lead scientist behind the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, navigated intense scrutiny and bias in the STEM field. Her strategic visibility and unwavering expertise not only advanced her career but also made significant scientific contributions that saved lives.

Key Takeaway: Strategically increase your visibility by volunteering for high-impact projects that align with your strengths and career goals.

 

2. Power Fears What It Can’t Control

In another position, my assistant was encouraged to spy on me and report my actions back to my boss.

When she confessed it to me, but only because the promised promotion didn’t happen, conventional wisdom suggests that I should try to rebuild trust.

Instead, I chose to professionally distance myself. We continued to collaborate but from then onwards, I only shared necessary information with her.

According to the Workplace Institute, 45% of damaged workplace relationships never recover, and attempting forced reconciliation often decreases productivity by 32%.

Modern power dynamics research shows:

  • 67% of women leaders face covert surveillance
  • 58% experience subtle undermining from peers
  • 73% report indirect challenges
… Click to continue reading

How Influencer Marketing is Redefining Consumer Engagement and Market Success

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

The consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry is undergoing another profound transformation, driven by the rise of brands expanding their influencer marketing.

These ventures, spearheaded by social media personalities, redefine how products are launched, marketed, and consumed.

By leveraging authenticity, pre-built audiences, and direct engagement, influencers are disrupting traditional brands and creating entirely new market dynamics.

If you prefer to listen rather than read:

The Power of Influencer-Led Brands

Influencers have built careers on relatability, trust, and engagement with their audiences. This unique connection translates seamlessly into the consumer marketplace.

When Logan Paul and KSI launched Prime Hydration in 2022, their built-in fan base helped propel the brand to $1.2 billion in sales within just one year. This staggering success highlights how influencers can skip the slow burn of traditional brand-building and go straight to market dominance.

Similarly, Emma Chamberlain’s Chamberlain Coffee leverages her personal brand as a coffee enthusiast. By aligning her product with her authentic interests, she not only attracts her YouTube followers but also a wider audience of coffee lovers. The brand recently secured $7 million in funding to expand its reach, showing that authenticity paired with strategic growth can be a winning formula.

Another standout example is MrBeast’s Feastables. Known for his elaborate and charitable YouTube stunts, MrBeast created a snack brand that mirrors his fun and engaging online persona. Within a few months of launch, Feastables generated $10 million in sales. MrBeast’s willingness to involve his audience in the brand’s journey, such as soliciting feedback on packaging and flavors, has solidified the brand’s appeal.

Even in the personal care space, influencer-led brands are making waves. Jake Paul’s W body care brand raised $11 million in Series A funding in mid-2024, signaling that influencer-led ventures are not limited to snacks and beverages. W’s young, male audience is drawn not just to the product but to the personality behind it, showcasing how effective these ventures can be at capturing niche markets.

 

Authenticity as a Key Differentiator

Authenticity is the cornerstone of influencer-led brands.

Consumers increasingly seek transparency and connection, valuing brands that reflect their own values.

For example, MrBeast’s Feastables infuses the influencer’s playful yet philanthropic ethos. Feastables earned $10 million in chocolate bar sales within its first few months by resonating deeply with MrBeast’s audience.

Established CPG brands can learn from this. Dove’s Real Beauty campaign is a standout example of how a traditional brand can also build authenticity. By shifting the focus from products to shared values, Dove has sustained consumer trust for over a decade, demonstrating that even large brands can adapt this influencer-driven strategy.

Another great example is Nike. By consistently aligning its campaigns with cultural and societal values, Nike has managed to remain relevant across generations. Its collaboration with Colin Kaepernick, despite being polarizing, resulted in a 31% spike in online sales and reinforced its position as a brand that stands for something bigger than its products.

The rise of influencer-led brands also highlights the importance of storytelling. Consumers are drawn … Click to continue reading

The Most Popular CPG BLOG Posts of 2024 on Consumer Centricity

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

Here at C3Centricity, we publish books (Winning Customer Centricity, The Winning Secrets Series), articles, online courses and one of the most popular CPG blogs on customer centricity.

That’s because we’re passionate about helping companies successfully adopt a customer-first strategy.

Since we founded C3Centricity in early 2011, one of our traditions has been to share the most popular posts on customer experience at the beginning of each new year. 

This past year has been particularly successful for C3Centricity, with many of our newest books and posts getting the top scores globally! This is quite tough for a blog that has been running for over 13 years and highlights the quality of the content we share each month.

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Of course, a few perennials have also appeared in our top 10 list for years, such as the ones on insight development and customer observation.

Since no brand is successful without a foundational insight, and customer understanding is its essential basis, these two will always be popular. They have also remained on Google’s first page for years, which certainly confirms their never-ending need for marketers to fully master.

Take a look at the Top 10 articles of 2024, and see if your own favourites are there.

If not, then please let us know in the comments. Thanks.

Remember to click the title of any posts you missed to read the full content.

If you prefer to listen rather than read:

 

1. The Power of Atomic Change to Unlock Quantum Growth in Any Business

atomic change

In this article, C3Centricity explores the concept of “atomic change”—the idea that small, carefully chosen shifts or improvements can combine to produce “quantum growth” for a business. The powerful new process QC2™ … Beyond CX was launched at the beginning of the year, so it is understandable that the introduction was the most popular post of the year.

In the article, we emphasize that while many organizations chase big, flashy transformations, it is often a series of minor, incremental adjustments that truly move the needle over the long run.

A key takeaway is that by focusing on one small area of improvement at a time—such as fine-tuning a customer insight process or adjusting team workflows—companies can gain significant benefits that accumulate and accelerate. The post draws parallels to the principle of marginal gains used in elite sports: tiny enhancements in diverse areas can lead to an outsized overall impact.

To implement atomic change successfully, it is suggested to:

  • Define a clear vision and metrics so that each small improvement is purposeful.
  • Ensure alignment and buy-in across the organization to sustain momentum.
  • Encourage a culture of ongoing learning, open feedback, and continuous iteration.

It concludes by saying that when organizations consistently apply a mindset of small, strategic shifts, they unlock powerful—sometimes exponential—growth and

… Click to continue reading

How to Measure Customer Delight and Prove Its Impact on Brand Loyalty

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

As we all know, customer satisfaction is no longer enough to secure brand loyalty – if it ever was!

Companies must strive to go beyond mere satisfaction and aim to delight their customers.

Customer delight refers to exceeding customer expectations to create a positive emotional reaction, leading to stronger loyalty and advocacy.

This post explores the importance of measuring customer delight, its impact on brand loyalty, and practical methods to achieve and assess it.

If you prefer to listen rather than read:

The Evolution from Satisfaction to Delight

Customer satisfaction has traditionally been the benchmark for evaluating customer experiences. However, research shows that satisfied customers are not necessarily loyal customers. According to a study by the Harvard Business Review, 20% of satisfied customers reported they would consider switching to another brand. This indicates that satisfaction alone does not guarantee loyalty.

Customer delight, on the other hand, involves creating an exceptional experience that surprises and excites customers. This emotional engagement fosters a deeper connection with the brand, leading to higher levels of loyalty. A delighted customer is more likely to become a brand advocate, spreading positive word-of-mouth and contributing to long-term business success.

 

Measuring Customer Delight

Measuring customer delight requires a different approach than traditional satisfaction surveys. Here are some effective methods to assess customer delight:

1. Net Promoter Score (NPS)

NPS is a widely used metric that gauges customer loyalty by asking how likely customers are to recommend a brand to others, on a score of 1-10.

It categorizes respondents into Promoters, Passives, and Detractors. While NPS primarily measures loyalty, it can also indicate delight when customers express a strong willingness to advocate for the brand.

According to Bain & Company, companies with high NPS scores grow at more than twice the rate of their competitors. For instance, Apple, known for its high NPS, has consistently seen strong brand loyalty and customer advocacy.

Trader Joe’s also uses NPS to understand customer loyalty. Their high scores reflect the company’s emphasis on friendly service and unique product offerings, creating delighted customers who frequently recommend the store to friends and family.

2. Customer Effort Score (CES)

CES measures the ease with which customers can interact with a company, including problem resolution and purchasing processes. A low effort score often correlates with higher delight, as customers appreciate frictionless experiences. Gartner found that 96% of customers with a high-effort service experience become more disloyal, highlighting the importance of minimizing customer effort.

Glossier, a beauty brand, simplifies the shopping experience through a user-friendly website and seamless checkout process. Their low customer effort scores contribute to high levels of customer delight, evidenced by their strong customer retention rates.

3. Emotional Response Surveys

Traditional surveys can be enhanced with questions designed to capture emotional responses. For example, asking customers how they felt during their interaction with the brand can provide insights into their level of delight. Emotions such as joy, surprise, and excitement are strong indicators … Click to continue reading

The CMO’s 5-Step Guide to Boosting High-Quality Traffic and Customer Engagement

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

What is the cornerstone of sustainable growth and competitive advantage today?

The answer is that a business can benefit from technology in this digital age to attract high-quality traffic and engage customers effectively.

This guide is for all executives who recognize the critical role that strategic, data-driven customer engagement plays in their company’s success.

If you prefer to listen rather than read:

 

Understanding the Challenge of Getting High-Quality Traffic

The explosion of systems and platforms means that the digital landscape is crowded and noisy. With millions of websites vying for our customers’ attention, driving high-quality traffic that converts into loyal customers requires more than a scattergun approach to marketing.

It’s about delivering the right message, to the right people, at the right time. Well, at least that means that nothing has changed for marketing, doesn’t it?!

According to HubSpot, 61% of marketers consider generating traffic and leads to be their biggest challenge.

So why has this become even more challenging? Because consumer behaviour has evolved.

Today’s consumers are inundated with choices and information, making them more selective about where they direct their attention and loyalty.

They seek personalized experiences, and value authenticity and engagement over generic sales pitches. This shift demands a strategic overhaul of how companies approach customer engagement and traffic generation.

Join our Ultimate 60-mins CX Makeover to discover a new way to decrease information investments while simultaneously deepening the knowledge of your market and customers.

Leveraging Data for Personalisation 

The key to unlocking high-quality traffic lies in data-driven personalization.

A study by Epsilon found that 80% of consumers are more likely to purchase a brand that provides personalized experiences.

By leveraging data analytics, marketers can gain insights into customer preferences, behaviour, and purchase history, enabling them to tailor their messaging and offerings.

Consider Netflix, which uses viewing data to personalize recommendations for its users. This data-driven strategy not only enhances user engagement but also keeps customers coming back for more.

By analyzing the vast amounts of data available to them, Netflix can predict what its users will enjoy watching next, leading to increased customer satisfaction and retention rates.

The Power of Content Marketing to Attract High-Quality Traffic

In Conclusion

Driving high-quality traffic and engaging customers in today’s digital landscape requires a strategic, data-driven approach. By leveraging personalization, content marketing, SEO, and social media, and by measuring the success of these strategies, CEOs and CMOs can not only meet the challenge head-on but turn it into a significant opportunity for growth and differentiation.

Embracing these strategies requires a commitment to understanding your audience deeply, experimenting with different approaches, and continuously optimizing based on data insights. The rewards, however, are in terms of customer loyalty, brand strength, and business growth.

 

Would you like to make a quantum leap in your business by making small, atomic changes, such as reducing your information investments yet still knowing more about your customers; increasing your innovation success

… Click to continue reading

Top Posts of 2023 on Customer Centricity

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

Here at C3Centricity, we publish books (Winning Customer Centricity), articles and training on customer centricity, because we’re passionate about helping companies to successfully adopt a customer-first strategy.

Since we founded C3Centricity in early 2011, one of our traditions has been to share the most popular posts on customer experience at the beginning of each new year. 

This past year has been particularly successful for C3Centricity, with many of our newest posts getting the top scores globally! This is quite tough for a blog that has been running for almost 13 years and highlights the quality of the content we share with you each month.

Of course, there are also a few perennials that have been appearing in our top 10 list for years, like insight development and customer observation. Since no brand is successful without a foundational insight, and customer understanding is its major essential element, these two will always be popular – they also are on Google’s first page, which certainly helps and confirms the quality of their content.

So let’s have a look at the Top 10 list in 2023, and see if your own favourites are there. If not, then please let us know in the comments. Thanks.  

#1. Five Brilliant Ideas to Boost Your Insight Development

Boost your insight developmentThis post regularly appears in the top three posts on C3Centricity. This shows the quality of its recommendations and content. And the importance of business insights. 

Ever wondered why you struggle to develop actionable insights? This post shares some of the main reasons why even large companies sometimes fail at this essential art. Then, it offers some suggested solutions to help you.

Insights are the foundation on which every single successful brand is built. If your brands are lacking strong positive growth, they are probably missing that insight that will make them powerhouses.

So it is vital that you learn how to develop them and then how to action them in your communications and innovation. Again, if you struggle to action your insights, you’re most certainly missing one of the steps covered in this post.

To stimulate your thinking, the article includes many real-world examples of how great insights can be turned into powerful ad campaigns that connect with customers and motivate them to buy.

If you’re ready to finally learn how to develop actionable business insights, check out our online course on the topic HERE.

#2. Five Rules of Customer Observation for Greater Success

Measure your company image

This post has also been among the top articles on C3Centricity for many years. It is a cornerstone post that is regularly updated to remain highly relevant in today’s marketplace.

Its popularity clearly shows the need we all have to understand how to get up close and personal with our customers – the right way.

The five rules it includes are easy to follow and will make every occasion to watch and listen to your customers so much more interesting and valuable.

And if you want to learn how to watch

… Click to continue reading

Providing Amazing Customer Journeys by Leveraging the Power of Technology

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

Customer journeys are evolving fast, and technology is at the forefront of this transformation, especially in the past couple of years, thanks to AI.

This post explores how businesses can embrace omnichannel experiences, self-service solutions, and data-driven personalisation to create amazingly seamless and unforgettable customer journeys.

I have also added examples illustrating some of the more successful implementations. Be inspired by these real-world illustrations of companies that have leveraged technology to build strong customer relationships and unlock new avenues of growth for your business.

 

Technology-Enhanced Customer Journeys

In the dynamic realm of modern business, the pivotal role of technology in shaping customer service has become undeniable.

Organisations adept at harnessing the potential of technological advancements offer seamless and personalised experiences and gain a distinct competitive edge in today’s rapidly evolving digital landscape.

This article unveils the profound transformation of customer service in the digital age, underscoring how technology has revolutionised customer expectations and enabled organisations to deliver faster, more efficient and tailored support.

 

The Evolution of Customer Service in the Digital Age

The digital age has brought forth a sweeping transformation in customer service. Technology, the bedrock of this evolution, has spurred a revolution in customer expectations, compelling organisations to elevate their service standards.

By capitalising on technology, businesses can now offer swifter response times, enhanced efficiency, and personalised touches that cater to the individual preferences of their clientele.

As technology continues to advance, so do the expectations of today’s customers. A prime example of this is the seamless omnichannel experience offered by retail giant Nike.

By integrating web, mobile, social media, and in-store interactions, Nike has created a harmonious ecosystem that caters to customers’ preferred communication channels, resulting in a 40% increase in online sales.

This showcases how technology can amplify customer service, enabling organisations to meet customers where they are and provide a consistent, convenient, and personalised customer journey.

1. The Rise of Omnichannel Customer Service

In today’s digital landscape, omnichannel customer service has become a beacon of innovation and strategic importance. By seamlessly integrating multiple communication channels, including web, mobile, social media, and chat, organisations can provide a uniform and convenient customer experience. The synergy achieved through this integration nurtures customer satisfaction and provides invaluable insights into consumer behaviour and preferences.

As previously mentioned, Nike is one example of a brand that has successfully done this, but there are others. Starbucks is another industry trailblazer.

With its mobile app, customers can order ahead, earn rewards, and make payments seamlessly. This technological integration enhances convenience and deepens customer engagement, resulting in a staggering 40% of Starbucks transactions being conducted through its app today. This vividly illustrates how the convergence of channels empowers customers and fuels business success.

2. The Shift Towards Self-Service

The era of customers’ digital empowerment has fostered a discernible shift towards self-service options driven by the burgeoning demand for instant gratification and autonomy.

Organisations are now empowered to equip customers with comprehensive self-help resources, knowledge bases, interactive FAQs, and AI-driven chatbots that deliver … Click to continue reading

From Good to Extraordinary: Ignite Your Business with Personalized Customer Delight

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

It’s time to move from customer satisfaction to customer delight. After all, no one wants to be good when they can be great!

These days, providing a delightful, personalized experience for customers is no longer just a luxury—it’s a necessity for sustainable business growth. While every business is personal, which we would do well to remember, many companies shy away from truly getting close to their customers. Perhaps they’re afraid they will learn that they’re not as awesome as they like to think they are!

However, it is precisely through building strong engagement and trust that businesses can unlock their full potential.

It’s time for a paradigm shift in your approach to customer service, empowering your employees to exceed customer expectations, so they can drive sales, and foster long-term loyalty. (I wrote about this a few weeks ago; take a look at “4 Ways to Empower Your Employees to Give Outstanding Customer Service” for more details)

By understanding the importance of effortless customer journeys, personal connections, and continuous improvement, organizations can transform their customer service into a powerful growth engine.

 

The power of effortless journeys

Every touchpoint in the customer journey presents an opportunity to leave a lasting impression. To provide a truly personalized experience, businesses must go above and beyond mere satisfaction and aim for effortless interactions at every stage.

Understanding and anticipating customer needs is crucial to achieving this. By leveraging data, market research, and customer feedback, companies can gain valuable insights into their customers’ preferences, pain points, and desires.

Armed with this knowledge, businesses can tailor their touchpoints to meet and exceed expectations. Whether it’s a seamless online purchasing process, a user-friendly mobile app, or a responsive customer support system, every effort should be made to eliminate friction and make the customer’s journey as effortless as possible.

And the effort is worth it:

  • According to a study by Salesforce, 84% of customers say being treated like a person, not a number, is crucial to winning their business.
  • Research by Accenture reveals that 91% of consumers are more likely to shop with brands that provide relevant offers and recommendations.
  • A report by Deloitte found that companies that prioritize personalization see an average sales uplift of 10-20%.

 

Smiling for that personal connection 

Building genuine connections with customers is the cornerstone of exceptional customer service. A smile is one of the most powerful tools to establish this connection.

Even in a call centre environment, where interactions may be limited to voice-only, a smile can be heard through the phone and can significantly impact the customer’s experience. Encouraging customer service representatives to adopt a friendly, empathetic tone and providing them with the necessary training and resources to do so can make all the difference.

Customers appreciate feeling valued and heard, and a warm, personalized interaction can leave a lasting positive impression. By investing in employee development and creating a culture that values the human element of customer service, businesses can cultivate stronger relationships and inspire customer loyalty.

Building … Click to continue reading

The Power of Real-Time Feedback to Drive Business Success

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

In today’s fast-paced and customer-centric business environment, gathering real-time customer feedback and engaging in social media conversations are both vital practices.

These approaches enable organizations to gain valuable insights, enhance their products/services, and deliver the exceptional experiences our customers have come to expect. By actively listening to customers, organizations can meet customer expectations, drive loyalty, and gain a competitive edge. Here’s how.

 

Understanding the Value of Real-Time Customer Feedback

There are many benefits of real-time customer feedback, the two most important being:

The power of gaining timely customer insights: These are at the core of every customer-centric organisation. Real-time feedback allows organizations to stay agile, make informed decisions, and then respond quickly to changing customer needs.

According to a study by the Aberdeen Group, companies that leverage real-time customer feedback are 33% more likely to retain customers.

By promptly addressing customer pain points, organizations can reduce frustration and escalation, while at the same time enhancing satisfaction and loyalty. This increases both customer retention and revenue growth, two things every organisation wants.

Turning feedback into actionable improvements: Organizations can transform customer feedback into actionable improvements by employing techniques such as sentiment analysis, categorization, and prioritization. These methods help extract valuable insights that can then be used to drive meaningful change.

A leading e-commerce company revealed that analyzing customer feedback using sentiment analysis led to a 25% increase in customer satisfaction ratings. By systematically analyzing feedback data, organizations can identify trends, common issues, and areas for improvement, enabling them to prioritize and implement impactful changes.

 

Implementing Feedback Collection Mechanisms

There are numerous ways in which an organisation can gather real-time customer feedback. Here are three of the most popularly used ones:

In-app feedback and surveys: Collecting feedback directly within digital channels, such as mobile apps or websites, offers an organisation numerous benefits. By implementing in-app feedback prompts, targeted surveys, and pop-up questionnaires, they can capture customer sentiments in the moment. As a result, they gain valuable insights that can help them improve their offerings, without having to rely on the customer’s memory.

A survey conducted by Qualtrics found that 72% of customers prefer providing feedback within a mobile app.

Airbnb successfully collects in-app feedback on a permanent basis, as anyone who has used their service knows. It enables the company to enhance the user experience, resulting in continuous improvements and increased customer satisfaction.

Live chat and support interactions: Real-time feedback gathered during live chat and customer services interactions provides immediate insights into customer experiences. Organizations can leverage chat transcripts, agent feedback forms, and post-chat surveys to gather valuable feedback and measure customer satisfaction.

After implementing post-chat surveys, one telecommunications company recorded a 20% increase in customer satisfaction scores. People like being asked their opinion, especially when it doesn’t take much effort, as in near real-time questioning.

Post-interaction ratings and reviews: These also play a significant role in collecting real-time feedback. Encouraging customers to provide ratings and reviews immediately after their interactions, helps capture their experiences and sentiments while they … Click to continue reading

Win Online: 9 Ways to Make a Great Website that Engages More Successfully

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

What makes a great website?

What makes a website great for your customers?

What makes a website great for your potential customers?

The answers to these questions will help you to publish a successful website. One that encourages current and potential customers to find, see, like and then engage with your content. All of these are precursors to buying your products and services for many customers! 

I published a post on this topic many years ago, which included the seven elements that must be on your website. It is called “The 7 essentials of Customer Centric Websites.” and it still makes a useful (and short) read.

One of the major changes since then, is that today, with mobile more likely to be the screen of reference, we have gone from a “no scroll” to a “must-scroll” format. Words have given way to more images and now also to videos. We have gone from information to entertainment, from push to pull, and from “ours” to “theirs.”

Many articles about optimising websites talk too much about technology and usually include company rather than customer priorities. But you, fellow customer centricity champions, know that everything should start with the customer! So I’d like to build on my earlier post to lay out what it takes to win online these days.

 

9 Essentials of a Great Website

Checking a website is often the first step a customer makes when they are interested in buying a brand or learning about a manufacturer. Therefore we should ensure that ours responds to their needs, whatever the reason for their visit. I have chosen the nine essential elements of a customer centric website below.

Please let me know what you think, by adding a comment below.

1. It’s for the customer, not (just) you

Although your website is about you and your company and/or brands, it is your customers, both current and potential, that need to like it.

Therefore, start by thinking about for whom you are developing the site and what their desires and needs are. Use our  4W™ template to ensure that you go as deep as possible in your understanding of them. I also suggest you read “12 things you need to know about your target customers” for more on what information you need to gather in order to describe them in depth.

 

 

2. An intuitive structure

We don’t have time to read, let alone learn how to navigate a website. Customers will leave if they can’t immediately find what they are looking for. This explains why many – dare I say most? – businesses have a 50% plus bounce rate. (See 20+ Average Bounce Rate Benchmarks -2022 update)

It may still be necessary to have a sitemap for those visitors who need help in navigating or are less logical. However, it no longer needs the prominence it once did.

Put it at the bottom of the page in the footer and don’t waste valuable real estate by placing … Click to continue reading

The New Qualities for Customer Service Excellence

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

The covid pandemic clearly highlighted those companies that truly care about their customers and which provide customer service excellence.

If a company claims to be customer centric, they must not just talk the talk, but walk the talk too. The pandemic gave many people more time to review from whom they bought and what services they were getting in return.

A few years ago I was prompted to question my own purchase decision of cable services from the Swiss company UPC-Cablecom. It had been known to have a  long-term deficit in customer service excellence versus its main competitor Swisscom. And as recent PWC research shows, 86% of buyers are willing to pay more for a great customer experience.

Swisscom has made customer service their MSP (main selling point or value proposition) and they were renowned for putting their customers first. UPC-Cablecom, on the other hand, had until then, been trying to win customers through non-stop promotions and aggressive price cutting. In today’s connected world, especially where the internet is concerned, dissatisfied customers will be quickly heard – across the net.

Back to the incident that prompted this post. After a few days of being ignored by UPC-Cablecom – my perception at least, because my emails and phone calls were not being answered – I’m somewhat embarrassed to say that I resorted to Twitter.

More than five years ago, Twitter was first referred to as today’s customer service centre. Social media usually guarantees a quick response, since contacting customer services through the usual channels often results in no reaction for hours if not days.

What makes a great customer care centre?

Customers these days expect a response in minutes or hours rather than days. Research shows that nearly half of all customers (46%) expect companies to respond faster than 4 hours, and 12% expect a response within 15 minutes or less. And yet the average time to respond to customer service requests is currently 12 hours and 10 minutes! How do your own customer service response times compare? As you enjoy my blog posts I assume they are significantly better.

Most call centres are a frustrating, if sometimes necessary, experience for (often dissatisfied) customers to endure. In many cases, they are automated, with a long and complex self-selection process of button pushing to arrive at the department one needs – if you’re lucky that is!

But too often the result of all that effort is just a recording telling you to call back later as the department needed is not open at the moment, or that the collaborators are currently busy and to please stay on the line.

We are next subjected to music supposedly designed to calm our nerves, interspersed with messages suggesting alternative solutions to waiting in line. Go to the website to find a solution in their available FAQs, complete a contact form, or send an email. I find this insulting since I am sure most people only call after trying to find a solution … Click to continue reading

Packaging: Are You Using This Free Channel For Communicating With Your Customers?

Posted on by Denyse Drummond-Dunn

Do you consider your packaging to be a part of the product, protecting its contents and framing its on-shelf life? Or do you consider it to be an integral part of your connection with your customers at an important moment of truth, that of purchase and usage? Or both of these?

If you answered both, then I believe that you are making maximum use of your packaging or at least you recognise its potential for communicating.

If you answered only one of the choices, then you may be missing an important opportunity. Let me explain, with a few examples.

 

People don’t read instructions

We all expect most things that we use or consume to be intuitive these days. In other words, we assume that we will understand how to build / cook / use them without reading the manual / instructions.

If you are like most people – myself included – this has nothing to do with the complexity of the product concerned. I myself will only turn to the instructions when something doesn’t work: I end up with left-over screws when mounting a flat-pack piece of furniture, or I can’t achieve multi-recordings on my smart TV or cable box.

In the article How Likely Are You to Read the Instructions they link behaviour to personality types. It makes an interesting read and offers at least some explanations as to why many (most?) of us still don’t read instructions.

Since the internet arrived, we have access to more and more information, and yet we seem to be reading less and less. Therefore as marketers, we need to ensure that any vital information we want to share, is clearly highlighted on the pack.

 

People do look at packs

Whether it is the cream we put on our faces, the cereal we eat for breakfast, or the dip that we offer to friends on match night, there are moments when we are faced with packaging for more than a split second. It is at these times that we are likely to read at least some of what is written on the pack.

It therefore makes sense to provide more than just a list of ingredients. After all you have your customer’s attention, so make use of it to impress or educate.

Here are a few of the best examples I have come across:

Nestlé does a great job of providing useful information on their pack,s with their “nutritional compass.” This includes four different pieces of information: good to know, good to remember, good question and the nutritional data.

What I particularly like about what Nestle has done, is to combine mandatory information on nutritional values, with useful information for the consumer. Although they may not be the most consumer centric company around, at least they did think consumer first in the development of their “compass.”

Juvena message on Packaging is Part of Product or PromotionJuvena of Switzerland: The short message to “Enjoy the smoothness” on the back of the Juvena hand cream sample tube, makes the experience both … Click to continue reading

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