Creating Memorable Customer Experiences

In a perfect world, our customers would receive our products, call their mothers, post on social media, and scream how much they love our products from the mountaintops. In reality, most customer experiences are mindless, forgettable ordeals.

So how can we change that? How can a brand differentiate itself to stick in the mind of customers?

To answer this question, we will be identifying the importance of customer need states, how to play off of brand identity, incorporating customer experience into your branding strategy, and how to deliver on your brand promises. 

Understanding Customer Needs, Wants, and Desires

In order to create a memorable customer experience, you must first understand what makes your customers’ tick. This is more easily said than done as your customers might not even know what the want.

This is where data analysis and customer feedback comes into play. Understanding your client base should be viewed as an ever-evolving and ongoing process. 

For prospective customers, use market trends and data-driven research to understand customer needs. Are men aged 25-40 more health conscious than they were 20 years ago? What exactly does “health conscious” mean to this demographic and how might this differ from women aged 45-60? These different need-states often inform purchasing decisions.

For returning customers, seek out and act upon feedback. Customers respond extremely positively when they feel they are being heard. In the digital world, this can also be used to tailor marketing and avoid unwanted, “spammy” marketing material.

The Importance of Brand Identity and Brand Personality

What might be perfectly acceptable from one brand might lead to customer disappointment from another. This all stems from your brand’s identity and personality. Your brand personality and identity should directly align with the values of your customer base and the product(s) you deliver.

For example, let’s consider two companies who make watches.

Company A makes watches for children with Marvel Superheroes all over the design. The brand personality screams excitement and fun. The price is low, and all they promise is a fun gift for children.

Company B is a luxury watchmaker with 100s of years of brand history. Their products are high-quality with a lifetime guarantee. The watches are expensive, conveying a brand message of both sophistication and unrivaled quality.

If company A delivers their watch in gawdy, red and blue plastic packaging. The receiving child might love that! If company B does the same? That product might get returned before it is even opened.

Extreme example but it maximizes the the point that there is no one-size-fits-all way to create memorable customer experiences. Understanding your customers and delivering to their needs is crucial.

Memorable Customer Experiences as a Brand Strategy

Let’s say you have studied the market and your product is a great fit for a certain customer base. You are happy with the product and with the branding. This product should sell itself! But you still aren’t getting five (5) star reviews…in fact you aren’t getting any reviews at all. 

Simply meeting client expectations might not always be enough to create a memorable customer experience. Consider your customer’s experience as you build your brand and marketing strategy.

To create a memorable brand experience, consider the following steps from start to finish:

1. Clearly identify your branding message, personality, and selling points
2. Clearly convey that message through targeted branding materials
3. Identify your customer base
4. Execute your marketing campaign to that marketing base
5. Deliver a product which meets (or exceeds) your customers’ expectations
6. Ensure that your product jives with the brand identity you have established
7. Follow up with that client to seek meaningful feedback
8. Act upon that feedback

This strategy is far from reinventing the wheel, but these are the fundamentals of creating a memorable customer experience from beginning to end.

Deliver on Your Promises to Develop Brand Loyalty

The best marketing strategy in the world will never work if there is no follow through. Based on what we have discussed in previous sections, delivering on your promises does not necessarily mean going above and beyond (although it cannot hurt).

Let’s consider Amazon as an example.

Amazon has some of the best customer service in the eCommerce industry and it has built its brand on this reputation. Even simpler than that, Amazon delivers the correct product to the correct address on-time. They have also earned the reputation of delivering packages early, much to the happy surprise of consumers.

This delivery on a simple promise has led to brand loyalty for millions if not tens of millions of return customers because Amazon gives customers exactly what they want. For your individual brand, you must identify that customer want, build your brand around it, and finally deliver a product and/or service which meets that need.

Clock Tower Insight Helps Brands Create Memorable Customer Experiences

At Clock Tower Insight, we turn data into business solutions. By maximizing brand positioning, CX management, moments of influence, and more, we help build our clients brands in the short and long term. 

Clock Tower Insight believes that happy customers equal a happy business. We work closely with clients to tailor their brand from top to bottom in order to maximize positive image, exposure, and sales. 
To learn more about how we may be able to help your business grow, read about our 15 plus years of focused experience working with brands such as Starbucks, Kraft, McDonald’s, and much more.