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A collection of article and ideas that help Smart Marketers to become Smarter
Marketing Canvas and Customers
When working on the Customers part of the Marketing Canvas, you are trying to identify relevant and actionable triggers (you can also call it insights) that you will try to leverage through the other dimensions of the canvas. We have 4 dimensions you can play with for identifying these triggers (JTBD, ASPIRATIONS, PAINS & GAINS, ENGAGEMENT).
In a nutshell
When working on the Customers part of the Marketing Canvas, you are trying to identify relevant and actionable triggers (you can also call it insights) that you will try to leverage through the other dimensions of the canvas. We have 4 dimensions you can play with for identifying these triggers (JTBD, ASPIRATIONS, PAINS & GAINS, ENGAGEMENT). What matters at the end of this exercise is that you avoid fluffy (triggers), you have built a list of triggers, you have qualified them (functional or emotional), you have identified supporting evidence and you have rated the strength of each trigger.
In the Marketing Canvas
In the Marketing Canvas, we have identified 6 main categories for building your Marketing Strategy: Customers, Brand, Value Proposition, Journey, Conversation and Metrics. Each of these categories have 4 dimensions which means that a total of 24 dimensions (6 by 4) are defining your Marketing Strategy.
Customers is one of the 4 dimensions of the Metrics category. That category is composed of 4 dimensions.
How to use it?
What I have noticed during workshops is that people have difficulties to identify strong insights that could be used for building value propositions that rocks. They usually list insights that are very broad (even fluffy) like customers want quality (who doesn’t?) but could not describe what sort of quality customers are looking for. One example that could help you understand my point is the following:
When designing mobile phones, we know that these phones should be robust but what does it really mean. Glass manufacturer designed glass that could resist a drop from 10 meters but customers were looking for a phone that could resist multiple drops from 1 meter because it is what they are experiencing in real life. You see robustness could be very different!
When working on the 4 dimensions of CUSTOMERS, you can identify a list of triggers that could be functional (What the customer is expecting to get?) and emotional (What the customer is expecting to feel?). An interesting read on benefits/triggers is the article from the beloved brand web site (here).
I have not found a global list with all potential triggers (functional and emotional) that you could choose when working on a specific case. The most elaborated list I have found so far is the one developed by Bain Consulting for B2C and B2B. They have identified elements of value (30 for B2C and 40 for B2B) classified as functional, emotional, life-changing, and social impact.
In the Marketing Canvas, I have only considered 2 categories (functional and emotional), therefore if you are using Bain B2C triggers, you should consider emotional, life-changing and social impact as Emotional triggers.
What I also like in the Bain proposal is their B2B mapping which is something you don’t easily find. In the case of the B2B mapping, you should consider Table Stakes and Functional Values as Functional and Ease of doing business value, Individual value and inspirational value as Emotional for the Marketing Canvas method.
More on Bain can be found here: B2C elements of value and B2B elements of value.
Some Videos
Potential ideas
How to add intangible values to product?
Immediacy - priority access, immediate delivery
Personalization - tailored just for you
Interpretation - support and guidance
Authenticity - how can you be sure it is the real thing?
Accessibility - wherever, whenever
Embodiment - books, live music
Patronage - "paying simply because it feels good",
Findability - "When there are millions of books, millions of songs, millions of films, millions of applications, millions of everything requesting our attention — and most of it free — being found is valuable."
source: Wikipedia Attention Economy
Method
What you should do is the following:
Take each dimension and identify triggers that are either functional or emotional;
List evidence supporting each trigger;
Rate each trigger from weak to strong in the function of the importance of the customer (the more the customer is demonstrating that s.he is effectively in needs of this trigger through past behavior (doing more than saying), the stronger the trigger).
Take the top 10 triggers at the end of this exercise and complete the template below.
Template
Marketing Canvas Method - Customer Triggers Template
Marketing Canvas - Listening to
In today's digitally connected world, the importance of listening to customers has never been more paramount. This comprehensive guide dives deep into the process of establishing an effective Voice of Customer (VoC) system. It lays the groundwork for understanding why listening is crucial, how to listen effectively, and how to translate customer feedback into actionable insights. The guide also offers tips for choosing the right tools for the task, provides a step-by-step assessment for evaluating your listening methods, and even includes a real-world case study to demonstrate these principles in action. In a world where customer satisfaction drives business success, this guide will arm you with the knowledge you need to ensure that your customers always feel heard.
Last update: 06/12/2024
In a nutshell
The Listening To sub-dimension in the Marketing Canvas focuses on the systematic collection and analysis of customer voices (Voice of Customer, or VOC) to understand their perceptions, needs, and expectations. By implementing a robust VOC system, businesses can ensure they listen to what customers are saying about their brand and value proposition, enabling data-driven decisions and continuous improvement. This includes capturing customer feedback on sustainability, an increasingly critical aspect of modern business.
For example, Green Clean may use surveys, social media monitoring, and feedback forms to collect customer insights, helping refine its eco-friendly cleaning products and sustainability messaging.
Introduction
The Listening To sub-dimension within the Conversation category is about actively capturing and analyzing customer feedback to better understand their experiences and expectations. A strong VOC system ensures that businesses make decisions based on real customer data rather than assumptions, aligning their strategies with customer needs and preferences.
Listening effectively to customers enables brands to:
Build trust by showing customers their voices are heard.
Improve the customer journey by addressing pain points and unmet needs.
Strengthen their sustainability commitments by understanding customer expectations in this area.
What is Listening To?
Listening To involves the systematic capture, analysis, and application of customer feedback. Key elements include:
Comprehensive VOC System: Tools and processes to gather customer feedback across multiple channels.
Data-Driven Insights: Decisions based on accurate and objective data rather than assumptions.
Journey and Lifecycle Understanding: VOC systems tailored to specific points in the customer journey and lifecycle.
Multi-Technique Approach: Combining methods such as surveys, interviews, social media monitoring, and analytics.
Sustainability Insights: Capturing feedback on customer views regarding environmental and social responsibility.
For example:
Green Clean might use a survey to understand customer satisfaction with its eco-friendly packaging while also analyzing social media for sentiment around its sustainability claims.
“Listening to the needs of your customers isn’t an optional exercise; it’s mandatory. Even if you don’t intend to differentiate on customer experience (and you’re in a small minority if so), the value of listening to customers is real, measurable, and immediate.” CMO.com
Listening To: an in-depth perspective
To create an effective VOC process, businesses must:
Establish a VOC System: Implement systems to capture customer feedback across all relevant touchpoints.
Leverage Data-Driven Processes: Use advanced analytics to eliminate assumptions and focus on actionable insights.
Understand the Customer Journey: Tailor feedback mechanisms to reflect the unique needs and touchpoints of the customer lifecycle.
Combine Techniques: Use a mix of qualitative and quantitative research methods for a comprehensive understanding.
Focus on Sustainability: Ensure that customer feedback includes views on sustainability, a key driver of modern consumer behavior.
For instance:
Green Clean could use feedback forms at checkout, analyze product reviews for sustainability comments, and track brand mentions on social media to capture a holistic view of customer perceptions.
Translating listening to into action
To listen effectively to customers, businesses need a structured and consistent approach:
Design Your VOC System: Identify key touchpoints and feedback mechanisms across the customer journey.
Implement Data Analytics: Ensure your VOC process is data-driven and includes tools to analyze qualitative and quantitative feedback.
Integrate Sustainability: Include questions and feedback opportunities focused on environmental and social impact.
Questions to consider:
Have you set up a comprehensive VOC system to capture customer feedback across multiple channels?
Is your VOC process entirely data-driven, avoiding assumptions at every stage?
Does your VOC system reflect an in-depth understanding of the customer journey and lifecycle?
Are you using a variety of techniques to gather and validate customer feedback?
Does your VOC system capture your customers’ views on sustainability effectively?
But listening is not the same as understanding. How you listen, and to whom you listen, is critical. Even a smart, high-end business can be led astray by misunderstanding the strengths and weaknesses of different customer feedback channels. HBR[2]
Statements for self-assessment
For a comprehensive evaluation of your understanding and application of the Listening To concept, rate your agreement with the following statements on a scale from -3 (completely disagree) to +3 (completely agree):
You have set a VOC system that captures everything that customers are saying about your brand and your value proposition.
Your entire VOC process is data-driven, and at no point are you making any assumptions.
Your VOC process is based on an in-depth knowledge of your user's journey and customer lifecycle.
You are using a few different techniques together to ensure you're getting the most that you can from your research.
Your VOC system captures your customers' views on sustainability.
Interpretation of the scores
Negative scores (-1 to -3): Negative scores indicate significant gaps in your VOC process, such as a lack of data-driven decision-making, insufficient understanding of the customer journey, or a failure to address sustainability. These shortcomings may result in missed opportunities to align with customer expectations and improve brand perception. Immediate action is needed to develop a structured VOC approach.
A score of zero (0): A neutral score reflects partial implementation or limited effectiveness of your VOC system. While some processes may exist, they are not comprehensive or data-driven enough to provide actionable insights. Additional effort is needed to refine your VOC strategy and incorporate sustainability feedback.
Positive scores (+1 to +3): Positive scores suggest that your VOC system is robust, comprehensive, and data-driven. It effectively captures feedback at all relevant touchpoints, aligns with the customer journey, and includes insights on sustainability. This ensures you are well-equipped to adapt to customer needs, improve experiences, and strengthen brand loyalty.
Case study: Green Clean’s VOC system
Misaligned understanding (-3, -2, -1): Green Clean lacks a structured VOC system, relying on anecdotal feedback or assumptions. The brand misses key insights into customer needs, such as the demand for more refill options, and fails to capture sustainability-related feedback, weakening its eco-friendly positioning.
Surface understanding (0): Green Clean has implemented some feedback mechanisms, such as a customer satisfaction survey, but these are not integrated into a comprehensive VOC system. The feedback collected is limited in scope, failing to address the full customer journey or provide meaningful insights into sustainability.
Deep understanding (+1, +2, +3): Green Clean has a robust VOC system that captures feedback across multiple channels, including surveys, product reviews, and social media. The system is fully data-driven, with advanced analytics identifying trends and customer pain points. Sustainability feedback is a core component, helping the brand continuously refine its eco-friendly initiatives.
Conclusion
The Listening To sub-dimension is essential for understanding and responding to customer needs, preferences, and expectations. A comprehensive, data-driven VOC system that integrates sustainability insights enables businesses to make informed decisions, enhance the customer journey, and strengthen brand loyalty. By actively listening to customers, brands can stay ahead of the curve and build lasting relationships.
Sources
Hubspot, 12 Voice of the Customer Methodologies To Generate a Goldmine of Customer Feedback, https://blog.hubspot.com/service/voice-of-the-customer-methodologies
Harvard Business Review, 2015, Everyone Says They Listen to Their Customers—Here’s How to Really Do It, https://hbr.org/2015/10/everyone-says-they-listen-to-their-customers-heres-how-to-really-do-it
McKinsey, Are you really listening to what your customers are saying?, https://www.mckinsey.com/business-functions/operations/our-insights/are-you-really-listening-to-what-your-customers-are-saying
Futurelab, Your VoC Programme is underperforming - and you know it, https://www.futurelab.net/slide/your-voc-programme-underperforming-and-you-know-it
More on the Marketing Canvas
Marketing Canvas by Laurent Bouty
Marketing Canvas - Magic
In our ever-evolving digital landscape, creating a memorable and unique customer experience is paramount. This article delves into the realm of 'Magic' in marketing, a concept that encourages the creation of extraordinary events throughout the customer journey. Drawing inspiration from industry-leading tools, we discuss how to inject Magic into every customer interaction. We further illuminate the role of sensory engagement and personalization, breaking down their importance in nurturing a remarkable customer journey. Unpack the significance of 'Moments of Truth', those crucial points that shape a customer's relationship with your brand. Furthermore, we explore effective evaluation techniques to ensure your strategies truly work their magic. Incorporating examples, actionable tips, and deep-dives into each concept, this article seeks to empower businesses to create enchanting customer experiences that drive loyalty and growth.
Last update: 06/12/2024
In a nutshell
The Magic sub-dimension in the Marketing Canvas is about creating exceptional moments in the customer journey that go beyond functionality. By removing obstacles, reducing stress, and delivering sensory delight, brands can elevate the customer experience and foster emotional connections. When combined with sustainability, these moments become transformative, leaving a lasting impression.
For instance, Green Clean might make its eco-friendly cleaning products a magical part of the customer journey by offering beautifully designed, refillable containers and a seamless subscription service that eliminates hassle.
Introduction
The Magic sub-dimension within the Journey category focuses on enhancing the customer experience by creating memorable, delightful, and impactful interactions. It’s not just about solving problems—it’s about exceeding expectations, protecting customers from stress, and delivering experiences that elevate their sense of identity and well-being. Infusing sustainability into these moments further strengthens the brand’s emotional resonance with its audience.
Exceptional customer experiences transform mundane interactions into magical ones, fostering loyalty and advocacy.
What is Magic?
Magic refers to the unexpected, delightful elements that enhance the customer journey. These moments are carefully crafted to:
Eliminate Friction: Identify and reduce obstacles or points of stress in the customer journey.
Deliver Comfort and Reassurance: Protect customers from uncertainty or anxiety.
Delight the Senses: Provide sensory pleasure, such as appealing visuals, sounds, or textures.
Elevate Status: Make customers feel special, appreciated, or empowered.
Integrate Sustainability: Create magical moments that are environmentally and socially responsible.
For example:
Friction Reduction: Green Clean provides auto-refill options to ensure customers never run out of cleaning supplies.
Sensory Delight: Using naturally scented, eco-friendly products that enhance the cleaning experience.
Elevated Status: Highlighting the customer’s role in supporting sustainability through their purchase.
Magic: an in-depth perspective
To create magical customer experiences, brands must:
Remove Obstacles: Identify pain points in the customer journey and minimize them to reduce undue effort.
Protect Customers from Stress: Offer clarity and reassurance at every touchpoint, eliminating confusion and uncertainty.
Delight the Senses: Infuse the customer journey with sensory experiences that engage and uplift.
Elevate Customer Status: Recognize and celebrate customers in ways that make them feel valued and important.
Prioritize Sustainable Magic: Reduce the environmental impact of creating magical moments while ensuring they align with the brand’s sustainability goals.
For instance:
Stress-Free Experience: Green Clean ensures clear, concise instructions for using its products, reducing confusion.
Sensory Appeal: Beautifully designed packaging and refreshing, natural scents create a pleasant experience.
Sustainability: All magical moments, such as eco-friendly rewards programs, are designed with minimal environmental impact.
Translating Magic into action
Crafting magical moments requires a blend of creativity, customer insight, and operational efficiency. Brands must consistently deliver experiences that surprise and delight while aligning with their values.
Questions to consider:
Have you identified and reduced obstacles in your customer journey to minimize undue energy expenditure?
How effectively do you eliminate confusion, uncertainty, and anxiety in your customer interactions?
Are your customer experiences designed to delight the senses and create memorable moments?
Do your interactions elevate your customers’ status, making them feel valued and appreciated?
How have you integrated sustainability into your magical moments to ensure they are impactful and responsible?
Statements for self-assessment
For a comprehensive evaluation of your understanding and application of the Magic concept, rate your agreement with the following statements on a scale from -3 (completely disagree) to +3 (completely agree):
You have identified obstacles across your customer journey and have reduced them where customers are expending undue energy.
You have eliminated confusion, uncertainty, and anxiety across your customer journey. Your customers are protected from stressful situations.
You have delighted the senses of your customer, as they all look for sensory pleasure (from delicious food to relaxing music).
You have provided a customer experience that elevates your customers' status.
You reduced the social and environmental impact of your efforts to create moments of truth and made sustainable moments magical.
Interpretation of the scores
Negative scores (-1 to -3): Negative scores indicate that your customer journey is filled with obstacles, stress points, or uninspired interactions. These gaps diminish customer satisfaction and loyalty. Immediate action is required to reduce friction, alleviate stress, and introduce sensory and emotional elements that create memorable experiences.
A score of zero (0): A neutral score reflects partial success in delivering magical moments. While some aspects of the journey may be effective, others lack the delight, clarity, or sustainability required to make them impactful. Further refinement is needed to enhance the emotional and sensory dimensions of the experience.
Positive scores (+1 to +3): Positive scores suggest that your customer journey consistently removes friction, protects customers from stress, and delivers delightful, sustainable experiences that elevate their status. These magical moments strengthen emotional connections with your brand, fostering loyalty and advocacy.
Case study: Green Clean’s Magic
Misaligned understanding (-3, -2, -1): Green Clean’s customer journey is filled with obstacles, such as unclear product usage instructions and difficult navigation on its website. Customers feel frustrated and undervalued, with no sensory or emotional engagement to make the experience enjoyable.
Surface understanding (0): Green Clean addresses some customer needs but fails to consistently deliver magical moments. For example, while the packaging design is visually appealing, the online ordering process is cumbersome, and sustainability claims are not clearly communicated, leaving customers with a mixed experience.
Deep understanding (+1, +2, +3): Green Clean delivers a seamless and delightful experience. Its website provides easy navigation and clear instructions, while the unboxing experience features eco-friendly, beautifully designed packaging. Customers are celebrated through personalized thank-you messages and loyalty rewards, reinforcing their status as contributors to sustainability.
Conclusion
The Magic sub-dimension is about turning ordinary customer interactions into extraordinary moments. By addressing obstacles, eliminating stress, and delivering sensory and emotional delight, brands can create lasting impressions. When combined with sustainability, these magical moments not only enhance customer satisfaction but also align with modern values, strengthening the brand’s reputation and loyalty.
Sources
Matt Watkinson, Book, The 10 Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences.
Google, Zero Moment of Truth, https://www.thinkwithgoogle.com/marketing-resources/micro-moments/zero-moment-truth/
Brian Solis, 2013, Ultimate Moment of Truth and the art of engagement, https://www.briansolis.com/2013/11/the-ultimate-moment-of-truth-and-the-art-of-engagement/
customer experience.io, Great Customer Experiences Are Effortless, https://medium.com/@_cxio/great-customer-experiences-are-effortless-2dea2f300d4e
More on the Marketing Canvas
Marketing Canvas - Channels
In a world dominated by digital and physical touchpoints, the understanding and orchestration of Channels form a crucial part of any marketing strategy. This comprehensive guide explores Channels in marketing as a sub-dimension of the Marketing Canvas by Laurent Bouty. It delves into the roles channels play in customer interactions, highlights key considerations such as interaction, information, and context, and provides practical tips on choosing the right tools.
The guide further translates these insights into action steps and underscores the significance of continuous evaluation and improvement for optimal channel performance. A detailed look into a use case example of 'Green Clean' elucidates these concepts with real-world relevance. Finally, the guide helps you assess your own marketing strategies with detailed explanations for varying scores in the evaluation process and proposes recommendations for enhancement. This guide serves as an invaluable resource for marketers, entrepreneurs, and non-marketers alike to navigate the complex terrain of channels in marketing.
Last update: 5/12/2024
In a Nutshell
The Channels sub-dimension in the Marketing Canvas focuses on the platforms and touchpoints through which customers interact with your brand. An effective channel strategy ensures that customers can access relevant and personalized experiences seamlessly, whether physical or digital, while maintaining consistency and minimizing environmental impact.
For instance, Green Clean might use both physical stores and an e-commerce platform, ensuring that customers have access to personalized product recommendations, consistent information, and eco-friendly packaging, regardless of the channel they choose.
Introduction
The Channels sub-dimension in the Journey category is essential for creating seamless and engaging customer interactions. Channels serve as the interface between your brand and your customers, facilitating communication, transactions, and service delivery. A well-orchestrated channel strategy not only meets customer expectations but also enhances their experience by ensuring relevance, personalization, and sustainability.
Effective channels are not just a means of delivering your value proposition—they are integral to shaping the overall customer journey and reinforcing your brand’s values.
What are channels?
Channels are the pathways and platforms through which customers interact with your brand. These can include:
Physical Channels: Retail stores, kiosks, in-person consultations.
Digital Channels: Websites, mobile apps, social media, and email.
Omnichannel Integration: The seamless connection of physical and digital channels to create a unified customer experience.
Effective channels:
Adapt to the customer’s context at each moment.
Offer personalized and seamless interactions.
Deliver consistent, accurate, and real-time information.
Ensure orchestration across platforms, avoiding silos.
Minimize social and environmental impact.
For example:
Physical Channel: Green Clean’s eco-friendly cleaning products are available at local stores with clear labeling.
Digital Channel: The brand’s app provides personalized recommendations and subscription services.
Omnichannel: Customers can browse online, pick up in-store, or arrange delivery with eco-friendly packaging.
Channels: an in-depth perspective
To optimize channel performance, businesses must:
Adapt to Context: Ensure customers can access the most relevant channel based on their needs at each moment.
Enable Omnichannel Integration: Provide a unified experience across physical and digital platforms, avoiding disjointed interactions.
Maintain Consistency and Accuracy: Deliver real-time, useful, and personalized information across all channels.
Orchestrate Seamlessly: Connect all channels to allow customers to transition smoothly between them.
Focus on Sustainability: Optimize physical and digital channels to reduce environmental impact and promote social responsibility.
For example:
Customer Context: Green Clean offers an app that helps customers locate nearby stockists or order online for delivery.
Omnichannel: The app integrates with in-store experiences, allowing customers to scan products for additional information or place orders for out-of-stock items.
Sustainability: All digital communications are optimized to minimize energy use, and physical deliveries are made using eco-friendly packaging.
Translating channels into action
An effective channel strategy requires alignment with customer expectations, brand values, and operational efficiency:
Customer Context: Identify customer needs and ensure channels are available and relevant at each stage of their journey.
Orchestration: Integrate all channels to avoid silos and create a seamless experience.
Sustainability: Incorporate eco-friendly practices in both physical and digital channels to reduce the brand’s environmental footprint.
Questions to consider:
Are your channels tailored to your customers’ specific context and needs at every moment?
Do your physical and digital channels offer clear, personalized, and seamless interactions?
Is the information shared across channels consistent, real-time, personalized, useful, and accurate?
Have you orchestrated your channels to eliminate silos, ensuring customers can navigate seamlessly?
How do your channels optimize social and environmental impact?
Statements for self-assessment
For a comprehensive evaluation of your understanding and application of the Channels concept, rate your agreement with the following statements on a scale from -3 (completely disagree) to +3 (completely agree):
Your customers can use the most relevant channel in function of their specific context at each moment.
Your channels are physical and digital. You provide clear, personalized, and seamless interactions, anywhere, anytime.
Information captured or shared in your channels is consistent, real-time, personalized, useful, and accurate.
You have orchestrated all your channels, and there is no silo between them. Your customers can navigate seamlessly through them at each moment.
You optimize the social and environmental impact of your physical and digital channels.
Interpretation of the scores
Negative scores (-1 to -3): Negative scores indicate significant gaps in your channel strategy, such as disjointed experiences, inconsistent information, or poor adaptation to customer context. These gaps can lead to customer frustration, weakened brand perception, and missed opportunities to promote sustainability. Immediate action is required to enhance channel integration and alignment.
A score of zero (0): A neutral score reflects partial alignment or incomplete execution of your channel strategy. While some elements may be effective, inconsistencies or silos between channels may hinder a seamless customer experience. Additional efforts are needed to fully integrate channels and optimize their social and environmental impact.
Positive scores (+1 to +3): Positive scores suggest that your channels are well-orchestrated, tailored to customer context, and consistently deliver personalized, accurate information. Your strategy integrates physical and digital channels seamlessly, enhancing customer satisfaction while promoting sustainability.
Case study: Green Clean’s channels
Misaligned understanding (-3, -2, -1): Green Clean’s channels are poorly coordinated, with no integration between its website and physical stores. Customers experience inconsistent information and limited options for switching between channels, leading to frustration and disengagement.
Surface Understanding (0): Green Clean offers basic functionality across its channels, such as a website and in-store availability, but fails to fully integrate them. While customers can purchase products online or in-store, they cannot seamlessly transition between these options, and sustainability efforts are minimal.
Deep Understanding (+1, +2, +3): Green Clean delivers a fully integrated channel strategy. Customers can explore products online, check in-store availability, and order for delivery or pick-up seamlessly. The brand provides consistent, personalized information across all touchpoints, while minimizing environmental impact through eco-friendly packaging and sustainable delivery practices.
Conclusion
The Channels sub-dimension is critical for delivering seamless, customer-centric interactions that align with brand values and sustainability goals. By integrating physical and digital channels, maintaining consistency and accuracy, and optimizing environmental impact, businesses can create a cohesive and impactful customer journey.
Sources
Wikipedia, Omnichannel, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Omnichannel
More on the Marketing Canvas
Marketing Canvas - Experience
Navigating the complex landscape of customer experience can be a challenging task for brands. This article provides an in-depth understanding of 'Moments'— a crucial sub-dimension in the customer journey aspect of the Marketing Canvas, a strategic tool developed by Laurent Bouty. The piece highlights the importance of consciously orchestrating these moments and how they shape customers' perception of your brand. Using insights from Matt Watkinson's 'The Ten Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences,' the article outlines a structured approach to managing these interactions effectively. It also presents practical tools, evaluation methods, and improvement strategies to enhance these moments. With the aid of a case study on Green Clean, the reader will grasp the tangible application of these principles. This article is an invaluable resource for marketers, entrepreneurs, and anyone seeking to optimize their marketing strategy and create memorable customer experiences.
Last update: 03/12/2024
In a nutshell
The Experience sub-dimension in the Marketing Canvas emphasizes how your brand interacts with customers at each moment of their journey. It ensures that every response is tailored to customer identity, goal-oriented, consistent, clear, and aligned with sustainability. A well-designed experience fosters trust, loyalty, and satisfaction, creating a seamless connection between the customer and the brand.
For instance, Green Clean might ensure that every customer interaction—from website navigation to product use—reflects its commitment to eco-friendliness, customer care, and reliability.
Introduction
The Experience sub-dimension within the Journey category focuses on the quality and consistency of your brand’s interactions across all customer touchpoints. It ensures that your brand provides meaningful, goal-driven answers tailored to customer expectations and values. Delivering exceptional experiences is essential for building trust, enhancing satisfaction, and nurturing long-term relationships.
Experience goes beyond functionality; it aligns with customer identity, fulfills their objectives, and leaves a lasting impression.
What is experience?
Experience represents the totality of interactions customers have with your brand, encompassing:
Tailored Responses: Addressing customer needs and reflecting their identity.
Goal Fulfillment: Helping customers achieve their objectives at every touchpoint.
Consistency: Delivering the same level of quality and messaging across channels and moments.
Clarity and Reliability: Setting and meeting clear expectations for customers.
Sustainability Alignment: Demonstrating environmental and social responsibility throughout the customer journey.
For example:
Before Purchase: Providing clear, personalized guidance on choosing the right product.
During Purchase: Offering a smooth and intuitive buying process.
After Purchase: Following up with useful tips, support, and opportunities for feedback.
Experience: an in-depth perspective
To deliver a high-quality customer experience, brands must:
Adapt to Customer Identity: Understand and reflect customer values, preferences, and expectations in every interaction.
Focus on Customer Goals: Ensure that every response aligns with and supports customer objectives.
Ensure Consistency: Provide a seamless experience across all touchpoints, from marketing to post-purchase support.
Set and Meet Clear Expectations: Communicate what customers can expect and deliver consistently to build trust.
Embed Sustainability: Highlight and act on your commitment to sustainable practices at every stage.
For example:
Customer Identity: Green Clean recognizes that its customers value health and eco-friendliness and tailors messaging to highlight these benefits.
Goal Achievement: The brand ensures its products deliver effective cleaning without harmful chemicals, fulfilling customer expectations.
Consistency: Its eco-friendly mission is evident across packaging, advertising, and customer support.
Clear Expectations: Green Clean provides transparent product usage instructions and reliable delivery timelines.
Sustainability: All interactions reinforce the brand’s commitment to reducing environmental impact.
Translating experience into action
Creating exceptional experiences requires a structured approach:
Understand Customer Expectations: Use research and feedback to tailor responses to customer identity and goals.
Map the Customer Journey: Identify touchpoints and ensure consistent, goal-driven interactions.
Align with Sustainability: Integrate environmentally and socially responsible practices into every customer experience.
Questions to consider:
Are your brand responses tailored to your customers’ identity at each touchpoint?
Does your brand help customers achieve their goals in every interaction?
Are your responses consistent across time, channels, and moments?
Do you set clear expectations and deliver consistently to meet them?
How does your brand incorporate sustainability into the customer experience?
Statements for self-assessment
For a comprehensive evaluation of your understanding and application of the Experience concept, rate your agreement with the following statements on a scale from -3 (completely disagree) to +3 (completely agree):
For each moment, your brand answer has been adapted to your customers' identity.
For each moment, your brand answer has helped customers to achieve their goals.
For each moment, your brand answer is consistent in time and space, leaving nothing to chance.
For each moment, your brand answer has clear expectations and delivers it consistently.
For each moment, your brand answer is compatible with the concept of sustainability.
Interpretation of the scores
Negative scores (-1 to -3): Negative scores indicate significant gaps in the quality and consistency of your brand’s customer experience. This may result in confusion, unmet expectations, and weak customer relationships. Immediate efforts are needed to improve customer alignment, goal orientation, and sustainability integration.
A score of zero (0): A neutral score reflects partial execution or incomplete alignment of brand responses with customer expectations. While some aspects of the experience may be effective, inconsistencies or unclear messaging may hinder trust and satisfaction. Refinement is needed to ensure a cohesive and impactful experience.
Positive scores (+1 to +3): Positive scores suggest that your brand consistently delivers tailored, reliable, and sustainable experiences. This ensures that customers feel understood, supported, and aligned with your values, fostering trust, loyalty, and advocacy.
Case study: Green Clean’s experience
Misaligned understanding (-3, -2, -1): Green Clean fails to adapt its responses to customer identity or goals, providing inconsistent and unclear interactions. For instance, its advertising highlights sustainability, but product instructions lack clarity, creating confusion and mistrust.
Surface understanding (0): Green Clean delivers partially effective experiences. While its packaging reflects eco-friendliness, its website and customer support fail to align with these values consistently, leaving customers with mixed impressions.
Deep understanding (+1, +2, +3): Green Clean ensures that every touchpoint reflects its eco-friendly mission and supports customer objectives. Its website provides personalized product recommendations, packaging is fully sustainable, and customer support offers clear, consistent answers. These efforts create a seamless and satisfying experience that builds trust and loyalty.
Conclusion
The Experience sub-dimension is critical for ensuring your brand delivers consistent, meaningful, and sustainable interactions throughout the customer journey. By tailoring your responses to customer identity, supporting their goals, and maintaining clear and reliable messaging, you can enhance satisfaction and build stronger, lasting relationships with your audience.
Sources
Matt Watkinson, Book, The 10 Principles Behind Great Customer Experiences.
More on the Marketing Canvas
Marketing Canvas by Laurent Bouty
Marketing Canvas - Job To Be Done
Unlock success in marketing with a deeper understanding of the 'Job to be Done' concept. Explore its principles, application, evaluation, and a real-world Green Clean use case.
Last update: 16/10/2024
I have introduced a new evaluation framework for assessing Jobs to Be Done (JTBD) with a focus on sustainability. This topic is now integrated into the comprehensive marketing strategy assessment.
In a nutshell
"Job to be Done" (JTBD) is a pivotal concept in the Marketing Canvas, helping businesses to understand their customers' needs more precisely. The JTBD concept posits that customers buy products or services to fulfill a specific job or objective that goes beyond mere product functionality, including emotional and social aspects. Businesses must focus not on the product they sell, but on the job that their product is hired to do. A deep understanding of the customer's job can make marketing more effective and innovation more predictable. The JTBD framework involves identifying customers' unmet goals, constraints, and catalysts, which can lead to innovative and unique solutions.
A practical example is Green Clean, an eco-friendly cleaning company. Their customers' JTBD might not just be "getting a clean house," but also "maintaining a safe and healthy home environment," "reducing their carbon footprint," or "setting a positive example for their children about environmental responsibility." By understanding these broader jobs, Green Clean can tailor their services and marketing strategies more effectively.Introduction
In the Marketing Canvas
The Marketing Canvas is a powerful tool for entrepreneurs and non-marketers to build a robust marketing strategy. It consists of six meta-dimensions, each with four sub-dimensions, for a total of 24 sub-dimensions defining your Marketing Strategy. One of these sub-dimensions is JOB TO BE DONE (JTBD), which falls under the CUSTOMER meta-category
Introduction
"Job to be Done" is the inaugural concept in the Marketing Canvas, positioned under the Customer category. It serves as a litmus test to gauge your understanding of the people who buy, use, or may potentially purchase your products and services. Originating from the realms of Innovation and Entrepreneurship, this concept was first broached by Theodore Levitt in his ground-breaking article, "Marketing Myopia". He famously asserted, "People don't want a quarter-inch drill, they want a quarter-inch hole" (HBR, 1960).
Marketing Canvas by Laurent Bouty - Job To Be Done
What is Job To Be Done?
When devising your commercial strategy, it's paramount to understand the problems your customers are trying to solve or what they aim to achieve. This is where "Job-to-be-done" (JTBD) comes into play. Simply put, JTBD is the ultimate objective that inspires customers to buy products, services, or solutions.
The JTBD framework functions as a lens through which you can scrutinize the circumstances or problems that trigger customers to make purchase decisions. Customers are seldom swayed by what an "average" customer might do. Instead, they are more likely to buy products or services that can address a specific problem they are facing. Knowing the "job" that your customers are "hiring" a product or service for enables you to design and market products that precisely meet their needs.
A crucial aspect to remember is that JTBD is not an activity or a task (like listening to music). Rather, it encapsulates the broader purpose for which customers use a product or service.
Job To Be Done
JTBD: An In-Depth Perspective
Imagine a consumer progressing through life as they know it. Then, an opportunity for self-betterment presents itself, a chance to grow. If they find a product that helps them seize this opportunity, they can evolve into a better version of themselves. As Alan Klement puts it, "A Job To Be Done is the process a consumer goes through whenever she aims to transform her existing life-situation into a preferred one."
Thus, JTBD is about comprehending our inherent desire to evolve. This motivation changes slowly, and consequently, Jobs change slowly. However, products constantly evolve due to technological advancements that facilitate better solutions for our Jobs. Therefore, the focus should be on the JTBD and not the product itself or what the product does.
Tony Ulwick, who developed the JTBD concept, lays down nine key principles that govern the JTBD:
People buy products and services to get a “job” done.
Jobs have functional, emotional, and social aspects.
A Job-to-be-Done is consistent over time.
A Job-to-be-Done is independent of any particular solution.
Making the “job”, rather than the product or the customer, the unit of analysis leads to success.
Understanding the customer’s “job” makes marketing more effective and innovation more predictable.
People want products and services that help them get a job done better and/or more cheaply.
People prefer products and services that enable them to get the entire job done on a single platform.
Tying customer needs to the job-to-be-done makes innovation predictable.
A consumer goes along his life as he’s come to know it. Then things change. He is presented with an opportunity for self-betterment — that is, make changes so he can grow. When or if he finds a product that helps him realize that growth opportunity, he can evolve to that better version of himself he had imagined.
“A Job To Be Done is the process a consumer goes through whenever she aims to transform her existing life-situation into a preferred one.”
Translating JTBD into Action
You must focus not on the product or solution you sell but on the job your customer has hired it for. The product or service they are using today might be satisfactory, but other alternatives could provide a better solution to their job tomorrow.
By observing your (potential) customer, strive to understand the problem they are trying to solve with the product (yours or an alternative). The more critical the job is to the customer, the more value you could potentially add with your solution.
The "Jobs-As-Progress" concept can
help answer several questions such as:
What triggers someone to buy a product for the first time?
How do consumers use markets to adapt in a changing world?
How do consumers shop and switch between products?
Understanding the 'why' behind their behavior can lead to innovative and unique solutions to their problems.
Tool(s) for JTBD
When mapping the key elements of JTBD, it's useful to separate functional outcomes and aspirations. Functional outcomes are tangible and measurable deliverables of a product or service, whereas aspirations carry significant personal value. For example, consider selling drinkable water. Evian promotes life-changing aspirations (live young) as part of their JTBD solution. So, the customer isn't drinking water just because they're thirsty, but because they want to stay young, with quenching thirst being a functional outcome.
In JTBD, we identify:
Unmet Goals: Future experiences a consumer desires but cannot currently attain. These could be functional, emotional personal, or emotional social.
Constraints: Factors that prevent consumers from progressing towards their unmet goals.
Catalysts: Events that create or affect an unmet goal, constraint, or choice set.
Harvard Business School professor Clayton Christensen encapsulates it well, “Jobs aren’t just about function—they have powerful social and emotional dimensions."
Clayton Christensen, professor at Harvard Business School talks about the job to be done.
“When you start to understand the why, your mind is then open to think of creative and original ways to solve the problem.”
Marketing Canvas - Job To Be Done
“Jobs aren’t just about function—they have powerful social and emotional dimensions.”
Statements for Self-Assessment
For a comprehensive evaluation of your understanding and application of the "Job to be Done" concept, rate your agreement with the following statements on a scale from -3 (completely disagree) to +3 (completely agree):
You have clearly identified functional unmet goals and feel confident in addressing them.
You have clearly identified emotional personal unmet goals and feel confident in addressing them.
You have clearly identified emotional social unmet goals and feel confident in addressing them.
Your Job To Be Done is compatible with the concept of sustainability. (!!NEW!!)
Marketing Canvas Method - Assessment - JTBD
Interpretation of the scores:
Negative ccores (-1 to -3): These scores indicate that you disagree or strongly disagree with the statement, meaning you lack confidence in your understanding of the given dimension (whether functional, emotional, or sustainability-related). This suggests a significant gap in comprehending your customers' JTBD, potentially leading to missed opportunities for better alignment with their needs and expectations. A thorough reassessment is necessary to improve your understanding of these dimensions and adjust your strategies accordingly.
Score of zero (0): A neutral score suggests that you are uncertain or only partially aware of your customers’ unmet goals in the specified area. While you may have a surface-level understanding, it lacks depth or clarity. This indicates a need for further research and analysis to enhance your understanding of how your customers' JTBD is evolving.
Positive scores (+1 to +3): Positive scores indicate that you agree or strongly agree with the statement, meaning you have a clear and confident understanding of your customers' functional, emotional, or sustainability-related unmet goals. Higher scores demonstrate a well-developed knowledge, enabling you to tailor your products and marketing strategies effectively to resonate with your customers' JTBD.
The Green Clean use case
Imagine an eco-friendly cleaning company, Green Clean. The JTBD for Green Clean's customers extends beyond "getting a clean house." It might also include emotional and social goals, such as "maintaining a safe and healthy home environment," "reducing their carbon footprint," or "setting a positive example for their children about environmental responsibility." Understanding these broader jobs helps Green Clean more effectively align its services and marketing strategies with their customers' needs.
Misaligned understanding (-3, -2, -1): A negative score reflects disagreement with the statement that Green Clean understands how sustainability fits into their customers' JTBD. If Green Clean focuses solely on the functional aspect of cleaning and fails to recognize the importance of environmental concerns, it shows a significant disconnect from the broader aspirations of its customers. This lack of understanding limits their ability to connect with eco-conscious consumers and may lead to missed opportunities in marketing and service development.
Surface understanding (0): A neutral score indicates uncertainty or a limited grasp of how sustainability factors into their customers’ JTBD. Green Clean may recognize that some customers care about sustainability but does not fully understand how central this is to their decision-making. For example, the company might be aware that environmental responsibility is part of their customers' goals but fails to grasp the emotional and social significance of this aspect. As a result, their understanding of how deeply customers prioritize sustainability remains superficial, causing them to miss out on fully resonating with their audience’s aspirations.
Deep understanding (+1, +2, +3): A positive score indicates agreement with the statement that Green Clean has a clear and deep understanding of the sustainability-driven goals in their customers' JTBD. Green Clean recognizes that sustainability is not just a peripheral concern but a core driver of their customers' decisions. The company understands that their customers seek to make environmentally responsible choices that align with broader personal values, such as reducing waste and contributing to a greener future. This deep understanding allows Green Clean to align their business with the emotional and social drivers behind their customers' JTBD, fostering loyalty and trust.
Sources
JBTD - Alan Klement (www.alanklement.com)
The Fundamentals of Jobs-to-be-Done Theory (customerthink)
Know the Two — Very — Different Interpretations of Jobs to be Done