brand experience customer journey

Customer Journey Maps: How to Create Really Good Ones [Examples + Template]

Updated: April 17, 2024

Published: May 04, 2023

Did you know 70% of online shoppers abandoned their carts in 2022? Why would someone spend time adding products to their cart just to fall off the customer journey map at the last second?

The thing is — understanding your customer base can be very challenging. Even when you think you’ve got a good read on them, the journey from awareness to purchase for each customer will always be unpredictable, at least to some level.

While it isn’t possible to predict every experience with 100% accuracy, customer journey mapping is a convenient tool for keeping track of critical milestones that every customer hits. In this post, I’ll explain everything you need to know about customer journey mapping — what it is, how to create one, and best practices.

Table of Contents

What is the customer journey?

What is a customer journey map, benefits of customer journey mapping, customer journey stages.

• What’s included in a customer journey map?

The Customer Journey Mapping Process

Steps for creating a customer journey map.

• Types of Customer Journey Maps

Customer Journey Mapping Best Practices

• Customer Journey Design
• Customer Journey Map Examples

Free Customer Journey Map Templates

Free Customer Journey Template

Outline your company's customer journey and experience with these 7 free templates.

• Buyer's Journey Template
• Future State Template
• Day-in-the-Life Template

You're all set!

Click this link to access this resource at any time.

The customer journey is the series of interactions a customer has with a brand, product, or business as they become aware of a pain point and make a purchase decision. While the buyer’s journey refers to the general process of arriving at a purchase, the customer journey refers to a buyer's purchasing experience with a specific company or service.

Customer Journey vs. Buyer Journey

Many businesses that I’ve worked with were confused about the differences between the customer’s journey and the buyer’s journey. The buyer’s journey is the entire buying experience from pre-purchase to post-purchase. It covers the path from customer awareness to becoming a product or service user.

In other words, buyers don’t wake up and decide to buy on a whim. They go through a process of considering, evaluating, and purchasing a new product or service.

The customer journey refers to your brand’s place within the buyer’s journey. These are the customer touchpoints where you will meet your customers as they go through the stages of the buyer’s journey. When you create a customer journey map, you’re taking control of every touchpoint at every stage of the journey instead of leaving it up to chance.

For example, at HubSpot, our customer’s journey is divided into three stages — pre-purchase/sales, onboarding/migration, and normal use/renewal.

1. Use customer journey map templates.

Why make a customer journey map from scratch when you can use a template? Save yourself some time by downloading HubSpot’s free customer journey map templates .

This has templates that map out a buyer’s journey, a day in your customer’s life, lead nurturing, and more.

These templates can help sales, marketing, and customer support teams learn more about your company’s buyer persona. This will improve your product and customer experience.

2. Set clear objectives for the map.

Before you dive into your customer journey map, you need to ask yourself why you’re creating one in the first place.

What goals are you directing this map towards? Who is it for? What experience is it based upon?

If you don’t have one, I recommend creating a buyer persona . This persona is a fictitious customer with all the demographics and psychographics of your average customer. This persona reminds you to direct every aspect of your customer journey map toward the right audience.

3. Profile your personas and define their goals.

Next, you should conduct research. This is where it helps to have customer journey analytics ready.

Don’t have them? No worries. You can check out HubSpot’s Customer Journey Analytics tool to get started.

Questionnaires and user testing are great ways to obtain valuable customer feedback. The important thing is to only contact actual customers or prospects.

You want feedback from people interested in purchasing your products and services who have either interacted with your company or plan to do so.

Some examples of good questions to ask are:

• How did you hear about our company?
• What first attracted you to our website?
• What are the goals you want to achieve with our company? In other words, what problems are you trying to solve?
• How long have you/do you typically spend on our website?
• Have you ever made a purchase with us? If so, what was your deciding factor?
• Have you ever interacted with our website to make a purchase but decided not to? If so, what led you to this decision?
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how easily can you navigate our website?
• Did you ever require customer support? If so, how helpful was it, on a scale of 1 to 10?
• Can we further support you to make your process easier?

You can use this buyer persona tool to fill in the details you procure from customer feedback.

4. Highlight your target customer personas.

Once you’ve learned about the customer personas that interact with your business, I recommend narrowing your focus to one or two.

Remember, a customer journey map tracks the experience of a customer taking a particular path with your company. If you group too many personas into one journey, your map won’t accurately reflect that experience.

When creating your first map, it’s best to pick your most common customer persona and consider the route they would typically take when engaging with your business for the first time.

You can use a marketing dashboard to compare each and determine the best fit for your journey map. Don’t worry about the ones you leave out, as you can always go back and create a new map specific to those customer types.

5. List out all touchpoints.

Begin by listing the touchpoints on your website.

What is a touchpoint in a customer journey map?

A touchpoint in a customer journey map is an instance where your customer can form an opinion of your business. You can find touchpoints in places where your business comes in direct contact with a potential or existing customer.

For example, if I were to view a display ad, interact with an employee, reach a 404 error, or leave a Google review, all of those interactions would be considered a customer touchpoint.

Your brand exists beyond your website and marketing materials, so you must consider the different types of touchpoints in your customer journey map. These touchpoints can help uncover opportunities for improvement in the buying journey.

Based on your research, you should have a list of all the touchpoints your customers are currently using and the ones you believe they should be using if there’s no overlap.

This is essential in creating a customer journey map because it provides insight into your customers’ actions.

For instance, if they use fewer touchpoints than expected, does this mean they’re quickly getting turned away and leaving your site early? If they are using more than expected, does this mean your website is complicated and requires several steps to reach an end goal?

Whatever the case, understanding touchpoints help you understand the ease or difficulties of the customer journey.

Aside from your website, you must also look at how your customers might find you online. These channels might include:

• Social channels.
• Email marketing.
• Third-party review sites or mentions.

Run a quick Google search of your brand to see all the pages that mention you. Verify these by checking your Google Analytics to see where your traffic is coming from. Whittle your list down to those touchpoints that are the most common and will be most likely to see an action associated with it.

At HubSpot, we hosted workshops where employees from all over the company highlighted instances where our product, service, or brand impacted a customer. Those moments were recorded and logged as touchpoints. This showed us multiple areas of our customer journey where our communication was inconsistent.

The proof is in the pudding — you can see us literally mapping these touch points out with sticky notes in the image below.

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Outline your company's customer journey and experience with these 7 free customer journey map templates.

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The customer journey — definition, stages, and benefits

Businesses need to understand their customers to increase engagement, sales, and retention. But building an understanding with your customers isn’t easy.

The customer journey is the road a person takes to convert, but this journey isn’t always obvious to business owners. Understanding every step of that journey is key to business success. After reading this article, you’ll understand the customer journey better and how to use it to improve the customer experience while achieving your business goals.

This post will discuss:

• What a customer journey is

Customer journey stages

Benefits of knowing the customer journey.

• What a customer journey map is

How to create a customer journey map

Use the customer journey map to optimize the customer experience, what is a customer journey.

The customer journey is a series of steps — starting with brand awareness before a person is even a customer — that leads to a purchase and eventual customer loyalty. Businesses use the customer journey to better understand their customers’ experience, with the goal of optimizing that experience at every touchpoint.

Giving customers a positive customer experience is important for getting customers to trust a business, so optimizing the customer journey has never mattered more. By mastering the customer journey, you can design customer experiences that will lead to better customer relationships, loyalty, and long-term retention .

Customer journey vs. the buyer journey

The stages of the customer’s journey are different from the stages of the buyer’s journey. The buyer’s journey follows the customer experience from initial awareness of a brand to buying a product. The customer journey extends beyond the purchase and follows how customers interact with your product and how they share it with others.

Every lead goes through several stages to become a loyal customer. The better this experience is for customers at each stage, the more likely your leads are to stick around.

Ensure that your marketing, sales, and customer service teams optimize for these five stages of the customer journey:

1. Awareness

In the awareness phase, your target audience is just becoming aware of your brand and products. They need information or a solution to a problem, so they search for that information via social media and search engines.

For example, if someone searches on Google for pens for left-handed people, their customer journey begins when they’re first aware of your brand’s left-handed pen.

At this stage, potential customers learn about your business via web content, social media, influencers, and even their friends and family. However, this isn’t the time for hard sells. Customers are simply gathering information at this stage, so you should focus first on answering their questions and building trust.

2. Consideration

In the consideration phase, customers begin to consider your brand as a solution to their problem. They’re comparing your products to other businesses and alternative solutions, so you need to give these shoppers a reason to stick around.

Consideration-stage customers want to see product features that lean heavily toward solving problems and content that doesn’t necessarily push a sale. At this stage, businesses need to position their solution as a better alternative. For example, a nutrition coaching app might create content explaining the differences between using the app and working with an in-person nutritionist — while subtly promoting the benefits of choosing the app.

3. Purchase

The purchase stage is also called the decision stage because at this stage customers are ready to make a buying decision. Keep in mind that their decision might be to go with a competing solution, so purchase-stage buyers won’t always convert to your brand.

As a business, it’s your job to persuade shoppers at this stage to buy from you. Provide information on pricing, share comparison guides to showcase why you’re the superior option, and set up abandoned cart email sequences.

4. Retention

The customer journey doesn’t end once a shopper makes their first purchase. Once you’ve converted a customer, you need to focus on keeping them around and driving repeat business. Sourcing new customers is often more expensive than retaining existing clients, so this strategy can help you cut down on marketing costs and increase profits.

The key to the retention stage is to maintain positive, engaging relationships between your brand and its customers. Try strategies like regular email outreach, coupons and sales, or exclusive communities to encourage customer loyalty.

5. Advocacy

In the advocacy stage, customers are so delighted with your products and services that they spread the word to their friends and family. This goes a step beyond retention because the customer is actively encouraging other people to make purchases.

Customer journeys don’t have a distinct end because brands should always aim to please even their most loyal customers. In the advocacy stage of the customer journey, you can offer referral bonuses, loyalty programs, and special deals for your most active customers to encourage further advocacy.

Being aware of the customer journey helps shed more light on your target audience’s expectations and needs. In fact, 80% of companies compete primarily on customer experience. This means optimizing the customer journey will not only encourage your current customers to remain loyal but will also make you more competitive in acquiring new business.

More specifically, acknowledging the customer journey can help you:

• Understand customer behavior. Classifying every action your customers take will help you figure out why they do what they do. When you understand a shopper’s “why,” you’re better positioned to support their needs.
• Identify touchpoints to reach the customer. Many businesses invest in multichannel marketing, but not all of these touchpoints are valuable. By focusing on the customer journey, you’ll learn which of these channels are the most effective for generating sales. This helps businesses save time and money by focusing on only the most effective channels.
• Analyze the stumbling blocks in products or services. If leads frequently bail before buying, that could be a sign that something is wrong with your product or buying experience. Being conscious of the customer journey can help you fix issues with your products or services before they become a more expensive problem.
• Support your marketing efforts. Marketing requires a deep familiarity with your target audience. Documenting the customer journey makes it easier for your marketing team to meet shoppers’ expectations and solve their pain points.
• Increase customer engagement. Seeing the customer journey helps your business target the most relevant audience for your product or service. Plus, it improves the customer experience and increases engagement. In fact, 29.6% of customers will refuse to embrace branded digital channels if they have a poor experience, so increasing positive customer touchpoints has never been more important.
• Achieve more conversions. Mapping your customers’ journey can help you increase conversions by tailoring and personalizing your approach and messages to give your audience exactly what they want.
• Generate more ROI. You need to see a tangible return on your marketing efforts. Fortunately, investing in the customer journey improves ROI across the board. For example, brands with a good customer experience can increase revenue by 2–7% .
• Improve customer satisfaction and loyalty. Today, 94% of customers say a positive experience motivates them to make future purchases. Optimizing the customer journey helps you meet shopper expectations, which increases satisfaction and loyalty.

What is a customer journey map?

A customer journey map is a visual representation of every step your customer takes from being a lead to eventually becoming an advocate for your brand. The goal of customer journey mapping is to simplify the complex process of how customers interact with your brand at every stage of their journey.

Businesses shouldn’t use a rigid, one-size-fits-all customer journey map. Instead, they should plan flexible, individual types of customer journeys — whether they’re based on a certain demographic or on individual customer personas. To design the most effective customer journey map, your brand needs to understand a customer’s:

• Actions. Learn which actions your customer takes at every stage. Look for common patterns. For example, you might see that consideration-stage shoppers commonly look for reviews.
• Motivations. Customer intent matters. A person’s motivations change at every stage of the customer journey, and your map needs to account for that. Include visual representation of the shopper’s motivations at each stage. At the awareness stage, their motivation might be to gather information to solve their problem. At the purchase stage, it might be to get the lowest price possible.
• Questions. Brands can take customers’ common questions at every stage of the customer journey and reverse-engineer them into useful content. For example, shoppers at the consideration stage might ask, “What’s the difference between a DIY car wash and hiring a professional detailer?” You can offer content that answers their question while subtly promoting your car detailing business.
• Pain points. Everybody has a problem that they’re trying to solve, whether by just gathering intel or by purchasing products. Recognizing your leads’ pain points will help you craft proactive, helpful marketing campaigns that solve their biggest problems.

Customer journey touchpoints

Every stage of the customer journey should also include touchpoints. Customer touchpoints are the series of interactions with your brand — such as an ad on Facebook, an email, or a website chatbot — that occur at the various stages of the customer journey across multiple channels. A customer’s actions, motivations, questions, and pain points will differ at each stage and at each touchpoint.

For example, a customer searching for a fishing rod and reading posts about how they’re made will have very different motivations and questions from when later comparing specs and trying to stay within budget. Likewise, that same customer will have different pain points when calling customer service after buying a particular rod.

It might sound like more work, but mapping the entire customer journey helps businesses create a better customer experience throughout the entire lifecycle of a customer’s interaction with your brand.

Before jumping into the steps of how to create the customer journey map, first be clear that your customer journey map needs to illustrate the following:

• Customer journey stages. Ensure that your customer journey map includes every stage of the customer journey. Don’t just focus on the stages approaching the purchase — focus on the retention and advocacy stages as well.
• Touchpoints. Log the most common touchpoints customers have at every stage. For example, awareness-stage touchpoints might include your blog, social media, or search engines. Consideration-stage touchpoints could include reviews or demo videos on YouTube. You don’t need to list all potential touchpoints. Only list the most common or relevant touchpoints at each stage.
• The full customer experience. Customers’ actions, motivations, questions, and pain points will change at every stage — and every touchpoint — during the customer journey. Ensure your customer journey map touches on the full experience for each touchpoint.
• Your brand’s solutions. Finally, the customer journey map needs to include a branded solution for each stage and touchpoint. This doesn’t necessarily mean paid products. For example, awareness-stage buyers aren’t ready to make a purchase, so your brand’s solution at this stage might be a piece of gated content. With these necessary elements in mind, creating an effective customer journey map is a simple three-step process.

1. Create buyer personas

A buyer persona is a fictitious representation of your target audience. It’s a helpful internal tool that businesses use to better understand their audience’s background, assumptions, pain points, and needs. Each persona differs in terms of actions, motivations, questions, and pain points, which is why businesses need to create buyer personas before they map the customer journey.

To create a buyer persona, you will need to:

• Gather and analyze customer data. Collect information on your customers through analytics, surveys, and market research.
• Segment customers into specific buying groups. Categorize customers into buying groups based on shared characteristics — such as demographics or location. This will give you multiple customer segments to choose from.
• Build the personas. Select the segment you want to target and build a persona for that segment. At a minimum, the buyer persona needs to define the customers’ basic traits, such as their personal background, as well as their motivations and pain points.

For example, ClearVoice created a buyer persona called “John The Marketing Manager.” The in-depth persona details the target customer’s pain points, pet peeves, and potential reactions to help ClearVoice marketers create more customer-focused experiences.

2. List the touchpoints at each customer journey stage

Now that you’ve created your buyer personas, you need to sketch out each of the five stages of the customer journey and then list all of the potential touchpoints each buyer persona has with your brand at every one of these five stages. This includes listing the most common marketing channels where customers can interact with you. Remember, touchpoints differ by stage, so it’s critical to list which touchpoints happen at every stage so you can optimize your approach for every buyer persona.

Every customer’s experience is different, but these touchpoints most commonly line up with each stage of the customer journey:

• Awareness. Advertising, social media, company blog, referrals from friends and family, how-to videos, streaming ads, and brand activation events.
• Consideration. Email, sales calls, SMS, landing pages, and reviews.
• Purchase. Live chat, chatbots, cart abandonment emails, retargeting ads, and product print inserts.
• Retention. Thank you emails, product walkthroughs, sales follow-ups, and online communities.
• Advocacy. Surveys, loyalty programs, and in-person events.

Leave no stone unturned. Logging the most relevant touchpoints at each stage eliminates blind spots and ensures your brand is there for its customers, wherever they choose to connect with you.

3. Map the customer experience at each touchpoint

Now that you’ve defined each touchpoint at every stage of the customer journey, it’s time to detail the exact experience you need to create for each touchpoint. Every touchpoint needs to consider the customer’s:

• Actions. Describe how the customer got to this touchpoint and what they’re going to do now that they’re here.
• Motivations. Specify how the customer feels at this moment. Are they frustrated, confused, curious, or excited? Explain why they feel this way.
• Questions. Every customer has questions. Anticipate the questions someone at this stage and touchpoint would have — and how your brand can answer those questions.
• Pain points. Define the problem the customer has — and how you can solve that problem at this stage. For example, imagine you sell women’s dress shoes. You’re focusing on the buyer persona of a 36-year-old Canadian woman who works in human resources. Her touchpoints might include clicking on your Facebook ad, exploring your online shop, but then abandoning her cart. After receiving a coupon from you, she finally buys. Later, she decides to exchange the shoes for a different color. After the exchange, she leaves a review. Note how she acts at each of these touchpoints and detail her likely pain points, motivations, and questions, for each scenario. Note on the map where you intend to respond to the customer’s motivations and pain points with your brand’s solutions. If you can create custom-tailored solutions for every stage of the funnel, that’s even better.

A positive customer experience is the direct result of offering customers personalized, relevant, or meaningful content and other brand interactions. By mapping your customers’ motivations and pain points with your brand’s solutions, you’ll find opportunities to improve the customer experience. When you truly address their deepest needs, you’ll increase engagement and generate more positive reviews.

Follow these strategies to improve the customer experience with your customer journey map:

• Prioritize objectives. Identify the stages of the customer journey where your brand has the strongest presence and take advantage of those points. For example, if leads at the consideration stage frequently subscribe to your YouTube channel, that gives you more opportunities to connect with loyal followers.
• Use an omnichannel approach to engage customers. Omnichannel marketing allows businesses to gather information and create a more holistic view of the customer journey. This allows you to personalize the customer experience on another level entirely. Use an omnichannel analytics solution that allows you to capture and analyze the true cross-channel experience.
• Personalize interactions at every stage. The goal of mapping the customer journey is to create more personalized, helpful experiences for your audience at every stage and touchpoint. For example, with the right data you can personalize the retail shopping experience and customer’s website experience.
• Cultivate a mutually trusting relationship. When consumer trust is low, brands have to work even harder to earn their customers’ trust. Back up your marketing promises with good customer service, personalized incentives, and loyalty programs.

Getting started with customer journeys

Customer journeys are complicated in an omnichannel environment, but mapping these journeys can help businesses better understand their customers. Customer journey maps help you deliver the exact experience your customers expect from your business while increasing engagement and sales.

When you’re ready to get started, trace the interactions your customers have at each stage of their journey with your brand. Adobe Customer Journey Analytics — a service built on Adobe Experience Platform — can break down, filter, and query years’ worth of data and combine it from every channel into a single interface. Real-time, omnichannel analysis and visualization let companies make better decisions with a holistic view of their business and the context behind every customer action.

Learn more about Customer Journey Analytics by watching the overview video .

https://business.adobe.com/blog/perspectives/introducing-adobes-customer-journey-maturity-model

https://business.adobe.com/blog/how-to/create-customer-journey-maps

https://business.adobe.com/blog/basics/what-is-customer-journey-map

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Brand experience: Why it matters and how to build one that works

Written by by Annette Chacko

Published on  June 7, 2023

Reading time  10 minutes

At the end of the day, we want to cut through the noise and leave a lasting impression that grabs market share. But an ever-crowded space filled with brands and creators means your relevancy is always at risk.

When a brand experience is consistently good, it champions powerful brand recall, turns customers into advocates and builds credibility that ultimately increases your repeat business.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to build an exceptional brand experience with a step-by-step brand strategy framework that adapts to your customers’ needs, plus social listening examples that show how sentiment mining drives ongoing customer growth and retention.

What is brand experience?

Brand experience is the sum of all the feelings—joy, nostalgia, excitement—consumers experience during their engagement with a brand. This could be via your social media channels, website, in-store, during events or with your customer care team. All these customer touchpoints contribute to shaping the overall brand experience and leaving a lasting impression.

Your audience’s reaction to your brand, or their brand experience feedback, helps you gain insights into their preferences and motivations, and predict future buying behaviors. Unlike customer experience, brand experience extends beyond the act of purchasing a product or service, so feedback may not be directly from a customer and instead reflect the general perception of your brand.

The elements of a good brand experience

A well-developed brand experience differentiates you from competitors and engages your audiences and customers on a deep emotional level. This, coupled with an exceptional customer experience, ultimately drives customer acquisition and retention to fuel your business growth.

Here are the key elements of a good brand experience:

Consistency across touchpoints

Giving your audience a consistent experience requires cohesive brand messaging, visual elements, online user experience and customer service. It also means a unified experience across all the channels you use such as your website, social media, mobile apps, advertising or physical stores.

Effective communication

Consistency in your content and communication across all touchpoints is crucial for a great brand experience. Your brand voice and storytelling need to match the wavelength of your target audience so it resonates with their needs while staying rooted in your brand.

Choose what narrative you want to build and follow it through in all your communications. For example, if you want to focus your brand narrative around your product, ensure your content has the same flow across all social channels. In fact, The Sprout Social Index™ 2023 shows that posts about products are the most effective type of content among consumers.

Emotional connection

A successful brand experience evokes a positive emotional connection with its audience. Customers go through a range of emotions (like happiness, inspiration or nostalgia) when they interact with a brand, and when the experience is positive, it creates a lasting impact that fosters brand loyalty.

By giving them something they want, you make customers feel like they are important and their opinions matter.

Personalization

Personalizing your brand experience to match customer personas and preferences adds value and creates a sense of personal connection with your brand. Analyze feedback data with sentiment analysis to develop targeted content and customized offers that increase customer delight.

Customer engagement and participation

When customers feel like they are part of your brand, it instills a sense of ownership in them. This means encouraging customer-generated content, social media interactions, soliciting customer feedback and choosing relatable brand ambassadors to encourage advocacy.

Why does brand experience matter?

A memorable brand experience boosts brand recall and nurtures current and potential customers. This further strengthens your efforts to build brand loyalty and trust—two things that influence up to 58% of consumers’ decision to choose a brand over competitors, according to The Sprout Social Index 2022™.

Let’s dive into the advantages in detail.

It helps with market differentiation

A unique brand experience separates you from the competition. Whether it’s a catchy jingle, a mascot (think: the Gerber baby), exclusive behind-the-scene footage or curated in-store interactions, an immersive brand experience establishes a distinct and memorable identity for your brand.

Enhances customer experience

A unique brand experience captures customers’ attention, provides excellent customer care and encourages authentic engagement, leading to an elevated customer experience. Happy and engaged consumers are more likely to spend time interacting with your brand and explore your offerings with an open mind .

Fosters customer loyalty

When a good brand experience fuels your customer experience, it enables businesses to connect with customers on an emotional level that turns casual buyers into repeat customers. It increases the chances of customers becoming brand advocates, sharing their positive experiences on social or through word-of-mouth.

Builds brand equity

When a customer has a powerful brand experience and feels the brand aligns with their personal value, they use that as a benchmark when engaging with other brands. Our 2022 Index shows that 40% of consumers will choose such a brand over its competitors. This raises your brand’s perceived value, which ultimately leads to higher brand equity.

Drives profitability

All the above advantages of a great brand experience contribute to a higher customer lifetime value (CLV) that increases profitability. Customers who truly feel connected to a brand tend to be less price sensitive because they value quality over price. They also contribute to a recurring sales revenue model.

What is a brand experience strategy?

A brand experience strategy is a framework outlining your plan of action to develop and implement an impactful brand experience throughout the customer journey. It is based on customer interaction, engagement and relationships and aims to measure and improve all these aspects.

How to monitor and improve brand experience in 5 steps

Building a brand experience strategy that provides a foundation for business longevity and customer retention needs foresight and structure. Here are five critical steps to develop a stellar brand experience.

1. Understand yourself, your customers and your competition

A strong brand experience starts from an understanding of your strengths and weaknesses so you know how best to provide value to your customers. In addition, you’ll need to know your target audience’s purchase motivations, buying behavior and opinions on competing brands. And, of course, keep an eye on how your competitors are playing the field and how audiences are responding to them.

That is a lot of information to keep track of and social listening data is often a crucial partner in this endeavour. According to The 2023 State of Social Media Report , 91% of business leaders say social listening impacts their critical customer insights.

Social listening involves analyzing conversations on social media and review platforms related to your brand and industry, which you can use to make better decisions. Sprout’s social listening tool analyzes hashtags and keywords, and captures trends from conversations across social networks like Twitter, Instagram and Reddit.

We synthesize the results into insightful reports that show how people are talking about and engaging with your brand, competitors and industry. These reports, when combined with other business intelligence you’ve gathered, give a holistic view of your entire brand experience so you have tangible insights into how you can elevate your brand.

2. Define your goals and objectives

Once you have a full scope of your business environment, you must define your goals and objectives. This could mean deciding what brand perception you want to build, how you want to differentiate from competitors or what emotions you want associated with your brand. Ensure your targets are achievable and connected to business goals.

Establishing this direction will help you obtain buy-in across teams, as you’ll need support from your entire organization to build and improve your brand experience.

3. Collect and analyze customer feedback

To get unbiased, relevant and targeted brand insights, this step requires collaboration between human expertise and intelligent automation that leverages artificial intelligence (AI) techniques like natural language processing (NLP) , text analysis and emotion mining. Here’s how to use both to get relevant customer feedback:

Data collection

Collect customer feedback from a variety of data sources to get reliable and holistic results. These include social listening data from relevant social networks (TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, Twitter, etc.), review websites (TrustPilot, G2), forums (Reddit), sales emails and other business-critical channels.

If you conduct a survey to solicit feedback, ask customers specific questions about their interactions with your brand such as “What do you like most about our products?”. Allow for open-ended responses, like the example below from Yves Rocher, so customers have a chance to mention information on topics you may have missed in your questionnaire.

Once you’ve chosen your feedback sources, use a social listening tool, like Sprout, to capture and synthesize accurate brand experience insights from the data.

Text analysis

Text analysis classifies and processes text from social and review sites using NLP and machine learning (ML) to understand the conversational lingo and break it down into topics and themes for thorough data mining.

Sprout automatically collects and consolidates information from a variety of sources such as Facebook, Instagram, TripAdvisor and Google My Business, and analyzes the feedback data through text analysis.

NLP tasks such as topic classification use machine learning to attach a theme (food, drink, accommodation) to the feedback data. Semantic classification further ensures there are no duplicates. Named entity recognition (NER) helps Sprout to recognize brand names, locations and other named entities so it can draw insights based on authors, competitors or store locations.

All these AI and ML techniques ultimately analyze massive amounts of qualitative data quickly and accurately to give insights most relevant to your brand.

Sentiment analysis

Once all the data is processed and run through the text pipeline, sentiment analysis interprets it for brand sentiment. Sentiment is measured for topics and categories and assigned positive, negative and neutral scores. These are aggregated so you get a holistic sentiment score for your brand and individual topics.

With Sprout, customize listening topics based on specific social campaigns and get targeted insights. These insights are presented as intuitive reports that can then be shared with multiple teams to improve the overall brand experience.

AI-driven business intelligence tools depend a great deal on the quality and relevance of the data they analyze to provide accurate results. For this, you need to choose data sources most relevant to your objectives based on key factors like social media demographics , market segmentation and audience demographics. This is where your experience and expertise become most essential to the process.

4. Adjust your strategy based on learnings

Once you’ve completed the data analysis, apply the results to your brand strategy. Consider taking these actions:

• Categorize insights from your feedback analysis for a holistic view of your current brand experience.
• Prioritize areas that need immediate attention and take actions to address customer pain points consciously.
• Build on what customers expect from you and cover all customer-journey touchpoints, such as in-store experience, website user interface (UI) and user experience (UX), social networks, sales and customer service.
• Make sure your brand experience is consistent across all mediums (videos, social posts, events, TV ads).
• Pay special attention to your social media presence for stronger customer engagement and support. This is key, given that 22% of customers expect you to respond on social media within 1-2 hours, per 2022 Index data.

5. Measure your brand experience and track it regularly

Monitor and measure your brand experience continuously with metrics that speak to your customer experience, customer engagement, brand perception and reputation, customer retention and revenue.

Assess the effectiveness of your brand strategy against these metrics in conjunction with your objectives on an ongoing basis to proactively meet customer and market shifts.

3 Brand experience examples

These examples demonstrate how brands can use social listening analytics to truly understand their audience and build thriving brand experiences that support their growth.

Netflix garners tons of social media comments from its 232 million subscribers. They leveraged this massive source of customer opinions for robust insights to build a brand voice that’s authentic and differentiated from others.

They also leaned into social listening to draw inspiration for relatable content and create unique, ownable moments on social (Netflix memes). Based on their audience’s social conversations, they developed new content categories like “Netflix is a joke” and “strong black lead” and dedicated Twitter handles to drive awareness with compelling storytelling that added to the conversation while increasing engagement.

2. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls wanted to revitalize their brand experience to engage and connect with fans on a deeper level. Through Sprout’s analytics and Advanced Listening, the Bulls sought to uncover emerging trends amongst their audiences and better understand what content resonated most. They also dove into audience attitudes and opinions for insights based on audience demographics and geographic location.

As a result, they found opportunities to level up their entire social presence by creating compelling and interactive content (behind-the-scenes footage, interactive fan contests and player features), and responding to fan comments and posts that don’t tag them but are about the team.

@chicagobulls POV: Soaring around the court before tip off 😎 #nba #tipoff #basketball #chicagobulls #pov #nba ♬ original sound – Chicago Bulls

This further solidified their place amongst the passionate sports fan community. With improved content, community management and authentic engagement, the Bulls raised their brand experience on social while implementing efficient data flows that enable timely optimizations.

3. NutriSense

Health technology company NutriSense wanted to reinforce its brand mission to achieve better health with a compelling brand experience on social that educates while impacting the marketing funnel. They used Sprout to gain data-driven insights into customer opinions and preferences that would transform interactions with their audience. They discovered user-generated content was the key to achieving their goal and fueling audience engagement.

NutriSense adjusted their content strategy to incorporate posts that encouraged customers to share candid feedback about using NutriSense’s health suite. Using Sprout’s Smart Inbox , they actively monitored and engaged with respondents to keep the conversation going and collect user-generated content.

This personalized interaction created a deeper sense of community, built a safe and supportive environment for customers and helped develop social proof around the brand. With this elevated brand experience, Nutrisense’s social media engagement grew by 45% within 18 months and their community saw an increase of 469%.

Start building a brand experience your customers love

Your brand experience is a dynamic process that needs to be continuously refined to reflect your customers’ changing preferences and adapt to moving market trends. It starts with a strong foundation that takes advantage of the billions of customer insights waiting to be harnessed with social listening. By listening to the conversations that reveal your audience’s needs, aspirations and ideas, you create an environment that continually feeds customer loyalty while proactively improving your brand’s reputation.

Read how you can take measured steps to refine and polish your brand perception in the market on an ongoing basis.

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The definitive 8-step customer journey mapping process

In business, as in life, it's the customer's journey that makes the company's destination worth all the trouble. No customer wants to jump through several different hoops to get to your product: they want it fast and they want it now.

Following certain customer journey mapping stages helps you improve your user's experience (UX) to create a product they love interacting with, ensures you stay ahead of key workflow tasks, and keeps stakeholders aligned. But a misaligned map can derail your plans—leading to dissatisfied users who don’t stick around long enough to convert or become loyal customers.

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This article walks you through the eight key stages of great customer journey mapping, and shows you how to adapt each to your unique business and product to optimize the customer experience from start to finish. 

Learn how customers interact with your product and website

Hotjar's Observe and Ask tools let you go ‘behind the scenes’ to understand your users’ product experiences and improve their customer journey.

An 8-step process for effective customer journey mapping

A customer journey map is a visualization of every point of interaction a user has with your company and product.

Mapping out the customer journey gives you insights into your buyers’ behavior to help you make changes that improve your website and the user flow between touchpoints. This helps you increase online sales and turn users into loyal customers and brand advocates.

Follow these eight proven steps to understand—and enhance—the customer experience.

Note: every business is distinct, so be sure to adapt these steps to your particular user and business needs. 

1. Define your purpose

The first step to creating a successful customer journey map is to define your product's vision or purpose. Without a clear purpose, your actions will be misguided and you won’t know what you want users to achieve during their journey on your website, product page, or web app. 

To define your purpose, consider your company’s mission statement and incorporate your specific user pain points as much as possible. 

Make your purpose specific to your company’s needs and goals—for example, the purpose of an ecommerce brand looking to help users navigate several different products and make multiple purchases will differ from that of a SaaS company selling subscriptions for one core product.

2. Make sure your team is aligned and roles are clear

Cross-functional collaboration is essential when mapping out your brand's or product’s user journey. Get insights from different teams within your organization to find out exactly how users engage with key touchpoints to derive a holistic sense of the user experience (UX), which will help you improve every aspect of the customer experience.

Lisa Schuck , marketing lead at Airship , emphasizes the importance of keeping “anybody that has a touchpoint with a customer” involved. She advises teams to “figure out how to align your external marketing and sales with your internal operations and service.”

Although sales, product, and marketing departments are often the key players in customer journey mapping, also involve your operations and design teams that are responsible for creating the user flow. 

If you have a SaaS company, for example, marketing creatives, sales teams, product owners and designers, and your customer experience department all need to participate in the process. Clearly define who’s responsible for different aspects of the map, and regularly check in to make sure your final map isn’t missing any important perspectives.

Pro tip: use Hotjar's Highlights feature to collect and organize key product experience (PX) insights and data on user behavior from teams across your organization to help you build your customer journey map. Then use Hotjar’s Slack integration to quickly share learnings with your relevant stakeholders to get buy-in and ensure everyone is aligned.

Hotjar’s Slack integration Slack lets teams discuss insights in the moment, so they’re up to date with critical issues 

3. Create user personas

Once you’ve defined your purpose and involved all relevant stakeholders, it’s time to design your user personas . Use resources like UXPressia and HubSpot’s Make My Persona tool to help you design various product personas . 

Create a range of user personas to understand what each type of buyer needs to curate a journey that’s easy and enjoyable for every customer. This is an important early step in the customer journey mapping process—because if you don’t understand your users, you won’t be able to fully comprehend how they interact with your brand to better it.

Create user personas for all your product’s possible buyers—for example, to map out a B2B customer journey for a company in the hospitality business means developing personas for a range of different customers, from large chain hotel managers to small vacation rental owners. 

4. Understand your user goals

Once you’ve designed your user personas, it’s time to define their jobs to be done . What do your users hope to accomplish when they search for your product or service? What do they want to do when they click on your website? Address and answer these questions to build a deep understanding of your users’ goals and pain points to inform your customer journey.

In a SaaS customer journey , perhaps users are looking for helpful comparisons of product features on your website, or want to easily sign up for a trial account in the hopes that your product will solve their problems. But you won’t know until you ask . 

Once you have users or test users, get direct insights from them with Hotjar's Feedback tools and Surveys to ask buyers exactly what their goals are as they browse different pages of your website or interact with product features.

Since user goals are at the center of your customer journey map, define them early on—but keep speaking to your users throughout the entire process to make sure you’re up to date with their needs.

5. Identify customer touchpoints

After you understand your users and what their goals are, it’s time to identify the ways they interact with your company and your product. 

"Touchpoints are the moments the customer interacts with your brand, be it through social media channels, your product, or customer support. The quality of these experiences affects the overall customer experience, which is why it’s important to be aware of them. Consider what happens before, during, and after a customer makes a purchase or uses your product."

Key customer journey touchpoints for a website or product include your homepage, landing pages, product pages, CTA buttons, sign-up forms, social media accounts, and paid ads. 

Collaboration is key to identifying touchpoints throughout the entire customer journey. Include insights from different teams and stakeholders —your marketing and sales teams will have a strong understanding of the touchpoints involved pre-purchase, while the customer experience department can shed light on post-purchase touchpoints. 

Post-purchase touchpoints can help turn users into loyal customers and even advocates for your brand. 

In the words of Lisa Schuck, "When you create a raving fan, or a brand advocate, who goes out and tells the world how wonderful you are, you get social credibility and validity. It’s becoming more and more important to have advocates."

Pro tip : speak with your users regularly to get direct voice-of-the-customer (VoC) insights on what they love and what frustrates them on their journey. Place Hotjar Feedback widgets and Surveys at key website touchpoints like your homepage and landing pages to get valuable user insights on what you can improve. Use Hotjar’s survey templates to get inspiration for your survey questions. 

An example of an on-site Hotjar Survey

6. Map out the customer journey

Once your user and product research are complete and all roles are distributed, it’s time to map out the full customer journey.

First, map out an overarching customer journey by putting your key touchpoints in order and identifying how your various user personas interact with them. Then, home in on the details, looking at how customers engage with specific aspects of your website, product, or social media accounts. 

Breaking down the mapping process into smaller phases will ensure you don’t miss any key interactions. 

Here’s how an ecommerce brand could lay out general touchpoints, then narrow each down into more specific actions:

Pro tip : it’s helpful to think of the user journey in terms of different functions when mapping it out, like:

Connect: how are buyers connecting with your brand?

Attract: how are you convincing them to convert?

Serve: how are you serving customers when they want to purchase?

Retain: how are you promoting brand advocacy and customer retention ?

7. Test the customer journey

Once you’ve mapped out the customer journey, it’s time to take it for a spin. You can’t understand how your users move through customer touchpoints unless you test out the user flow yourself. 

Start with an informational Google search, then visit your website, check out your social media pages, and simulate the purchase process. This will help you get a better sense of how users interact with each touchpoint and how easy it is to move between them. 

Be sure to try out the journey from the standpoint of every relevant user persona. For an enterprise software company, this could mean looking at how decision-makers move through the user flow vs. the employees who’ll use your software day to day. 

By walking through the customer journey yourself, you can identify issues and difficulties that users may have to address them proactively. 

Try out the user flow with test users to get a realistic perspective of the user experience. Be sure to use focus groups that represent every one of your user personas. 

8. Use continuous research to refine your map 

Continuously map out, analyze, and evaluate the customer journey by observing users and getting their feedback. Hotjar Heatmaps and Recordings help you understand how your users are experiencing the customer journey on your website: create heatmaps to see whether users are clicking on CTAs or key buttons, and watch recordings to find out how they navigate once they reach your homepage.

Then, use Google Analytics to get an overview of your website traffic and understand how customers from different channels move through the user journey. 

Finally, once you have these combined user insights, use them to make changes on your website and create a user journey that is more intuitive and enjoyable.

Pitfalls to avoid during the customer journey mapping stages

Jamie Irwin , director & search marketing expert at Straight Up Search , says companies should avoid these three common mistakes when mapping out the customer journey:

Don't map out the entire customer journey at once

Don't forget about the ‘hidden journeys’

Don't make assumptions about customer behavior

To sidestep these common pitfalls: 

Start by mapping out the overall journey, and only drill down into more detail once you have a broader, higher-level overview of the customer journey

Factor in every way that customers interact with your brand, even the ones you don’t have as much visibility on, like ‘dark social’ communications about your brand shared in private channels. Talk to your users to find out what they’ve heard about your brand outside of public channels , and use sticky share buttons to keep track of when your content’s shared through email or social media messengers.

Take a data-informed approach: don’t assume you already know your users —test out your hypotheses with real users and qualitative and quantitative data. 

Follow proven steps to successfully map out the customer journey 

Take the time to understand your business goals and users, involve the right teams, and test frequently to consistently improve your customer journey and make the decisions that will help you map out an experience that will get you happy and loyal customers.

FAQs about customer journey mapping stages

What is the purpose of customer journey mapping.

Customer journey mapping helps you visualize how users interact with your business and product, from the moment they find it until long after they make their first purchase. 

The purpose of customer journey mapping is to gain insights into the buyer's journey to create a more enjoyable, streamlined, and intuitive experience for your customers.

What are the benefits of following a customer journey mapping process?

The main benefits of a customer journey mapping process are: : 

Building on tried-and-tested processes

Not missing any key steps

Considering all buyer personas

Keeping all relevant stakeholders involved

Creating a valuable customer journey map 

Improving user experience

What happens if you don’t follow key steps in customer journey mapping?

If you don’t follow key steps when mapping out the customer journey, your map likely won’t give you the insights you need to enhance the experience users have with your most important touchpoints —like your homepage, landing pages, CTAs, and product pages. 

This can result in high bounce rates, low conversion, and unsatisfied users who fail to become loyal customers.

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.css-14us1xl{box-sizing:border-box;margin:0;min-width:0;white-space:pre-wrap;} Customer Journey: Stages, Mapping & Examples

Customer journeys can be elusive. Learn more about customer journey mapping and how it can help brands create better experiences for their customers.

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What is a customer journey?

What is a customer journey map, five stages of customer journey [key phases], examples of successful customer journey implementation by brands.

The customer journey is the sum of all the interactions a customer has with a brand before, during and after a purchase. A smooth, effortless customer journey can ensure a prospect converts into a customer in the quickest time possible.  

Brands need to factor in consumer needs and behavioral patterns when mapping out customer journeys to deliver a great end-to-end customer experience (CX) and achieve their business goals faster.

A customer journey map helps brands visualize all the interactions a prospect or customer has with the brand, product, or service. These interactions, also called touchpoints, can vary in number depending on your customers’ preferences, their end goals, and the channels through which they interact with your brand. A detailed customer journey map can help you understand your customer pain points and customize individual touchpoints accordingly.

Why is the customer journey important?

Having a firm understanding of how customers engage with your brand lets you accomplish the following:

Having a firm understanding of how customers engage with your brand lets you accomplish the following: 

Today’s customers have more options than ever and have much higher expectations regarding product, price and service than ever before. To meet and exceed those expectations, brands must identify their customers’ likes and preferences.

With a clear view of the customer journey and the various phases a customer navigates to address their objective, brands can deliver superior experiences to their customers.

#2. Faster conversion

If this transition isn’t smooth, your customers may not feel invested enough to continue their journey to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. A customer journey that is free from obstacles, such as an inconsistent experience when switching between touchpoints, impacts your conversion rate.

#3. Customer delight

A customer’s journey doesn’t come to an end immediately after they’ve made a purchase. A happy and satisfied customer often comes back for more. In fact, they become loyal brand advocates, increasing brand affinity. 

Audience analysis and designing persona-driven journeys will help create more positive “moments of truth” — a significant brand-customer interaction whereby the customer forms or changes their impression of your brand — ultimately leading to customer delight. 

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Customer journey vs. Customer experience

Customer journey and customer experience might sound similar, but they represent distinct aspects of the customer's interaction with a brand. 

Read More: Top 7 Customer Experience Metrics to Track

The customer journey phases represent the different stages your prospects and customers go through as they interact with your brand. These phases usually include multiple touchpoints and are classified as follows.

This is when a prospect is looking for a solution to their business problem(s) through research on search engines and, in the process, comes across your brand and product. 

Customers become aware of your brand and products. 

Initial interaction via social media, search engines or recommendations. 

Roadmap for brands : Focus on providing informational content that answers questions and builds trust.

Example: In this initial stage, the call center leader becomes aware of a problem - growing agent attrition. To find solutions, they turn to Quora, a popular platform for information and discussion. Here, they search for "Why are agents leaving my call center?" and stumble upon a highly informative response from a Sprinklr representative. This response lists the top reasons for agent attrition, instantly grabbing the leader's attention. The trust is established as the information is accurate and relevant, positioning Sprinklr as a knowledgeable source.

🤔Consideration

The prospect then tries to identify the most appropriate solution for their specific business needs by visiting your website and your competitors to evaluate their options. 

Customers consider your brand as a solution. 

They compare products and alternatives. 

Roadmap for brands: Provide content highlighting problem-solving features without aggressive sales tactics.

Example: At this point, the call center leader is intrigued and motivated to explore Sprinklr's solutions further. They visit Sprinklr's website, where they find a wealth of valuable content related to call management , employee engagement and call center guide to agent retention .

Impressed by the depth and relevance of the content, the leader signs up for Sprinklr's blog, showing interest in staying updated with industry insights. This indicates a growing consideration for Sprinklr as a potential solution provider to address their attrition issue. 

The prospect shortlists potential solutions that they think will solve their needs and then proceeds to shortlist your product or service along with a few others. Then, after a period of deliberation, decide to buy or adopt your offering. 

Customers develop preferences for reading through the available content on the internet 

They decide to take a demo or a free trial 

Based on their experience, customers decide to make a buying choice 

Roadmap for brands : Persuade customers with pricing, comparison guides and abandoned cart emails.

Example: As the leader continues to engage with Sprinklr's content and resources, they begin to develop a preference for the company's offerings. They reach out to Sprinklr's sales team or request a demo of the Unified-CXM platform.

After a successful demo and discussions with Sprinklr's sales representatives, they decide to make a purchase. This stage involves the leader becoming a paying customer, signaling their commitment to solving the agent attrition challenge with Sprinklr's assistance. 

🙌Retention   

After a while, the customer may have issues with your product or service and decide to reach your customer support for help. Or they may wish to renew or upgrade their existing product or service, and subsequently land on your FAQ pages to understand their options. 

Roadmap for brands : Focus on keeping existing customers and driving repeat business. Maintain positive relationships with email outreach, coupons and exclusive communities. 

Example:  The call center leader and their team receive onboarding assistance, training and ongoing support from Sprinklr's team to ensure a smooth implementation. In this stage, the call center leader's success and satisfaction with Sprinklr's solutions are crucial to building a long-term customer relationship, potentially leading to future collaborations and referrals.

After implementing Sprinklr's Unified-CXM platform to address agent attrition, the call center leader began to witness significant improvements in employee retention. The attrition rate decreases and job satisfaction among the call center agents increases due to better working conditions, streamlined processes and improved support systems offered by Sprinklr's solution.

The call center leader decides to continue using Sprinklr’s Unified-CXM platform and reap its benefits in the form of better productivity and great customer experiences.

Read more: The Call Center Guide to Agent Retention

The final stage involves the customer being so happy with their experience with your brand that they recommend your solution to others. They do this through word of mouth – text, calls and by leaving positive reviews on the platform of their choice. Delighted customers actively encourage others to make purchases. 

Roadmap for brands : Offer referral bonuses, loyalty programs and special deals to promote advocacy further.

Example:  In the Advocacy stage, the call center leader becomes a vocal advocate for Sprinklr. Their success story becomes a powerful testimonial for Sprinklr's solution. The leader is now not only retaining their team but also sharing their positive experiences with colleagues in the industry, both online and in professional networking events.

The call center leader might write a blog post or participate in industry webinars, sharing how Sprinklr's Unified-CXM platform helped them combat agent attrition effectively. They recommend Sprinklr to peers and industry forums where similar challenges are discussed. The leader's advocacy not only enhances Sprinklr's reputation but also leads to potential referrals and new business opportunities for the company.

Dig Deeper: How to Turn Customers into Brand Advocates  

A customer journey map is a visual representation of the entire experience a customer has with a business, from initial awareness to post-purchase interactions.

It helps businesses understand and improve the customer's path, enabling them to identify pain points and opportunities for engagement to enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty ultimately.

These interactions, also called customer touchpoints, can vary in number depending on your customers' preferences, their end goals and the customer service channels through which they interact with your brand. Regardless, customer journey mapping is the foundation of customer lifecycle management.

How to create a customer journey map

To create an efficient customer journey map, understand these four key elements. 

Customer journey stages : Your map should cover every stage of the customer journey, from initial awareness to post-purchase advocacy. Don't limit your focus to just the buying stages; consider the entire customer lifecycle. 

Touchpoints : Identify and document the most common touchpoints that customers encounter at each stage of their journey. These touchpoints could include your blog, social media, reviews or email. Prioritize the most relevant touchpoints to ensure a comprehensive view. 

The full customer experience : Recognize that customers' actions, motivations, questions and pain points change as they progress through the journey and interact with different touchpoints. Your map should encompass the entire customer experience at each touchpoint. 

Your brand's solutions : Provide solutions tailored to each stage and touchpoint. These solutions may not always involve a direct purchase; for instance, an awareness-stage solution could be a blog, video or social media post aimed at furthering the reader’s understanding of the topic. 

With these essential elements in mind, creating an effective customer journey map becomes a straightforward three-step process.

1st Step: Create buyer personas

Before mapping the customer journey, it's crucial to understand your audience. To do this, create buyer personas - fictional representations of your target customers . These personas should encompass their background, motivations, pain points and needs.

Here's how you can create a buyer persona: 

Gather and analyze customer data : Collect information through analytics, surveys, and market research to understand your customers better. 

Segment customers : Categorize customers into groups with shared characteristics, such as demographics or location. 

Build personas : Select a segment to target and create a persona for that group. Include basic traits, motivations and pain points. 

For example, Steve, “a marketing manager” might be a persona for marketing platforms like Marketo with detailed information about his pain points and preferences.

2nd Step : List touchpoints at each customer journey stage

Now that you have your buyer personas, it's time to identify touchpoints at each stage of the customer journey. This step involves listing the marketing channels where customers can interact with your brand. Key touchpoints at each stage typically include: 

Awareness : Advertising, social media, blogs, referrals, and more 

Consideration : Email, sales calls, landing pages and reviews 

Purchase : Live chat, cart abandonment emails and more 

Retention : Thank-you emails, product walkthroughs and online communities 

Advocacy : Surveys, loyalty programs and events 

By thoroughly identifying these touchpoints, you can ensure you engage with your customers effectively and consistently throughout their journey.

3rd Step: Map the customer experience at each touchpoint

Now, it's time to detail the experience you want to create for customers at each touchpoint. For each touchpoint, consider the customer's: 

Actions : Describe how the customer arrives at the touchpoint and what they are likely to do there. 

Motivations : Understand the customer's emotional state at that moment. Are they curious, frustrated, or excited? Explore why they feel this way. 

Questions : Anticipate customers' questions at each stage and how your brand can provide answers. 

Pain points : Identify the problems customers encounter and how your brand can address these issues. 

Make sure your brand's solutions cater to each of these stages in the customer's journey, from the time the customer becomes aware of your solution to the consideration stage to the decision stage and finally towards the delight stage.

By mapping out these details, you can respond effectively to your customer's needs at every step of their journey. The goal is to deliver the exact experience they expect from your business, ultimately increasing engagement and sales.

The global audio streaming giant decided to enhance the music-sharing experience for its users. They partnered with a marketing firm to craft a customer journey map to achieve this.

The objective was crystal clear: pinpoint where music-sharing features could seamlessly integrate into the user experience.

Spotify's map meticulously traces the user's voyage from opening the Spotify app on a mobile device to their engagement with shared songs. At each stage and touchpoint, it delves into what users engage with, do, think, and feel. This thorough analysis leveraged data research and customer surveys to grasp user sentiments at various points in the customer journey.

Using this valuable map, Spotify identified pain points and tailored solutions to create a smoother, more enjoyable music-sharing experience.

The result? Elevated customer satisfaction, leading to a seamless buying journey, stronger customer loyalty and often, customers evolving into enthusiastic brand advocates .

boAt , one of the top wearable electronics brands, started with audio devices and gadgets and then charted a course toward smart wearables. Their focus? Placing customers at the heart of their journey, delivering luxury audio and entertainment technology at attractive prices. They embarked on a digital transformation to navigate this mission, seeking a data-driven foundation to steer their growth.

Challenge : To truly understand customers' desires, boAt needed to be in tune with the market's pulse. They aspired to decipher consumer conversations, identify desired product features and maintain affordability.

A data analytics practice was established from the ground up to become an intelligent enterprise guided by data-driven insights, with Sprinklr as a key platform.

Solution : By harnessing Sprinklr's Unified-CXM platform, boAt is weaving together multiple solutions, culminating in a seamless experience for both customers and employees. Since the launch, they've welcomed 140 team members to the Sprinklr platform, delving into over 10,000 customer touchpoints and swiftly validating 6,000 warranty claims in real-time. This newfound visibility into customer interactions perfectly aligns with boAt's digital transformation journey.

From quality and speed metrics to a unified platform for workflow transparency, boAt ensured that its customers received uninterrupted cross-channel support. They leveraged AI technology to speed up claims and warranty processes and transitioned from reactive to proactive, predictive and preventive measures.

Interesting Read: The Very “Undigital” Truth About Digital Transformation

Outcome : boAt transformed its operations by integrating numerous solutions into Sprinklr's Unified-CXM platform. Since its implementation, boAt has seamlessly onboarded 140 employees to the Sprinklr platform, meticulously analyzed over 10,000 customer touchpoints and swiftly validated more than 6,000 warranty claims in real-time.

This enhanced visibility into customer interactions is precisely what boAt sought when commencing its digital transformation journey.

If you want to map better customer experiences, just like boAt did, take a free trial of Sprinklr Service for 30 days and let us know how you find it.

Frequently Asked Questions

Touchpoints in the customer journey are key moments when customers interact with a brand. These can be online or offline encounters, such as website visits, social media engagement, emails or in-store experiences.

The perfect customer journey is one that's highly personalized, seamless and aligns with the customer's needs and preferences. It's a path that anticipates their desires, provides relevant information and offers exceptional support at each touchpoint. 

A bad customer journey is one fraught with inconsistency, inconvenience, and frustration. It involves disjointed touchpoints, irrelevant information and a lack of support when needed.

Yes, customer journeys can and should be personalized for each customer. Leveraging data and technology, businesses can tailor interactions, content and touchpoints to match individual preferences and behaviors.

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Are you ready to learn how to shape a lasting positive impression in your customers’ minds, foster loyalty, and ultimately achieve sustainable business growth?

What is Brand Experience?  

Brand experience refers to all the interactions that a customer has with a brand over time. This can include the perception of the brand, the emotions it builds, and the impressions it leaves on the consumer. At its core, experience is how a person feels, thinks, and behaves about a brand.

Based on GaggleAMP findings, 81% of consumers say brand trust is a deciding factor when making a purchase decision and 46% of consumers are willing to pay more for a brand they trust.

• Apple: It is known for its sleek design, intuitive technology, and a seamless user experience across all products and services.
• Disney: They created immersive and magical experiences in theme parks, movies, and merchandise, evoking nostalgia and happiness.
• Patagonia: Promoting sustainability and environmental activism, connecting with customers who share those values.

Remember: Brand experience is a continuous journey, not a one-time event. It requires consistent effort and attention to detail across all touchpoints.

What is Customer Experience?

Customer experience is the set of experiences that a customer has with a brand during the time in which there is a service relationship. The better the customer experience , the greater the probability of increasing customer retention, client happiness , generating new leads, increasing the average ticket, etc. 

In short, it’s about how a customer feels about doing business with you. A HubSpot survey conveys that, 

•  66% of customers expect companies to understand their needs.
•  Customers will spend more money with companies they have a positive experience with.
• Customer-centric companies are 60% more profitable than companies that aren’t.
• 73% of consumers will switch to a competitor after just a few bad experiences.

Why is Customer Experience So Important for a Brand?

Customer experience (CX) isn’t just a buzzword. It’s the foundation for building strong brand loyalty and achieving sustainable success. 

Let’s take a closer look at how CX benefits your brand: 

• It Encourages Active Listening: You should always actively listen to customer needs and feedback. It plays a key role in improving your products, services, and interactions to better meet their expectations. 56% of consumers say that a business’s responses to reviews have changed their perspective on the business, as per Podia’s State of Reviews.  
• It Boosts Customer Retention Rate: Positive experiences create happy customers, and happy customers are more likely to stick around.  A strong c ustomer experience strategy reduces churn and strengthens long-term customer relationships. 
• It Reduces Customer Acquisition Costs: There is no doubt that acquiring new customers is expensive. You can encourage repeat business and referrals, reducing the need for constant customer acquisition efforts by providing exceptional experiences. 
• Encourages Word-of-mouth Marketing: Do you know word-of-mouth marketing is invaluable?  When customers have a great experience, they’re more likely to share it with friends and family, organically promoting your brand. According to research conducted by Nielsen Study , 92 percent of consumers around the world say they trust earned media, such as recommendations from friends and family, above all other forms of advertising—an increase of 18 percent since 2007 .
• It Helps to Stay Ahead of Competition: CX is a key differentiator. 86% of consumers would leave a brand after as few as two poor experiences according to Emplifi. So, you should always focus on providing exceptional experiences. It sets your brand apart and helps you stay ahead of the competition.

Brand and Customer Experience Management Types  

Brand and customer experience management are two sides of the same coin but with distinct focuses. Here’s a breakdown of the two and some management approaches: 

Brand Experience Management

It orchestrates, plans, evaluates, and influences all interactions customers have with your brand. Basically, it influences how customers view your brand as a whole, often through indirect interactions. 

Brand Experience Management Types

Here are the 5 essential pillars of Brand Experience Management:

• Brand storytelling and messaging: Every brand has a story to tell. BEM helps you define your brand’s unique narrative, voice, and values. This story should be woven into all your communication channels. It creates a consistent and compelling message that resonates with your target audience.
• Marketing campaigns: Marketing campaigns are a powerful tool for reaching new audiences and promoting your brand. BEM ensures your campaigns are aligned with your overall brand story and messaging. This creates a unified experience across all channels, from social media to email marketing.
• Public relations: There is no doubt that effective PR builds trust and credibility with your target audience. BEM helps you leverage PR strategies to generate positive media coverage and showcase your brand’s story. It’s a way that aligns with your overall brand experience goals.
• Product design and packaging: First impression is the best impression, right?  The way your product looks, feels, and functions is a crucial part of the brand experience. BEM ensures your product design and packaging are not just visually appealing. Also, it reflects your brand’s personality and values. This creates a positive first impression and strengthens customer connection.
• Social media presence: In this modern world , social media platforms offer a powerful way to connect with customers and build relationships. In this case, BEM helps you develop a consistent and engaging social media strategy that reflects your brand’s voice and personality. This allows you to foster a community around your brand and encourage two-way communication with your audience.  

Customer Experience Management

It’s all about enhancing all stages of a customer’s interaction with your brand, from initial recognition to post-purchase engagement. Let’s see some examples:

• Website and mobile app usability
• Customer service interactions
• Order fulfillment and returns processes
• Loyalty programs and personalization
• Feedback collection and analysis

Building Brand Loyalty by Improving the Customer Experience

Customer experience can be your secret weapon for building your brand loyalty. Ready to unlock the loyalty code? Let’s dive deep:

• Be Consistent: You should ensure a consistent brand image across all touchpoints. This includes website design, marketing messages, and customer service interactions. Consistency enriches trust and familiarity, making customers feel comfortable and valued, ultimately leading to stronger brand loyalty.
• Improve Your Customer Service: Do you know nurturing great Customer Service is the best way to build your brand loyalty? Aim to exceed expectations, and create positive interactions so that your customers feel heard and valued. Remember, happy customers are more likely to become loyal brand advocates.
• Understand the Customer Journey: Understand the complete journey of your customer. This encompasses every interaction a customer has with your brand, from initial awareness to post-purchase interactions. However, achieving this requires an omnichannel approach to feedback collection. 
• Reward Loyalty: Show appreciation for your loyal customers. Implement a loyalty program or offer exclusive rewards. These programs incentivize repeat business and make customers feel valued, strengthening their connection to your brand.

Brand Experience Vs Customer Experience: What’s the Difference?  

Brand and customer experience a re two essential components to creating a strong and successful business. While they may seem similar, they can be differentiated with one word: promises . Brand experience is all about making promises while customer experience is about keeping them. 

Brand experience is the invitation to a journey, highlighting the exciting things you’ll encounter. Customer experience is about how smooth and enjoyable that journey is. Let’s have a look of  the key differences:

1. Focusing on Perception Vs. Reality

Brand experience shapes how we see the brand, but it’s the customer experience that reveals if that perception matches reality.  In short, a good brand experience creates positive expectations. A great customer experience ensures those expectations are met.

2. Using Audience Perspective

A positive customer experience varies based on ease of use, clear communication, fast response times, and personalized service. When companies prioritize customer experience, they strive to understand and meet customer needs and preferences, thereby improving customer satisfaction and retention rates . 

3. Brand Experience Evolves, Customer Experience Reacts

Brand experience is like building a reputation, it takes consistent effort over time. Customer experience is about the individual moments of interaction and shaping a customer’s perception in the present.

Within the long-term brand experience, there are UI, marketing, activation, and engagement. On the other hand, the immediate customer experience includes UX, service, support, and satisfaction. Let’s take a look at all of these terms side by side:

Building the Brand Experience (Long-Term):

• UI (User Interface): This describes the general impression your brand creates across all interactions, like websites, apps, and physical stores. It’s the visual promise you make about your brand.
• Marketing: It encompasses all the communication channels you use to tell your brand story and generate interest. It’s how you create the initial positive impression.
• Activation: This involves getting potential customers to take action, like visiting your website or trying a product sample. It’s about turning interest into engagement.
• Commitment: This focuses on building a relationship with your audience by providing valuable content, experiences, and interactions. It’s about keeping the promise of a positive brand experience.

Delivering the Customer Experience (Immediate):

• UX (User Experience): This refers to the ease of use and functionality of your product or service. It’s about fulfilling the promise of a smooth and enjoyable interaction.
• Service: It encompasses the way you interact with customers before, during, and after purchase. It’s about delivering on the promise of helpful and responsive support.
• Support: This refers to the resources and assistance you provide to customers who encounter problems. It’s about keeping the promise of resolving issues effectively.
• Satisfaction: This measures how happy a customer is with their overall experience. It’s the outcome of delivering on all the promises made through brand experience.

Both brand and customer experience a re important to businesses. They are different concepts that require different strategies. Companies can create a strong foundation for success and differentiate themselves from the competition by investing in brand and customer experiences .

How to Build a Better Brand Experience That Drives Customer Experience?  

Building a brand experience is a strategic approach. It fuels positive customer experiences. Let’s take a look at six key steps to consider:

• Identify Your Purpose: At first, you’ll have to define your brand’s core values and the impact you want to have. This guiding light informs all your interactions and stimulates a deeper connection with customers who share your values.
• Focus on Storytelling: You can create compelling brand stories that resonate with your target audience. You know stories connect on an emotional level and it makes your brand more relatable and memorable.
• Consistency: Maintain a consistent brand image across all touchpoints, from marketing materials to customer interactions. You should consistently build trust and familiarity. It leads to a stronger brand identity and positive CX.
• Focus on Customer Engagement: Encourage active customer engagement. You can create opportunities for interaction, listen to their feedback, and respond promptly. This two-way communication builds loyalty and valuable customer insights.
• Put Experiences Over Sales: You always have to focus on creating exceptional experiences, not just pushing sales. It exceeds customer expectations by providing value and addressing their needs.
• Adapt and Evolve: The market and customer expectations are constantly evolving. Be adaptable and responsive to these changes. You need to evaluate your brand experience regularly and iterate based on customer feedback. It will play a key role in staying relevant and delivering the best possible CX.

Assuring the best brand and customer experience is a must for the growth of your business. You can build a better brand customer experience by adapting automation in the evolving market trends. When you combine a strong brand image with exceptional interactions at every touchpoint, you create a powerful formula for success. However, this journey doesn’t end here. It’s an ongoing process of refinement and adaptation.  

Ready to get started? Integrate REVE Chat to take your brand customer experience to the next level!

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Rubayate Yasmin

Rubayate Yasmin is an experienced content marketing expert. For the last 3 years, she has been working directly with customer engagement for REVE Chat. She has moved to content marketing with her enriched knowledge to create high-quality content in customer service, engagement, communication, and more. She aims to help businesses create excellent customer experiences.

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Mastering the Branded Customer Experience: Why It Matters

Table of Contents

In a marketplace brimming with options and where consumer attention is a rare commodity, the imperative for brands to carve a distinctive identity is more pressing than ever. Amidst this backdrop, emerges the concept of the branded customer experience—an innovative strategy that not only distinguishes brands but significantly alters the contours of the competitive business terrain.

The modern consumer, equipped with a plethora of choices, navigates through the market with a discerning eye, swiftly sifting through the clutter to align with brands that echo their ethos and fulfill their expectations seamlessly. The transient nature of consumer attention further exacerbates the challenge for brands striving to not only capture but sustain consumer engagement. The traditional marketing playbook, while still relevant, demands an infusion of fresh perspectives to resonate with the evolving consumer psyche.

What is Branded Customer Experience?

The term “Branded Customer Experience” encapsulates a brand’s effort to create a unique and consistent experience for its customers at every touchpoint. Unlike traditional customer service, which might only focus on resolving issues, the Branded Customer Experience delves into creating a holistic and memorable journey for the customer from the moment they first encounter the brand, through the purchasing process, and even in post-purchase interactions. It’s about aligning every aspect of the customer’s interaction with the brand’s values, personality, and promises, ensuring not only satisfaction but a deeper emotional connection.

Through a well-crafted Branded Customer Experience, companies aim to differentiate themselves in the market, foster customer loyalty, and build a positive reputation that encourages others to engage with the brand. Now, let’s dissect the various components that contribute to shaping a robust Branded Customer Experience:

Holistic Approach

The journey of branded customer experience begins the moment a potential customer becomes aware of a brand, stretching across every subsequent touchpoint. Whether it’s the allure of an initial marketing campaign , the satisfaction during a purchase, or the afterglow of post-purchase interactions, each moment is a chapter in the brand’s narrative with the customer. This holistic approach ensures that the brand’s essence is consistently communicated and experienced across all interactions.

Deep-Rooted in Brand Values :

A cornerstone of the branded customer experience is its grounding in the core values and ethos of the brand. A Gallup report underscores the fruit of such alignment: companies adept at engaging customers in a manner resonant with their brand values witness a remarkable 63% lower customer attrition . This isn’t a mere coincidence but a testament to the power of value-driven engagement in fostering loyalty and reducing churn.

Beyond Tangibles

The branded customer experience transcends the tangible attributes of a product or service, venturing into the realm of emotions, memories, and feelings evoked. Take Starbucks for instance – it isn’t merely a coffee outlet; it’s a haven of cozy familiarity, offering a ‘ third place ‘ between work and home. This dimension underscores the profound impact of experiential elements in carving a distinct brand identity.

Data-Driven Insights

A savvy blend of intuition and data-driven insights forms the bedrock of an effective branded customer experience. As highlighted by the Harvard Business Review, brands that harness customer analytics extensively are positioned to outshine their rivals in key performance metrics. By decoding customer preferences, habits, and pain points, brands can tailor experiences that not only resonate but also retain.

This approach fosters a deeper connection, ensuring that customers are not merely passive buyers but active participants in a shared journey of value-driven engagements.

Why It’s a Game Changer

Loyalty and Trust : Today, fleeting engagements are common. However, brands that ensure a consistent and memorable experience reap the rewards of unwavering trust. A compelling study by Marq, formerly Lucidpress, reveals that maintaining brand consistency can potentially boost revenue by 10-20% . It’s not just about repeat business, but about forging a bond that stands the test of time.

Word-of-Mouth : The age-old adage, “Word of mouth is the best advertisement,” holds even truer today. With social media platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook at their fingertips, satisfied customers become brand ambassadors. Their genuine, positive experiences shared online can ripple out, influencing countless potential customers.

Distinct Competitive Edge : The global marketplace is more crowded than ever. Amidst this cacophony, how does one brand stand out? The answer lies in a distinct, authentic branded customer experience. When two products are similar, it’s the brand’s promise and the fulfillment of that promise through exceptional experiences that can sway a customer’s choice .

Branded customer experience isn’t simply a strategy—it’s a transformative approach that turns casual buyers into brand enthusiasts. By crafting experiences that resonate deeply, brands don’t just win sales; they win hearts.

Blueprint for Building a Branded Experience: Step-By-Step Guide

Creating a branded customer experience is no small feat, but with meticulous planning, unwavering commitment, and an in-depth understanding of your brand’s essence, it’s achievable. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you navigate this transformative journey:

Step 1: Define Your Brand’s Core Values

Action : Start with introspection. What does your brand stand for? What are its core values and beliefs?

Benefit : A clear understanding of your brand’s foundation ensures that all subsequent steps align with its essence.

Step 2: Identify Your Target Audience

Action : Conduct market research to pinpoint your ideal customer. Understand their preferences, pain points, and aspirations.

Benefit : Tailoring your experience to cater specifically to your target demographic ensures relevance and resonance.

Step 3: Map the Customer Journey

Action : Detail every touchpoint a customer has with your brand, from initial discovery to post-purchase interactions.

Benefit : This holistic view identifies potential areas for brand infusion and ensures a consistent experience throughout.

Step 4: Infuse Branding into Visual Elements

Action : Standardize visuals like logos, color schemes, and typography across all platforms and touchpoints.

Benefit : Consistent visuals fortify brand recognition and create a unified aesthetic experience.

Step 5: Craft a Consistent Brand Voice

Action : Define the tone, style, and lexicon that resonate with your brand’s persona and values.

Benefit : A recognizable brand voice strengthens emotional connection and enhances brand recall .

Step 6: Personalize the Experience

Action : Utilize data analytics to offer tailored experiences, from product recommendations to targeted content.

Benefit : Personalization elevates the customer experience, making interactions feel unique and valued.

Step 7: Train Your Team

Action : Conduct regular workshops to ensure every team member understands and can articulate the brand values consistently.

Benefit : A well-trained team guarantees that customers receive a consistent branded experience at every interaction.

Step 8: Gather Continuous Feedback

Action : Implement feedback mechanisms, such as surveys or feedback forms, to collect insights directly from customers.

Benefit : Continuous feedback illuminates areas of improvement and showcases what’s working well.

Step 9: Iterate and Refine

Action : Based on gathered insights, make necessary adjustments to your strategies to enhance the branded experience.

Benefit : Regular refinement ensures your brand remains relevant and resonates deeply with evolving customer needs.

Step 10: Celebrate Successes

Action : Highlight positive outcomes, share success stories, and acknowledge team efforts.

Benefit : Celebrations foster team motivation, reinforce brand values , and enhance internal and external brand perceptions.

By methodically following this roadmap, brands can curate an experience that not only showcases their unique essence but also fosters deep connections with their audience. Remember, the goal is to create an experience so aligned with the brand’s essence that customers can instantly identify it, even without seeing the logo.

5 Examples of Branded Customer Experiences

A few trailblazing brands have managed to craft customer experiences that not only resonate but also become emblematic of their very essence. These brands have seamlessly interwoven their core values , vision, and promises into every customer touchpoint, creating memorable journeys that stand out in the marketplace. Let’s delve into some stellar examples that illuminate the power and potential of a well-executed branded customer experience:

• What Sets It Apart : Beyond its sleek devices, Apple offers an experience of innovation, simplicity, and interconnectedness. Walk into any Apple Store, and you’re met with a minimalist design, knowledgeable ‘Geniuses’, and a hands-on product exploration.
• The Value : Customers don’t just buy a product; they buy into an ecosystem. From the unboxing ritual to the seamless integration across devices, Apple’s branded experience is a testament to its commitment to user-centric design and innovation.
• What Sets It Apart : Starbucks transformed the coffee-drinking experience into a personalized ritual. It’s not just about coffee; it’s about your coffee, made your way, in an environment that feels like a ‘third place’ between work and home.
• The Value : By prioritizing customization and creating a warm, welcoming atmosphere, Starbucks fosters loyalty and has customers returning, not just for the beverages, but for the experience.
• What Sets It Apart : Nike goes beyond selling athletic wear. Through its stores, apps, and campaigns, it sells the experience of empowerment, achievement, and the spirit of ‘Just Do It.’
• The Value : Nike engages its community through apps like Nike Run Club, offering personalized training plans and fostering a sense of community. Customers are not just purchasing gear; they’re joining a movement of self-improvement.
• What Sets It Apart : Airbnb transformed travel accommodations into unique, local experiences. It’s not just about booking a place; it’s about living like a local and feeling a sense of belonging.
• The Value : By emphasizing authentic local experiences and fostering trust through peer reviews, Airbnb has created a branded experience that resonates with travelers seeking more than just a hotel room.
• What Sets It Apart : Lush offers an immersive shopping experience where ethics meet aesthetics. Every product has a story, and the sensory explosion—from the colors to the scents—draws customers in.
• The Value : Lush’s commitment to ethical sourcing, fresh ingredients, and transparency sets it apart. Customers are not just buying beauty products; they’re supporting a brand that aligns with their values.

Each of these brands showcases the profound impact of a meticulously crafted branded customer experience. They underline the fact that products or services, no matter how exceptional, are just one piece of the puzzle. It’s the holistic experience, steeped in the brand’s essence and delivered consistently, that creates lasting bonds with customers. For businesses aiming for longevity and deep market resonance, there’s a clear takeaway: invest in shaping a branded customer experience that’s not only unique but also deeply authentic.

Start Your Own Branded Experience Today

A branded customer experience isn’t just a strategy; it’s an essential investment into the future of your business. It’s about creating lasting impressions, fostering trust, and building a community of loyal advocates for your brand.

But crafting this impeccable experience requires expertise, a keen understanding of your audience, and the ability to weave your brand’s narrative seamlessly into every touchpoint. This is where the Oyova difference comes into play.

Why Choose Oyova for Branding Services ?

At Oyova, we don’t just design; we breathe life into brands. Our team of branding experts delves deep into understanding your brand’s ethos, your vision, and your audience. We then curate experiences that resonate, speak volumes without saying much, and ensure your brand is remembered long after the interaction is over.

If you’re looking to elevate your brand’s digital presence to create experiences that not only engage but also enchant, then Oyova is the partner you’ve been searching for. Contact us today to get started.

Let’s talk about how we can take your company or agency to the next level.

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How to Build a Consistent Brand Experience [+ Tips]

Wondering how to create a consistent brand experience to make a lasting impression of familiarity and trust?

In a saturated SaaS world with tons of alternatives, a consistent brand experience can make you a recognizable brand. It creates a sense of reliability among the customers, fosters trust, and encourages product adoption and loyalty.

In this article, we’ll see what it takes to build a consistent practice and some best practices you can adopt.

• A brand experience includes the interactions and perceptions a customer shapes during their customer journeys .
• Brand experience is a broader concept of emotional connections and overall brand perception, while customer experience narrowly focuses on specific interactions .
• Maintaining consistent branding builds customers’ trust, recognition, and loyalty by meeting their expectations.
• You can deliver a consistent brand experience by:
• Creating a comprehensive brand identity that aligns with the target audience for consistent customer guidance .
• Providing teams with detailed instructions for presenting the brand consistently, including brand assets like logos and colors.
• Maintaining core brand elements across various platforms to offer a familiar brand image.
• Using in-app messages to highlight brand value while maintaining content and visual consistency.
• Collecting customer feedback through in-app surveys, analyzing feedback , and taking action to enhance the overall experience.
• Using in-app Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys to measure satisfaction , identify areas of improvement, and enhance the brand experience.
• You can also adopt the following practical tips for creating a positive brand experience:
• Personalize onboarding by tailoring it to users’ needs by aligning with the brand experience and avoiding feature overload .
• Map touchpoints across to understand user progression and proactively identify and eliminate potential friction points .
• Empower users with in-app self-service resources by catering to different learning preferences for improved customer experience .
• Book a Userpilot demo to see how you can deliver brand consistency through in-app experiences!

What is a brand experience?

A brand experience encompasses every interaction and perception customers develop and carry with a brand throughout their journeys. This comprehensive concept covers the emotional and psychological connections customers form with a brand.

Brand experience vs customer experience

There are distinct differences between brand experience and customer experience .

Brand experience is a broader concept that involves creating and maintaining emotional connections and shaping brand perception. This perception includes the visual identity and how customers perceive the brand itself. It is about how customers think the brand’s product or service better matches them than that of competitors.

On the other hand, customer experience deals with a comparatively narrower concept. Customer experience focuses on each interaction a customer has along their journey. For example, how the customers feel about the customer service interactions or the onboarding process.

Why maintaining brand consistency is important?

Keeping a consistent brand experience is a smart strategy that can make a real difference and go beyond just looking good or communicating the brand promise. Brand consistency is about building trust, recognition, and a loyal customer base .

By maintaining brand consistency, you’ll be able to:

• Help customers easily recognize and remember your brand amidst a sea of options. Research shows that 62% of people now expect brands to provide a consistent experience. So, consistency across different platforms and interactions lets you fulfill customer expectations and be their choice.
• Reinforce brand values by being consistent in messaging and every action you take. However, 42% of customers believe that brands deliver a consistent experience. By keeping a consistent brand experience and aligning it with your actions, you can build trust among these customers.
• Build customer trust and loyalty by showing your brand is reliable, as it’s determined to serve the customers. Research shows around 20% of customers feel that brands aren’t meeting their expectations when it comes to a consistent brand experience. You should work to lessen this gap to create solid customer loyalty .

How to deliver a consistent brand experience?

Let’s see how you can deliver a consistent brand experience to your customers.

Develop your brand identity

Developing your brand’s identity is the first step to delivering a consistent brand experience. This process involves creating a comprehensive brand representation that aligns with your target audience.

You should also define your brand message and values to uphold your brand identity and make a brand reputation. It should have the words you use, the emotions you’ll channel, and the value you’ll offer the customers. You need to align your messaging and offered customer experience with your brand’s core values.

For example, Userpilot is for product growth, and its features include in-app engagement, product analytics, and user feedback. So, Userpilot’s brand identity revolves around these core offerings.

Establish brand guidelines for your business

Establishing brand guidelines is the next step in delivering a consistent brand experience. Brand guidelines are clear and detailed instructions that outline how your team will present the brand to the customers.

The brand guidelines are how you represent your brand to the customers with brand assets, like logos, colors, palettes, fonts, imagery, etc.

It should have guidelines about:

• How to use logos on different backgrounds
• How brand colors should go with other complimentary colors
• What size or resolution for font and logo
• What image size for different platforms or post type

For example, let’s look at an example of Userpilot. Userpilot’s main brand colors are purple and pink, so it has a set of complementary colors for word patterns on different backgrounds.

Create a cohesive brand experience across platforms

A cohesive brand experience means consistency in elements, tone, interactions, etc., with various touchpoints across multiple channels. You must maintain the core brand elements in the customer interactions across your app, website, or social media posts to give customers a familiar face.

For example, you can provide consistent customer support across numerous sales channels by offering them timely responses, knowledgeable assistance, and personalized experiences .

Ensure in-app brand messaging consistency

In-app messaging is a critical aspect of branding since it’s within your application that your users engage a lot with. You should leverage in-app messages to give your customers a contextual and consistent brand experience.

You can ensure consistent messaging for your brand via content, tone, voice, brand colors, font, etc. For example, you can build tooltips while keeping your brand consistency in mind by integrating the brand’s colors and tone into them.

Seek feedback to understand customer expectations

In-app surveys help you understand customers’ expectations, desires, and pain points. You should trigger in-app surveys throughout the customer journey to collect customer experience feedback. For example, there may be feedback surveys after specific interactions, like onboarding, or a period, like monthly or annually.

After gathering the feedback, you can use a tool, like Userpilot, to analyze customer feedback from the surveys and identify common issues for actionable insights. These insights will help you understand your customer’s expectations on a detailed level.

Then, you need to take action to close the customer feedback loop. You can proactively reach out to customers or trigger follow-up messages.

Measure customer satisfaction to identify improvement opportunities

You should measure customer satisfaction to see where to improve to build a consistent brand experience. You can use in-app Net Promoter Score (NPS) surveys to assess how well your brand delivers a consistent experience.

Analyzing the NPS survey responses enables you to identify the passives and detractors. You can do this by tagging NPS responses with specific labels such as “detractor,” “passive,” or “promoter,” based on their scoring.

The insights about the passives and detractors’ dissatisfaction show you where your brand experience may fall short. Their feedback guides you toward specific touchpoints that need refinement. Then, you can focus on those areas to enhance customer satisfaction with the brand experience.

Practical tips for creating positive brand experience

We’ll now go through some practical tips to help you create a positive brand experience .

Offer personalized onboarding experience

The onboarding process is your brand’s first interaction with users – a moment that sets the tone for their entire journey. So, offering a personalized onboarding experience helps you create a positive brand experience from the get-go.

In the SaaS industry, it is common to use welcome surveys to gather important data about your new users. The data may include their work roles, company size, jobs to be done (JBTDs), etc. Then, you may trigger onboarding flows for each use case by aligning them with your brand experience.

However, you should be careful about avoiding bombarding customers with many features . Instead of overwhelming users, you should focus on what meets their immediate goals and offer those by aligning with your brand experience.

Use customer journey analytics to find and remove friction

Utilizing customer journey analytics helps you create a seamless journey, which is at the core of a remarkable brand experience. To begin, you need to map brand touchpoints during customer journeys . It lets you observe and understand how your users progress and move through your offerings.

As you have a broad view of customer interaction and progression, you’re better equipped to identify any possible frictions. After identifying the friction points with customer journey analytics, you should proactively eliminate them.

Implement a self-service center to enhance customer experience

Empowering users with the resources to find answers independently contributes significantly to a positive and consistent brand experience. You should make the self-service center in-app, as it offers contextual help for users to troubleshoot and solve issues without leaving your product.

The self-service center should include multiple help formats to acknowledge the different learning preferences of different users. You may help your customers with content in text, video tutorials, articles, and other formats.

As every click, tap, and scroll competes for attention, building a consistent brand experience has become necessary. You should focus on building a brand experience that’s more than good-looking and actually builds trust and recognition among users.

Want to get started with building a consistent brand experience? Get a Userpilot Demo and see how you can use the brand experience to enhance your business’ performance.

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What is CX?

You might have an intuitive sense of what separates good CX, or customer experience, from bad. Imagine, say, you want a latte. When you visit the coffee shop, are staff members attentive? If you are a regular, do they greet you by your name? Was the store designed intuitively? Do they take your order promptly and hand you your cup with a smile? If you have a problem, is it promptly resolved, or is someone sent to help you? Do they proactively reach out to understand your overall experience?

All of those questions touch on elements of customer experience. The four components of CX are brand, product, price, and service.

Basically, CX refers to everything an organization does to deliver superior experiences, value, and growth for customers. And it’s crucial in an age when how a business delivers for its customers is just as important as—if not more important than—the products and services it provides. In a digital world, where customers review and share their experiences with a company in public forums, it has become vital for companies to connect with customers across their journeys at an emotional level. Not only is customer experience the right thing to do for customers but it also results in 3x returns to shareholders .

The COVID-19 pandemic was a test of how to connect with customers in times of crisis . And many did surprisingly well in providing good CX, for instance, by swiftly reorienting their efforts to meet customers’ primary needs with respect to safety, security, and everyday convenience. Take, for example, e-commerce companies and food delivery services that developed methods of contactless delivery to keep customers and drivers safe as the virus spread.

This article offers a brief overview of customer experience-related topics and answers questions such as:

What are customer journeys?

How to measure customer experience, what is the consumer decision journey, what is customer care, how to improve customer experience.

A customer journey  describes the customer’s end-to-end experience, as opposed to their satisfaction at various individual transactions or touchpoints. These can include many things that occur before, during, or after the customer experiences a given product or service. Examples of customer journeys include bringing a new customer on board, resolving a technical issue, or upgrading a product.

Consider onboarding a new customer. At one company , this process took about three months and on average entailed nine phone calls, a technician visit, and interactions via both the web and mail. While there was a 90 percent chance, at any given touchpoint, of the interaction going well, average customer satisfaction fell nearly 40 percent over the course of the journey. More important than solving issues at the level of individual touchpoints was to reimagine the approach to service operations  around the most crucial CX journeys.

Attending to full customer journeys instead of touchpoints can drive stronger business outcomes. For instance, a McKinsey survey  found that customer satisfaction with health insurance is 73 percent more likely when the entire journey works well than when only touchpoints do. Looking to the hospitality industry, customers of hotels that get the entire customer journey right may be 61 percent more willing to recommend those hotels than customers of hotels that just focus on touchpoints.

If your company is looking to reinvigorate its customer experience, three efforts can help you move from touchpoints to journeys :

• Observe. Put yourself in your customers’ shoes: What do they see? This can help organize and mobilize employees around customer needs. In addition to identifying and understanding the customer’s journey, you’ll need to quantify what matters to customers and define a clear aspiration and common purpose.
• Shape. When you design customer experiences, interactions must be reshaped into different sequences. Even if your effort starts small, it can swiftly become much larger and entail the digitization of processes, the reorientation of company culture, and nimble refinements in the field.
• Perform. Making the transition to prioritize journeys can be a journey in itself that takes years and requires deep engagement from everyone in the company, from corporate leaders right down to the front line.

Learn more about our Growth, Marketing & Sales  and Operations  practices.

You might have a hard time imagining how you measure something as ephemeral as the magic your company creates for customers. But it can be done. Best practice calls for three guiding principles to help optimize customer-experience measurement :

• Measure the customer experience at the journey level, rather than at the level of touchpoints or overall satisfaction.
• Invest in hardwired technology that captures feedback on a daily basis from multiple channels, integrating survey results and other data into comprehensive dashboards.
• Cultivate a mindset of continuous improvement at all levels.

Depending on the level of CX adoption within an organization, consider the power of predicting CX , which can help you stay ahead of customer churn and dissatisfaction. Why? Survey-based systems alone don’t necessarily meet the needs of today’s companies; they’re limited, reactive, ambiguous, and unfocused. Predictive customer insight may unlock more powerful insights to improve customer experiences.

The consumer decision journey  (CDJ) is a reconceptualization of the traditional marketing funnel. In this approach, the way customers make decisions is framed as a circular process involving four phases where customers can be gained or lost:

• initial consideration
• active evaluation, or the process of researching potential purchases
• closure, when consumers buy brands
• postpurchase, when consumers experience those brands

And conceptions of the consumer decision journey continue to evolve , especially in light of the new technologies and capabilities available to consumers. Today, it is important for brands not only to react to customers but also to actively shape their decision journeys. This may mean compressing or even eliminating the consideration and evaluation phases to drive competitive advantage . To foster an accelerated customer loyalty journey , four distinct but interconnected capabilities are crucial:

• Automation can be used to streamline the customer journey (for example, being able to snap a photo of a check and deposit it via your bank’s app rather than physically visiting a bank branch).
• Proactive personalization uses a customer’s information to instantly customize CX.
• Contextual interaction uses knowledge about where a customer is in a journey to deliver them to the next set of interactions.
• Journey innovation finds new sources of value, such as new services, for both the customer and the brand. This involves companies mining their data and insights about customers to figure out what other services they might appreciate. The best companies also design customer decision journeys that allow open-ended testing and frequent prototyping of new services or features.

Learn more about our Growth, Marketing & Sales  practice.

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Customer care generally happens within contact-center operations. These are sometimes referred to as call centers, and people working at these organizations support customers throughout their journeys with a company’s products or services—no matter where customers need help (in-store, online, via mobile apps, etcetera). This is as all part of providing an omnichannel customer experience. Contact centers play an important role in customer care, and a forward-looking vision for these centers could entail hyperpersonalization to meet customers’ expectations  in a way that’s both strategic and experience oriented.

How has COVID-19 changed customer experience?

COVID-19 changed customer experience in several ways. Many companies needed to shift the ways they worked with customers, for example, by providing alternative digital experiences when it was not safe for physical stores to be open. More broadly, how your company interacted with customers throughout the pandemic may have triggered an immediate and lingering effect on customers’ sense of trust and loyalty. In times of crisis, meeting customer needs with empathy, care, concern, and connection is important. It can help frame short-term responses, build longer-term resilience, and prepare for success after a crisis passes by keeping a pulse on how preferences are changing in real time. And it’s worth noting that more than three-quarters of consumers changed their buying habits  during the pandemic—and in addition to value and convenience, purpose also drives shopping decisions.

What does digital customer experience mean?

Digital customer experience refers to elements of the experience that happen online or with the support of digital and analytics. This can facilitate interactions that are holistic, predictive, prioritized, and focused on value.

Consider the example of a leading airline that built a machine-learning system to track and prioritize customers  who might choose a different carrier because they experienced multiple flight delays or other issues. The system, built in three months, drove an 800 percent increase in customer satisfaction and also reduced churn for priority customers by 60 percent.

When it comes to digital customer experience, companies are increasingly aiming to transition to predictive insights that could represent the future of CX . Some CX leaders are pushing on predictive CX platforms, which consist of three key elements:

• a customer-level data lake, with customer, financial, and operational data to develop a rigorous understanding of customer experiences
• predictive customer scores using analytics that track what’s influencing customer satisfaction and business performance
• an action and insight engine that’s shared with a broad set of employees, via tools such as customer-relationship-management platforms, through an API layer

These platforms can play a powerful role in linking CX to value and building clear business cases to improve CX. Of course, companies must stay attuned to customers and the privacy imperative . And it will also be crucial to build security into the digital customer experience .

Learn more about our Growth, Marketing & Sales , Digital McKinsey , and Risk & Resilience  practices.

What about customer experience and loyalty?

If you offer a good CX, chances are your customers will be loyal to you or your brand. But that doesn’t happen without real effort. “Consumers are changing, and consumer trends are driving this,” says former McKinsey partner Jess Huang on the new generation of customer loyalty programs . “With the move to digital over the last ten years, consumers are spending more and more time on their phones and various digital channels. This makes it much easier to access the consumer, but there is also a lot more noise. Brands are trying to figure out the right way to break through that noise and develop a relationship with the consumer.”

Loyalty programs are vital to doing so, but two-thirds of them fail to deliver. Focusing on eight elements  can help your loyalty programs perform better:

• Don’t be afraid to offer customers incentives to redeem their loyalty points.
• Consider the customer segments where there’s “breakage” (people whose points expire), and think about potential opportunities for improvement.
• Enlist strategic partners to enhance offers and rewards.
• Offer points-plus-cash options.
• Measure success based on engagement, not just accruals.
• Segment customers into groups you can handle.
• Personalize test-and-learn across customer segments.
• Create a standard P&L to accurately measure the incremental impact of loyalty programs.

Is customer experience the same in B2B and B2C contexts?

Much of CX in B2B isn’t the same as in B2C. Here’s why :

• relationships often go deeper in B2B
• longer, more complex B2B journeys involve more individuals
• customization is more widespread in B2B than B2C
• the stakes are usually higher in B2B deals, as individual B2B customer relationships are often worth millions of dollars

Nevertheless, more B2B customers say they would like a better customer experience—one that is more  like those of B2C customers. And in complex B2B sectors like industrial services—think aftermarket service contracts  for jet engines, industrial robots, or utility-transmission equipment— better customer experience is increasingly critical for growth . In a survey of 1,000 B2B decision makers, lack of speed in interactions with their suppliers emerged as the number-one “pain point” and was mentioned twice as often as price.

Keeping a finger on the B2B pulse can help you understand and respond to emerging B2B customer needs , especially in light of the shift to omnichannel . Adjusting your approach for the mix of traditional, remote, and self-service sales channels is increasingly important—and 94 percent of B2B decision makers  say new omnichannel sales model are as effective or more effective than prepandemic sales models. For even more, here’s a case study  of how a B2B organization in China became more customer-centric.

How do different industries approach customer experience?

Because customer needs and expectations vary by context, different industries may approach CX in different ways. Here are just a few examples of how industries grapple with the issues:

• Automotive. Car companies are putting customer experience in the driver’s seat —whereas manufacturers once competed on their engineering capabilities, CX is now a true differentiator, and customer-centric innovation is crucial.
• Travel. The COVID-19 pandemic turned travel upside down, and travelers’ customer experience is emerging as a challenge during the recovery. Doing better could entail aiming higher on experience, understanding customers more deeply, and moving faster operationally.
• Retail. Retail and consumer CX likely needs to account for a variety of omnichannel operational considerations . Retailers also need to stay attuned to the rise of the inclusive consumer  and make adjustments to serve their needs. And preparing for the future of shopping , where technology is everywhere, will also be important.
• Banking. CX transformation in banking  can pay off by delighting customers and, in turn, delivering revenue and cost improvements for banks themselves. And in regions like Asia–Pacific, digital innovation in banking offers some insight on whether or how banks should rethink customer engagement . Keeping up with customer trends can also unearth new opportunities, for instance, as we’ve seen with buy now, pay later  financing models. Fintech players may be on the vanguard when it comes to taking the friction out of financial services  for customers.
• Insurance. Many insurers have invested heavily  in digitizing customer journeys and processes to improve the experience. A user-first, omnichannel approach could rely on the availability of online purchasing capabilities, the ease of navigating online journeys, and seamless integration of sales support and advice. The rise of insurtechs  has also helped the industry address some customer pain points.
• Healthcare. In coming months and years, “Care at Home” could reshape the way health systems deliver patient-centered care . The rise of telehealth could also affect CX in healthcare . Focusing on whole-person care  could improve outcomes for patients with behavioral-health conditions. Monitoring healthcare consumer insights  will remain important, and providing compassionate, personalized care  can benefit both patients and healthcare organizations.
• Utilities. Transforming CX in utilities  helps customers and can allow utilities themselves to drive out costs. Self-service and digital channels are crucial in this context.
• Government. Prioritizing and improving customer experience in government  can offer big benefits for customers. It can also give employees greater purpose—and improve agencies’ reputations.
• Service businesses. Are customers of industrial-services businesses happy? The bar is rising, but for industrial OEM customer experience , organizations will need to better understand what customers want and need.

What are the differences between customer experience and employee experience?

While the design thinking that transformed customer experience is now also transforming employee experience (EX) , there are some differences between the two:

• A customer journey is often a lot quicker than an employee journey. It might take months or even up to a year for employers to hire a new employee. That’s a lot longer than most customer journeys.
• Many employers’ interactions with their employees continue to be top-down instead of being a constant, two-way iterative process—as successful customer journeys have become. For instance, while many companies are exploring hybrid work options, others are considering a full return to the office, even though many of their employees would prefer to continue working from home.

But happy employees are crucial to providing good CX—meaning that CX and EX are related. In that regard, improving employee experience in service of building a customer-centric culture  can have a powerful effect. Just consider how much mindsets matter here: some employees, for instance, might think, “I’m not involved in asking for customer feedback.” But in a customer-centric culture, reframing that so employees feel empowered to create opportunities to ask for customer feedback can pay dividends.

Learn more about our Growth, Marketing & Sales , People & Organizational Performance , and  Operations  practices.

Three building blocks are essential in transforming or improving customer experience  throughout your organization:

• Build aspiration and purpose. A clearly defined CX aspiration should deliver on your company’s purpose and brand promise. Have you developed a customer-centric vision and aspiration, linked it to value, and translated it into a concrete road map?
• Transform the business. Here’s where you discover customer needs, design solutions, and deliver impact, whether that’s via customer journeys, products, services, or business models.
• Enable the transformation. After introducing a new experience for customers, your company needs to consider how to sustain its efforts. This involves transforming employee mindsets; building capabilities; stepping up on technology, data, and analytics; establishing cross-functional governance and an agile operating model; and deploying systems to measure and manage performance.

Improving customer experience can make a big difference. In over a decade of helping more than 900 companies design and implement enterprise-wide CX programs, approaches that rest on these building blocks  have delivered 15 to 20 percent boosts in sales conversion rates, 20 to 50 percent reductions in service costs, and 10 to 20 percent improvement in customer satisfaction.

It’s also important to stay attuned to customer experience pitfalls  so your organization can avoid them. These include failing to link CX to value, taking a narrow view of CX, and applying limited creativity; don’t miss the examples of how other organizations have sidestepped these issues in transforming CX.

For more in-depth exploration of these topics, see McKinsey’s Customer Experience  collection. Learn more about the Marketing & Sales , Operations , and McKinsey Digital  Practices, and check out customer experience–related job opportunities if you’re interested in working at McKinsey.

Articles referenced include:

• “ Six customer experience pitfalls to avoid ,” March 17, 2022, Itai Miller, Kevin Neher , Rens van den Broek, and Tom Wintering
• “ Next in loyalty: Eight levers to turn customers into fans ,” October 12, 2021, José Carluccio, Oren Eizenman, and Phyllis Rothschild
• “ This time it’s personal: Shaping the ‘new possible’ through employee experience ,” September 30, 2021, Jonathan Emmett, Asmus Komm , Stefan Moritz , and Friederike Schultz
• “ How to boost growth in industrial services: Better customer experience ,” July 28, 2021, Hugues Lavandier , Senthil Muthiah, Kevin Neher , Stephanie Trottier, and Hyo Yeon
• “ Prediction: The future of CX ,” February 24, 2021, Rachel Diebner, David Malfara, Kevin Neher , Mike Thompson, and Maxence Vancauwenberghe
• “ The three building blocks of successful customer-experience transformations ,” October 27, 2020, Victoria Bough , Ralph Breuer , Nicolas Maechler , and Kelly Ungerman
• “ The human touch at the center of customer-experience excellence ,” October 8, 2020, Alex Camp, Harald Fanderl , Nimish Jain , Bob Sternfels , and Ryter von Difloe
• “ The CEO guide to customer experience ,” McKinsey Quarterly , August 17, 2016, includes interviews with Alfonso Pulido , Ron Ritter, and Ewan Duncan
• “ The consumer decision journey ,” McKinsey Quarterly , June 1, 2009, David Court, Dave Elzinga, Susan Mulder, and Ole Jørgen Vetvik

Want to know more about CX?

Related articles.

Six customer experience pitfalls to avoid

Next in loyalty: Eight levers to turn customers into fans

Prediction: The future of CX

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What Is Brand Experience and Why Does it Matter?

Learn what brand experience is, why it matters, and what tools and techniques you can implement to create loyal customers.

Noah Pearson , Team Zuar

Brand experience is a key factor in driving customer loyalty. But what is brand experience ? This term refers to the emotional and psychological journey that customers undertake with a brand, with every interaction subtly sculpting their perception and loyalty.

No business can afford to overlook this element in an age where customer experience defines success. This article promises an in-depth look into molding these experiences into a strategic advantage to create loyal customers and drive revenue.

Understanding Brand Experience

Far from being a mere marketing buzzword, brand experience management is a strategic approach aimed at forging an emotional bond with customers through a feeling of kinship during their brand interactions .

It’s about creating a consistent positive brand image that resonates with both existing and prospective customers. Experiential marketing plays a crucial role in this process.

From the adventurous and action-packed branding of Red Bull to the sleek and intuitive product design of Apple, brand experience examples abound, showcasing how each interaction and point of engagement contributes to shaping the brand experience.

Consistency plays an indispensable role. A consistent brand experience mitigates confusion and establishes customer trust. However, pitfalls such as poor customer service, a damaged reputation, or controversy can have a negative impact, leading to a decline in customer loyalty.

Implementing a cohesive brand experience strategy can engage customers, differentiate the organization from competitors, and consistently deliver positive brand experiences, thereby influencing customer behavior and contributing to the overall success of the brand.

The Components of Brand Experience

The components that make up brand experience includes marketing efforts, customer service, product quality, and visual identity. Each of these plays a critical role in how customers perceive and interact with your brand.

Marketing Efforts

Marketing efforts greatly influence the formation of brand experience. They help create a unified brand image and manage customer perception and interaction with the brand.

In the era of data-informed decisions, real-time responses and insights have evolved into a significant paradigm shift. Using these insights, marketers can:

• Understand the reception and resonance of their campaigns
• Make more impactful decisions
• Recognize pivotal moments
• Consistently deliver positive interactions

These actions can greatly aid in establishing enduring brand loyalty and enhancing brand recognition.

See how Zuar can supercharge your data-driven marketing efforts:

Customer Service

Customer service holds the power to either enhance or diminish a brand experience. It directly influences customer satisfaction, loyalty, and the overall customer experience.

A key correlation for assessing customer loyalty is the one between those expressing brand satisfaction and favorability and those who remained customers over a given period.

In this context, the Net Promoter Score ( NPS ), a customer feedback metric formulated to gauge customer loyalty, comes into play. It asks customers about their likelihood of recommending a brand to a friend or colleague, providing valuable insights into customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Today’s customers have high expectations for timely and relevant messaging and customer service across all channels, particularly on social media where they anticipate brands to respond within minutes.

Learn how to create a self-service portal:

Product Quality

Product quality forms the bedrock of brand experience. It establishes the brand’s reliability, fostering positive experiences, and maintaining a consistent and trustworthy reputation.

The quality of a product significantly influences how customers perceive the brand experience and can lead to a decrease in customer complaints and returns, thereby boosting customer loyalty.

Favorable interactions with a brand can result in heightened confidence, perceptions of quality, and endorsement of the brand, all of which are pivotal in fostering customer loyalty.

Visual Identity

The face of a brand is its visual identity , which expresses the brand’s core and values, instantly forging an emotional bond with customers. From logos to color palettes, every visual element is a brand asset that plays a part in establishing the brand’s identity.

The impact of visual identity on customer perception is significant. It not only conveys a brand’s personality and values but also influences the perception of the brand, shaping customer experiences through the strategic use of color, typography, and imagery.

Brand Experience vs. User Experience

While occasionally used synonymously, brand experience and user experience are in fact two separate notions.

Brand experience is centered around the overall perception of a brand, while user experience focuses on the usability and functionality of a product or service.

For instance, user experience in marketing pertains to the holistic experience of users during their interaction with a product or service, with a primary emphasis on enhancing usability, accessibility, and satisfaction.

On the other hand, brand experience encompasses the enduring perceptions, emotions, and responses to the brand as a complete entity.

These two facets influence each other; positive user experiences can facilitate positive brand experiences, and vice versa, fostering a cohesive and satisfying customer journey.

Crafting a Winning Brand Experience Strategy

Designing a successful brand experience strategy can be a difficult undertaking, which includes grasping customer needs, synchronizing brand values, and utilizing digital channels for productive communication and interaction.

Understanding Customer Needs

The first and crucial step in designing a successful brand experience strategy is understanding the wants and necessities of the target audience.

To gather data on customer needs, companies can implement customer surveys, allowing customers to offer personalized feedback and providing valuable insights into their needs and preferences.

Market research plays a crucial role in understanding customer requirements. It offers insights through demographic analysis , tracks market growth potential, and identifies emerging customer trends, all of which aid in the creation of customized marketing strategies.

Aligning Brand Values

Ensuring alignment of brand values is pivotal in developing a successful brand experience strategy. It guarantees that the organization’s fundamental values and principles are accurately portrayed in the brand, communicates an authentic purpose to customers, and establishes familiarity and trust.

To align brand values with customer expectations, it is essential for companies to understand customer values, have clear and shared brand values within the organization, reexamine their mission and values for alignment with customer values, and fully comprehend customer expectations.

The absence of alignment between a brand’s values and actions can lead to diminished performance, a loss of trust and credibility, and ultimately weakening customer loyalty and the brand’s market position.

Leveraging Digital Channels

Digital channels have emerged as essential instruments for brands aiming to amplify their brand experience.

Businesses can leverage digital channels by creating a seamless online presence that aligns with their brand identity and values. Utilizing social media, websites, and mobile applications, companies can engage with customers in real-time, offering personalized content and interactive experiences.

By analyzing data from these platforms, businesses gain valuable insights into customer preferences and behaviors, enabling them to tailor their marketing strategies and improve customer service.

Additionally, digital channels provide opportunities for brands to tell their story, showcase their products and services through immersive content like videos or interactive demos, and build a community around their brand.

This digital engagement, when executed effectively, not only strengthens the brand experience but also fosters loyalty and advocacy among customers.

Measuring and Improving Brand Experience

Consistent evaluation and enhancement are fundamental to the management of brand experience.

Customer feedback provides valuable insights into customer perceptions and experiences, identifies strengths, and pinpoints areas for improvement, thereby guiding the optimization of the brand experience.

Real-time data can provide ongoing evaluation of customer sentiment and loyalty, enabling marketers to make informed decisions and improve strategies to enhance the overall brand experience.

Brand experience surveys serve as another tool for measuring customer satisfaction, identifying areas for enhancement, and gathering valuable data on customer preferences.

Tools for Measuring Brand Experience

To measure brand experience succinctly, businesses can implement various tools to gather data on their customers to gain a more comprehensive understanding of their behaviors, values, sentiment, and more.

The following subsections break down a few examples of the most popular types of tools to measure the brand experience.

Customer Feedback and Survey Platforms

Customer feedback and survey platforms quantify brand experience by collecting and analyzing direct customer input through surveys. These tools evaluate aspects like satisfaction, expectations, and service quality.

With built-in analytics, they identify trends and improvement areas, providing insights into customer loyalty and brand perception. This feedback is crucial for businesses to make informed decisions to improve their overall brand experience.

Social Media and Online Monitoring Tools

Social media and online monitoring tools measure brand experience by tracking brand mentions and sentiments across digital platforms.

These tools analyze real-time data from social media, blogs, and forums, assessing public perception and engagement with the brand. They identify the tone of customer interactions, providing insights into a brand's online reputation and helping businesses respond promptly to feedback.

This data is essential for companies to understand and improve their brand's public image and customer experience.

Analytics and User Behavior Analysis Tools

Analytics and user behavior analysis tools measure brand experience by providing insights into how users interact with a brand's digital properties.

These tools track user actions, such as page views, clicks, and time spent on a website or app, offering a clear picture of user engagement and preferences.

They help identify which features attract the most attention and where users face difficulties, allowing brands to optimize the user experience. Google Analytics may be the most prominent tool in this category.

By analyzing this data, businesses can understand customer journeys , refine their digital offerings, and make informed decisions to enhance the overall brand experience, ensuring it aligns with user expectations and needs.

Business Intelligence Solutions

The tools listed above are fantastic ways to gather customer data, but what do you do with that data? How to you get put these pieces together to get a holistic understanding of your customers? That's where BI solutions come in.

By extracting data from various platforms, data integration solutions like Zuar Runner can gather data from all of your data sources and consolidate it in a single data warehouse or lake.

This integration allows for a comprehensive analysis, combining insights from customer feedback, social media interactions, user behavior analytics, and other key metrics.

From their, data portal solutions such as Zuar Portal can be utilized to create unique analytics hubs tailored to each of your stakeholder's individual needs. These portals can be shared with executives, employees, vendors, customers, and more.

Learn more about Zuar Portal by trying out our free demo:

Real-World Examples of Exceptional Brand Experiences

Illustrations of successful brand experiences highlight the potency of storytelling, personalization, and emotional ties.

Take Red Bull as an example —  they have created a powerful brand experience by transcending the product itself and investing in a lifestyle that their target audience aspires to.

They have accomplished this through high-energy marketing, sponsoring extreme sports events, and aligning with thrilling activities that embody their slogan, "Red Bull gives you wings."

By consistently associating the brand with these dynamic experiences, Red Bull has managed to become synonymous with energy, adventure, and pushing the limits, crafting a brand experience that's engaging and authentic to its core message.

Apple is another company that is often cited as a prime example of a company with an excellent brand experience. Apple’s approach to design, user experience, and customer service all contribute to this perception.

The brand’s consistency across all touchpoints, from packaging to advertising to post-purchase support, reinforces a premium experience that aligns with its premium pricing, creating a loyal customer base that values not just the products but the experience of being an Apple user.

Common Brand Experience Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

During the process of creating a captivating brand experience, businesses may encounter various challenges.

One of the most common is inconsistency and lack of personalization, which can lead to a negative perception among customers and can risk disengagement and dissatisfaction.

Poor customer service is another potential pitfall that can significantly diminish brand experience by eliciting negative emotions and eroding trust.

To avoid these pitfalls, all individuals who represent the brand, such as employees and brand ambassadors , should embody the brand’s values to ensure a consistent and genuine brand experience.

The Future of Brand Experience

Looking ahead to the future of brand experience, it is expected that personalization, innovation in digital experiences, and the formation of meaningful customer connections will become the focal points.

The rise of personalization is transforming brand experience by catering to consumer preferences, fostering ongoing engagement, and strengthening customer loyalty.

Simultaneously, AI will play a significant role in enhancing brand experience by facilitating the development of cutting-edge digital experiences.

For instance, AI-powered recommendation systems have the ability to personalize product recommendations by analyzing a user’s browsing and purchase behavior, thereby increasing the relevance and appeal of the brand experience.

Prioritizing the establishment of meaningful connections with customers will facilitate a deeper understanding and alignment with customer values and needs, thus shaping the future of brand experience.

Implementing Brand Experience Strategies

In a world where customer loyalty is paramount, brand experience goes beyond the product or service to include every interaction a customer has with a brand.

From marketing efforts and customer service to product quality and visual identity, each component plays a key role in shaping a cohesive brand image.

When it comes to improving the brand experience, data is key. The effectiveness of your data strategy can make or break the success of your customer experience efforts. But that's where Zuar Labs can help.

As a team of seasoned data experts, we can work with you to gain a comprehensive understanding of your customer base and current data stack to recommend the tools and techniques that best fit your unique business needs.

From strategy creation to implementation and enablement, we can help guide you to success.

Learn more about our data solutions and services by scheduling some time with one of our data superheroes:

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Creating a better brand experience by understanding the customer journey

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Think about the last time you bought something online. There would have been several points in your journey to purchasing. You would have gone from thinking about buying that thing to clicking 'buy,' having it delivered to your home and then enjoying the product, plus many more steps in between.

Now think about how each of those moments felt. Was it effortless to find the thing you were looking for once you'd decided? Did you have any issues paying for the item? How was the shipping process? Did it arrive no worries, or did you have to redirect it three times before you received it? And when it was finally delivered, did the packaging wow you?

At the end of all this, would you purchase from that brand again? Or did one of these moments put you off engaging with them anymore?

If you had experienced just one of those trying moments and were considering avoiding that brand in the future, you wouldn't be alone. 1 in 3 customers will leave a brand they love after just one bad experience.

When it comes to your own business, it is vital to consider every step in your customer or client's journey. Understanding their journey and tailoring solutions to improve it, ensures that you can avoid bad experiences, provide wow moments, and increase brand retention.

What are the benefits of better brand experiences?

Understanding your customers' journey is beneficial to both your brand and your bottom line.

Here are some stats for ya if you don't believe me. A 95% profit increase can come from only a 5% increase in customer retention ( Bain.com ,) and it costs six times more to attract a new customer than it is to keep an existing one ( Paul W. Farris et al. ) Looking after your customers and ensuring that they have a seamless experience that leaves them wanting more is the best way to keep them around. And keeping them around is the best way to getting your hands on that 95% profit increase! Boom.

Even though the dollars definitely help when it comes to investing in making a change, there's more to better brand experiences than just financial gain.

Wowing your customers along their journey with your business will leave them wanting more, shouting your praise, and motivating others around your mission. They'll be snapping pics, sharing stories, and hashtagging till the cows come home! This all results in higher brand awareness and loyalty – both things we all strive for!

Mapping out the customer journey

Okay, so now you know why this is important, I'm sure you're wondering how to make it happen, and I've got you covered. What you need is a customer journey map.

PINPOINT YOUR PEOPLE

First and foremost, this whole exercise is about the customer, so we need to know who they are and keep them front of mind throughout. If you haven't already got one, create a persona of your customer and think about their demographics, psychographics, geographics, and behaviours. Having a clear picture of who they are will help you to understand how they will move through their journey and what that experience will be like for them in particular.

CHOOSE A CHALLENGE

You can create a customer journey map for their whole journey with your business, but what's more useful is breaking the journey down into specific experiences. From here, you can create a design challenge for each one, and map them out individually.

For example, say you own a clothing company – you could map out the whole journey, or you could just focus on how customers find your products. Then you can use the journey map to answer the design challenge, 'how might we help customers easily find, select and purchase our products?'

Further reading: IDEO – Frame Your Design Challenge

OUTLINE THE TIMELINE

The first step in creating your map is to think about the pivotal moments in the customer's journey. Let's use the example above to think this through.

Perhaps the customer sees a product in a sponsored post on Instagram, they click through to your profile, then to your website, and then select the product before purchasing. Here stage 1 might be 'Browsing Instagram,' followed by 'Instagram Profile,' 'Website Product Page,' 'Product Selection,' and 'Purchase.'

These stages make up the timeline for this experience.

BRAINSTORM THE EXPERIENCE

At each stage of the process, your customer will complete actions, experience a range of feelings, uncover questions, encounter pain points, and have their desired outcome in mind. Here you can brainstorm these and understand precisely what they might think, feel, say or do at each stage.

IDENTIFY THE OPPORTUNITIES

After brainstorming the journey of your customer, you will be able to identify areas of improvement and opportunities for you to either ease a pain point or take an okay moment to the next level.

For example, if they struggle to find a product from your Instagram profile, you might set up 'Shopping on Instagram' to make this super straightforward. And if finding the product on your site is already pretty easy, you could add an extra feature that wows them and makes the selection process even better!

Creating a better brand experience

In the end, understanding the customer journey will help you create a better brand experience. Better brand experiences will result in better brand retention, and this is the magic you need to increase revenue, loyalty, and ultimately, your impact.

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August 25, 2019

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What Is Brand Experience? (How To Design Yours + Examples)

What endears consumers to brands are no longer great logos, colours, slogans, or the uniqueness of their products, although those are equally important.  

In recent times, the experience and feelings that customers have when they interact with a brand matter more than anything else.  

Creating a positive brand experience that consumers can easily connect to is more important in the digital age than it has ever been.

Here’s the thing,  connections can be very powerful , they subconsciously draw users to a brand.

As brands c reate natural connections with their  target audience , they have an opportunity to become a memorable brand that the consumers love.

A unique  brand experience  can be your differentiation  in a highly competitive market.

In this article, we’ll explore how you can create brand experiences that are purposeful, help you fit into consumers’ lives, and ultimately make you the brand of choice in your target market.

What Is Brand Experience? [With Examples]

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Brand Experience  Defined

Brand experience is the connection between your brand and the customer experience you offer from your user experience to your in-store experience and everywhere in between. 

It is the reality of what users feel when they engage or interact with your brand,

the thoughts,

sensations,

and connections

that users have which usually remain with them long after their interactions.   

Your  brand strategy  is who your brand is and the method you are using to communicate it while the manifestation of that communication is your  brand expression , which typically is how consumers relate to your brand.     

As a brand, you have to understand what produces positive customer feelings and evoke them consciously from your marketing communications to the environments you create across all touchpoints of user interaction and engagement.  

These include your  website, email, shopfront, social pages, downloads, product delivery, customer service, events, and more. 

Since users interact with your brand across various  touchpoints , you need to  create a consistent  brand experience across all those touchpoints  to make lasting impressions.  

Brand Experiential Design

Brand experiential design is a deliberate and creative way to integrate  emotional connections  into every fabric of your brand strategy. The elements that make up a  brand experience  include:    

Brand design 

Brand voice 

User experience 

Brand image, and 

Customer support 

Experiential design should be geared towards incorporating some “feel good” emotions in your product designs, website, and all other  touchpoints  that users have with your brand.   

Before mapping out an experiential design plan for your brand, you should think about the following:  

What the wants and  needs of your audiences  are? 

How your products fit into their world 

What touchpoints do you have as a brand? (web, email, shopfront, social media, etc.)?

What environments do you want or need to create? 

How will you create such environments?

What attributes do you want to communicate?

What feelings do you want to evoke?

What memories do you want to leave with them ?

Channel your designs towards facilitating deeper connections with target customers by creating ongoing positive experiences across your brand’s  mediums ..  

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Who’s Involved with Brand Experiential Design?

The experiential design integrates all your major departments including marketing, sales, creatives, product development, customer service, and operations.  

The marketing department works on brand messaging and strategy while  creatives provide the brand assets .   

The product department ensures that the quality of products and services matches the  brand’s promises  while sales do the promotion.   

Operations ensure everyone, including those in  customer service aligns with the brand’s value , voice, and quality to create a consistent experience across all brand  touchpoints .   

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How to  create a brand experience.

Creating a great  overall brand experience  will require looking both inwards and outwards.

Inwards into your  brand’s story  and what you are offering, and outwards into what  resonates with your  target audience  and what their needs are.

Here’s a guide on what to do more specifically:  

#1.   Engage The Senses

Create opportunities for customers to see, hear, read, and talk about your brand.

You can use contests,  surveys , and product sampling at grocery stores to engage your  target audiences .  

Because a sensory brand experience engages more senses than a. typical brand experience, they’re much more likely to be remembered. 

#2. Focus On Storytelling  

Storytelling fosters curiosity and also encourages continuity.  

As you  infuse your story into your customers’ stories , you’ll make a beautiful blend that is not just meaningful but also dynamic.   

Use your  blog,  social media  pages, E-newsletters,  whitepapers , ebooks, quizzes,  and other online resources that appeal to the senses of your audience.  

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#3.  Sales Should Be Experience-Driven  

Customer satisfaction  should be at the core of your sales goals.   

Therefore, it’s critical to be intentional about what you want your customers to experience before, during, and after-sales.   

Make the entire purchase process simple and enjoyable such that customers keep feeling good even after the purchase experience.  

You can achieve this by creating a physical or online store that is easy to navigate. Customers should be able to easily locate items and get all the information they need to make a buying decision quickly.   

Physical stores should be clean, spacious, welcoming, and “relaxing” for visitors. 

#4.  Use Customer Feedback And Insights To Evolve  

Use customers’ feedback, reviews and interaction data to evolve your brand experience.  

Be in tune with your customer’s changing needs  and use that to improve your  brand experience .   

You can get data insights and  metrics  by tracking customer interactions and behaviour at every  touchpoint  and  Net Promotor Score (NPS) surveys  to gather critical feedback.   

#5.   Leverage  Experiential Marketing

Experiential marketing  has turned out better results than the sales-driven  marketing strategy .

In an  EventTrack 2021 report , 91% of consumers indicated that they would be more inclined to purchase a brand’s product or service after participating in their  brand activation  experience while 40% felt they became more loyal to the brand after an event experience.  

You can organize solo events to create powerful brand experiences featuring intriguing speakers,  immersive learning experiences, intriguing speakers, networking, and other sensory experiences .

You can also collaborate with event organizers in your industry to feature your brand as a facilitator, sponsor, exhibitor or key stakeholder.  

#6.   Consistency Is Key

The different elements that make up your brand should speak the same language.

Your  brand assets  such as logo, typography, colour pallete, etc must be visually consistent.  

The attitude and communication among your people (staff) must also be consistently positive.   

Your  brand voice  must be unique and consistent   as well across all  touchpoints  while your messaging and stories should double down what you want your audience to understand.  

Brand Examples With  Great Brand Experience  

When it comes to brands doing things as it should be as far as creating fantastic branding experiences is concerned, the following companies are worth looking up to.   

Allbirds  is the  company name  of the direct-to-consumer (DTC)  online footwear brand that produce Wool Runners which are made from ZQ-certified merino wool, and Tree Runners, made from FSC-certified eucalyptus trees.   

The company was founded in 2015 but it has quickly grown to become a  strong brand  with over $1.4 billion in market value, despite operating in an oversaturated footwear market.   

Top-quality shoes  

But what made them so successful?

The details are in their unique brand experience and storytelling ability.  

Shoes made of wool, unique and ultra-comfortable, a representation of the “comfort that comes naturally.   

The materials are  natural and also sustainable  which makes them appeal more to Gen Z consumers. The shoes are standard, stylish, minimalistic, and of high quality.

Customers are assured a 30-day no-hassle product trial period. 

Product Pages That Are Easy To Navigate

Allbirds has a product page that is clean, straightforward and value-driven.

The company uses the page to show the diversity of its products including different colour shades and materials.

Visitors can change the colour, pick sizes, and see how it looks in  real-time …

The shoe is the central image on a product page which means customers can easily get a sense of how the shoe looks by scanning through different angles or viewing a quick video that illustrates how the shoe moves on actual feet.   

Social Proof And Storytelling  

Allbirds features a “Birds in the Wild” column on their website which shows real people, models or influencers wearing Allbirds in their daily lives.

The company also provides content on the site on why they use specific materials in the production of their shoes, breaking down each part of the shoes and what they are made of.

This is deliberately done so that without being able to touch the materials, consumers can have a sense of what they feel like.  

Humour & Personality

When customers sign up to the Allbirds mailing list, they nurture them through the  sales cycle  through carefully crafted, funny emails, creating direct and stronger connections with every customer on a personal level.   

Their “Welcome Email” with the subject line, “Welcome To The Flock” suggests a sense of community, belonging and playfulness.

Almost all of their email titles inject some “wool-themed” humor including the “Abandoned Cart Email” titled “Don’t Get Cold Feet” and the “Thank You Email” with the subject line, “Thank Ewe” with a bonus dancing lamb GIF to delight customers.   

All these are consistently showcasing Allbirds’  brand identity  and  brand personality  to customers, reminding them about the materials used in the creation of Allbird’s products.

What a great example of brand experience from start to finish!

The company is already expanding into physical retail and has continued to use humour to highlight the company’s use of natural and recycled materials for the production of its shoes.

They also help customers who care about how the products they use are sourced to  connect to the source of their shoes . 

Bonobos  purpose for being in business is to make “pants with the perfect fit.” The company was founded by people who were looking for pants that fit but found none.    

Since the founders couldn’t find pants that fit them, and neither did anyone else they asked, they launched out in 2007 to make the “perfect pair of pants,” and grossed $100,000 revenue in their first year. 

Bonobos invested in both their pants and the people that wear them and customer experience was at the centre stage from day one.  

The company made their products so good that people couldn’t stop talking about them.

Such that even before setting up their website, they already had a significant following through word-of-mouth.  

Guide Shops

Bonobos popularized the idea of using Showroom stores (Guide shops) where customers can try out items, check out, and have their items shipped from a warehouse or another external source to them at home.

This arrangement affords customers the opportunity to visit and leave the store without any extra baggage.  

It also ensures that customers can get pants that are their perfect fit. B

onobos earned the trust of their customer by ensuring shipped items are delivered in a timely manner.  

Bonobos implemented a digital-first experience before evolving into stores.

They also made online shopping so easy with fast checkout and free shipping, and customers can return items at no extra costs.  

Over the years, Bonobos has commanded large  brand loyalty  and has grown beyond making pants.

They now make other clothing products such as suits and dress shirts and have over 60 locations.

The brand became such a success that Walmart acquired it for $310 million. 

Away  is a direct-to-consumer (DTC) travel luggage brand with a difference. While many luggage retailers use product features such as zippers, wheels and pockets to entice customers,  Away focuses on the experienc e of using the product instead .   

 The company uses storytelling for their brand experience strategy.  

That’s how they were able to launch their products even when products were not ready on launch day.   

They put together a piece of creative content for  brand awareness  which generated some buzz.   

It was a hardcover book that featured interviews and real stories with 40 interesting travellers among whom were photographers, foodies, and trendsetters.   

The book titled  “The Places We Return To” sold out and was instrumental to Away’s $12 million in first-year product sales.  

Other  Touchpoints

The touchpoints Away use for brand experience include their beautifully designed print and digital magazine, “Here”, and “Airplane Mode”, and a podcast that “explores the reason why we travel and places we find ourselves.”  

Their Instagram page  is full of user-generated content with customers sharing pictures using their Away bags while traveling.  

Apple  is a  brand name  with such high  brand equity .   

The company is popular for appealing to the emotions of consumers.

It’s not just that  Apple  uses its products to  create  emotional connections  with their customers , their messaging, advertisements, and in-store experiences also do the same.   

Their stores are clean, spacious, and smooth.   

Whether you are shopping online, using their product or visiting their local store,  the  “ feel good” experience   is usually the same from opening that beautiful box to playing with their new toys in-store.  

That’s why  Apple ’s customers keep coming back year after year.  

Over To You

One of the goals of brand management  is to always create a positive impression about your brand to your target customers.  

Everything your company does from introducing new products to guiding them through the customer journey contributes to your brand experience. 

The question is, is your brand experience consciously designed to produce the right perceptions and memories?  

You can deliberately evoke positive emotions about your brand by  designing a  brand experience  that is admirable, sensory, and has connections with the deeper needs of your target audience.  

But it’s only when you take the time to consciously design a brand experience, can you leave your audience with a very intentional perception that ultimately shapes whether or not they’ll choose you over your competitors.  

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Transforming fashion with tech: Inside Myntra’s journey to e-commerce dominance

Using ai-led tools and social commerce, myntra transformed itself into a destination for fashion, beauty, and grooming needs.

What had started in 2007-2008 to sell personalised gift items, today, has become one of the most preferred shopping destinations online. The journey of e-commerce platform Myntra – a Flipkart Group Company, is now owned by Walmart Inc due to its acquisition of the parent company in 2018, seems to be one of the most captivating. Many would ask why.  The answer resides in technology. While e-commerce remains at the forefront of all initiatives, Myntra is today more of a technology company, as it has added layers of proposition over the years. “Technology is a key part of its DNA. In fact, our vision is to democratise fashion with technology. Our evolution into an enterprise that leverages tech to solve the needs of consumers did not happen overnight. It is a result of our experience and careful consideration of the consumer demands. We have been using technology to enable seamless access and overall shopping experience over the years,” Raghu Krishnanda, CPTO, Myntra, told BrandWagon Online. 

The Indian fashion e-commerce market , which is predicted to reach $19,605.9 million by 2024, accounts for 18.7% of the total e-commerce market in India , as per the latest finding of ECDB, a market research firm. It is expected to increase over the next years. The expected compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for the next four years (2024-2028) is predicted to be 12.6%, resulting in a projected market volume of $31,520.5 million by 2028. Within the fashion market, ECDB considers the following three sub-markets, including apparel, footwear, and bags and accessories, to further grow. “In the space of e-commerce, m-commerce and commerce which is managed online, the role of technology is indisputable. In fact, the critical success factor lies with technology, data. Add to this the ability to juice the data, approach the data, and utilise it. Companies which have invested in there areas are doing an excellent job. It is about marketing technology. It is about talking to consumers with technology as an intermediary,” Harish Bijoor, business and brand strategy specialist and founder, Harish Bijoor Consults Inc, explained.   

The art of technology 

As pointed out by experts, technology needs to be at the centre of the game. As a result, the platform claims to have created a variety of solutions, including MyFashionGPT and MyStylist, that solve shoppers’ fashion inspiration while enhancing their end-to-end shopping journey.  Moreover, the Virtual Try-On feature has helped drive product consideration by 1.5X as opposed to products which are not listed on the feature, proving the crucial role tech plays in fashion, stated the platform. “Our ability to continuously improve the shopping journey is the ace up our sleeves and is one of the pivotal reasons why we have been able to create a brand while establishing a strong relationship with consumers who look at Myntra not just for fashion transactions but inspiration and assistance,” Krishnanda added. 

One of the key issues faced by the fashion segment is the high rate of return post trial besides the fact that even in skin care, it sort of is a challenge to sell new products to consumers, as the entire game of skin care and make-up resides on trial. It is here that Myntra claims to have created an interesting shopping experience for beauty, personal care, and grooming (BPC) verticals. Through a blend of AI-led tools and social commerce, the platform transformed itself into a comprehensive destination for fashion, beauty, and grooming needs. For instance, the AI Skin Analyzer provides personalised skincare recommendations, resulting in over 70% completion rates and improved conversion. Moreover, the BPC-specific cross-sell widgets help in driving demand by mirroring in-store nudges. Dedicated entry points and personalised navigation for beauty and personal care have enhanced user engagement and convenience. Also, assisted selling tools on the platform, powered by AI, and collaboration with popular influencers through the Myntra Minis have upped brand visibility and consumer engagement. “These strategic implementations have not only enhanced the shopping experience but also strengthened its  position as a leader in tech-driven innovation within the BPC industry , where we see ourselves growing notably ahead of the market. In fact, 75% of our customers have already experienced Myntra Beauty,” Krishnanda noted. 

To be sure, segmentation has been a strategic move for Myntra, contributing significantly to the growth of its business. This segmentation strategy claims to have allowed it to cater to the diverse preferences of its customer base, thereby expanding market reach and enhancing overall demand. According to Krishnanda, by offering products across varied price points ensures accessibility to a wider audience, capturing consumers across various income brackets. 

Building the customer experience – CX

In addition to acquiring new customers, enroute to profitability is important to create a set of loyal customers who are also repeat customers. This, over a period of time, helps reduce the cost of customer acquisition, which’s a critical metric, and helps in building a healthy LTV (lifetime value). “We have recognised that fostering customer loyalty is built on various parameters including crafting a holistic shopping experience that prioritises user experience, convenience, flexibility, and rewards. One key aspect that contributes to customer loyalty is our differentiated service on fast delivery and hassle-free exchanges. M-Express, our 2-day delivery proposition, is at the forefront of this ensuring timely delivery of orders. We have extended this service to non-metros also where M-Express tagged products can be delivered within three days,” Santosh Kevlani, vice president – CC/CX, Myntra, said. 

Moreover, it claimed that Style Exchange policy gives customers the convenience of allowing shoppers to place an exchange order not just for a different size but a completely different product from the Myntra catalogue. As part of this, customers don’t have to wait for a refund or credit. Additionally, its Supercoins system rewards loyal customers, known as Myntra Insiders, through Supercoin accumulation for their long-standing patronage. “Our focus on delivering a seamless, personalised, and rewarding experience has been instrumental in creating a loyal customer base as well as building brand salience,” Kevlani noted. 

Industry experts opine that in today’s digital landscape, CX doesn’t just kick in after a purchase, instead  it begins shaping customer perceptions even before they have landed on a platform. Think about it – from the moment a potential customer encounters the brand through advertisements, testimonials, or other forms of organic brand engagement, their opinion starts to form. But here’s the catch: this initial impression isn’t just about making a sale, it’s also about planting the seeds of loyalty. “Once customers decide to engage with you, the experience they encounter there becomes even more crucial. Everything from the user interface to how quickly their issues are resolved plays a role in shaping their perception of your brand. And here’s the thing: positive experiences here not only secure immediate sales but also pave the way for a high lifetime customer value. Personalisation further enhances this by tailoring the platform experience to the individual preferences and needs of each customer, making them feel truly valued and understood.  So, CX is the backbone of sustainable business growth,” Arun Pattabhiraman, chief marketing officer, Sprinklr, opined. 

Meanwhile, Myntra claims to rely on AI to give users a personalised and intuitive browsing experience. “The homepage of our app is meticulously designed to cater to each user’s preferences, ensuring a seamless journey from the moment they enter. At the outset, users are presented with options that cater to their specific interests, whether it’s exploring the diverse selection, delving into FWD for Gen-Z fashion, or indulging in luxury with Myntra Luxe,” Krishnanda said. 

Furthermore, this personalised experience extends to the user’s level of engagement on the app, the company stated. Whether someone is a value-conscious shopper or seeking premium brands, the homepage adjusts to showcase relevant brands, styles, offers, and trend widgets to help customers make informed purchase decisions. Moreover, the user journey is also tailored to display styles specific to regions and the cherished festivals in the relevant geographies. “For example, users in Punjab will encounter Lohri-themed selections, while those in southern regions might see offerings relevant to Pongal. This tailoring extends to our search functionality as well, where personalisation operates at a cohort level, considering factors such as past purchases, brands they have most interacted with, among others,”Krishnanda explained. 

For Myntra, these efforts have yielded remarkable results, notably driving cross-selling opportunities and fostering customer loyalty. During the 2023 festive season, it claims that the Monthly Active Users (MAU) reached 60 million. As per Krishnanda, features such as Vernacular Search empowers users to browse and shop in their preferred regional languages. “Additionally, Myntra Minis, our innovative short-form video content platform, enhances user engagement and fosters video-led discovery, further enriching the shopping experience. Our photo feature ‘Spot it, get it’ enables users to click a photo of any trend they spot on anyone in person or on social media and upload it on the app to be able to track that trend. We leverage customer data regarding their interactions on our platform to recommend and show relevant products to personalise the shopping experience for her,” he noted. 

Loyalty to profitability 

Early this year, the Flipkart -owned fashion platform issued a statement stating that it has been operationally profitable since October last year. At the time, Myntra said that its marketplace entity has been EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortisation) positive since the last quarter of calendar year 2023. In the meantime, Myntra Designs Private Ltd posted a rise of 25%  in revenue from operations to Rs 4375.3 crore in FY23 from Rs 3501.2 crore in FY22, as per regulatory filings accessed by business intelligence platform, Tofler. The company’s net loss widend by 31% to Rs 782.4 crore in FY23 from Rs 597.6 crore in FY22. While the company refused to comment on its earning, Abhishek Gupta, CFO, Myntra, said that its  strong market position, owing to its growing customer base, domestic and international brand associations, world-class tech-led innovations and a strong foothold among the aspiration-driven fashion-forward customers, has enabled the marketplace entity to turn EBITDA positive since the last quarter of CY2023. 

The platform attributes categories such as beauty accounting for a significant amount of the growth, with plans to add new categories. “We have had a strong play in beauty over the last three years and have created a robust assortment of brands, industry-first innovations and compelling constructs to effectively cater to the Indian beauty buyer. As our beauty business grows from strength to strength, we are also deep diving into categories such as home, decor, and luggage and travel accessories, that complement fashion as a key category and is a move aimed at diversifying our offerings and catering to a wider range of consumer needs,”Sharon Pais, CBO, Myntra, said. 

The BPC (Beauty and Personal Care) specific campaign featuring actor Anushka Sharma, focused on showcasing primary differentiators, innovative assisted selling tools including the AI Skin Analyzer and Virtual Try-Ons, available across a range of brands to elevate the shopping experience. “By highlighting the importance of personalised skincare solutions and integrating technology-driven solutions to ‘find your own beauty’,  we have amplified visibility for our Myntra Beauty,” she noted.  

For Myntra, the story doesn’t end here. Infact, the increase in spending capacity bundled with the rise in first-time online shoppers, especially in tier-2 and tier-3 cities, has now provided the platform to further expand and grow its business. “This dynamic landscape gives us the opportunity to build for the evolving customer needs, both from product and service standpoint, ranging from making selections from leading international brands available as well as getting the unique offerings of the homegrown D2C brands to providing a seamless shopping experience. We are at the forefront of leveraging cutting-edge technology to innovate the end-to-end shopping experience, be it through a user-friendly UI/UX or post-sales services such as speed and easy returns and exchanges,” she explained. With this, Myntra claims to be focusing on bolstering associated categories such as beauty, besides premium segments within categories such as home, sneakers, luggage, and travel accessories.

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Brand and customer experience: exploring a vital partnership.

12 min read BX and CX are often tracked separately, in unhelpful siloes. But they’re both equally important parts of the same pie, and – when tracked properly – one can often help build the other.

What is brand experience?

Brand experience  (often shortened to BX) is a catchall term for the feelings that result from a customer interacting with or otherwise knowing about your brand. And, just as there are lots of facets to what makes a brand in general (brand story, brand identity, brand image, brand promise, brand design, brand proposition, etc.), there is a raft of components that make up the brand experience.

Customer service and customer experience are important parts of the puzzle, but so are other tenets of your company’s entire presence – like online representation, visual design, marketing, advertising, reviews, and more. BX is the summation of how a customer perceives you across every touchpoint, and a great brand experience encourages consumers to buy into  you  on – an emotional level.

[Brand experience is] how consumers interact with brands in real life, generating feelings, beliefs and behaviours that result in comparative marketplace advantages that lead to more sales, pricing power and resistance to competitive threats.

–  Frank Zinni, Senior XM Scientist, PhD

What’s important to remember is that while you can design strategies to help influence both immediate brand experience and long-term BX, it’s a metric that is, by its nature, owned by your customers.

In other words: it’s your customers who decide what your brand experience is – and it’s your customers who’ll share that with their peers.

Free eBook: Use your brand to supercharge your CX

What is customer experience?

Well, for starters, it’s  not  just a fancy way of saying customer service. That’s because customer experience (often shortened to CX) goes way beyond that lone part of your customer’s journey, and gives a more modern, holistic view of how customers are interacting with your business.

Think of it this way: customer service is a department. It handles the pre-and-after-sales interactions you have with your customer, where a concern or an issue is raised, then solved. That contact center is a vital part of every business, but it’s just one part of the CX puzzle. That’s because making your customer’s experience with your company a happy one is a challenge that’s solved by many parts of the business, across all touchpoints.

Third-party reviews your customer comes across form part of the customer experience. So does the length of time your website takes to load. And as does the layout and appearance of your physical stores.

Think: marketing communications, advertising, merchandising, product design, hiring decisions, logistics, brand purpose, in-store aesthetics, and supply chain choices – they all affect how customers perceive you. And collectively, that’s the customer experience.

Brand experience vs customer experience: What’s the difference?

The two terms may seem similar, but there’s an important difference between the two.

Whereas brand experience describes the feeling a customer has about your brand – and often through indirect contact with it – customer experience describes the impact your efforts have had on the customer journey when they enter into more direct contact.

Short on time?  Here’s your branding and customer experience cheat sheet:

The feelings, reactions, and ideas that result from the direct or indirect exposure to any branded/brand-medicated interaction – influencing a future purchase decision.

The feelings, reactions, and ideas that result from direct consumption, purchase, and use of a branded product or service.

But here’s the thing: while the two are different, we’ve seen a huge increase in discussion and interest in how the two can be combined to help each other over the last few years. After all, they’re both metrics that describe what your customers think of you, just in slightly different ways – and they should both be the subject of targeted efforts to move the needle in a positive direction.

In practice, however, the two are often siloed. In 2021 we found that only 28% of leaders in marketing, brand, or CX have processes in place to ensure that brand strategy feeds into CX design and delivery.

But by tracking both brand experience and the customer experience in a more intelligent, aligned manner, companies can shine a light on where and how resources can be better spent for the former to help boost the latter (and vice versa).

How your brand sets customer expectations

Your brand is the face of your company, so it’s only natural that it’s a powerful way to build consumer expectations. Thinking about customer experience as a part of your overall brand experience lets you think broader, with a wider net on what ‘experience’ really means. After all, while we might know the difference, many customers don’t distinguish between the two.

In fact, when you’re tracking ‘X-data’ (experience data that measures attitudes, beliefs, emotions, sentiments, intentions, etc.) you’ll see how much BX and CX overlap – and that will often lend itself to straightforward, actionable changes that can aid both.

The aim of the game for both CX and BX is to create a network of positive experiences, but your branding efforts should be the starting point for that – instead of starting that with your customer experience. Remember: It takes a lot longer for positive customer experiences to filter up to brand-level awareness than it does to set out your stall early on as a brand that offers incredible CX.

In super simple terms, that means building your brand story and expectations around four core experience types, which your customer experience can then work to deliver:

• Reward-associated
• Consistent over time

How customer experience can create brand differentiation

Excelling at customer experience can mean much more than happy customers. It can breed a reputation. If customers think of you as a brand delivering brilliant service across every touchpoint available, that will gradually become a major part of your brand.

It’s a well-trodden example, but Apple sets a great standard here. If you think about what Apple as a brand offers customers, your mind will probably conjure up two things:

• High-quality products
• Excellent customer experience

And that’s because Apple has worked hard to make CX become part of its BX. No-quibble returns and ‘Genius Bar’ appointments fulfill the customer  service  part of that CX equation, but the seamlessness of its online store, fast delivery, and even its checkout-free in-store experience all add to the story.

Everything from staff training to your marketing and communication strategies can and should go into forming your customer experience, and when all those things are working seamlessly together, you’ll become known for that top-tier experience.

What’s more, analysing your customer experience interactions through a brand lens can help you answer key questions – like whether you’re spending excess energy on areas that don’t materially affect how your customer feels, or whether CX interactions are remembered.

Minimising experience gaps

An experience gap occurs whenever a customer expects one thing and gets another. Think: claiming to be a five-star restaurant when you’re just serving microwave meals. In the world of branding and customer experience, that probably means attempting to make your brand known for customer experience when – in reality – your CX efforts leave a lot to be desired. If you’re going to talk the talk, you need to be able to walk the walk, too.

Why is customer experience so important?

In recent research , we found that some 65% of people surveyed have switched brands because the customer experience didn’t match the brand promise. Things are even more dramatic for Gen Z and millennials specifically – where that figure rises to 70%.

But you don’t need us to tell you that bad customer experience will force customers to look elsewhere – we are all consumers ourselves, after all. What is important to point out, however, is that the opposite is also true: if a business is known to offer speedy shipping or hassle-free returns, customers pay attention.

5 benefits of improving CX:

• Drive revenue and customer lifetime value
• Increase brand value
• Boost customer loyalty and advocacy
• Keep close to customers’ changing behaviours
• Reduce costs and invest in the right things

In many cases, customer experience is a bigger driver of growth than product and price. We know that  strong customer experience  feeds into strong brand experience, but it also impacts other key metrics like brand loyalty and brand perception. According to Temkin Group, 86% – of those who received a great customer experience were likely to repurchase from the same company; compared to just 13% of those who received a poor CX. And brand loyalty, in turn, will help attract new customers.

How to improve your brand and customer experience

The best way to improve both brand experience and customer experience is to bring them together and start analysing them as less siloed entities.

If you continually listen to – and anticipate – customers’ expectations, you’ll be able to take steps to ensure that your brand and customer experience teams are working together to meet them.

To achieve that, you’ll need to employ an intelligent  experience management suite that offers real-time insights and the ability to hone in on areas where the customer journey is letting your CX and BX down. That means a few things:

Real-time monitoring

As with any area of business improvement, always-on data provides much more scope for improvement than data that’s stuck in the past. Continuous monitoring allows you to act on insights that are timely and relevant – you’ll be able to fix issues before it’s too late, and take advantage of potential opportunities you spot early.

Granular detail

Attitudes and expectations vary across demographics, so you need to be able to monitor feedback on a granular level. That’ll help ensure that you’re tailoring your experience to specific audience sets, as well as learning how the opinions of new customers differ from returning ones.

Sentiment analysis

Sometimes metrics like NPS don’t give you enough detail, and customer feedback slips through the cracks. That’s where  conversational analytics  comes into its own – it can detect emotion and  sentiment  from the language your customers use – whether that’s on the phone, over email, or in a Tweet. You’ll get vital context that will give you the tools to act on what your customers are telling you.

Naturally,  Qualtrics’ Experience Management software  can help with everything your business needs to fine-tune your brand and customer experience – and drive more positive consumer expectations as a result.

If you’re interested in learning how to practically bring BX and CX into alignment, our free eBook – Use your brand to supercharge your CX – can help. Download it for free below.

eBook: Use your brand to supercharge your CX

Related resources

Top of mind awareness 11 min read, brand recall 11 min read, how to build a brand 14 min read, brand research 13 min read, ideal customer profile 10 min read, brand extension strategies 11 min read, what is a rebrand 13 min read, request demo.

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