Customer Experience

🗺️ AirBnB Customer Journey Blueprint, a wonderful practical example of how to visualize the entire customer experience for 2 personas, across 8 touch points, with user policies, UI screens and all interactions with the customer service — all on one single page. AirBnB Customer Journey (Google Drive): https://lnkd.in/eKsTjrp4 Spotify Customer Journey (High-res): https://lnkd.in/eX3NBWbJ Now, unlike AirBnB, your product might not need a mapping against user policies. However, it might need other lanes that would be more relevant for your team. E.g. include relevant findings and recommendations from UX research. List key actions needed for next stage. Add relevant UX metrics and unsuccessful touchpoints. That last bit is often missing. Yet customer journeys are often non-linear, with unpredictable entry points, and integrations way beyond the final stage of a customer journey map. It’s in those moments when things leave a perfect path that a product’s UX is actually stress tested. So consider mapping unsuccessful touchpoints as well — failures, error messages, conflicts, incompatibilities, warnings, connectivity issues, eventual lock-outs and frequent log-outs, authentication issues, outages and urgent support inquiries. Even further than that: each team could be able to zoom into specific touch points and attach links to quotes, photos, videos, prototypes, design system docs and Figma files. Perhaps even highlight the desired future state. Technical challenges and pain points. Those unsuccessful states. Now, that would be a remarkable reference to use in the beginning of every design sprint. Such mappings are often overlooked, but they can be very impactful. Not only is it a very tangible way to visualize UX, but it’s also easy to understand, remember and relate to daily — potentially for all teams in the entire organization. And that's something only few artefacts can do. Useful resources: Free Template: Customer Journey Mapping, by Taras Bakusevych https://lnkd.in/e-emkh5A Free Template: End-To-End User Experience Map (Figma), by Justin Tan https://lnkd.in/eir9jg7J Customer Journey Map Template (Figma), by Ed Biden https://lnkd.in/evaUP4kz Free Figma/Miro User Journey Maps Templates https://lnkd.in/etSB7VqB User Journey Maps vs. Service Blueprints (+ Templates) https://lnkd.in/e-JSYtwW UX Mapping Methods (+ Miro/Figma Templates) https://lnkd.in/en3Vje4t #ux #design

I once lived at distributor’s home in a small town because I had no choice... When Marico Limited was nascent, Bombay Oil Industries was still the family’s backbone. In those early days, I wanted our business to transform from a commodity trade into a branded consumer company. To do that, I had to understand the ground truth. There were no fancy hotels in the towns we visited. I stayed in dusty and small guest rooms. I sat with distributors over chai and samosas. I watched how coconut oil was stored, how shopkeepers priced it, how packaging changed hands. One day, a retailer told me matter-of-factly: “You always sell big tins. When people come back to buy, they carry a few kilos. If your packet is small, they will pick your brand at convenience.” That simple insight was a turning point. It nudged us to expand SKU ranges, introduce smaller packs, and think about how to become a “grab-and-go” brand, rather than just a bulk commodity supplier. If you ask me where innovation begins, it begins in the least glamorous places. In the musty shelves of neighbourhood stores, in conversations that feel insignificant, in paying attention to what people don’t say aloud. Takeaway for entrepreneurs: Your real research lab isn’t spreadsheets or agencies. It’s the ground. If you go build empathy for your customer at the shelf level, the brand strategy almost builds itself. #entrepreneurship #business #resilience #mindset #growth

Influencing people and attracting customers with technology is all about leveraging digital tools, platforms, and strategies to build engagement, trust, and value. What can you learn from this bird? - **Personalization and Data Analytics:** - Create Personalized Experiences: Utilize data analytics and AI to tailor customer experiences, such as personalized product recommendations and custom content, fostering a sense of relevance and connection. - Gain Customer Insights: Analyze customer behavior to understand preferences and needs, enabling businesses to refine their offerings and messaging effectively. - **Social Media and Digital Presence:** - Boost Social Media Engagement: Platforms like Instagram and LinkedIn facilitate direct customer engagement through interactive content creation and community building around your brand. - Collaborate with Influencers: Partnering with influencers extends your reach by leveraging their follower base and credibility. - **Automation and AI-Driven Marketing:** - Implement Chatbots and AI Support: AI-driven chatbots enhance customer support responsiveness and service quality, while automation tools streamline communication through email marketing and CRM systems. - Leverage Predictive Marketing: Use AI to anticipate customer needs, ensuring satisfaction and loyalty. - **Interactive Technology:** - Offer AR/VR Experiences: Immersive AR/VR experiences enable customers to virtually try products, enhancing the buying process and engagement. - Develop Interactive Websites and Apps: Intuitive platforms boost customer satisfaction, driving longer interaction times and increased conversion rates. - **Trust through Transparency and Security:** - Ensure Blockchain and Secure Transactions: Utilize blockchain and encrypted payment systems to foster trust and ensure secure transactions. - Showcase Reviews and Testimonials: Use technology to display user reviews, ratings, and case studies, building trust through social proof. - **Innovative Product Features:** - Integrate AI and IoT: Products incorporating AI or IoT attract customers seeking cutting-edge solutions. - Offer Mobile Apps and Tools: Complement your product with apps or digital tools like fitness trackers and others. #ai #technology #marketing via @ferarrigophoto

Disney’s Creative Evolution: Why Bringing in Bobby Hundreds is a Brilliant Move For decades, The Walt Disney Company has set the standard for storytelling, innovation, and cultural impact. But in recent years, their creative output has felt… familiar. The brand remains an entertainment powerhouse, yet capturing the next generation—particularly Gen Z and younger Millennials—has become a challenge. The world is moving faster, and youth culture is shifting in ways that demand fresh perspectives, risk-taking, and a deep understanding of where cultural conversations are happening. That’s why Disney’s latest move—bringing in Bobby Kim (aka Bobby Hundreds), co-founder of The Hundreds—is one of their smartest creative decisions in years. Bobby isn’t just a designer; he’s a culture builder. For over two decades, he’s been at the forefront of streetwear, community-driven branding, and youth engagement—three things Disney desperately needs more of in their creative approach. His past collaborations with Disney (which have blended nostalgia with street-level credibility) have already proven his ability to reinterpret the brand’s legacy in a way that resonates with new audiences. But as a more integral creative force? The potential is enormous. Here’s why this move matters: ✅ Cultural Relevance – Bobby has built his career on earning cultural relevance, not forcing it. In an era where audiences can spot inauthenticity from miles away, his influence could help Disney tap into real subcultures rather than just marketing to them. ✅ Creative Risk-Taking – The Hundreds has always thrived on challenging norms, blending high and low culture, and embracing creative chaos. Disney, for all its strengths, has become risk-averse in storytelling and branding. Bobby’s presence could help shake that up. ✅ Bridging Generations – Disney’s strongest asset is its legacy—but nostalgia alone won’t keep them relevant. Bobby understands how to reinterpret heritage brands for new generations, making them feel fresh while respecting their roots. ✅ Street-Level Connection – Disney’s marketing often aims at youth culture; Bobby has built his career from within it. That shift in perspective—bringing in someone who understands youth movements organically—could be transformative. If Disney truly empowers him, this could signal a new creative era—one where the company evolves from a nostalgia-driven content machine into a cultural force that actually leads trends again. And that’s the magic Disney needs right now. I couldn’t be more excited with this move and believe the Happiest Place on Earth just became a little bit brighter.

In 2007, a pair of pants ignited a retail revolution that would forever change how men shop. Andy Dunn, a Stanford graduate and innovator, identified a significant gap in men’s fashion: the absence of well-fitting, high-quality pants available online. This insight inspired the creation of Bonobos, a company that would revolutionize men’s retail. Bonobos stood out by focusing on one key issue: providing great-fitting pants for men. They didn’t just sell pants; they transformed the shopping experience. Here's how Bonobos transformed men's fashion retail: > Bonobos proved that men would indeed buy clothes they couldn't try on.  90% of their initial sales came through their website, challenging long-held beliefs about male shopping habits (Harvard Business School). > The "Guideshop" concept: Bonobos introduced a revolutionary hybrid model. Their guideshops allowed customers to try on clothes in person but place orders online, blending physical and digital experiences. > Mastering the perfect fit: Bonobos nailed fit customization with a variety of sizes and fits, which helped them reach over $200 million in annual revenue by 2019 (Inc. Magazine) > Customer service excellence: Bonobos elevated customer service with their "Ninjas" - representatives empowered to go above and beyond for customers. This approach yielded an impressive 83% customer retention rate (Forrester) The Bonobos story teaches us that addressing real customer pain points can transform an industry, and blending online convenience with offline experiences creates a powerful retail model. As fashion industry professionals, we can draw inspiration from Bonobos' success. What areas of fashion retail do you think are ready for a Bonobos-style disruption? Share your ideas in the comments below. #FashionInnovation #RetailRevolution

Two forces are colliding in B2B go-to-market: the decline of the traditional playbook and the meteoric rise of AI. In 2006, we founded Marketo and I helped create that traditional playbook — the one built on MQLs, marketing automation, and tracking every click. For years, it worked brilliantly… until it didn't. Now, the “gum ball machine” approach to marketing (“budget in, MQLs out”) has become unsustainable. Buyers are burned out by relentless outreach, and trust is at an all-time low. It’s time to reframe marketing’s role in revenue and lean into brand-building as a long-term differentiator. At the same time, AI agents are reshaping how we work and buy. They’re handling repetitive tasks like qualifying leads and building campaigns, and helping us make purchases by filtering and summarizing information. In this world, experiences that can't be filtered or summarized will become marketing's new currency. These two trends are driving the most profound transformation in B2B marketing since the advent of marketing automation. And they work together. As AI finally delivers on the promise of “automation” in marketing automation, it will free us to focus on the strategic, creative work that truly moves the needle. Put another way, if AI can handle the "-ing" in marketing, then we can focus on the "market": understanding our buyers, crafting compelling narratives, and building memorable experiences. This shift is at the heart of my 11 predictions for how B2B will evolve in 2025 and beyond. Here's a sneak peek: 1. Companies will slowly break from their "gumball machine" MQL addiction 🍬 2. CMOs will work to reframe marketing's role in revenue 📈 3. Marketers will rebalance budgets toward brand 🌟 4. AI agents will gain early real traction in the enterprise 🤖 5. MOps teams will use AI to trade tactical tasks for strategic impact 👩💻 6. AI will start to replace junior sales roles but augment strategic sellers 🤝 7. Companies will adopt AI SDR agents — but automated cold prospecting will fall flat ❄️ 8. Seat-based pricing will give way to value-based models 💺 9. Agents will begin to transform how we buy — and how we go-to-market 🛍️ 10. Experiences, relationships, and original content will stand out as AI filters out traditional marketing 🎉 11. Marketing automation will be reimagined for the AI era 🚀 The full definitive article, shared in comments, dives into each prediction and what it means for you. Found this valuable? Please leave a comment or repost to let me know what you think and help drive visibility for these ideas! Do you agree or disagree? What are you seeing in your own business? 🙏 #B2BMarketing #MarketingAI #MarTech #CMO #MOps #SalesAI #MarketingAutomation #Predictions #Marketing2025

Search Query Performance Report on Seller Central is an extremely powerful report for growing on Amazon Amazon is a search led platform, and in most categories at least 60-70% sales originate through a search query. And this report gives all the metrics ( search volumes, impressions for that query, clicks from that query, add to carts from that query, purchases from that query) for the top 1000 relevant search queries for your brand. And you get both the category level data as well as your brand data and your brand's share Eg: You can find out for the search term "ceiling fan", what were the total impressions, your brand impression share, total clicks, your brand click share, total add to carts, your brand add to cart share,total purchases and your brand purchase share etc Now this is extremely powerful data. This includes both organic and paid clicks/sales You can basically map your brand funnel vis-a-vis the category funnel for every relevant keyword Eg: Lets say for the keyword "ceiling fan", my impression share is 7%, click share is 8%, add to cart share is 9% and purchase share is 10% The immediate actionable would be to increase impression share by increasing spends on the Keyword "ceiling fan". And because this is a high volume keyword and my funnel is stronger than the category, I would start a single KW exact match campaign with high budgets and bids for this keyword And if the funnel holds, very soon the impression share will increase Similarly, if impression share>click share, it means the Hero image/Title/offer needs working If Click share>Purchase Share, it means the offer ( pricing/TAT) and the content ( images, bullets, A+ etc) need to do a better job at convincing the consumer Now imagine if you do this rigorously for 1000 keywords and bring incremental improvement for many search queries, how the benefits could stack up. Both market share and TACOS will improve Extremely powerful report if used well. Doing this rigorously helped us a lot in the last 12-18 months ( This report didn't exist when we started 10 years back) in scaling up Amazon even faster than we used to and gain almost 300-400 bps market share on platform. Also helped a lot in scaling up the new categories How to Access? Seller Central>> Brands>>Brand Analytics>> Search Query Performance And once there, you can look at the data week wise, month wise, quarter wise

One of the biggest reasons deals stall isn’t that buyers doubt your solution—it’s that they doubt their ability to make the right choice. Matt Dixon's research for The JOLT Effect found that 40% of lost deals are driven by customer indecision, not preference for a competitor. And Brent Adamson's new book The Framemaking Sale highlights that customers with high decision confidence are TEN TIMES more likely to make a purchase. Here are a few ways you can help buyers build confidence in themselves: 1. Reduce Decision Complexity According to Gartner, 77% of B2B buyers report their last purchase was “very complex or difficult." Streamlining options, providing decision guides, or recommending a clear best-fit reduces “analysis paralysis” and gives buyers confidence they aren’t missing something. 2. Reframe Risk in Personal Terms Buyers often fear personal blame more than organizational failure. Use case studies and peer validation to show how people in their role succeeded—helping them feel safe and supported in their choice. 3. Provide Buyer Enablement Tools Tools like ROI calculators, pre-built board decks, or checklists reduce the burden on them and demonstrate that they have what they need to decide. 4. Normalize Their Concerns The JOLT Effect also emphasizes “normalizing indecision” as a critical skill—buyers need to know hesitation is common and that you can guide them through it. Framing uncertainty as a normal step in the process reduces the shame that often delays action. 5. Signal Post-Decision Support Harvard Business Review highlights that buyers who see strong post-sale support are more confident in making initial commitments. Show them the path forward—onboarding, customer success, peer communities—so they know they won’t be left alone after purchase. Helping buyers feel personally confident and protected is as important as proving your product’s value. The most successful marketers and sellers don’t just build confidence in the solution—they build confidence in the decision-maker.

The EU Data Act becomes applicable from today across all EU countries. This marks a major step forward in building a fair and innovative European data economy. The Act is a key pillar of the European data strategy. It addresses the challenges and unleashes the opportunities presented by data in the EU, emphasising fair access and user rights while ensuring the protection of personal data. What changes in practice: ➡️ Connected devices on the EU market must be designed to allow data sharing ➡️ Consumers can choose more services without being locked into the manufacturer of the device ➡️ Business users in industries such as manufacturing or agriculture gain access to data on the performance of industrial equipment, boosting efficiency and innovation ➡️ Consumers can easily transfer their data and switch between cloud providers ➡️ Unfair contract terms that restrict data sharing are prohibited And more https://europa.eu/!pqXD47

I’m incredibly excited to share the 2024 Capital One Car Buying Outlook, which examines both the car buyer and dealer perspectives on the car buying process, and highlights the pivotal role dealers have in the experience. A few key findings I think are important to share with you: - 88 percent of car buyers conduct at least half of the car buying process in person, a 5 percentage point increase from last year’s report. - 26 percent of car buyers said working with a dealer they trust is the most important part of the car buying experience—only 10 percent said getting the best price for the vehicle was most important.  - Salespeople make the greatest difference in that in-person relationship—60 percent of buyers said sales reps contribute to trust. - Car buyers who feel the car buying process is transparent are 2.75 times as likely to trust car dealers. And those who trust dealers are over 7 times more likely to find the car buying process transparent. These insights further reinforce that the combination of online digital tools and the physical, in-person experience—or what I call “digical”—can have a tremendous impact on trust and transparency throughout the car buying process. Explore more findings from this report, and let me know what stands out to you: https://bit.ly/3NVGvqZ. #carbuying #autoindustry #CarBuyingOutlook