The Importance Of “The Total Experience”
For many years, customer experience (CX), user experience (UX) and employee experience (EX) have been treated as individual practices within businesses. As digital transformation of businesses and expectations of various brand stakeholders continue to evolve at pace, there is more exposure of the interconnection of different brand experiences. End-to-end experience matters. For example, for many businesses today it is impossible to completely separate the realities of user experience from employee experience, employee experience from customer experience etc. In fact, there is evidence showing that experiences beyond direct customer experience are recognized by purchase decision-makers. B2B International’s recent Superpowers 2.0 survey found that B2B brands that are seen as a good employer, taking care of its suppliers, partners, and communities, or having a culture of diversity and inclusion are 20% more likely to be used than other brands considered during the purchase journey.
Recognizing this interconnection, many companies are looking to build total experience (TX) strategies that look to grow brands through mutual reinforcement of different stakeholder experiences. TX is a business strategy that combines practices of CX, EX and UX to deliver the best holistic experience for all who engage with a brand, whether they are customers, users, employees or business partners. It looks to build brands beyond the superficial (design, logos, tone) to their true essence, i.e., not just the look and feel but also corporate social responsibility (CSR), treatment of customers, employees and partners, and the emotional connections made with everyone who interacts with the company.
The Power Of Insights
More businesses are expected to adopt TX strategies over the coming years. Gartner predicts that 60% of large enterprise businesses will have a TX strategy in place by 2026, aimed at delivering world-class customer and employee advocacy levels. TX and brand reputation development are inextricably linked and this continued shift in strategy will require new ways of using insight to guide marketeers in their decision-making. As Davion Ford, Global Brand Storyteller at Arcadis said recently on B2B International’s Brand Practitioners Podcast recently, brands “have to be aligned with how consumers and other stakeholders actually see the company. It’s only once you have an understanding of where there are gaps that you can create an effective strategy really aimed at changing how the brand is perceived.”
As TX programs continue to be rolled-out across the B2B world, insight needs will evolve and companies will need an understanding of not only how they are performing on measures around CX, EX and UX, but critically how these experiences intersect and how to address challenges to deliver the best holistic brand experience. Brand health tracking programs, customer experience and employee engagement surveys are still powerful in isolation, but the key moving forward is to focus on these elements holistically, understanding that each experience powers another. Companies must now unify the story to ensure they can strengthen their end-to-end experience with all stakeholders and continue to build deep-rooted brands.
Creating The Ultimate B2B Experience
We understand the importance of creating a seamless, superior experience for B2B brands. We do this by stepping into the shoes of our clients’ key stakeholders, including prospects, customers, and employees. We bring their voice into the heart of everything our client does and at every stage of their journey. After all, how can you create the total experience if you do not understand the unmet needs and challenges of your customers and prospects? How can you be considered a B2B brand of choice if your employees are not even satisfied? How can you develop your brand and propositions if you do not understand how it is perceived to begin with?
Furthermore, as a Merkle B2B brand, we can use these insights to elevate your brand and create these meaningful experiences end-to-end. We are your full-service growth partner, with solutions spanning across:
- Creative
- Media
- Marketing Automation
- Data & Tech
- CX & Commerce
Let us help you become a winning B2B brand through interconnected experiences.