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#GartnerSYM: Offering the 'everything customer' the multi-experience

Continuing the opening keynote from the first morning of Gartner Symposium 2019, Don Scheibenreif, distinguished VP analyst at Gartner, explained the concept of the 'everything consumer' and why we need to offer them the all-new multi-experience.
#GartnerSYM: Offering the 'everything customer' the multi-experience
© Lightfieldstudios via 123RF

It's a strange time to live in, with Scheibenreif saying to think for a minute with your consumer hat on - you both want to be connected with and left alone by brands.

Technology has made this more complicated in creating the ‘everything customer’.

Meet the 'everything customer'

The everything consumer needs the 'ultimate experience' from your brand, no matter which device or touchpoint is used to interact.

This means they don't want to be limited to your call centre, mobile app or website for certain services.

Scheibenreif says to take this sentiment further within the company by tapping into the new kinds of talent now accessible as we hire younger generations.

This will help brands better understand the moments of delight and pain points alike from the expected and unexpected parts of the customer journey.
We need to listen to what our customers do and don’t say, and now deliver to a wider universe of demands than ever before.

Looking specifically to consumer cohorts, Scheibenreif said 'Gen Z', the next generation of customers, will be considered adults by the year 2021, which is just around the corner.

Gen Z values identity more highly than any other age group, with evolving fashion and beauty trends calling for more inclusive design.

Scheibenreif pointed out that we now finally have plasters that match more skin tones than ever before, such as the Plasta brand, which was started in South Africa.

Offering the 'multi-experience'

Being inclusive leads to better value, as your brand is a better fit for the diverse society of today.

But what if your future customer is not 100% human, asks Scheibenreif. For example, HP created InstantInk, where the printer itself orders its own ink (from HP, of course), when its levels start running low.

That's just one example of smart devices and the rise of the internet of things (IoT).

Taking this further, we need to think beyond the call centre as the main customer interface and ensure all touchpoints are as technologically advanced as possible.

Customers expect service anywhere, any time

Take the US, as an example - there are already currently 10 ways to book a flight - even via Instagram, and 15 ways to order pizza - even through your smart TV.

Insert the shocked-face emoji, but that’s multi-experience in a nutshell.

It goes beyond the tech investment to expecting the unexpected, wrapped in rich digital services.

Scheibenreif concluded that to succeed, brands need to decide to connect with the everything customer, then design and shape inclusive experiences for them, and drive these in the multi-experience platform.

Watch the #GartnerSYM hashtag for further coverage of the Gartner Symposium.

About Leigh Andrews

Leigh Andrews AKA the #MilkshakeQueen, is former Editor-in-Chief: Marketing & Media at Bizcommunity.com, with a passion for issues of diversity, inclusion and equality, and of course, gourmet food and drinks! She can be reached on Twitter at @Leigh_Andrews.
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