The Importance of Customer Centricity

As price and product become a commodity, customer centricity is fast becoming an important differentiator, but how did we get to this point?

In the 1980s, everything you bought broke (especially if it was made in Britain, know anyone with a Bush TV in 2019?). Then, Japanese (not exclusively Japanese) companies perfected manufacturing techniques, creating differentiation by creating products with zero defects and a lower cost.

All of a sudden consumer expectations changed, we expected products to last and be affordable.

 In the 1990s, consumers were offered the ability to customise the products they bought, as an example, Dell introduced ‘Just In Time’ manufacturing. Dell created differentiation by allowing customers to personalise their products.

 Once again, consumer expectations changed.

In the early 2000s, as the internet increased global connectivity and tracking, global shipping and logistics improved. This meant companies (like Amazon) were able to offer customers access to low-cost goods anywhere in the world.

You guessed it, consumer expectations changed again.

In the 2010s, the availability of smartphones meant that the internet was accessible on the go, meaning companies that could manage it were able to offer their services 24/7/365.

Hey, consumer expectations changed…

Consumer expectations will continue to evolve, but how do you differentiate yourselves from your competition and ensure further business growth?

Offer a better experience, by focussing on your customers. 

To stand out and create holistic customer experiences, forward-thinking businesses are adapting to orient their business models around the customer and their needs.

To become a customer-centric organisation you have to first know your customers but understanding what they want and how they interact with your business isn’t easy. Google Analytics and other tracking tools can tell you some of the story, but they don’t give you the full picture. You have to think beyond the usual, measurable touchpoints to gain insight into your customers’ daily jobs and painpoints. This forms the baseline of the data you need to develop value propositions, tools and services that set you apart from the competition.

At the upcoming Marketing Forum in July, the Rawnet team will showcase how to use the Value Proposition Canvas and Customer Journey Map frameworks designed to help you better understand your customers and more importantly, what to do with the information you gather.

At the end of this two-hour interactive session, you’ll walk away with a clear understanding of how technology and insights can help you up your recruitment marketing game and support your business growth.

Sign up here

Guest blog from Nick Phipps, Customer Experience Strategist, Rawnet