The Experience Strategy Podcast

Experiences, like umami flavors, can be difficult to pin down. Both ideas transcend words, so how do you define them? How do you measure them? How do you help leaders and customers understand the value? In this episode, we are joined by Aga Szóstek, Ph.D. a strategic experience designer and author of "The Umami Strategy" as we discuss how to create experiences that are not just memorable, but powerfully impactful. In This Episode: [04:08] Why did Aga name her book The Umami Strategy? [07:50] What drove Aga to focus on experience strategy? [13:59] Why vision is one of the most challenging elements of the strategic cycle. [16:51] Most companies do not incorporate this experience into their overall vision. [20:42] Why brand image is often prioritized over the brand's experience. [22:13] What are "edges" and how are they used to make a brand stand out? [27:52] How companies measure experience metrics. [37:14] Aga's secret for experience measurement that more companies should focus on. [40:42] What designing a new kind of business book was like for Aga. Key Takeaways: A meaningful experience vision will drive a strong sense of purpose for the customer. Feeling of purpose, doing something with you contributes to something higher order Companies must also be clear about how they emotionally differentiate themselves from competitors. Expectation divided by experience equals memory. Bio: Aga Szóstek, Ph.D. is a strategic experience designer and author of The Umami Strategy: Stand Out by Mixing Business with Experience Design. For the past two decades, she worked at the forefront of combining design, technology, and business. Her approach inspired many organizations to bet on experiences as their market differentiator. When not consulting, Aga designs experiential tools called Seed Cards and co-hosts a podcast: Catching The Next Wave. https://agaszostek.com/en

The pandemic has influenced every aspect of how we deliver customer experiences. We are joined today by experience strategy pioneers Colin Shaw and Joseph D. Pine to make predictions about what the new normal will look like… and recommendations about what it should look like. Will 2022 be the year today's companies step forward into the future or will they stay stuck in the past? In This Episode: [03:39] Joe and Colin share why people are listening to experts that cultivate digital services and experiences. [08:52] How Colin and Joe define "experiences." [13:37] Colin and Joe discuss "experience strategy." [17:21] What companies are missing the key element of experience strategy? [19:33] How the American Customer Satisfaction Index can shed light on how many companies actively pursue or actively ignore progress in customer satisfaction. [29:35] Are companies approaching industry change with the wrong mindset? [34:27] Where will customers go from here? [37:15] Colin describes the elements of what he labels "Customer Science." [42:59] Joe and Colin share their New Year's Resolutions for their work in 2022. Key Takeaways: The pandemic has been a catalyst for companies to review their business models. The time for companies to define their new mindset is now. Between the years 2010 and 2019, only 30% of organizations improved their customer satisfaction. That means that 70% of organizations' customer satisfaction either declined or remained flat. Customer experience is still in its infancy. Perhaps the pandemic will be what nudges it into maturity. The future of customer satisfaction will depend on both companies and customers. We all have a choice to go back to the way things were before, with mediocre experiences, or to move forward and build new standards and expectations. Bio: Colin Shaw & Joseph D. Pine Colin is an original pioneer of 'Customer Experience.' LinkedIn has recognized him as one of the 'World's Top 150 Business Influencers', where he has 290,000 followers. As the Founder & CEO of Beyond Philosophy LLC, his Customer experience consulting company has been recognized by the Financial Times as 'one of the leading management consultancies for the last three years in a row. Colin is the co-host of the highly successful Intuitive Customer podcast, which is rated in the top 5% of all podcasts by BuzzSprout. Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups. He is cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio dedicated to helping businesses conceive and design new ways of adding value to their economic offerings. In 2020 Mr. Pine and his partner James H. Gilmore re-released their groundbreaking book The Experience Economy: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money with many new ideas, frameworks, and exemplars plus a new Preview to their best-selling 1999 book The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater; Every Business a Stage. The book demonstrates how goods and services are no longer enough; what companies must offer today are experiences – memorable events that engage each customer in an inherently personal way. It further shows that in today's Experience Economy companies now compete against the world for the time, attention, and money of individual customers.

What will it take for in-person retailers to remain successful in a world increasingly dominated by Amazon? In two words: Transformative Experiences! In this episode we offer predictions and guidance for retailers who are ready to earn the economic power of guiding their customers on meaningful and impactful transformational journeys. In This Episode: [02:00] What exactly is the Transformation Economy? [03:32] Where Transformations fit within the Experience Economy as described by B. Joseph Pine II and James H. Gilmore [04:36] Dave reflects on an article he co-wrote called The New You Business: How to Compete on Personal Transformations for the Harvard Business Review. [06:20] How does understanding people's wish for transformation influence how companies think about jobs to be done? [09:50] Which retailers are currently doing well with Transformations? [16:57] We make suggestions for ways Home Depot could successfully compete in the Transformation Economy. [33:43] What it is going to take for in-person retail to stick around in the world of Amazon. [34:05] Here is a video Dave and Aransas made with Joe Pine to help you dig deeper into the concept of transformational jobs within the retail industry. https://www.stonemantel.co/hbr-article Key Takeaways: 77% of consumers tried new shopping habits in 2021. Experiences drive a greater economic value. People are more willing to invest in them. Retailers need to know what role they are going to play to help people transform their customers' lives. Companies that focus on the progressive journeys of their customers rather than just the spending aspect tend to build more trust with their customers.

Veteran researcher and pharmacist Kevin Asher knows the pharmaceutical industry inside out. Today he joins us to discuss innovative digital solutions that were born during the pandemic, industry breakthroughs, and the patient data powering the most valuable patient experiences. In This Episode: [03:49] How has the pharmaceutical industry's focus shifted over the last sixteen years? What has changed? [06:58] Kevin shares what he believes is the biggest area of growth for the pharmaceutical industry. [07:55] An industry breakthrough for treating chronic musculoskeletal pain has just been licensed by the FDA. [09:00] How can patient care be improved through digital solutions? [10:01] What is inspiring Pharma to make these shifts after many years of the same approaches to patient care? [15:00] Dave touches on how regulated our healthcare system is and how technology is challenging the system. [17:47] Kevin answers the question, "Why would pharma need to collect data about patients using their products?" [27:01] How have collaborative studies on patient experience affected how new clinical trials are being designed? [33:00] How has the pandemic challenged the status quo of the patient experience? Key Takeaways: The thinking behind patient care no longer focuses on a magic pill or magic injection, but rather on collaborative studies on patient experience. Digital interventions are meant to create more access to resources for patients and consumers within the healthcare industry. The pandemic has opened up many doors for the healthcare system to rethink some out of date regulations and systems to help modernize the patient experience. Bio: Kevin Asher Kevin Asher is a UK registered pharmacist who has spent the last 16 years in the Pharmaceutical Industry, primarily in the Medical departments of the business focused on generating, interpreting and communicating clinical data. Since 2019 he has been focusing on how digital solutions can improve patient care and result in better communications with healthcare practitioners.

Our homes are getting smarter! The more technology understands our unique needs and modes, the more it can make our lives easier and more meaningful. Today we are joined by Tanseela Molani, the Senior Manager of Experience Research at the Chamberlain Group, to discuss how experience insights are shaping the future of smart home technology. In This Episode: [1:14] What is experience research? [3:06] How Chamberlain Group is working to benefit their consumers in current times. [5:30] Identifying consumer needs. [7:28] How do consumer trust and convenience come into play when companies are designing new technologies and services? [19:45] Tech companies rely on consumer intelligence for innovation [22:33] Connecting micro moments of our lives can drive technological advancements. [33:40] How companies can measure customer experience return on investment (ROI). [37:33] Final thoughts. Key Takeaways: Our needs and motivations change throughout the day, and smart products, technologies, and services should reflect those changes. When we move from one "mode" to another, we are moving through a threshold, even if just for a moment. These thresholds are the moments tech companies need to study to better understand customer needs. As a consumer, companies providing a service or experience through smart technology need honest feedback. This will allow them to upgrade and adapt their technology to further serve customers. Strategists should focus on digging deeper into what drives behaviors, thoughts, trends. Bio: Tanseela Molani Tanseela Molani joined Chamberlain Group in 2017 as Sr. Manager, Experience Research. Prior to Chamberlain Group, she led the design research team at United Airlines and Motorola Mobility. During her tenure at these companies she drove meaningful growth by gaining a deep understanding of underlying customer needs and motivations, such as resetting the tone of the disrupted traveler notifications, to creating new mobile phone experiences when mobile phones were still a new technology. Professionally, nothing is more fulfilling for Tanseela than uncovering the motivational nugget that can lead to innovation, a better product or a new service. Tanseela is a graduate of University of Calgary, where she majored in Industrial Design, with a sub-focus on design management. She resides in the Chicago metro with her husband. Outside of work, Tanseela enjoys a good TV binge, baking and working out.

There is an undeniable increase in demand for more convenient healthcare. In today's episode, we are joined by thought leader and Chief Scientist for the Health and Human-Machine Systems Group at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, Michael McShea, to talk about the why and how of making healthcare more convenient and helpful for patients. Join us for Part 2 of our series on Digital Innovation in Healthcare as we discuss how technology is helping healthcare providers work better, and patients heal better. In This Episode: [02:10] Introducing Michael and his thoughts on how consumer demand and expectation for virtual offerings have shifted. [05:34] Value-based healthcare, how it relates to experience strategy, and the role convenience plays. [08:31] Some of the key trends Michael has his eye on. [16:36] How close are we to having our own personal healthcare digital assistants? [19:47] The convenience and efficiency of moving more care to the home environment. [25:55] Competent data collection and using data effectively. [31:05] How Covid has prompted automation in healthcare. [36:21] Key experience strategy takeaways. Key Takeaways: Technology is not ready to take over for your doctor, but a big trend is happening towards combining digital and human elements to make healthcare a better experience. Healthcare has historically been slow to innovate, but they've gotten a powerful nudge from the world as consumer needs and expectations shift. The increase in demand for more convenient healthcare, COVID, and a shift towards value-based care make up a trifecta driving healthcare changes right now. We are finally seeing some headway in digital-first primary care, not entirely unlike the Netflix model. Bio: Michael McShea Michael McShea is a Chief Scientist for the Health and Human-Machine Systems Group at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) supporting the National Health Mission Area. In this role, he works with the Military Health System, Johns Hopkins Medicine, and other Academic Medical Research Organizations and federal agencies on population health, precision health, telehealth, decision support, AI, and digital health initiatives. In addition to his APL position, Mr. McShea joined the CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield Board of Directors in 2016 and serves on audit and compliance, service quality and operations, and cybersecurity committees, as well as the CareFirst Holdings board which oversees CareFirst's venture arm HealthWorx. He is also an industry advisor to the Digital Health Collaborative, a cross industry consortium advancing research in personal digital health engagement, and has been a strategic advisor to multiple early stage digital health companies. Prior to APL, Mr. McShea was a product management executive in the population health business group at Philips Healthcare, where he managed product portfolios including the eICU Tele Critical Care platform, remote patient monitoring, population health, care management, and other digital health solutions. Before Philips Healthcare, he worked in mission critical infrastructure technologies in the satellite, financial services, and aviation industries.

In part 1 of our series on Digital Innovation in Healthcare In today's episode, we're discussing why now is the moment for healthcare to look at patient journeys through fresh eyes. Joined by Tom Donnelly, Ph.D., who has a background in psychology and leads the MedTech group at Branding Science, we look at how digital interventions can lead to better health outcomes and other ways technology can improve the patient experience. In This Episode: [01:50] Introducing Tom, what he's been focusing on these days, and what drives him. [03:30] Patient journeys and how that relates to the work that Tom has been doing. [04:42] How healthcare companies should be thinking about patient journeys. [11:15] Shifts in patient journeys related to COVID. [18:25] Examining consumer expectations around healthcare and how they relate to consumer habits. [22:07] The Stupid Dumb Smart Genius Framework and Tom's own journey with healthcare tools. [32:30] Focusing more on better outcomes and removing friction with technology. [33:35] Key experience strategy takeaways. Key Takeaways: Covid has accelerated the availability of home healthcare, but the industry has to look at that experience in its new context, and get a full understanding of the experience, if they want it to work. Observational research is a powerful way to understand how people and environments interact with med-tech in their real lives. Whether you're examining the patient or customer journey, it's essential to step back and think about journeys in an integrated and holistic way instead of just moment to moment. Genius solutions will help people take healthcare actions by using data to make the experience meaningful and help get us all in a better place. Bio: Tom Donnelly, PhD Tom leads the MedTech group at Branding Science where he provides marketing research consultation and human factors using approaches informed by social science. He also leads their Inclusion Team in an effort to help people feel they belong and are included, as well as to help the industry become more diverse. Tom is involved in various industry organizations. He leads Intellus Worldwide's Clear Health Communication Taskforce that focuses on how health literacy can improve healthcare outcomes. He is also a founding member of the Digital Healthcare Collaborative [a collection of thought leaders from Pharmaceutical Manufacturers, Solutions Providers, Medical Systems and Health Insurance Companies conducting several rounds of research as part of an innovation process]. Prior to his 16 years in industry, Tom was a Visiting Professor at Rutgers where he taught psychology and statistics. He received his PhD in Cognitive Psychology from NYU. Tom hosts MedTech Chat podcast where he discusses the latest healthcare tools, device technology, as well as research approaches. You can find his podcast on Spotify or at WWW.MedTechChat.Com

There's nothing better than a human to understand other humans. In today's episode, we're joined by Jess Lynch, Founder and CEO of Wishroute, to discuss the #1 thing most digital wellness companies are missing: human-powered accountability supported by technology. If it's your job to help people achieve their goals, don't miss this episode. In This Episode: [02:00] Introducing Jess and Wishroute. [10:36] Collecting meaningful data and having a human in the loop. [16:34] How Wishroute combines automation and humans for consistent, scalable, and high quality customer support. [19:04] Using meaningful data to motivate and support customers when they need it the most. [25:42] The shift in language around setting goals and how reflection fits into Wishroute's design. [31:18] Gretchen Ruben's Four Tendencies and how Jess and her team use it to turn intrinsic motivation into extrinsic motivation. [33:58] Things to consider if you're delivering experiences and making decisions in service of your customers. Key Takeaways: Wishroute is a unique human-powered platform that helps people improve the way they live their lives and stay healthy. By using strategic text messaging, Wishroute is able to nudge customers forward along the desired customer journey through authentic two-way conversations. Companies aren't providing the support people need to actually change their habits and adopt the product. Wishroute takes it a step further with positivity and coaching their customers to guide them and meet them where they are. Customers on transformational and aspirational journeys need human support to succeed. The most impactful solutions are digital plus human and finding the right blend to have the scale, consistency, and quality. Bio: Jess Lynch Jess Lynch is a prior PwC forensic consultant and Babson MBA, who turned her investigative talents toward figuring out how to help people achieve their goals when they sign up for new products. Wishroute's unique methodology was born from her family's experience with lifestyle change—her brother was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes and her mom wrote a book about the family's experience that helped many families in similar positions. Wishroute's next-generation customer engagement platform increases customer retention and success for wellness companies through AI-enhanced, human text message conversations. Links/Resources Mentioned: Gretchen Ruben, Four Tendencies

Patients are humans. The digital health landscape is constantly evolving, and there is a lot of opportunity for the US healthcare system to better utilize tools and data to improve the patient experience by viewing them as human beings with individual needs and values. In today's episode, we're looking at the intersection of healthcare and experience with Jan Oldenburg of Participatory Health Consulting. Tune in to hear how we can start doing better by patients. In This Episode: [01:30] Introducing Jan and her role at Participatory Health Consulting. [09:34] The complexities of the healthcare system and social environment in the US. [14:58] The impact of Covid-19 and how quickly the healthcare system can change. [24:45] The untapped potential of using data for individualized care and tools that are helping get to specific why's effectively at scale. [30:52] Why both the physical and the digital environments have to cohere. [35:41] Aransas and Dave's main takeaways for experience strategists. Key Takeaways: Participatory health is health care that takes advantage of the individual and respects that person and their decision-making and engagement in the process. Social determinants of health, such as social and physical environment, community, and broadband capabilities, all significantly impact your ability to be healthy. Your zip code is the thing that can most tell how healthy you're likely to be because it reflects all of the societal components that affect your health. Generalized education doesn't work. It's crucial to individualize the patient experience and deeply understand their journeys, needs, values, and what motivates them to drive cost down for the whole system and drive efficacy up. Bio: Jan Oldenburg, FHIMSS, is the principal in Participatory Health Consulting. She advises and mentors healthcare organizations about the evolving digital health landscape. Ms. Oldenburg has focused on digital transformation in healthcare for 20 years. Her experience includes leadership roles in several advisory firms, including EY. She has worked for and advised organizations in all areas of healthcare: payers, providers, medical device manufacturers and software vendors. She served as the Vice President of Patient and Physician Engagement in Aetna's ACO organization and held senior leadership roles in Kaiser Permanente's Digital Services Group and at HealthPartners. Selected consulting clients include: UnitedHealth Group, Philips Healthcare, CareCredit, MedRespond, Synergiq, Healthfully, Spectrum Enterprise, Baxter Regional Health System and others. Ms. Oldenburg is the principal editor of both Participatory Healthcare: A Person-Centered Approach to Transforming Healthcare published 2016 and Engage! Transforming Healthcare Through Digital Patient Engagement, published in 2013. Ms. Oldenburg also authored chapters in the Third and Fourth Editions of Medical Informatics and The Journey Never Ends. She's a board member of the Society for Participatory Medicine, co-chair of the HL7 Patient Contributed Data workgroup, and the former co-chair of the HIMSS Connected Health Committee. Ms. Oldenburg is also a member of the Patient Advocacy & Ethics Group for the Datavant COVID-19 Research Database. She tweets @janoldenburg. Links Mentioned: http://janoldenburg.com Twitter @JanOldenburg

In today's episode, we imagine a world in which consumers have the knowledge and power to comprehend the impact of our garments throughout their life cycles. We are joined by Amy Lee, the Senior Trends and Insights Manager at Avery Dennison to learn the research, applications, and benefits of smart fashion technology like RFID. Listen in to learn how a little bit of data in just the right place can impact society as a whole. You don't want to miss this one! In This Episode: [03:41] Introducing Amy, Avery Dennison, and RFID. [07:13] Building trust and enabling circularity through smart technology. [15:36] The evolution of repairing and reusing clothing. [19:24] Consumer trends and paving the way for conscious manufacturing and transparency. [25:01] How the entire system can benefit from using digital triggers. [28:12] Using smart technology to be smarter, more responsible members of this planet. Key Takeaways: Attaching a digital identification or a digital passport to a product means that you can have all of the content of the product be verified and accurate, in addition to maintaining a connection with consumers even after the point of sale. Smart technology builds trust and loyalty by giving consumers the knowledge and power to care for their garments long after purchasing. Consumers are increasingly skeptical of greenwashing claims, and using digital triggers paves the way for more conscious manufacturing in all categories, not just retail. Using a digital trigger as simple and accessible as a QR code on a label is really powerful in terms of being more responsible members of this planet. Bio Amy Lee is the Senior Trends and Insights Manager for apparel at global materials science company Avery Dennison. Amy specialises in research and creation of forward-thinking content to inspire branding products and solutions for apparel and footwear markets. With a background in textile design and 12 years of experience in the fashion industry, she has worked with both large-scale brands and emerging designers across the globe to collaborate and drive conscious decision-making. https://www.averydennison.com/en/home.html Links Mentioned: White Paper