Customer First Thinking
Stephen Shaw
Businesses everywhere are struggling with change due to digital disruption. They are now at an inflection point: give up obsolete marketing practices, or risk being denied a meaningful role in the lives of people. The goal is no longer to amplify the voice of the brand – it is to serve the needs and interests of customers at every stage of the relationship lifecycle. This new marketing model is characterized by the strategic embrace of Customer First Thinking, where the emphasis is on delivering a more unified experience for customers. More than simply a platitude, this idea has evolved into a set of governing principles that can transform the corporate role of marketing from brand messenger to customer advocate.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Dec 13, 2021 • 56min
The Golden Record: An Interview with David Raab, Founder of the CDP Institute
Tired of waiting for IT to build them a "single view of customer", marketers are turning to commercial solutions called Customer Data Management Platforms. That trend is likely to continue in coming years, according to the world's leading CDP expert David Raab, as more companies recognize the value of first party data.
Jul 28, 2021 • 48min
The Future of Retail: An Interview with Doug Stephens, Founder and President, Retail Prophet
Battered by the pandemic, and facing even more disruption ahead, the retail industry is in crisis. With even more stores expected to close in the coming years due to declining foot traffic and the flight to ecommerce, retailers will need to offer shoppers a more distinctive experience if they hope to survive. A new retail model is needed, argues retail futurist Doug Stephens, which will pull shoppers away from their screens and entice them to shop in person.
Jun 22, 2021 • 1h 10min
The State of Martech: An Interview with Scott Brinker, VP Platform Ecosystem at HubSpot and Chief Editor of Chiefmartec
Marketing technology is now essential to business success. Yet marketers continue to struggle with the complexity of their bloated marketing automation solutions, citing lack of application integration amongst their toughest challenges. The answer, according to Hubspot's marketing technology expert Scott Brinker, is to develop more open and compatible platform ecosystems that make it easy for marketers to add on any application they want.
May 4, 2021 • 1h 17min
Brand Stewardship: An Interview with David Kincaid, Founder and Managing Partner of Level5 Strategy
The discipline of brand building has atrophied over the past two decades, as corporate chieftains focused mainly on short-term growth objectives. But for companies to succeed in a post-pandemic world, the brand must become the face of business strategy, argues branding expert David Kincaid, with the CEO leading the way.
Mar 16, 2021 • 53min
Retail Reimagined: An Interview with Shawn Stewart, Senior Vice President, Customer and Triangle, Canadian Tire Corporation
The pandemic has been costly for traditional retailers who were slow to adapt to omnichannel commerce. In Canada, Canadian Tire avoided that fate, launching its Triangle Rewards program three years ago to deepen its relationship with customers. Under the stewardship of Senior VP Shawn Stewart, the 10-million member program has become instrumental in the retailer's shift to a digital-first model.
Dec 17, 2020 • 34min
Digital Darwinism: An Interview with Brian Solis, Global Innovation Evangelist, Salesforce
Under pressure to act fast during the pandemic, businesses sped up their digital transformation plans, compressing their timetables from years into months. Now they face the next phase of evolution, what digital prophet Brian Solis calls the "novel economy". For businesses to adapt and thrive, says Solis, they must take a more profound and humanistic approach to transformation.
Oct 24, 2020 • 56min
Agency Transformation: An Interview with Mark Penn, Chairman and CEO, MDC Partners
Slow to awaken to market disruption and too reliant on ad spending, the global agency holding companies have seen their valuations plummet in recent years. To reverse their fortunes, they need to transform their service model. MDC is leading the way, aided by an infusion of capital from the new CEO Mark Penn, who is set to turn his collection of "partner agencies" into a "modern marketing company of choice".
Aug 4, 2020 • 39min
Context Marketing: An Interview with Mathew Sweezey, Director of Market Strategy at Salesforce
Marketing has always been on the front lines of change. Each seismic shift has brought a new set of challenges. But now, in this new world of "infinite media", marketing is facing its greatest challenge ever. The only response, Mathew Sweezey believes, is for marketing to pivot from harnessing media to creating experiences that help customers in the context of the moment.
Jun 20, 2020 • 32min
Content That Matters: An Interview with Ann Handley, Chief Content Officer, MarketingProfs
The world is awash in mediocre content, mainly because most brands struggle to find something meaningful to say. Yet in times of crisis, when people are feeling anxious and concerned, there is never a better time to speak up. The key is the ability to show empathy, Ann Handley argues. She urges brands to "do less" and "obsess" about producing higher quality content that matters.
Mar 26, 2020 • 57min
Reimagining Loyalty Programs: An Interview with Bryan Pearson, Loyalty Marketing Pioneer
Most loyalty programs today do little to make people feel more loyal to the brand. They are mainly promotional tools designed to drive repeat sales by giving away margin in the form of redeemable currency or discounts. Which is why it may be time to reimagine loyalty programs, according to Bryan Pearson, transforming them into dynamic platforms that are a more integral part of the customer experience.
