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Closing the gap between customers with the help of Customer Salience
Per FlexMR
As much as stakeholders would like to think that the decisions their companies make every day are driven by insights, in reality they are only 37% of companies they consistently incorporate analysis, data and evidence-based reasoning into their decision-making process. In a recent A study by the CMO Council73% of senior executives believe customer centricity is critical to their success, but this is in stark contrast to 14% who think customer centricity or prominence is a hallmark of their brand.
Year after year, new studies emerge that show the stark difference between what companies say they do with insights and what they actually do—also known as The customer gapa challenge that insights teams grapple with in their efforts to increase insight activation across industries. New Tactics to extract customersmethodologies and strategies increase the chances of activating insights and incorporating the voice of the customer into business decisions across all segments, but insights experts have a long way to go before companies fully embrace Customer Salience without any hesitation.
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The Customer Gap is still growing despite our best efforts, and it has manifested itself in some questionable business decisions, which have sparked some interesting discussions in online spaces.
An exercise in controversy
Current problems with smart meters
While energy companies continue to preach the importance of smart meters in commercial and residential facilities, there have been significant questions arise about how smart meters work and this causes performance and satisfaction issues for certain customer segments. Differences in the technology used in southern and northern Britain affect how smart meters work, with smart meters in the South, Midlands and Wales using mobile technology to send data to energy suppliers, while smart meters in Northern England and Scotland rely on less reliable long-range radio frequencies. This leaves the latter segment of customers still having to send manual readings and receive estimates, all of which defeat the purpose of having a smart meter.
Relying on different technologies for different customers is sometimes unavoidable, but there are some areas in the north where radio signals do not reach, but 3G or 4G mobile signals do, so it seems a bit confusing why some customers are treated differently than others due to outdated government regulations. As much as smart meters help reduce carbon emissions and bills, problems with the technology and poor ratings due to technology problems naturally turn people off. While there are certain government regulations to consider with this endeavor, a Customer Salience strategy would still seek to correct inconsistencies in the customer experience through customer-centric research and insight.
New Yaaaag
It would be extremely hard to miss the controversy surrounding the new one Jaguar rebrand. Some see the rebrand as “absolutely genius” and , doc other they believe that the car manufacturer is “throwing away [their] heritage” and that Jaguar has “moved away from some of the iconic … icons that have been in the brand’s DNA for generations.” A rebrand, or even just a facelift, was needed, for every Jaguar sold in 2023 there were six Land Rovers sold. The once popular manufacturer was lagging behind, and with the new injection of electric vehicle goals, Jaguar needed to somehow communicate its change in values and priorities.
However, the drastic transformation from the once iconic sophisticated Jaguar brand to a new brand defined by diversity, “fearless creativity”, modernism and exuberance did not go down well with consumers and industry professionals, and Jaguar expected. Jaguar managing director Rawdon Glover published a statement after the backlash, decrying the “heinous hatred and intolerance” online and defending the brand’s move as a way to stand out from the crowd and avoid drowning in an automated competitive landscape.
However, the design, launch and feedback response could have been better handled with customer insights. At least Jaguar could have used customer insights to soften and eliminate critical attacks on major decisions, or even go back to design something more in line with customer insights, which might have produced a better reception, a la Sonic the Hedgehog style. The motivation to fix it can be a powerful move to show customers that the brand listens and values their opinion. I’m not suggesting they go back to the old brand, but Jaguar could see this exercise as an opportunity to learn and grow with a new, more targeted Customer prominence strategy.
Help with spotting customers
When faced with controversy, brands usually have two options: double down or take it back. Regardless of what they do, the one thing these examples have in common is the need to bridge the gap between customers. Significant customer experience issues for both Jaguar and smart meters, with simple solutions for both: Customer focus. To solve the problems brands have in these areas, they need to work with customers. By using effective market research strategies and marketing tactics aligned with business goals, there is undoubtedly a way to achieve all internal goals while delivering a brand and customer experience that consumers will appreciate.
The challenge for insight teams is to communicate this to business stakeholders in a way that gets them to listen and take advantage of the customer importance opportunity. Using relevant case study examples like the two above and others in the news (such as Tesco’s Clubcard debacle, Ticketmaster’s damning data and customer experience breach and Bumble’s billboard debacle), we have the opportunity to convince stakeholders how Customer Salience can help drive product marks in the right direction.
For now, as insight teams work to close the Customer Salience Gap, industry professionals look to Jaguar and energy companies pushing smart meters as two compelling examples of what not to do and how to fix their problems. How do they respond to the masses of customers clamoring for a better experience, better communication and more efficient solutions.
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