A Weapon Called CX 

We live in a hypercompetitive world where the battle for the customer's wallet will continue unabated. And only those who play the game better will win. 

Some organisations differentiate themselves on price and others on product features and quality; however, those advantages get nullified without fulfilling customer experiences (CX). 

In this scenario, arguably, it is investments in transforming CX to branded CX that yield the most significant benefits to organisations.

Janelle Barlow and Paul Stewart in their book "Branded Customer Service" talk about how many organisations look at CX as a cost, where the approach is tentative and the prevailing practices show scant respect for the customer; then there are others who have a better CX disposition. Some see it as a necessity which is manifested in policy, and take a tactical approach to CX totally dictated by a script; and there are those who see CX as a differentiator, where CX-related learning is imbibed, customer issues are resolved quickly and CX performance is measured.

However, it is companies where CX is a living expression of the brand, led by purpose with empowered employees eager to create change, who will rule this hypercompetitive world! This implies cogency and alignment in organisational thought relating to CX.

Read the complete article here...

Can Adding Friction Actually Enhance an Experience 

As Marketers we're obsessed with heightening customer experience. Or there are a million books telling us we should be. Actually 24,306 according to Amazon.

We undertake multiple research projects to determine that more than 3 clicks to purchase causes untold millions in abandoned shopping carts, we study the psychology of line-ups and queues to ascertain how to minimize that. We then roll out a myriad of tactics intended to reduce stress. Buy and print your movie tickets at home so no lineups at the theatre. Pay for your gas at the pump so you don't need to bother going inside. Express airline check-in for frequent travellers.

All in a quest to create an absolute frictionless environment for our customers.

But can an argument be made for adding friction to an experience?

Read more...

Solutions Success Story: How iGate Created a Post-Acquisition Solutions Development Process

Creating an effective and efficient solutions development process is, in itself, a difficult task.   We know of a lot of both technology and non-technology companies that are struggling to do this.  Getting all of the product and services groups, as well the key component and channel partners, on the same page to create the right solution for the right target market is a daunting task.   Layer on top of that an acquisition with a very different type of company and what then comes out of the "solutions factory" can be questionable at best.  

This is what iGate had to deal with when it acquired Patni.

In looking back upon the integration of the iGate and Patni solution development processes into one that has become the backbone of the company, and a best practice in the industry, there are several lessons that be pulled from their experience:

Leadership Presence

IBM on Disruptive Innovation

Jasper Maskelyne was a British stage magician. At the advent of World Word 2, Maskelyne rapped on the door of the British Army and volunteered his services. "We need soldiers, not entertainers," the desk sergeant quipped. Nevertheless,  Maskelyne joined the Royal Engineers and was responsible for creating some of the greatest disappearing acts in history.

Maskelyne's team-they called themselves The Magic Gang-employed painted canvas and plywood to make jeeps look like tanks and tanks look like trucks. They created illusions of armies and battleships and masked the Suez Canal to such effect that confused Nazi bombers dropped their payloads off-target.  

Although critics suggest that Maskelyne's story may be apocryphal and itself an illusion, it contains all the elements of disruption. Surprise. Cunning. Shattered preconceptions. The sad hammer of defeat on one side, the delicious crown of victory on the other.

The essence of disruption is that you don't know when it's coming until it's already there. You plan for it the way you plan for hurricanoes: try to predict a perfect storm of events, personnel, resources, and systems and hope you're on the right side of storm wall.

And yet. Without hope there is only despair.

The Red Book of Social Media - 2012

You've heard a lot about social media. You've checked out the popular sites. You've downloaded a few articles about it. Maybe you've even established your company on a few sites. But you still don't feel confident about your company's presence there.

Don't worry - this is a common situation as digital media and social media are still in their infancy. We have a lot of content on www.paulwriter.com about social media and for the Red Book of Social Media we've picked the ones most relevant to answering the common questions.

Some of these articles are opinion pieces and some are success stories while others provide practical insight.

We hope you love reading them as much as we did putting it all together. 

Registered users of www.paulwriter.com can download their e-copy from the publications section copy by logging in. 

Job Listings on Paulwriter.com 

Watch this space for new job listings on Paulwriter.com every week for mid to senior level marketers. Or post a job here...  

CMO - IFB  - Panaji / Bangalore, Goa/ Karnataka, India

IFB seeks to appoint a senior marketer to head their marketing efforts. You will define and execute the company's marketing activities to achieve the financial and strategic objectives of the organization. You will manage marketing budgets, set up required business processes and track return on investment. We are in an aggressive growth mode and need a go-getter who combines thought leadership with execution skills.

A visual and graphics designer who can create compelling design for Print (Posters, Cards etc,) Web (Intranet and external website, webpage and rich media) and the Presentations (in PPT and Flash) for various communication programs.

PR Manager - All Cargo Logistics, Mumbai, India

The PR manager will be responsible for establishing and raising awareness for Allcargo Logistics as a leading Indian MNC in the Integrated logistics space among the Media community which will ultimately help raise the visibility and drive new business for the company. 

This role will also be responsible for building strong relationships with key industry bodies and leveraging them for building awareness.

This role will be responsible for strategic planning and supervision of all public relations programs across business and trade media for Allcargo Logistics

Apply Now...