Thank you Kathleen. I agree.

I think products are what companies make and what people buy are brands. And for brands or branded experiences to be successful there needs to be both relevance and resonance to the customer. The rational and the emotional connections are key because we as consumers make a majority of our purchases with both our heads and hearts involved.

Successful experiential marketers must put themselves into their customers’ shoes. At Quarry we are always challenging ourselves to “Think and feel like the customer… always anticipate… and have fun.” I think the first part of that mantra leads us towards being customer or brand ethnographers. Looking, listening and learning so that we better understand what kind of experience and what kind of value customers are really looking for. If we help customers find what they want in a sincere win-win manner, make it easy – and pleasing for them to purchase, then good things will happen. Meaning is created and delivered. Promises are both made and kept.

I do believe that there will be less marketing and more customering in the future (thank you Don Schultz and Bob Lauterborn, IMC authors). Authentic customer-centric organizations will be very good at being empathetic with their customers and prospects. And they won’t likely get to that stage until their business model changes – including internal culture shifts that treat customer experiences and relationships in more positive way.

— aquarry · Nov 26, 09:31 AM