MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

Introduction

Customer experience is defined as the impression of the brand that customers hold as a whole through their buying journey. Customer experience strategies are developed so to improve customer experience during their brand interaction. In today’s competitive market environment improving customer experience is must to retain the customer.

Henceforth, the report critically highlights the importance of customer experience for a brand’s growth and success. The report will analyse the CX strategy of Apple for its MacBook product in the USA. For this purpose, CX’s strategy and its benefits for the chosen company will be described adequately. In addition, the importance of customer persona and customer journey map in developing CX strategy will be described.

Omnichannel marketing and the way it can benefit the company in today’s market will be elaborated on. At last, CX performance metrics and CSFs in concern with Apple will be discussed.

Importance of customer experience

Every organisation operating in today’s competitive market should be aware of keeping customer satisfied by the product and services they offer. Enhancing customer experience is critical for organisational growth and success (Klaus and Maklan, 2019).http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample It is because positive CX is beneficial for improving customer’s trust towards brand, their loyalty, enhancing brand reputation, retaining customers and more.

In simpler terms, it is the sum of interaction that customer have both before and after sales is defined as customer experience. Organisations plan to deliver excellent customer experience through strategic planning.

For taking adequate advantage of CX strategy organisation must focus on several factors like competitive environment, organisation’s vision & mission, consumer research and marketplace data.

Furthermore, it can be seen that organisations are competing in the tough marketplace making it necessary for the firm to improve customer satisfaction and retain old customers. Developing effective CX strategy is beneficial for companies to attract customers and reduce their switching power from one firm to another (Paula and Iliuţă, 2018). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

Improved customer satisfaction and loyalty is beneficial for organisation as it will increase customer activities with brand that improves growth and revenue. Loyal customers will most likely to advertise and promote the brand and will enhance the word-of-mouth marketing. Therefore, effective CX strategy is necessary for organisational growth, success and holding potential customers.

Apple Inc. is an American multinational technology company specialising in consumer electronics, online services, and software established in Cupertino, California, United States. The company operates at a global level and is known for the innovation and creativity they bring to its products.

Being a high-tech company, the products and services the company launch is highly preferred and liked by customers (Johnson et. al. 2022).http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample Maintaining customer experience and meeting their continuous expectations is necessary for the company to achieve growth and success.

The primary customer experience strategy that apple utilise is the development of top-quality products and staying ahead of competitors. They also offer diverse CX-like feedback service that helps in collecting consumer data and insights that further helps in the innovation of products. Hence, CX strategy plays a critical role in the innovation of the company products and services as well and it helps in keeping customers satisfied.

Consumer Persona Creation

A customer persona is described as the overview of the customer as per real data and customer insights. With the help of customer persona, customer touchpoints would be identified like their demographics, the reason they are using a particular product, pain points, or goals for the products or service (An et. al. 2018). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

The analysis of customer persona would help in delivering better CX strategies like the development of targeted advertisement, usability testing, keyword research, and more.

Customer Persona

	Demographics Name: Dakota Williams Age: 30 years old Education: MBA in finance and digital marketing Profile: Junior Executive manager in Finance and investment department Income: N/A Country: United States of America Personality traits: Hardworking, responsible, creative and innovative, compassionate, dedicated	Story Dakota works as a junior executive manager in finance and investment department. He has to manage all the finances adequately and constantly aim at purchasing product that benefit him in his work along with beneficial for home.
Motivation for using the product/service	Goals for using the product/service	Painpoints the product/service solves
·       High Security via Touch ID ·       Face Time HD camera ·       Widescreen display and built-in DVD player ·       Best Quality standards	·       Product that can be used easily ·       Performs seamlessly ·       Responds quickly ·       Watch movies and play video games after completing the office works	·       Great Battery Life ·       The lighter model ·        High performance while managing multiple tabs and tasks

Mapping the customer journey

It is a visual representation of customers’ experience during their purchasing journey with a brand. Mapping the customer journey helps in identifying the reason customers bought a product or the reasons customers choose other products over their products or services (Anh, 2020). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

A customer journey map helps in analysing the need for improving customer service and experience. With the help of this, the CX strategy could be developed effectively and successfully.

Omnichannel marketing

To create a cohesive brand experience, brands often combine their usage of digital and physical channels for customer contact. Customers would be able to make purchases both offline and online with the actual integration of Omnichannel marketing.

To provide exceptional CX and identify offline and online touchpoints, it is considered as the seamless connectivity of branding and message as customer’s progress down the sales funnel (Cui et. al. 2021). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

Companies have been driven to implement Omnichannel marketing strategies as a result of increased consumer demand, competition in the market, and technological breakthroughs.

In order to delight customers, Omnichannel marketing must improve personalised and customised experiences. It is described as a data-driven marketing initiative that aids in collecting user activity across various channels and tailoring customer targeting methods (Berman and Thelen, 2018).http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

Personalization in Omnichannel marketing could be improved by using several touchpoints. An Omnichannel personalization plan could raise the company’s average order value.

It can be observed that the need for e-commerce and online shopping has been increasing in the US market making it mandatory for every organisation to implement Omnichannel strategies effectively.

It has been supported by the effects of a pandemic to a great extent. For staying market competitive Omnichannel business is described as effective and profitable (Lopes et. al. 2021). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment SampleApple has implemented successful Omnichannel strategies to bridge the gaps between physical and digital shopping to offer a seamless customer experience.

Omnichannel marketing strategies at Apple

The company has developed exclusive and attractive Omnichannel stores allowing customers to buy products in stores and through contactless delivery. Apple is also aiming to develop a process of streamlining payment to track in-store payments and transactions.

Adopting a streamlined payment system is not only beneficial for the company to send customers notifications about product updates and also helps in completing their purchases seamlessly (Lee et. al. 2019). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment SampleWith the help of this process, the company would tap into referring personalised loyalty programs and offers to customers that will help them in enhancing personalisation in Omnichannel marketing.

Implementation of an Omnichannel marketing strategy has helped the company in collecting customer insights and data that are using MacBook and providing them a list of new product features and launches. This strategy has also helped in enhancing customer engagement which would benefit them in boosting their sales.

Figure 1: Apple and Omnichannel marketing strategy.

(Source: Evans, 2020)

Furthermore, Apple has also adopted an Omnichannel marketing strategy for their other products and services to offer customer products and services as per market and demands (Basaran, 2022). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

They have recently introduced various Omnichannel marketing features like Apple Store Online, Shop with a specialist, Apple Pickup, Financing and Credit, Special carrier Offers, and Apple Trade In.

CX Performance Metrics

CX Performance Metrics are referred to as metrics that enables brands to track and evaluate customers’ experiences while they make use of the brands’ goods or services (Bouwer, 2022).http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

The organisation can measure customer experience using a variety of indicators, four of which are described below:

Four CX performance metrics

Customer Churn rate: The churn rate aids the brand in measuring and locating customers who have stopped using its goods for a while. Brands analyse the clients who stopped buying from the company this year, month, or quarter with the aid of these measures.

The market is becoming more competitive, therefore keeping current clients is essential to remaining competitive and boosting revenue (Villani, 2018).http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample The measurements also reveal lost sales, profit opportunities, and clients that may be exploited to lower the turnover rate.

Customer Health Score (CHS): It is described as a metric to analyse customers’ will continue to use the brand’s product or service. Based on diverse behavioural patterns like usage period, several interactions, money spent, their interactions, product type, and more will help in identifying whether they will use the MacBook in the future or not.

The factors fluctuate based on the goods and services offered by the organisation.

Customer satisfaction survey (CSAT): Customer satisfaction plays a crucial role in a brand’s growth, success, and profitability. Hence, measuring customer satisfaction would become easier with the implementation of these metrics.

The metrics will help the firm in measuring whether the customers are satisfied with the product or not (Bough et. al. 2020). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment SampleWith the help of surveys, the customer’s feelings towards the products or services will be measured.

The results from the survey will be analysed and could be used further for increasing the satisfaction of customers by improving the product or service as per feedback.

Net Promoter Score (NPS): The metrics help in identifying whether the customer will become a promoter of their products or services and recommend it to their friends, families, and relatives.

Customer is being segregated into three groups based on the response gathered and this will help the company in identifying a group that will recommend the product, a group that is confused about recommending, and the last group that won’t recommend and there is a need to improve their level of satisfaction (Popli and Rishi, 2021).http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample It is the best metric used for identifying satisfied and loyal customers that which company needs to hold.

CX Performance metrics Apple should use

As per the analysis, it can be observed that the profit and revenue of Apple are growing and it is the most reputated company worldwide for its electronics product.

Henceforth, there is a need to implement CSAT and NPS as CX performance metrics to boost their sales and bring product innovation (Rallis et. al. 2022). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment SampleWith the help of CSAT, the company would be able to identify factors that are responsible for poor customer satisfaction and they could aim at bringing product innovation and improvements to achieve growth and success.

On the other hand, with the help of NPS, they can hold loyal and potential customers and improve customer loyalty for the remaining two groups so word-of-mouth marketing can be increased.  

CX Process in different industries

The CX process is defined as the efficient application of CX approaches to pinpoint opportunities and obstacles impeding the delivery of a great customer experience.

The function of critical success factors in CX is vital since they aid organisations in attaining their goals and missions. An organisation must concentrate on these aspects to determine where they fall short. The following five CSFs are discussed in relation to Apple and comparing it with Google.

Differentiation and advertising: Apple incorporates diverse advertising and marketing strategies since its establishment. The company uses diver digital platforms like Social media sites to make customers aware of new product launches and notify them about new product features.

Currently, they are involved in diverse events like Apple Expo and the Mac World Expo (Addison and Adelaide, 2022). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment SampleThey incorporate a differentiation strategy to stay ahead of the crowd by keeping the price of products higher reflecting the latest technologies and high-quality standards.

When marketing or advertising its goods and services, Google employs less advertising and differentiating tactics. Its main goal is to create goods and services that are distinct from those of its rivals and aid clients in finding answers to their problems through such goods and services.

Product line and categories: Both Google and Apple offer a variety of products to fulfil the demands and needs of their clients. Apple also offers a wide range of product categories, including iPod, Mac Book, and iPhone (Miller and Maxwell, 2020). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

The company is known for its continuous product updates and innovation as they bring the latest technologies and improve the quality standards as well. On the other hand, Google offers a variety of products that assist users in finding answers to problems they encounter every day.

Figure 2: Apple Product mix.

(Source: Ali, 2020)

Innovative activities: Apple has brought several game-changer innovations in its sector and they are known for their quality and exclusive product features. The company is a technologically advanced company that aims at adopting the latest technologies per market competitiveness and to keep customer satisfaction high (Al Mheiri et. al. 2021). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

On the other hand, Google is also a high-tech company that brings product innovation at its best. Google is mostly recognised for its originality and inventions. To keep its customers delighted, the corporation continuously develops new products.

Increased customer satisfaction: Apple has loyal and potential customers who will not switch to other products or services once they begin to use Apple products and services.

Customers and users of Google are quite happy with the company’s goods and services (Rajput, 2021).http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample Customers of Google can take advantage of free services and exclusive goods. As many Google products offer free services.

Brand reputation: Apple has a solid reputation as a brand, but it competes with other brands on the market since its goods are expensive and luxurious, making them unaffordable for many consumers (Alnabhan, 2022). http://MSc Management Customer Experience Strategy Assignment Sample

In its industry, Google is a standout with strong brand recognition and confronts relatively little market competition.

Conclusion

It has been concluded from the above analysis that Apple holds a strong brand reputation in the industry in which it operates. The customer experience strategy also plays a critical role in increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty towards the brand and the development of the CX strategy can be improvised with the help of customer persona and mapping customer journey.

Omnichannel marketing has achieved significant importance in today’s market and Apple has significantly changed its retail Omnichannel marketing strategy for improving customer satisfaction and providing a seamless customer experience.

The company should implement CSAT and NPS as their CX performance metrics to offer better services to its loyal and potential customers. At last, five CSFs have been discussed and critically analysed with Google.

References

Addison, M. and Adelaide, V., (2022). Brand Development and Marketing Strategies in USA: A Case of Apple Inc. Journal of Marketing and Communication, 5(1).

Al Mheiri, R., Al Hosani, N., Saif, E. and Nobanee, H., (2021). Ratio analysis of Apple. Available at SSRN 3895231.

Alnabhan, O., (2022). Literature Review Marketing New Products. Apple Inc.

An, J., Kwak, H., Jung, S.G., Salminen, J. and Jansen, B.J., (2018). Customer segmentation using online platforms: isolating behavioral and demographic segments for persona creation via aggregated user data. Social Network Analysis and Mining, 8(1), pp.1-19.

Anh, L., (2020). Developing Customer Experience with Integrify©.

Basaran, U., (2022). Customer Experience Management in the Digital Marketing Era: An Omnichannel Retailing Strategy. In Handbook of Research on Interdisciplinary Reflections of Contemporary Experiential Marketing Practices (pp. 351-382). IGI Global.

Berman, B. and Thelen, S., (2018). Planning and implementing an effective omnichannel marketing program. International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management, 46(7), pp.598-614.

Bough, V., Breuer, R., Maechler, N. and Ungerman, K., (2020). The three building blocks of successful customer-experience transformations. McKinsey Quarterly Magazine, 27.

Bouwer, L., (2022). Strategic CX Innovation. Available at SSRN 4179831.

Cui, T.H., Ghose, A., Halaburda, H., Iyengar, R., Pauwels, K., Sriram, S., Tucker, C. and Venkataraman, S., (2021). Informational challenges in omnichannel marketing: remedies and future research. Journal of Marketing, 85(1), pp.103-120.

Johnson, K., Li, Y., Phan, H., Singer, J. and Trinh, H., (2022). The Innovative Success that is Apple, Inc.

Klaus, P.P. and Maklan, S., (2019). Towards a better measure of customer experience. International journal of market research, 55(2), pp.227-246.

Lee, Z.W., Chan, T.K., Chong, A.Y.L. and Thadani, D.R., (2019). Customer engagement through omnichannel retailing: The effects of channel integration quality. Industrial Marketing Management, 77, pp.90-101.

Lopes, J.M., Sousa, A., Calçada, E. and Oliveira, J., (2021). A citation and co-citation bibliometric analysis of omnichannel marketing research. Management Review Quarterly, pp.1-34.

Miller, T. and Maxwell, R., (2020). Apple. In Global Media Giants (pp. 369-382). Routledge.

Paula, R.M. and Iliuţă, N.C., (2018). Customer Experience management–The most important dimension of the service firm strategy. Analele Universităţii din Oradea, 1171.

Popli, S. and Rishi, B. eds., (2021). Crafting Customer Experience Strategy: Lessons from Asia. Emerald Group Publishing.

Rajput, R., (2021). CONSUMER PERCEPTION TOWARDS THE APPLE COMPANY.

Rallis, I., Markoulidakis, Y., Georgoulas, I., Kopsiaftis, G., Kaselimi, M., Doulamis, N. and Doulamis, A., (2022), June. Interpretation of net promoter score attributes using explainable AI. In Proceedings of the 15th International Conference on PErvasive Technologies Related to Assistive Environments (pp. 113-117).

Villani, I., (2018). Transform Customer Experience: How to achieve customer success and create exceptional CX. John Wiley & Sons.

Ali. M. (2020). Apple, product mix. [Online]. Accessed through: <https://www.slideshare.net/mustahidali90/apple-product-mix>

Evans. J. (2020). Apple’s retail stores are going even more Omni-channel. [Online]. Accessed through: <https://www.applemust.com/apples-retail-stores-are-going-even-more-omni-channel/>