Trend spotting outfit Trendwatching has published a 60-page report on the Future of CX with two key insights. The report is free and a worthwhile read – it provides an original, practical and evidence-based framework for predicting what will work in CX – based on CX innovations that are gaining traction.
If you’re expecting generic CX platitudes, jargon journeys, pain points or rebadged UX, be prepared for a surprise – the Trendwatching team is arguing for a different and, in my opinion, more useful take on CX.
But if you don’t have time to read the full report – or listen to the 40-minute presentation (below), here are the two key insights.
- The Future of CX is… Attention-Saving Experiences – The future of customer experience is about helping us save one of our most precious and finite resources – our limited powers of attention. In all our lives, there’s stuff we don’t want to bother to think about, and if brands think and act for us, they free up our attention for things we do want to focus on. They do the job-to-be-done without the need for attention. Essentially, attention-saving experiences are frictionless, automated and involve outsourcing attention to brands. In this view, CX is less about customer journeys, it’s about teleportation.
- Digit – save money without thinking about it – the automatic saving app, that builds a nest-egg by automated micro-transactions.
- In-Fridge delivery the ultimate home-grocery service – that delivers groceries into your fridge.
- Contactless ATM‘s that pay out without you having to pay attention.
- L’Oréal’s Beauty Gifter AI-powered Facebook Messenger chatbot that pays attention to beauty products your friends like, so you don’t have to.
- The Future of CX is… Attention-Seizing Experiences – The second big idea is that future of CX belongs to brands that can seize our attention. Without attention, there can be no experience – and certainly no memory (or memorable experience) that brings customers back to buy again. And the best way to grab attention in an age of digital weapons of mass distraction is to talk about the one thing that matters to us all – ourselves. It’s about getting with the ‘It’s-all-about-me.-Deal-with-it program. In a cluttered world, the only thing always worthy of our attention is ourselves. This means focusing on messages, content and services on self-improvement and self-promotion, not the brand.
- Apple – free educational sessions at all stores
- BMW (MINI) influencer program – free workspace for creative professionals in their A/D/O creative hub/studio in Brooklyn
- Hyundai cooking library in Seoul
- New York Met Museum’s Museum Workout – 45-minute exercise-based museum tour
- Chromayoga – Chromatherapy yoga classes in London
- Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccinos – #rainbowfood – and Instagrammable food experiences
