It's All About Experience

(page 2 of 2)

The athletic apparel company Nau is a great example (BusinessWeek.com, 1/31/07) of a company that knows what it stands for and what it is good at. With roots in the outdoor apparel industry, executives creating the company didn't just produce another label to compete in a glutted market. Instead, they established a mission based on their personal values for conscientious business practice and built a business that reflects these values. That ranges from a product line based on sustainable product innovation to a "partnership for change" program whereby 5% of every sale is donated to an environmental, social, or humanitarian organization.

Make emotional connections. Understand your customer well enough to know the difference between what they need and what they desire. In the Western world, businesses meet customers' functional needs with ease, but often seem to have forgotten how to connect with them emotionally the way, say, the corner grocer in a small neighborhood knows what products each of his customers loves. While it may not be possible to know each customer individually, we can delve much deeper than customer research statistics usually allow to create highly contextual experiences that reflect values, behavior, attitudes, and motivations. Ferrari is a wonderfully innovative brand in this regard—not only has it designed a thrilling racecar, but it tapped into the desires of those people who secretly dream of being a racecar driver. From the sound of the engine to the design of the fire extinguisher that is affixed to every interior, Ferrari found a way to put the racing car experience in the hands of a layman.

Design for the complete experience. There is no experience killer worse than a story being told in only one place. You may have a great product, but if customer service or your Web site don't reflect the story you are telling, the experience is invalidated and you run the high risk of losing the relationship with your customer. Every aspect of your business must reflect your company's DNA—and what you have learned about the desires of your customer. American Express (AXP) is a good example here—from the breadth of its product offering to the detailed level of service, its thorough approach provides customers with a feeling of security, empowerment, and being well-cared for—a feeling for which customers will pay a premium.

Competing in the market today demands innovative, emotional engagements. Creating complete, 360-degree experiences is the only way to be relevant in a glutted marketplace.

Sohrab Vossoughi is Founder and President of ZIBA Design, the company he started in 1984. The recipient of more than 30 patents and over 200 design awards, Vossoughi was named BusinessWeek's Entrepreneur of the Year in 1992. He continues to direct projects for clients including Nike, Microsoft, Xerox and Hewlett-Packard.