The Paradigm Shift for Product Organizations: Building Consumer Experiences
As I view the landscape of digital technology and how big brands are embracing new ways to reach consumers, one thing is evident: this is clearly a paradigm shift for product-centric organizations who are historically reliant on the retailer to construct the shopping experience.
For years, manufacturers build product, sell it into a retailer, and wipe their hands of most responsibilities after the fact -- often focusing on promotional calendars to help drive point of sale with some arm's length control over point of purchase signage.
As the shift to building experiences becomes more of a priority for brands and manufacturers, they find themselves with an organizational structure and culture that may be highly unprepared for what it takes to embrace this new experience-driven mentality.
These are exciting times for consumers as retailers and manufacturers push the envelope for their attention across channels. These are equally exciting times for retailers and manufacturers as the advances in consumer technologies and their expectations are driving substantially different conversations at the brand and retailer level than in years past.
Is it the medium or lifestyle that’s changing our media consumption?
I don't read newspapers.
I don't watch the local news.
I don't watch the national news.
This doesn't mean that the news doesn't matter to me but rather the way in which I consume the information does. I get my news in bite-sized chunks online as free minutes are available a couple times throughout the day.
The Daily
Despite my fragmented habits of consuming "news," I do however spend the time once per month to read magazines of interest to me. So how does "The Daily" fit into my routine?
"The Daily" iPad subscription for the news is an interesting concept. I have been testing it out and find myself liking the format but coming to the realization that it's just not how I keep up with news anymore.
I feel like this is more of a product of me not having 30 minutes to dedicate each day to rather than it being because of the convenience of the free news available online. I don't spend 30 minutes reading freely-available online news, either. It's not that I'm unwilling to pay for content, I'm just unwilling to pay for content I won't use.
The technology isn't what's changing my habits, it's the pace of life and lifestyle that is.
I actually don't hate the newspaper format. I enjoy the content available in newspapers -- my lifestyle however doesn't afford me the time to sit and read it each and every day.
If my favoriate magazine came via an iPad subscription, I would prefer to read it that way vs. on paper. But that's more a product of leveraging the convenience of the device rather than despising the paper its printed on.
Is the newspaper industry dying because of technology or because of consumer lifestyles?
A little bit of both. But I think it's more a product of consumer lifestyle than anything. Many people aren't paying for a newspaper anymore not because the content quality is poor but rather because they can't dedicate the time out of their day to sit and read. The Sunday newspaper probably remains the most-kept subscription because of the coupons and also because that's a day of the week where many do have a few moments to sit and unwind (all speculation - I have no data to support this).
The industry must adapt to the changing behaviors of consumers, not simply move the same concept to another medium.
The newspaper industry needs to instead learn how to deliver news that caters to the faster-paced lifestyles of consumers. It's certainly not in the printed format and it may very well not be via an iPad subscription. The iPad subscription of The Daily is no different than a newspaper -- I still need to dedicate time I don't have to reading it.
I hope The Daily succeeds because it will provide a blueprint for other traditional publishers to make the switch to Digital Media and we will see some creative work come out of it. However, the concept is fundamentally flawed because it has taken the same business model and made it available on a different medium -- and its demise may very well be because consumers' reading habits for the news simply aren't what they used to be.
The Case for Marketing Technologists
Scott Brinker over at the Chief Marketing Technologist blog recently interviewed me about my experience going into Marketing, then IT, and back to Marketing again as a part of a series in which he is covering "Marketing Technologists" across various organizations. (Thanks, Scott!)
On a related note, in an article on February 7th from VentureBeat about Microsoft potentially cleaning house to make room for more technologists on the Executive team, this particular quote from an Analyst in the article resonated with me:
“You see the engineering team ascending because Steve is realizing that there is a need to execute on a vision and in order to do that you have to actually understand how software is built,” said Wes Miller, an analyst at the Kirkland, Washington-based research firm Directions on Microsoft, in an interview with Bloomberg Businessweek. “It’s a whole other thing to be able to say, ‘I’ve been at Microsoft, I understand software, and what you are saying will or will not work.’”
The underlined portion is of particular interest to the Marketing Technologist - in order for Marketing departments to execute on a vision, an understanding of the technological underpinnings for that vision and the end-user experience it delivers is vital.
The Era of the Marketing Technologist
More importantly, you don't have to be a software company like Microsoft to require this expertise. For more in-depth discussion on the topic, read Scott's post on The Rise of the Marketing Technologist.
Making the Case for an Embedded Marketing Technology Team (E-Business)
In my interview, I make the case that Marketing departments should even have their own technology arm - at our organization we call it the E-Business team. E-Business drives multichannel sales, new customer acquisition, brand recognition and loyalty, and customer retention. For more on E-Business, read on.
Apple Retail Store Purchase Process
I love Apple products and the Apple retail store. The checkout process however, needs some work.
Unless you are getting help from an Apple retail associate, the store is not really setup for someone who just wants to go in and buy a product. The lack of a line of registers is a novel idea and by giving each associate their own iPod Touch / credit card scanner device, you have no need for the checkout line bottleneck.
Checkout/Cash Registers Provide a Destination for Paying
However, there is something natural about a line of checkout/cash registers -- you know where to go when it's time to purchase. You don't feel like you are interrupting an associate who's floating around the store. You know the person behind the register is there for one reason and one reason only: pay them your money for a product off the shelf.
Self/Expert Checkout
Since I do most of my product research online before heading to the Apple store, I walk in knowing exactly what I want. I end up spending the majority of my time wandering aimlessly trying to snatch up an Apple associate before the next uneducated shopper occupies them for the next 15 minutes with questions.
I'd love the ability to self-checkout at the retail store. Or some other means for getting an associate's attention that signals them that I'm ready to buy.
If this were an e-commerce site...
Checkout is perhaps the most critical component of an e-commerce site. It's the make-or-break moment for your customer in the shopping process. Frustrate them and they will bail.
Government websites live in an alternate customer experience universe
I filed my state refund about 45 days ago and checked on the status of it today via the North Carolina Department of Revenue website. Here's the message I received after entering my social security number and refund amount:
Consumer-friendly messaging, right?
Aside from the visual design of the site, it's the vague message that has my eyes rolling. Basically, this website exists to tell you your tax refund status, but the Department of Revenue cannot provide specific estimates on when individuals will receive their refunds. But alas, everyone who is due a refund will receive a refund! I guess that makes it all better, right?
Imagine if you placed an order for a product, it's been weeks and you haven't received your shipment. You call the retailer only to hear them say "we can't provide you with a status of your order but rest assured, you will receive your shipment."
Voice of the taxpayer online
I would love to see a government site use OpinionLab or ForeSee Results on their sites. Taxpayers should then be able to see the aggregated feedback ratings & scores. Government website operators could then focus on ease of use and helpful tools online. Messages like above only insult taxpayer intelligence and further throw gas on the fire.
Blog by Eric Long
I'm an experienced online marketer, information architect, digital strategist, and social media enthusiast. I'm passionate about providing outstanding cross-channel experiences for considered purchases (with a focus on mass customization).
About Eric Long
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