An established cone shaped customer journey model has been shattered and diffused into a myriad of touch and reference points, where it’s hard to stand out and word of mouth is through the roof as the number one purchasing motivation. Additionally, brands have become too internally focused by screen type and mapping ROI, churning out extensions that has created diffused brand strategies and identities existing across multiple channels and customers are pushing back on campaign style messaging. Or are they? Perhaps we have all become brand sophisticates, similar to digital natives, aware of the brands, the times and the veils we’ve witnessed these last few years as the thin blue line of the law wrestles with the youth of tomorrow’s working generation.
A movement requires fear, a sense of injustice and hope. 2012 might not be the chaos the Mayans predicted, but there will be a movement against companies who purport to be brands and have been found wanting. It’s already beginning to look like a scrap heap out there – a mixture of has been, hopefuls and could have been. Here’s to preparation meeting opportunity and customer experience becoming a delightful reality.
PUNCH & KISS 