The smart cycle: mapping your customer journey

The first top loading washing machines just had a couple of cycles, now smart technology means you’ll be able to download new cycles at the tap of a button. Much easier for the consumer, complex for the supplier. The modern customer life cycle means that brands are dealing with ever-shifting behaviour patterns and creating a nice neat circle isn’t always that easy – meaning a crucial stage of retention could be missed. A platform that integrates and builds in the stages in one easy view can make it much easier to create an effective cycle that helps to gain and retain customers.

The circle of life

Specialist retailer, Performance Bicycles used IBM’s digital experience platform to build a full picture of their customers. This allowed them to understand and map the crucial touch points. This gives Performance Bicycles the edge - attracting new customers and holding onto the value of their most loyal customers. With a single view and a more efficient approach, time and attention can be given to all customers. This single view is also combined with their interactive Learning Center on their website where customers can find all sorts of useful and interesting content – building the relationship even further.

Friendly robots

Once a life cycle has been neatly mapped it’s much easier to create effective content because let’s face it putting someone’s name into a pre-populated email just isn’t going to cut it anymore. Brands can use automation to schedule and plan to make sure that they don’t miss any opportunities to engage and they can use real-time personalisation to add a human element to those interactions. It’s also important to remember to automate process rather than content. Marketers can use the time they save through process to get creative and make the content across all channels consistent and compelling.

For more tips on creating engaging digital experience download our how to guide