This week’s 2017 Adobe Symposium in NYC was one of the most well-attended events I’ve been to in a long time. Adobe did an excellent job articulating the consumer shift. People are no longer making purchases based solely on the quality/functionality/capabilities of specific goods and services, but are instead buying based on the overall brand experience.
The consumer buying cycle now demands instant gratification. Customers want what they want when they want it. According to Jordan Kretchmer, Adobe General Manager for Livefyre and Social, 89% of brands are now focused on competing based on overall experience. Just a couple years prior, 64% of brands reported differentiating mainly on goods and services.
Adobe has identified four key areas for a successful brand experience. They are:
- Know and respect your customer
- Speak in “one” brand voice
- Make technology transparent
- Provide delight at every turn
With the above tenants in mind, Adobe has now integrated their cloud platforms into an end-to-end offering – Adobe Experience Cloud. This new enterprise architecture seamlessly integrates Adobe’s Analytics, Advertising and Marketing Clouds. It is still possible to utilize each of these platforms individually, but when combined they offer a unique overall solution for marketing departments. The foundation of Adobe Experience Cloud is based on:
The foundation of Adobe Experience Cloud is centered around the following:
- Context is just the starting line. The use of data and analytics is critical in creating a context strategy.
- Given the necessity for heavy personalized and targeted marketing, platforms need to be designed for speed and scale to react quickly to market demands.
- “Milliseconds” make the journey. What might be complex on the back end needs to be simple and seamless during the customer journey.
- Integrate to innovate. Today’s customer retention is driven by the end to end experience when interacting with a brand (more so than the actual product or service they are purchasing).
Retailers need to evaluate how their brand reacts within the ecosystem of the consumer experience. Savvy retailers are creating partnerships with other brands to widen the overall consumer experience. Examples include a maternity fashion retailer partnering with a baby products retailer, or an airline partnering with a car rental firm. For retailers who make “experience” their business, the possibilities are endless.
Did you attend Adobe Symposium in NYC, or are you planning to attend next month’s event in Chicago? We will be there, and are looking forward to another great event.
