Ahead of a new edition of Alida’s flagship event, here’s a sample of the insights and best practices collected during the last one.
The new edition of Alida Activate — the virtual experience event that matches customer-centricity aspirations with tangible action-plans — is set to kick off next May 4th. This year’s Activate will explore how market leaders are bringing customers into the decision-making process, how to innovate faster without sacrificing quality, and how to reimagine CX and create memorable experiences at every touchpoint.
But, what happened during LAST Activate? If you missed it, here’s the rundown of the most relevant insights and valuable best practices that emerged from the previous edition.
Advancing User-Centered Product Design
It’s one thing to create digital experiences built around customer needs, but what about the products themselves? Lead User Experience (UX) Researcher at MuleSoft, Drew Ford, revealed his approach: put users first in everything his company does. According to Ford, the first step in product design is to think about their users: who they are, what they need, and what they want. To answer those questions, Drew took us through his company’s data-driven approach to UX, using tools like interviews, workshops, and surveys to create an ongoing consideration of the customer viewpoint.
Delivering Better Experiences for Every Audience
At Alida we believe the best decisions are made with customers, not for them. Of course, that’s often easier said than done and it usually requires merging perspectives that were once viewed as totally separate. In this Activate webinar, Kylie Moskevich from Westfield Insurance, and Jordan Gray from Regence Health, showed us what it meant to unite business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) audience perspectives to deliver better experiences for all.
Becoming Resilient Through Empathy
What does it really mean to empathize with your audience? In this Activate webinar, two customer experience experts — Sarah Shain from Redbull and Joetta Gobell from Dotdash — joined forces to answer that very question. Although their brands, experiences, and target audiences are different, their message was the same: Empathy drives real connection, especially in times of crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic. Sarah and Joetta shared examples of how their customers see the world — and why those perspectives are key to navigating a fast-changing business landscape.
How Consumers Shape Brand Experience
There’s a rich and often-intricate relationship between consumers and brands. While it’s clear your company can sway audiences — have you ever thought about how audiences can sway you? Susan White Frazier, Leader of Market Research at Wondrium, told us about her own experience with the consumer/brand relationship. Susan explored how everything — from shifting expectations to newly emerging needs — can act as points of influence, thus creating a one-of-a-kind, back-and-forth experience between you and your customers.
The Recipe for a Successful CX Program
Are you looking for a clear, simple recipe to improve your customer experience (CX) and drive return on investment (ROI)? This Activate webinar had all the ingredients to cook up something truly spectacular. All you had to do is strap on your apron and learn the four steps Maxie Schmidt, VP Principal Analyst at Forrester Research, shared with the attendees:
- Don’t start cooking until you know for whom and why
- Successful kitchens are loud because all stakeholders are constantly communicating
- Taste as you go to make sure you’re on the right track
- Plan the presentation as carefully as the meal itself
How to Innovate
- Employee experiences that retain top talent: Are your people your most valuable resource? According to Alida’s own Kyle Erickson and Akbar Bhanji, the answer might just be yes. In this Activate webinar, Kyle and Akbar used key Alida tools to explore the importance of the employee experience in retaining top talent. They covered the most vital interaction points, from recruitment and onboarding to long-term engagement through daily activities. It’s all about the voice of the employee — and if you know how to listen effectively (and have the tools to do so), your own people can give you all the information you need.
- Brand experiences that drive campaign success: Your brand is a unique, living ecosystem. You’re likely familiar with its most important elements, but can you say you know every detail? Even those created through uncontrollable, organic interactions with your customers? Kyle Erickson and Akbar Bhanji disclosed the tools you need to uncover these and other subtle details, empowering you to better understand your brand and find out how to improve it. With a little help from your favorite Alida tools, you can establish best practices for creating and managing brand experiences — like automation solutions that tell you “if this happens, do that.” The core concept is to make users feel heard and valued at every brand touchpoint.
- Product experiences with agile optimization: Kyle and Akbar also guided attendees through product experiences — one of the most important elements in a customer’s overall interaction with your brand. With help from Alida’s engagement and customer voice technology, Activate participants witnessed firsthand how small improvements can make a big difference, explored the ways a brand can deploy these changes, and discovered why customers are your best asset when it comes to product experience optimization.
- Customer experiences with seamless journeys: It’s easy to get so caught up in being a brand that you forget what it feels like to be a customer. In this Activate webinar, Kyle and Akbar explored what “seamless journeys” really look like and how a few tech solutions from Alida can help you take control of the customer experience at every touchpoint. From automatic follow-ups to effective surveys, you can access all the tools you need to walk in your customers’ shoes and come up with new ideas for engagement, retention, and user delight.
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Join practical sessions with some of the most innovative brands and find out how market leaders create world-class experiences through Total Experience Management (TXM). We’ll break down new success stories and deliver tangible takeaways to implement in your organization.
