Exploring Customer Experience and Brand Building

404. Navigating the Customer Journey: Insights from Jennifer Clinehens (Refreshed Episode)

Today’s Episode:

In episode 404 of The Brainy Business, Jennifer Clinehens, with her diverse background in entrepreneurship and experience design for global brands, shares valuable insights into the intersection of behavioral science and business. Through her discussion with host Melina Palmer, Jennifer emphasizes the significance of understanding the emotional journey of customers and leveraging the peak-end rule to shape customer perceptions. The conversation explores the non-linear nature of customer journeys, the importance of contextual factors, and the power of experimentation in applying behavioral science principles. 

Jennifer's expertise in leveraging behavioral science to create meaningful customer experiences provides a nuanced approach to customer journey mapping and enhancing touchpoints. Her practical examples, such as Disney's approach to shaping the true end of customer experiences, add depth and relevance to the discussion. Listeners can gain valuable takeaways on choice hacking, understanding the true end of experiences, and the application of behavioral science principles to create engaging and memorable brand interactions, making this episode an essential listen for business leaders and marketers seeking to improve customer experiences.

In this episode, you will be able to:

• Apply Behavioral Science to Transform Your Business
• Master Customer Journey Mapping for Enhanced Customer Experiences
• Unlock the Power of Peak End Rule for Exceptional CX
• Implement Effective Choice Architecture Strategies for Business Success
• Harness Visual Salience to Drive Customer Engagement

00:00:00 - Introduction Jennifer introduces the concept of choice hacking and its application in understanding the psychology of why people buy. 00:02:00 - Intersection of Behavioral Science and Experience Jennifer shares her background and how she applies behavioral science to experience design, marketing, and advertising for various brands. 00:07:49 - The Messy Reality of Customer Journeys Customer journeys are not linear and require a pragmatic approach. It's crucial to experiment with behavioral science principles and consider the context of the customer base. 00:09:58 - Small Steps in Customer Journeys Jennifer discusses the importance of breaking down customer journeys into small steps and paying attention to every moment to create a seamless and effective experience for the customers. 00:12:13 - Peak End Rule in Customer Journeys Jennifer highlights the significance of applying the peak-end rule across a customer journey and the challenges of capturing the emotional journey autonomic. 00:13:27 - Understanding the True Ending of Customer Experience Jennifer discusses the importance of recognizing the true ending of a customer experience, highlighting the common mistake brands make in neglecting the post-purchase phase and how it impacts customer satisfaction. 00:14:01 - Examples of Brands Getting the Ending Wrong Jennifer provides examples of brands failing to manage the true ending of their customer experience, including a personal experience with Lululemon's delivery partner and Disney's innovative approach to enhancing the end of their theme park experience. 00:17:16 - Importance of Context in Customer Experience The conversation delves into the significance of understanding the context in which customers interact with a brand, emphasizing the need for brands to take responsibility for the entire customer journey, including post-purchase interactions and feedback management. 00:19:41 - Tips for Discovering the True End Jennifer shares practical tips for identifying the true end of the customer experience, including the importance of talking to and observing customers, breaking down silos within the organization, experimenting with different approaches, and measuring satisfaction on a journey level. 00:24:23 - Creating Surprise and Delight Moments The conversation explores the concept of surprise and delight in customer experience, highlighting how brands like John Lewis and Purple mattress company effectively use unexpected gestures to enhance the overall brand memory and customer satisfaction. 00:25:54 - Donating Mattresses to Homeless Shelters Jennifer discusses the practice of donating extra mattresses to local homeless shelters. This goodwill gesture not only solves the problem of disposing of unwanted mattresses but also creates a positive brand association. 00:26:40 - Preventing Abuse of Donations Jennifer addresses concerns about potential abuse of the donation practice, emphasizing the rare occurrence of customers taking advantage of the system. This approach benefits the brand and fosters goodwill without allowing exploitation. 00:27:49 - Taking Ownership of Customer Experience Jennifer highlights the need for brands to take ownership of the entire customer experience, not just individual touchpoints. She emphasizes the importance of addressing moments of pain and frustration to create a positive, memorable association with the brand. 00:29:09 - Importance of Visual Salience Jennifer emphasizes the significance of visual salience and cognitive load simplicity theory in ensuring that customers notice and engage with the intended elements of a store, website, or app. Understanding what customers see is crucial for effective design and communication. 00:34:16 - Balancing Emotion and Effectiveness Jennifer discusses the need for brands to balance emotional appeal and effectiveness in their customer journey. She stresses the importance of delivering on both aspects to motivate and encourage customer action, ultimately achieving business goals. 00:38:22 - Introduction to Choice Hacking and the Book Jennifer introduces the concept of choice hacking and the book, emphasizing the focus on education, inspiration, and practical application of the choice framework. The book is available for purchase and offers a free chapter download at choicehacking.com. 00:39:25 - Practical Application of the Choice Framework Jennifer discusses the tactical and easy-to-apply nature of the choice framework presented in the book. She highlights the behavioral science principles underpinning great experiences and mentions the availability of a free course on choicehacking.com. 00:39:45 - Gratitude and Closing Remarks Melina expresses gratitude to Jennifer for sharing her insights on the show. Jennifer reciprocates and emphasizes the value of the conversation. 00:40:19 - Brand Experience and Micro-Moments Melina reflects on the importance of understanding the true end of brand experiences and the impact of micro-moments on brand reinforcement. She emphasizes the empowering nature of negative moments as opportunities for surprise and delight. 00:41:56 - Conclusion What stuck with you while listening to the episode? What are you going to try? Come share it with Melina on social media -- you'll find her as @thebrainybiz everywhere and as Melina Palmer on LinkedIn.

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• Jennifer on X
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• More About Jennifer

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Check out and get your copies of Melina’s Books. 

Get the Books Mentioned on (or related to) this Episode:

• Choice Hacking, by Jennifer Clinehens
• Neurobranding, by Peter Steidl
• Blindsight, by Matt Johnson and Prince Ghuman
• The Truth About Pricing, by Melina Palmer
• What Your Customer Wants and Can't Tell You, by Melina Palmer

Top Recommended Next Episode: Disney (ep 292)

Already Heard That One? Try These: 

• Costco (ep 47)
• Peak-End Rule (ep 97)
• Surprise & Delight (ep 276)
• Starbucks (ep 278)
• Robert Cialdini Interview (ep 312)

Other Important Links: 

Brainy Bites - Melina’s LinkedIn Newsletter