The Experience Strategy Podcast

More than ever, people expect their experiences with brands to motivate them to achieve their goals. We’ve done extensive research to understand what this takes and turned these insights into frameworks that any company can use. Tune in to learn powerful ways to design products and services that motivate and inspire! In This Episode: [00:53] What led Dave’s team to start exploring Meaningful Motivation. [05:52] How Meaningful Motivation is different from the ways people have thought about motivation in the past. [08:50] The value of purpose. [11:40] Understanding motivation and repairing trust with customers. [15:08] Breaking down the principles of Meaningful Motivation. [27:50] What we plan to accomplish with the Meaningful Motivation practice at Stone Mantel. Key Takeaways: Personal values are now playing a significant factor in our designation of economic value. As brands, we have to get better at really understanding what lights people up. Anyone embarking on a meaningful motivation body of work will probably have to start with building trust as a center point of their work. People don’t always know what they want, so asking them won’t necessarily help you help them. It’s crucial to get underneath the surface to get to the deeper answer. Going beyond the simple exchange of monetary value to do work that adds true meaning and value to people’s lives is work worth doing. Links Mentioned: https://gostonemantel.com/

From Aristotle and Plato to modern brands like Disney and Apple, staging and storytelling have always been central to our experiences. Tune into today’s episode of The Experience Strategy Podcast to find out ways to use these timeless techniques to entice, engage and immerse your customer in your brand’s offerings.  In This Episode: [00:55] What does economic progression have to do with birthday cakes? [05:25] What does staging experiences mean? [06:00] Aristotle and Plato used the same design principles as Apple and Disney. [08:45] The strategic power of unboxing? [15:00] One of the biggest mistakes companies are making is thinking that moving customers through phases is the same thing as having a story.  [19:00] Here’s how the Kith brand is selling the lifestyle experience to consumers.  [24:00] Why associating stories with theming is important. [28:00] What is the Dunder Mifflin phenomenon? [31:00] What does vibe have to do with the whole experience of a brand? Key Takeaways: Staging experiences is thinking about the experience as theater.  There is this innate human need to be a part of an experience and to be on the journey of a story. One of the key elements of staging an experience is that there needs to be a story and a journey customers want to be a part of. Disney, like many successful brands, transitioned from “let me show you a story”, to “let me make you a part of this story”. Links Mentioned: Kith: https://kith.com/ Cariuma: https://cariuma.com/

2020 reminded us that Wellness touches every part of our lives. As a result, companies are quickly discovering that workplace wellness is much more than in-house gyms, mindfulness apps, and healthy food in cafeterias. In this episode, we welcome Mia Kyricos, a globally respected thought-leader in the business of wellness, to explore the rapidly evolving landscape of Wellness and a uniquely integrated approach for helping organizations across all industries create purpose-driven wellness strategies designed to make companies, brands, services and colleagues inherently well. In This Episode: [03:00] Using wellness as a strategic differentiator in business. [05:30] It’s not just what we do and from where, but how we work.  [05:30] What is an ecosystem of wellbeing, according to Mia? [11:00] The evolution of wellness and wellbeing in the workplace. [14:50] How has COVID influenced wellness in the workplace? [18:00] How will these changes influence experience strategy in companies? [21:10] Can love be a business strategy?   Key Takeaways: Our golden rule should be to lead and design with empathy at the center: how we work, how we live. The pandemic has radically shifted employee and customer expectations of wellness. The demand is greater than ever. There’s an expectation of holistic integration: People, planet and community, physical and mental wellness and beyond.   Links Mentioned: Kyricos & Associates LLC - http://kyricos.com/   Bio:  Mia Kyricos is a globally respected thought-leader in the business of wellness and brand strategy with two decades of experience cultivating wellness, hospitality, healthy lifestyle, and travel brands across 100+ countries. As President & Chief Love Officer™ of , a strategic advisory and referral firm, Mia advances the trillion-dollar business of wellness by activating Ecosystems of Wellbeing™ that span both commercial and internal business interests. Previously, she was Senior Vice President & Global Head of Wellbeing for the Hyatt Hotels Corporation, Chief Brand Officer for Spafinder Wellness, Inc., and Vice President of the workplace wellness division at EXOS. Recently named the Leading Woman in Wellness, and Cornell University’s Alumna of the Year, her work and expertise has been featured in The New York Times, LA Times, Skift, Smart Money, Hotel Business, Travel Weekly, Market Watch and more.  She sits on the advisory boards of Wellness for Cancer, Cornell University School of Hotel Administration, and the Global Wellness Institute™, a 501c3 non- profit educational foundation she helped to found. Her mission is to help people live well, and based on her latest research, to love more.

How do you take a simple moment and turn it into something that is memorable every single day? Many of us have had wonderful experiences at hotels, but residential living has been slow to embrace the lessons of hospitality. In today’s episode of The Experience Strategy Podcast, we’re talking to Trevor Hightower, the founder of Craftwork, about creating meaningful moments for apartment residents and powerful ways to disrupt the residential real estate industry.  In This Episode: [02:00] Building apartments has always been more about the physical space and less about the experience. Here’s how Craftwork is changing the entire hospitality experience.   [08:00] How Trevor balances the needs of commercial and residential clients 12:55] More and more innovators from outside the real estate industry are coming in to disrupt.   [15:55] What does it actually mean to have a customer-focused business in real estate?  [19:00] A different approach to residential living creates stories where both residents and those who work in the buildings feel seen and valued.  [20:05] To keep things fresh in real estate, you have to make changes that are authentic.  [23:15] What’s next for Craftwork?   Key Takeaways: At the end of the day, it’s the experience of the end-user that creates the most value for the asset.  More and more owners are seeing the importance of experience for their end-user.  Craftwork’s missional focus and the benefits of Craftwork to their clients, are directly aligned with each other, creating a customer focused mission. Authenticity is crucial for the real estate industry to stay fresh and competitive.    Bio:  Trevor Hightower’s experience in positions of leadership in the military and in the commercial real estate industry have all helped shape his philosophy and passion for community, entrepreneurship, place and seeing others around him flourish. He is the founder of Workflourish, a coworking space in Houston, which merged with Craftwork in early 2018. Prior to this, he was Managing Director of Houston for CBRE. He now serves as President of Craftwork. Tyler (wife), Chase (son), Grace (daughter), and Elle (daughter) are the top of his list to serve and he loves them dearly. Links Mentioned: Website: https://craftworkgroup.com/

From Starbucks to Netflix, companies today are competing to disrupt the market and deliver the best possible customer experience. But what does it take to differentiate your brand and drive results for your customers and your bottom line? Tune into today’s episode as we explain just what Experience Strategy means, and why it matters.   IN THIS EPISODE:  [02:00] Dave explains what Business Strategy means. According to Michael Porter (a Harvard Business Guru), Business Strategy can be defined as a competitive position. [03:00] Dave defines Marketing Strategy by using Philip Kolter’s definition from Northwestern University. [7:00] Why it’s important to recognize different types of strategies in order to understand Experience Strategy. [10:00] CX Strategy or Customer Experience Strategy? Are those strategies the same thing as Experience Strategy? Dave explains the differences between them. [14:00] What role does loyalty play in CX Strategies? [17:00] How Starbucks changed the customer experience for their customers. [21:30] Are Netflix and Amazon just Tech Companies or can they be described as Experience Companies? [26:30] Aransas has observed in multiple organizations that experience is situated as an operational effect versus a strategic pillar. What is the risk of relegating it to an operational aspect?   KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Companies need to understand that their business strategy is about setting their businesses up in comparison to their competitors. Customization is one of the key elements of Customer Experience. It’s a first step towards recognizing the audience as individuals. All technology today is customized in some way. Disruptive innovation has completely changed the way the world looks today. One of the best examples is Amazon. At one time, no one was paying attention to them, and now they have completely disrupted the US economy.  Strategy is important, but if companies want more customers, they need to think more rigorously at what customers need and deliver on those needs across operations, marketing, innovation and business strategies.

In today’s episode, we focus on a foundational strategic principle Experience Strategists call “time well spent.” Consumers have a choice about where to spend their time and money and those decisions are usually driven by how much value they get from an experience. Tune in to hear fresh ways for understanding the value of people’s time spent with your business, and how to design your service and products to create experiences that customers want to buy.   IN THIS EPISODE:  [01:30] Why businesses should pay attention to the Experience Strategy principle of “time well spent”. [05:30] Companies can work on the value of “time well spent” with them by asking consumers for feedback about what is important or meaningful to them. [08:00] Dave explains ING Bank's efforts in the early 2000’s to improve their consumers' experience by using technology to create a more convenient and quicker experience. [14:00] The strategic decision companies like Starbucks, 7Eleven, Panera Bread, and Facebook took to differentiate themselves and create “time well spent” for their consumers. [18:00] Companies, like IKEA, offer the experience, but not “time well spent”. This leaves consumers feeling frustrated and limits their opportunity to grow.  [26:00] Aransas discusses the three big questions that every business should ask themselves about the experience they’re providing their customers.     KEY TAKEAWAYS:  “Time well spent” is a foundational principle of Experience Strategists, and by evaluating what your customer values, you can create an experience they want to pay for.  Making your business or product convenient isn’t enough. You have to understand your business's role in providing the best possible experience to your consumers. To ensure your customers value your experience ask them: Does the experience feel like it is time well saved, spent, or invested? If not, understand why and design your experience with those needs in mind.  

Covid-19 fundamentally shifted the way most people work. For many companies it’s meant newly distributed workforces, and prompted a need to find innovative ways to create meaningful employee experiences. In this episode of The Experience Strategy Podcast, we are joined by Valarie Udeh, from one of the world’s largest aerospace and defense companies,  BAE Systems, to explore powerful strategies for engaging a remote workforce, managing diverse employees, and cultivating company culture, no matter where your employees do their work.   IN THIS EPISODE:  [03:00] Valarie discusses her team at BAE Systems and her responsibilities. She explains the big shifts in her department as most employees moved into remote work this last year. [06:00] The challenges presented to Valarie in order to keep employees coming back to the office safe, as well as staying connected with those who continue to work from home.  [11:00] Valarie explains her main goals of employee engagement and what she hopes to achieve from creating a workplace environment that feels authentic. [14:30] Dave explains the concept of “modes” and how people have to flip between different modes, ie, parent mode, work mode, crisis mode...etc. and find a balance between them all. [19:00] Valarie talks about how to position the experience for her employees based on their situations. [26:00] Valarie discusses how important the manager role plays when connecting and engaging with their team and recognizing which modes their employees might be functioning in. [33:00] Valarie shares her biggest takeaways and perspectives she has gained over the past year and how she hopes to integrate and embrace new best practices into her multi-generational organization.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Employees need to feel the appreciation and effort put in by their managers and supervisors to connect with their individual preferences. If the effort is put in by employers- the retention rate and loyalty among employees is much higher.  Working during Covid-19 has given employers and employees the chance to evaluate workplace culture and create new best practices based on what works now. Employees have more freedom and autonomy to define their work lives in a way that fits their unique needs.  Cultivating a positive, secure work environment requires a deeper look at the organization and different ways to connect with employees. Management is key in evaluating best practices and implementing them for their employees. Constantly working in crisis mode or cleanup mode is stressful for everyone. Being proactive can prevent employee stress and burnout, keeping them productive and energized in their work.  Links Mentioned: BAE Systems - https://www.baesystems.com/en/home Valarie Udeh - LinkedIn   BIO:   Valarie Udeh joined BAE Systems, Inc. in April of 2013 as Director of Communications for Enterprise Shared Services. She is responsible for Shared Services Finance and Human Resources as well as ESS-IT communications for the organization. Her team is also responsible for ESS communications, employee engagement, and community service.   Prior to joining BAE Systems, Valarie worked for Delhaize America as Director of Internal Communications for the grocery chain Food Lion. She was responsible for employee communications reaching associates from across 11 states. She also worked for Wachovia, now Wells Fargo, as Senior Vice President, Director of Brand Management and Multicultural Marketing. Valarie has extensive advertising and public relations agency experience representing clients in the finance, restaurant, healthcare, and education sectors.   Valarie holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in mass communications from the University of South Carolina and a Master of Arts degree in strategic communications from Queens University of Charlotte.  She is also a certified executive coach.

Getting a customer is one thing, but keeping them is the hard part.  In this episode, Aransas and Dave speak with Heidi Bowman, a 30 year veteran in Marketing and Business Development and the VP of Marketing & Business Development at Silex Financial Group, a residential and commercial mortgage broker, about ways to keep customers connected to companies through experience strategies.     IN THIS EPISODE:  [02:30] How mortgage brokers differentiate themselves through their services and product offering. [06:00] Heidi says Silex sets itself apart from the competition by offering exclusive services to their clients. [12:00] Heidi describes the homebuying process for their clients by analyzing the wants and needs of each particular client. [14:30] How the mortgage company adjusts to today’s housing market by becoming the “home buyer advisor” for clients who may be overwhelmed and battling buyer’s remorse.  [18:00] How they extend their relationships beyond just the mortgage buying process to cultivate repeat customers and referrals. [24:00] How Heidi utilizes tactics like storytelling and social media to differentiate Silex from other companies and connect with their clients and potential leads. [29:00] Aransas and Dave give tips on how Silex can continue to connect with their customers in different ways as social media and marketing evolves. [36:00] Dave suggests collecting stories from Heidi and her customers to help people connect to the company and for Silex to get a deeper understanding of customer needs.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Marketing is important for growth, but loyalty is the byproduct of the experience.  There’s a big difference between advice-giving and understanding. Relationships are built on trust and understanding. People want advice, but they need understanding in order to hear it. Authentic stories focused on the experience are powerful ways of creating connection and loyalty and allowing individuals to see new possibilities.    Links Mentioned: Bringithomewithheidi.com   BIO:   Heidi is a 30 plus year veteran in Marketing and Business Development and the VP of Marketing &  Business Development at Silex Financial Group, a North Jersey-based residential and commercial mortgage broker. At Silex, her focus is to drive growth in existing and new markets. She is also a self-proclaimed  First Time Home Buyer Experience guru.   Heidi also manages the  “Bringing it Home with Heidi” brand which is a web-enabled platform that focuses on topics from home buying to a family cooking channel and everything in between. “Bringing It Home With Heidi” provides a valuable lifestyle and business resource through blog posts, podcasts (available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts), and more. You can learn more at bringithomewithheidi.com.   Heidi is also a mom to a "special abled" young man named Alexander and an advocate of post-21 special needs adults. She loves all things Italian = fashion, jewelry, food, the country, and her husband Joe, and is a CrossFit enthusiast.

SHOW NOTES: The experience of food shopping is fundamentally about reliability and consistency, but standout brands like Trader Joe’s use powerful Experience Strategies to differentiate their brands, add meaning and value for consumers, and build loyal fan bases. In this episode of the Experience Strategy Podcast, NYC-based blogger Halle Sarfin chats with Aransas and Dave about her love for grocery shopping at Trader Joe’s and what keeps her coming back   IN THIS EPISODE:  [02:00] Halle shares what motivated her to create a platform for sharing positive and motivational vibes that could help her connect with others looking to lead happy and healthy lives. [04:30] Food shopping is a hobby for Halle and she describes her love for Trader Joe’s by sampling and sharing new items.  [06:30] Halle describes what her typical shopping experience is like when she goes to Trader Joe’s to get her “regular items” and also how she decides on trying new things. [09:30] Halle describes the “Trader Joe’s Customer Identity”.  [17:40] Dave shares the coordinated strategy of “Theming” and how Trader Joe’s uses it as a key part of their brand to make the shopping experience for consumers very powerful. [21:00] Discussion on how important the brand loyalty experience has been at connecting customers who share a love for shopping at Trader Joe’s.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:  Every industry has the potential to add meaning for their customers: Through experience strategy, the mundane task of food shopping can instead be a form of self-care.  Brands can build loyalty through experience: Food shopping for people is fundamentally about reliability and consistency, but standout brands create surprise and delight to differentiate and add value.  “Theming” an experience is a way to bring a brand story to life and connect with consumers.   Links Mentioned: Halle’s Instagram - http://instagram.com/thetoogoodlife   BIO:   Halle created her own brand called thetoogoodlife when she discovered her passion for the health/wellness industry. She posts all things health, fitness, and food but puts an emphasis on balance. She lives in NYC and loves discovering new workouts and local farmer’s markets. She loves iced coffee, sushi, avocado toast and can most likely be found on a spin bike or taking a walk along the water. She is in the process of becoming a certified health coach where she hopes to help people live happier and healthier lives. She loves to inspire and motivate others and believes the too good life platform is the perfect place to do that. Check her out on Instagram @thetoogoodlife.

Your hosts, Aransas and Dave, recently had the opportunity to speak with the true pioneers of Experience Strategy, Lou Carbone, Joe Pine, and Bernd Schmitt for a previous episode of The Experience Strategy Podcast. These pioneers shared so much valuable information that Aransas and Dave decided to sit down together and thoroughly unpack the ‘aha moments’ from that episode. Tune in to hear a breakdown of the key lessons these Pioneers shared.   IN THIS EPISODE:  [01:22] Lou Carbone discusses how experiences can transform companies and their employees. [03:00] Dave unpacks Lou’s description of the experiences he had as a strategist in the 1980s, learning different marketing execution approaches from companies like Disney, and how the pioneers decided to do something more transformational for companies. [07:00] Dave and Aransas discuss the importance of analyzing what the customer is experiencing and how companies can improve that experience for them. Favoring the comprehensive viewpoint as the customer is key in accomplishing this. [10:00] Aransas discusses Bernd’s opinion about looking at the consumer's sensory experience and how that goes into the consumer experience design. [14:00] Aransas and Dave discuss using customization in service of the consumer’s experience rather than the brand experience. [18:00] Data and technology has been a driving force in moving customization forward to create personal connections to consumers. Aransas and Dave discuss ways companies like Netflix and Stitch Fix have tailored their customers’ experiences through premium memberships. [23:00] Dave discusses “Journey Mapping” and delves into Harvard Professor, Michael Porter’s five forces, and how companies used these strategies to create their business models [26:30] Aransas discusses the change that’s taken place for businesses and consumers to connect with the advancement of technology and social media. [29:08] A clip from Bernd discussing customer experience management. Dave shares what that means and how companies can manage the customer experience by examining it holistically and innovatively by using measurement and analytics.   KEY TAKEAWAYS:  The pioneers were part of a revolution in consumer experience by examining what big companies were doing for their consumers and then taking that information and transforming the experiences for other companies to utilize. Once companies started to market their services by looking at consumers' viewpoints and sensory experience, they could create a more targeted approach towards marketing to their ideal customers. Consumer experience changed heavily with technology and customization. Companies that were able to use data and technology to tailor to the customer’s specific needs were able to capture more positive experiences with their customers leading to more sales or premium service subscriptions.   Links Mentioned: The Experience Strategy Podcast Episode 4 - Experience Pioneers BIO:   Lou Carbone Lou Carbone is founder and CEO of Experience Engineering®, Inc.. Since the late 1980’s, Carbone has continuously been at the forefront of studying, exploring and developing value creation through experience management and is often referred to as the Godfather of Experience Management. He is recognized as a thought leader in the field as well as an experience management futurist, continuously innovative, hands-on academic/practitioner. He wrote the book “Clued In: How to keep customers coming back, again and again, published by FT Prentice Hall which won Fast Company’s Reader’s Choice Award.  Lou originated the concept of Emotional and Unconscious Clue Based Experience Design and Total Experience Management® and a robust proprietary methodology and perspective called Experience Engineering®.    Joe Pine B. Joseph Pine II is an internationally acclaimed author, speaker, and management advisor to Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurial start-ups alike. He is cofounder of Strategic Horizons LLP, a thinking studio dedicated to helping businesses conceive and design new ways of adding value to their economic offerings. In 2020 Mr. Pine and his partner James H. Gilmore re-released in hardcover The Experience Economy: Competing for Customer Time, Attention, and Money with many new ideas, frameworks, and exemplars plus a new Preview to their best-selling 1999 book The Experience Economy: Work Is Theatre; Every Business a Stage. The book demonstrates how goods and services are no longer enough; what companies must offer today are experiences – memorable events that engage each customer in an inherently personal way. It further shows that in today’s Experience Economy companies now compete against the world for the time, attention, and money of individual customers.    Bernd Schmitt Bernd Schmitt is Robert D. Calkins Professor of International Business and Faculty Director of the Center on Global Brand Leadership at Columbia Business School in New York. He is widely recognized for his major contributions to branding, marketing, and new technologies through his unique focus on the customer experience and innovation. He has published in the major marketing journals and written nine books which have been translated into 25 languages, including, among others, Experiential Marketing, Customer Experience Management, Big Think Strategy and Happy Customers Everywhere. Schmitt has consulted and developed brand, experience and innovation strategies for clients in consumer packaged goods, automobile, electronics, software, financial services, pharmaceuticals, beauty and cosmetics, hospitality, and media industries.