How Will You Spot the Next Customer Revolution?

You can actually pinpoint the next customer behavior revolution if you pay attention to significant out-of-our-control social events, peer-to-peer occurrences, and technology waves. These events are so shocking that normal human behavior patterns cannot help but be disrupted and reinvented.

For example, after the September 11, 2001, World Trade Center catastrophe in New York City, millions of people were scared. Formerly confident Americans realized that nobody was safe anymore. We worried about opening our mail, because it could contain anthrax. We couldn't go to shopping malls or amusement parks, because public places like that might be considered high-value targets. Life in America became jarringly fragile and mortal. Our collective consciousness started to agree on one thing: “If my life is snuffed out tomorrow, then I am going to experience as much as I can today.” According to our research, this meant that people wanted a memorable experience, whether eating at a restaurant, picking up their clothes from a dry cleaner, exiting a CPA's office, or buying a car from an auto dealer. Every moment had to be emotionally satisfying and memorable. It was as if every American were a death row inmate ordering his or her last meal—every single day.

Social scientists Joe Pine and James Gilmore looked like soothsayers when they wrote The Experience Economy in 1999. They made the argument that brands must become more theatrical by creating memorable events for their customers. Disney does it. Las Vegas does it. You can do it, too. The feelings and memories that your experiences provide often become the product itself.

No doubt you work in a business culture that demands a great customer experience. In fact, you may have designed metrics to test the consistency of your accomplishments in that area.