According to Frost & Sullivan, customer experience (CX) is set to overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator by 2020. Companies that offer personalized and seamless experiences are gaining a competitive edge, making CX a top priority for business leaders worldwide.
A Forbes study found that by 2018, over 75% of companies had already identified CX improvement as their top strategic objective, with that number expected to rise even further¹.
With the rise of social media, IoT, wearables, and mobile technology, customers are now hyper-connected across multiple devices, making CX management more complex. To provide a consistent and unified experience, businesses must overcome several challenges.
1. Achieving a 360° View of the Customer
We generate over 2.5 quintillion bytes of data daily, and 90% of the world's data has been created in just the last two years². Customers are increasingly willing to share personal information when they see a clear value exchange.
To deliver a personalized CX, businesses must:
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Collect and analyze customer data across multiple touchpoints.
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Build a unified customer profile instead of relying on fragmented data
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Use AI and analytics to predict customer needs and behaviors.
A classic example of data-driven CX is Target's predictive analytics. The retailer once correctly identified a teenage girl’s pregnancy based on her shopping behavior—even before her family knew—leading to a highly personalized marketing campaign³.
2. Delivering a Unified Message Across Channels
The customer journey is no longer linear. A typical buying process might look like this:
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A customer sees a Facebook ad for a product.
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They check YouTube reviews from influencers.
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They browse Amazon product pages for specifications and user feedback.
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They wait for a seasonal sale and purchase the product six months later.
Ensuring a consistent brand message across these diverse touchpoints requires:
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Adapting messaging for each platform while maintaining brand integrity.
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Understanding how different channels influence buying behavior.
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Creating omnichannel marketing strategies that support the entire customer journey.
3. Breaking Down Internal Silos
One of the biggest barriers to unified CX is organizational silos. Different departments—marketing, sales, customer support, and product teams—often operate independently, leading to inconsistent customer interactions.
To solve this, companies must:
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Foster cross-department collaboration to align CX goals.
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Centralize customer data for seamless transitions across teams.
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Ensure pre-sale and post-sale experiences match customer expectations.
For example, businesses often invest in glossy marketing brochures but provide basic, uninspiring instruction manuals post-purchase. Similarly, enthusiastic salespeople may promise excellent support, but customers might face unresponsive service teams once they’ve bought the product.
To truly unify CX, businesses must align every customer interaction—from marketing and sales to service and support.
Why Unified CX Matters
According to Forrester, companies that excel in CX outperform their competitors by up to 26% in industries like retail⁴. The benefits of a seamless, customer-first approach include:
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Higher customer loyalty and retention.
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Increased revenue and brand advocacy.
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More efficient customer service operations.
Final Thoughts
Delivering a unified customer experience requires deep customer insights, cohesive messaging, and seamless collaboration across departments. Businesses that successfully integrate data, AI, and omnichannel engagement will be better positioned to exceed customer expectations and drive long-term success.
References
[1] https://www.forbes.com/sites/blakemorgan/2017/12/05/five-trends-shaping-the-future-of-customer-experience-in-2018/#cb21d882d9c3
[2] https://www.forbes.com/sites/bernardmarr/2018/05/21/how-much-data-do-we-create-every-day-the-mind-blowing-stats-everyone-should-read/#4790d0e160ba
[3] https://blog.hubspot.com/marketing/marketing-personalization-examples
[4] https://www.forrester.com/research
