The ultimate goal of marketing is affecting the way your customers feel. Customers are buying the experiences they get from the products and services they purchase. Long gone are the days of our customers simply buying products and services based on price or on the product or service alone. Why else would millions of people fork out five dollars for a cup of coffee at Starbucks or another specialty coffee shop when they can buy one for just a dollar elsewhere?
It is all about perception and how you make the customers feel when they purchase your product or service, that will keep them coming back for more.
The definition of customer perception is a marketing concept that encompasses a customer’s impression, awareness, and/or consciousness about a company or its offerings. Customer perception is typically affected by advertising, reviews, public relations, social media and personal experiences. (1)
Why do customers buy the most expensive contact lens solution at the drug store? They are all basically the same saline solution, you know, salt and water. It is because the consumer perceives the $8 bottle to be of higher quality than the $2 bottle when it is simply not the case. Nicer packaging, or just the name brand recognition drives the consumer towards the more expensive option.
Positive customer perception combined with an unforgettable experience will create loyal business.
Let’s check out a few case studies:
1. Apple – The ‘cool’ factor of these user-friendly products contributes greatly to their success. Apple continues to be innovative, but above all, it is the easy end user experience, and the feeling of excitement they get when they open the unique packaging of an apple product.
2. Disney Parks – A true example of selling an experience. It is not what Disney does to make their theme parks so successful, it is why they do it. It is not about a winding roller-coaster ride. It is about quality family time, and experiencing your favorite movies come to life. The life-long memories are well worth the $105 per person per day entrance fee. And you will be spending five days there.
3. Amazon – Does it get any easier to purchase just about anything your heart desires than a single tap on your phone, and it shows up at your doorstep two days later, with no shipping fees? Amazon is continually innovating the customer experience by tracing what you shop for and making helpful suggestions for your next purchase. They are taking it one step further by investing in delivery via drones, creating instant delivery in the foreseeable future. Online retail is nothing new, but Amazon does it so well, it has bigger sales than the next twelve biggest online retailers combined!
Keep tabs on your customer’s experiences and work to continually provide a buying experience that is second to none. Here at Midwest Marketing our team works very hard to provide an experience that is second to none.
(1) Businessdictionary.com
