Colin Shaw

Choice is a building block of society. In a brilliant talk, Professor Renata Salecl discusses the dark side of choice. The three problems Professor Salecl has with choice are that it provokes anxiety, increases indecision, and involves loss. Much of her insight about choice also applies to the markets.

Have you ever gotten lost trying to buy a camera on Amazon? There are literally hundreds of cameras to choose from on the website. The camera purchase on Amazon is an excellent example to illustrate Professor Salecl’s points about choice. Choice can freeze consumers into a state of indecision.

Anxiety occurs when the customer considers what friends and family might think of his decision. He will want them to validate his purchase as the “right” decision. Amazon’s extensive reviews are most likely a result of this anxiety. Members want to help others make “right” decision.

Additionally, the...

Most business people have heard of “emotional intelligence.” Dan Goleman, author of Emotional Intelligence, defines the core components of emotional intelligence (EI) as self-awareness, managing our emotions, empathy, and social skills.

A deeper look into the nature of emotional intelligence shows that the best leaders have a blend of both traditional feminine and masculine leadership traits. In his article, “Are Women More Emotionally Intelligent than Men?,” Goleman discusses this controversial topic. In turn, Beyond Philosophy considers how Goleman’s research can further our understanding of the customer experience. 

In general it appears women have a stronger grasp of empathy than men. Men, on the other hand, are better at managing their distressing emotions. Both of these skills are useful in a...

How happily do you live day-to-day and how happy are you with your life? Most people will intuitively recognize the subtle difference between these two questions. The first question speaks to experience of an event, and the second refers to the remembrance of an event. In Customer Experience terms, it’s the difference between getting everything right for the customer and what the customer remembers about his or her experience. In fact, the customer will only remember a finite number of details.

This is a key issue when designing your experience and it is not captured by Lean and Six Sigma processes. The issue is not a cut-and-dry summation of touch points, but rather how a customer extracts meaning from these touch points. How do you create an experience that customers will enjoy “in the moment” and remember as being good?

This undoubtedly means you need to take a psychological approach to how you design your Customer Experience. In our recent webinar, “...

Apple. Disney. Ikea. Nike. What do these four brands have in common? Brand recognition. Brand recognition, however, is a double-edged sword. Once your company’s brand becomes an international household name, it also runs the risk of being pirated. Whether you call the sale of unlicensed retail products – and even the hijacking of an entire brand experience – a copycat, a knockoff, fake, or look-alike, it’s ultimately piracy. The recent exposés of fake retailers in China reveal a vast market for pirated goods.

Your average Joe Shmo can do the “what” of a product, but it takes a special spark – or what we refer to as an Emotional Signature – to capture the “how” of a customer experience. To accomplish the “how” of a product, you must emotionally engage your customers with employees capable of imparting your company’s vision as a part of every single interaction. Physical attributes, or the “...