As 2017 strategic plans are finalizing inside the enterprise, brand leaders have one priority in common; the Customer Experience. Nothing matters more than the customer. The strategy to improve affinity and motivate advocacy is Job #1.
The ‘Shiny Ball’ syndrome of the new magic bullet digital marketing and engagement tools abound, so where to start?
How about starting with your own house and what customers want from your brand?
Digital leaders around the world are waking up to a new thing and they are puzzled. It is a paradigm shift in technology that offers new technical, messaging, branding and experience capabilities that will change how brands interact and serve their customers. It is the Brand Top-Level Domain (TLD) Internet. Secure, trusted, controlled, brand authentic and massively scalable as an innovation platform.
Wait – aren’t domains so last decade? Not anymore.
For the first time in the history of the internet, brands will own and control a proprietary slice of the internet that is an authentic and secure name space for customers to engage with brands in an entirely trusted environment. It is massively scalable and a platform for innovation. People forget that the Internet is very young. Expecting the use of rented spaces on .com or other domain extensions as the end state is myopic. Brands owning their own space, even without the benefit of hindsight, is an obvious evolution when you think through what it is and what it means. It may take some time but make no mistake, it is happening now.
Bill Gates once said: “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next two years and underestimate the change that will occur in the next ten. Don’t let yourself be lulled into inaction.”
If you are a brand strategist or a C-Level looking long-term, this sentiment is worth gold.
There are many use cases in the brand domain space but let’s just touch on the Customer.
1. What do customers want from your brand?
They want convenience, ease of use, fast response, relevant content and services, valued experiences and services. They also want security assurance.
2. How and when do they want to engage with your brand?
They want it when they need it. They want convenience, easy and predictable.
3. Why will customers select your brand, when your competitor is a click away?
Customers want to consume services from the best companies. They want innovation services that deliver big value. (Netflix – wow). They want to be lead by technology innovators. They want new, better, and different experiences to improve their life. They want trusted and secure services.
4. What do they do when they find what they want?
They tell their friends of the new cool innovative thing they just experienced.
How can you address these customer experience needs and behaviours to lead in your markets with a Brand TLD strategy? Brand domains can be used to reinvent the customer experience and strengthen the brand/customer relationship.
Marcom
Personalization
Secure
Services
New Services
Easy to Understand
This is an opportunity for brand leaders and challengers to differentiate, to extend leadership position or leapfrog to become a market leader. Our advice; embrace this new technology. The more you learn the more you will recognize the transformation opportunity.