LOOMIS CEO Urges: Elevate Customer Experience Beyond Ads
In a recent blog post, Mike Sullivan, President and CEO of LOOMIS, the country's leading challenger brand advertising agency, shared his perspective on the critical role customer experience plays in building a successful brand.
Sullivan argues that a brand is not just about logos, slogans, and advertising campaigns, but rather "what people think it's like to do business with you." He emphasizes that great advertising alone is not enough if the customer experience fails to meet the expectations set by the marketing.
"Over time and through experience, I've come to fully appreciate that great advertising, by definition, is only great if it accurately represents the thing it's selling," writes Sullivan. "In other words, it's not about the ad. It's about the customer's response."
Company Culture Drives Customer Experience
According to Sullivan, a company's culture is the driving force behind the customer experience it delivers. He stresses the importance of getting the "people" element right, as a company's culture is built and maintained by the behavior of its employees.
"A company's culture is the upstream energy that fuels the downstream customer experience," Sullivan states. "A company's culture is built and maintained by the behavior of its people, so getting its people right is the most important thing a brand can do."
The Financial Impact of Customer Experience
Sullivan cites empirical evidence that highlights the financial impact of prioritizing customer experience. A Forrester study found that companies that prioritize customer service outperform competitors by as much as 80%.
He points to Chick-fil-A as an example of a brand that achieves outsized financial performance by focusing on hiring employees who embody friendliness and courtesy, resulting in an average unit volume of $9.3 million, roughly five times the QSR category average.
The Importance of People in the Marketing Mix
While the traditional marketing mix consists of product, price, place, and promotion, Sullivan proposes that "people" should be considered the fifth and most important "P" for retail marketing, as the customer experience is inherently social and emotionally driven.
"So, the next time you hear someone pontificate about building 'brand identity' or creating 'differentiation,' politely nod, then remind them that their brand boils down to a simpler truth: it's how you make people feel," concludes Sullivan.
About The LOOMIS Agency
The LOOMIS Agency is the country’s leading challenger brand advertising and a well-known ad agency in Dallas, TX. For more about challenger branding, advertising, marketing, leadership, culture, and other inspirations that will drive your success, visit LOOMIS’s blog BARK! The Voice of the Underdog and catch up on all of their posts. For more about LOOMIS, or to discuss how we can help your company succeed.
