YOUR DETAILS

See your customers as people, not transactions:
Explore deeper conversations where the rich insights and opportunities to build true, profound relevance with customers, and to gain your customers’ perspective on the world and what it takes to capture their attention, intention and engagement.

Seek enduring and passionate shared-interest connections:
Don’t ask yourself “How can we differentiate from our competitors?” but rather, “What common ground/shared interests exist between what matters in customers’ lives and what we do as a company?” in order to create powerful connections and motivations.

Embrace the change your customers demand:
Welcome change, think dynamically and stay nimble to anticipate customer demand. Adopt an “adapt or die” mindset and ask yourself, “What will our customers be looking for next and how can we deliver?”

Stay aware of what is changing in what customers value:
Customers’ needs and attitudes will inevitably shift. Focus on what’s changing in their attitudes to lean forward and act with an agile mind-set, ahead of their competition.

Be clear and consistent on what your brand is and is not:
A strong brand vision is a critical lens through which ever decision should be made, is reflected in every experience that you create, and is lived day in and day out.

Strive for success, but be willing to fail (fast):
Brand leaders must know precisely what success looks like in every metric and key performance indicator available. With metrics in place at all levels, companies can accurately assess how well they are delivering.

Empower your employees to be brand ambassadors:
Creating a shared mindset across an organization turns employees into advocates, wowing customers with consistent and compelling experiences

Have a clear, captivating message:
Make it easy for customers to follow the plot line of your message, strategy, brand and stay connected with your brand. Clear and consistent messages lead to clear expectations, which lead to loyal customers that feel empowered.

“Thief and doctor” best practices from both inside and outside of your category:
Inspiration requires more than imitation to drive change in your own organization. Look at other aspirational brands to borrow ideas and infuse your brand identity in them to create a distinctive offer or experience.

Explore your own heritage:
Consumers crave authenticity, which can be satisfied by honoring your heritage, yet inspiring today’s audiences with a spark of fresh thinking. Don't disregard the past for inspiration simply because it’s in the past.

Think big and small about consumers:
Responding to large demographic changes is essential. If you don’t respect Gen Y’s demand to do everything on their phones, you won’t win. But it also means listening to the growing desire for personalization across every customer segment.

Take a stand—even a risky one—to stay true to your mission:
As a company, sometimes it’s what you don't do that becomes the most inspirational.

Take smart risks:
Disruptive innovation happens when leaders summon the courage to do something in a new way. You’ve got to handicap the potential downside of any gamble you take, but a commitment to a strong vision and working with great talent to make it a reality can make great things happen.

Know what you stand for:
Being absolutely clear on your core competencies, values and ambitions will help you put the right energies behind your disruption efforts.

Never lose sight of your consumers:
Stay obsessed with knowing what more you can do for your customers. Tap into your front-line employees who have a front row seat to customer needs, pain points and opportunities to keep a pulse check going.

Listen to your employees:
Make sure you have listening mechanisms built into your company’s processes and culture to hear the perspectives of your people. The next great idea could be any one of theirs.