Customer Experience Innovation: You're Doing It Wrong

"Innovation" has become a buzzword in the customer experience field, and many firms are banking on it as a tool for market differentiation. A recent Forrester survey of 100 Customer Experience Professionals shows that nearly half of respondents say their executive team strategy for customer experience is market differentiation, and an ambitious 13% will settle for nothing less than having the best customer experience across every industry. What's more, a whopping 73% of interviewees plan to launch "innovative" customer experiences in the coming year, and two-thirds claim to have already delivered such experiences in the past year.

But despite their ambition, most firms that believe they're innovating are actually thwarting differentiation and wasting massive amounts of time and money in the process. A startling 58% of respondents say their firm drives customer experience innovations by watching what direct competitors are doing, and another 62% report that technology advancements drive their firms' innovation activities. So let's face it: The market is confused on what it actually means to innovate. In their research, Forrester outlines three steps CX pros must take to put their innovation efforts on the right track: 1) reframe innovation opportunities; 2) ground innovation in the ecosystem; and 3) infuse innovations with the brand.

More information on CRM and Customer Experience can be found at www.CRMindustry.com