The future promises surprises and opportunities that imply to make evolve the way brands interact with their customers. This point of view is a prospective analysis of what could be the "customer of tomorrow". We also identify 3 main issues related to this evolution: humanization of the relationship, profitable customer loyalty and synergies between material and immaterial worlds.

1. Customer 2020
A point of view by Arnaud Huet
arnohuet@gmail.com
June 2009
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2. The future promises surprises and opportunities that
imply to make evolve the way brands interact with their
customers
Customer Market Technologies
Collaborative intelligence Clouds of objects
Hero connected, fixed and mobile
He is now asking: This is what I need, Sustainable development
can you provide it? CRM 2.0 / 3.0...
New vertical relationships
Augmented reality
Reasonable purchaser Word of mouth marketing
He pays attention to the respect of eEdition
environment
Behavioral targeting Electronic clothes
Influencer Participatory culture Clickable environment
He discusses with peers and argues in
order to influence others Economic stabilization Invisible robots
Humanization of media Intelligent materials
Personal broadcaster
He defines and communicates about his
Free currency
personal life as a marketer Organic research of
information / Organic ad-
eReputation engine
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3. Humanization of the relationship is the first issue of the 10 next
years. To embrace this vision, marketing leaders will particularly
need to put the concept of customer centricity into practice
 Target the empowered customers and recruit them:
– Define how to reach empowered customers (e.g.: semantic analysis, level of
involvement of brand in social relationship)
Engage – What you’re trying to accomplish,
empowered
 Own and lock them:
customers by – Define how you plan to strengthen your relationships with them. E.g.:
developing – Embrace personal marketing like an insider
“new vertical – Communate about your Brand as a UGC and without cheating about your identity
–
relationships” Define your strategy of retention
 Measure the results:
– Collect data in order to measure the experience delivered
– Monitor the engagement and the financial impact
 Listen to individual customer’s needs and desires as often as you
Build talk to them and as often as they talk to you
relationships – Deliver the personal service that they deserve at every touchpoints
– Make “Empathy“ a guideline of the operational recommendations
through
 Astonish customers and make them live unique experiences
emotions and – Launch initiatives regarding their ROI per segment or cluster
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adapted – Measure “Engagement” as a KPI made up of four elements: involvement,
interaction, intimacy and influence
experiences – Link your results with financial metrics in order to fuel a business plan and monitor
the ROI
Non-exhaustive list

4. Profitable customer loyalty is the second issue. Many firms fail to lock
their customers and a few have figured out the recipe for transforming
their capabilities in a profitable way
 Make your best customers High expectations
switch from stable to
engaged customers.
Disappointed Engaged
Examples of initiatives:
– Astonish the customer with Poor Great
experiences emotionaly positive experience experience
– Use technologies to ensure the
At-risk Stable
delivery of appropriate customer
experiences in stores
– Recognize the customer as a
person who enjoys to be involved
and rewarded Low
expectations
…
 Try to keep « At-risk » and « Disappointed » customers that are
profitable.
Example of initiatives:
– Identify the most profitable dissatisfied/dissafected customers and focus your actions on
them
– Monitor the ROI continuously and in real-time
…

5. The development of synergies between material and immaterial worlds
is the third issue. The development of the overlap will impact the
allocation of marketing investments and the internal organization of
firms.
With the advent of the
clickable environment, Advices and
Digital is integrated in informations
our everyday life. collected from Digital
Immaterial environment
enlighten the way the
Digital cutomer interacts in
the store.
Selfcare
Peers contribute to
Selfcare by sharing Contact center
their return on
experience about Customers become
problem solved. more and
Store more informed
before getting in
After Sales Service touch with the after
Internet was a sales service. So
channel. It becomes recommendations
the link between Material
and diagnosis need
material and to be argued and
immaterial worlds. didactic.

6. Contact
For more details or comments
arnohuet@gmail.com
To consult my professional background
http://www.linkedin.com/pub/arnaud-
huet/0/9a3/3b4
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