Jon Strande asks -- What is the experience economy?
About a year ago, I purchased a business product from a company. First, I try their website. The shopping cart is so rickety, I'm afraid the wheels will fall off before I get out of the store -- it throws two items into the cart when I had ordered one. I abandon the shopping cart in aisle three, next to the white papers.
Wait!
There’s a phone number. I dial the long distance number, only to discover a general directory. I leave a voice mail with the president of this twelve-person company -- will he connect the dots?
"Hi. I would like to buy your product. You can reach me at 555-5555."
(Once he sees I have the same number as a movie character, surely, he will call.)
Nope. I get a call from an admin.
Two days later, I receive the product along with a letter telling me to call the president if I need help using the product. I connect the dots -- if he didn’t call me for a sale, why would he call now?
Let the fun continue.
I call the president. Again, I get his voice mail and leave a message. You guessed it, one of his associates calls me and shares two tips.
The dots connect and a picture forms. If I have to teach this company how to conduct business, what kind of experience would I have at one of its two-day seminars? I’m not curious enough to find out.
This is part of the experience economy. What does it feel like to purchase a product from your company? Most executives aren’t curious or concerned enough about their customers to find out.
Perhaps, this is the point Jon is making. Sure, there are some brilliant business concepts floating around, however, few companies put them into practice.
Is any company creating positive experiences? In The Experience Is the Marketing, James Gilmore and Joseph Pine feature several companies. The LEGO Company uses positive experiences to increase sales. When it opened LEGOLAND in Carlsbad, California, sales of its toys went up over 15% throughout all of Southern California.
Steve,
Yeah, that is EXACTLY what I'm talking about... great point!
Jon
Posted by: Jon Strande | July 08, 2004 at 05:34 PM