When Netflix first delivered online streaming video to mainstream eyeballs, they changed the world forever. No longer were the days of scurrying outside on a Friday night to stand in line at a video store. Even competition from traditional cinemas was undermined by the uncanny awareness Netflix seemed to possess over the true needs and wants of entertainment hungry consumers.
With their latest innovation – a “choose your own adventure” experience format, where audiences can determine themselves how their favorite movies and television shows unfold - are they poised for another earth-shattering disruption? And how can loyalty marketers capitalize on the same creative approach to developing engrossing CX?
The technology will debut sometime in December, and will be trial marketed to Netflix’s adult-oriented content via the award-winning series “Black Mirror”. The technology itself has been in development for the past several years, debuting in the form of an interactive version of the children’s series “Puss In Book: Trapped In An Epic Tale”. At the core of the technology is a clear priority on outstanding customer experience and dedication to seamless story-telling. According to Carla Engelbrecht Fisher, Director of Product Innovation at Netflix, facets of the experience - from how many choices were too many for viewers to comfortably manage to communicating the instructions succinctly - led to long conversations and a deep design focus.
For loyalty marketers, understanding how CX innovation neutralizes frictional interactions and builds deeper equity is key to cutting through the clutter and enhancing brand impact. Here are a few best practices to follow when developing better experiences:
1). CX Creativity Is Not Experimentation
Creativity solves a problem…. and this necessitates a deep understanding of consumer pain points, fueling an overarching innovation that has been put through its paces. Netflix’s scientific approach to their new interactive tech – including multiple market testing and rigorous planning – ensures that a bright idea is executed with the precision necessary to preserve long-term strategy. Resist the urge to leap at novel technologies simply for the sake of novelty.
2). What’s The Story?
While Netflix is a media business dealing in literal stories through their entertainment content, every CX touchpoint should be woven into a deeper narrative. Whether this means reshaping loyalty platform navigation or creating a marketing campaign that serves as a vehicle to provide brand consistency, an intelligent CX isn’t just a great looking website or a glossy mobile app – it’s a journey that begins in the mind of the customer and ends at the cash register. This journey needs to have a logical coherence to maximize effect and impact.
3). The Fun Factor
This approach is simple in concept but remains difficult to execute in practice, and evokes the “craft” of great loyalty. Are you in tune with what really ignites consumer passions, and can you encode this knowledge to create something truly engaging? It’s easy to execute marketing – it’s difficult to create inspired marketing that customers authentically enjoy interacting with.
4). Future-Proofing CX
Successfully implementing creative solutions means forward-thinking and anticipating industry evolution. Sinking immense resources into an idea only means that a misstep hurts more – strategies such as modular implementation, data-driven insights, thorough go-to-market planning, and design-first thinking sets up CX creativity to stand the test of time.
Lanndon Lindsay is a reporter for The Wise Marketer.
