There is an article on Trend Hunter about the new emoji-inspired packaging at a Baristo café in Spain. It lets the customer customize their coffee experience by choosing a cup to match their mood. This type of marketing taps into a fundamental part of our psyche – our desire to create individually curated lifestyles, hence the popularity of social media. The emoji cups bring a “social media” feel to life.

This article reflects why the customer experience is SO important. According to research conducted by Watermark Consulting, “Companies that are customer experience “leaders” generate nearly four times the return of customer experience “laggards.”1 What company doesn’t want that? It stands to reason that refining the buyer journey is worth the time and effort.

Here are three keys to getting started:

1. Up your customer experience by developing buyer personas

Pretend that you have no idea what your company does. You’re an outsider. Where might I have my first engagement with this unknown brand? What kind of person am I? Married? Young? Professional? Get down to the nitty gritty of this person’s lifestyle. What are their hobbies and where do they shop? Most brands have several different buyer personas. Flushing all of these out will help you see overlaps and map out the right places to reach them and what kind of messaging they would respond to.

2. Test the market

After you make your plan based on personas and marketing data, take the leap and test market your idea. Don’t underestimate the value of targeted marketing.  A small sampling of customers should be enough to let you know if you’re on the right track. A few different rounds of testing solidifies the credibility of your results. The goal is to find the most effective plan.

3. Adjust your plan

Listen to your test market and make adjustments necessary for success. This includes constructive criticism. By listening to your target market before spending the ad money, you will save valuable time and resources.

The takeaway: personalization needs to feel authentic and not generated by a robot. Developing a buyer persona, testing the targeted audience and adjusting details to match consumer interests will humanize the product.

Further reading - How Marketers Can Personalize at Scales, Harvard Business Review