Google, Apple, and Virgin America. All of these companies have achieved undeniable “success.” Their competitors may also be able to claim some form of success (Microsoft is certainly successful) but, why haven’t these competitor’s been blessed by the public eye with the same degree of prestige? In their book, “Zero to One,” Thiel and Masters argue that for a company to achieve the highest level of success over their competition, the product or service provided must be a multiple of at least 10x better than their competition’s version.
But, that’s not enough. These three companies did something more. Their productsmarketed themselves. In “Remarkable!,” Ross and Salyers talk about how companies have to do something worth remarking on to gain raving fans. In Google, Apple, and Virgin America’s case they innovate the customer experience as well as the product. In order to beat the competition and produce ever more innovative products and services, companies may even have to cannabalize their own product/service lines. This type of thinking is backwards to most companies, until they experience what it’s like to be a newspaper company trying to compete with blogs giving news away for clicks.
The first time I used an Apple product I was blown away. The packaging and hardware design made me feel like the product was valuable before I even turned it on. The UI design was constructive and instructive. It actually helped me find what I wanted to find. It just felt right. The power and features of the product were nothing short of futuristic.
Google is similar. The search engine works exactly the way I didn’t know that I wanted it to. The engineers (or “smart creatives” as Schmidt and Rosenberg call them) work very hard to ensure that the functionality and design of their search platform stems from a focus on the user in order to revolutionize the customer experience.
Virgin America went public two weeks ago. Their in-flight experience has been compared to using an Apple product for the first time. Not only does that attest to the success of Virgin’s products, but to Apple’s as well.
Our client, Chick-fil-A, is highly regarded for redefining the customer experience. They have been known to throw community events such as “Daddy-Daughter Date Night,” where fathers and daughters are treated to a five-star experience with a QSR price. During these events, customers are given complimentary connection material to increase their engagement with one another – all in an attempt to help families connect. Chick-fil-A (and the previously mentioned giants) truly understand the importance of helping better the human condition and the rewards that ensue. With the top annual same-store-sales of any quick service restaurant, it’s hard to argue with Chick-fil-A’s strategy.
These companies prove that revolutionizing the customer experience by giving the customer as much value as possible for their dollar and by inventing new products that can cannabalize their own products currently in market is the most effective way to win the hearts of consumers.
The video below will show you exactly how Chick-fil-A is revolutionizing the customer experience: