COPENHAGEN, Denmark \u2013 The ever-evolving marketing communications world is rapidly transitioning from \u201cit\u2019s all about the brand\u201d to \u201cit\u2019s all about the customer.\u201d And it\u2019s not just about the availability of big data; it\u2019s about how big data is analyzed and used to not only meet customers\u2019 wants and needs but to present them with options that they never knew existed.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs customers\u2019 media consumption and purchasing behavior change, companies and organizations are becoming more customer-focused. We see more and more of them appointing chief customer officers,\u201d said Stiig Helgens Binggeli, founder and CEO of\u00a0Brandhouse Group<\/a>, a customer-centric marketing communications and consulting firm, hosting ICOM\u2019s 2017 World Meeting from May 3-5. \u201cAs agencies, we must also keep our focus on customers to help clients throughout the customer journey.\u201d<\/p>\n ICOM<\/a>\u00a0is a leading global network of independent marketing and advertising agencies with more than 80 members in 60-plus countries. At the network\u2019s annual and regional meetings, member agency principals and senior executives share best business practices, tools and knowledge to stay at the top of their field. At this year\u2019s meeting, themed Enriching the Lives of Customers, they are focusing on how to manage brand building throughout the customer journey.<\/p>\n \u201cTechnology has changed everything,\u201d said ICOM board member and strategic planning director Karen Seamen, also president and chief operating officer, Chicago-based\u00a0Cramer-Krasselt<\/a>. \u201cConsumers have controlled how and when and why they interact with brands for the last five years. As marketers we had to adapt to those new rules. And it keeps evolving.\u201d<\/p>\n The conference offers a mix of top speakers, interactive workshops and networking opportunities. \u201cBrandhouse\u2019s expertise in understanding customers makes the agency an ideal host for this meeting,\u201d said ICOM Executive Director Emma Keenan.<\/p>\n Brandhouse experts will share their knowledge along with outside speakers. Topics covered will include where to find customer touchpoints, how to interpret data and gain insights and then what to do next.<\/p>\n The evolution has wide-ranging implications. \u201cFor B2B, the shift to customer-centricity is entering its second tsunamic wave,\u201d said Ken Whyte, president,\u00a0Quarry<\/a>, ICOM\u2019s representative in Canada. “Marketing and Sales’ new alignment, fueled by martech, now need to understand the buyer journey and experience to achieve a consensus among those making purchase decisions.”<\/p>\n \u201cFor retail, there is new opportunity for brands to become hyper shopper-centric by creating relevant, personalized shopping experiences,\u201d said David Longden, CEO,\u00a0Golley Slater<\/a>, ICOM\u2019s member representing Great Britain.<\/p>\n Among outside speakers are David Gram, senior innovation director, LEGO Group; Chris MacDonald, leadership coach, inspirational speaker; Marc Comerford, educator-adviser, Hyper Island educational institute, Stockholm; and Thomas Starck, customer relations manager, Albatros Travel, Copenhagen.<\/p>\n Brandhouse\u2019s customer-centric approach got its start some four years ago when the agency decided to invest in in-depth surveys of 250 Danish brands in order to understand all about their customers – where the customer touchpoints are, how customers work, how they think. After analyzing the data, the agency then approached each of the companies and offered to share the findings.<\/p>\n \u201cThe brands were amazed by the quantity of customer data gathered and the depth of analysis. Independent agencies typically don\u2019t spend money on designing and building their own surveys and certainly not ones of this scale,\u201d Keenan said. \u201cIt\u2019s a considerable long-term investment to make.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, there have been numerous studies and surveys about customer centricity and its importance as a key component of any marketing strategy. For example, earlier this year Econsultancy found in a survey that 58% of respondents said that customer-centric was the most important characteristic in order to establish a truly \u201cdigital-native\u201d culture, far ahead of the second characteristic of data-driven.<\/p>\n A recent survey by Deloitte & Touche found that customer-centric companies were 60% more profitable than those not focused on the customer, and Gartner reported that 89% of companies expect customer experience to be their primary basis for competition from now on.<\/p>\n While a number of ICOM agencies have started their customer-centric journeys, Keenan expects that everyone leaving the meeting will say \u201cwe should be doing more of this.\u201d<\/p>\n ABOUT ICOM<\/u><\/p>\n ICOM is a global network of independent advertising and marketing communications agencies, with 80-plus member agencies covering 95% of the world\u2019s markets. The network empowers global collaboration and brings people around the world closer to brands through connected thinking. Annual gross income exceeds US$500 million.<\/p>\n ABOUT BRANDHOUSE<\/u><\/p>\n Headquartered in Copenhagen, Brandhouse Group, a customer-centric marketing communication and consulting firm, is recognized across the region for solving business complexities by focusing on clients\u2019 customers and their needs. Annually, the agency analyzes 18,000 customer experiences, spanning 220 different brands.<\/p>\n MEDIA CONTACTS<\/u><\/p>\n Emma Keenan, ICOM executive director,\u00a0emma@icomagencies.com<\/a>, 33-6-63-48-01-37<\/p>\n