Socialmediaworx

William J. McEwen and Rob Kroenert make the case for brands to think about how they use digital tools to build relationships with customers as the key differentiator between their brand and the competition.

It’s crucial for a bank to have a Web site. It’s also crucial for a bank to have ATMs, checking accounts, and computers that keep accurate records. But every bank can claim to meet these basic service requirements. What banks really need is some way to show prospects and customers that they are different from their competitors. Differentiation is essential for marketers seeking to establish an enduring bond with their customers.

And here lies the dilemma. The factors that have typically had the greatest impact on customer engagement — and that have offered service marketers (including banks) the greatest opportunities to exceed customer expectations and differentiate the customer experience — are the “people” factors.  But these human interaction opportunities are the ones that are being reduced or, in some cases, eliminated.

What we’ve found is that an engaging digital experience can meaningfully support engagement to the bank that provides that experience. However, anything less than a highly satisfying Web site experience generates customer disengagement. Engagement isn’t built by experiences that are merely OK.

This point is reinforced in an April Advertising Age discussion of the impact of micro-interactions. David Armano notes that “Micro-interactions are the everyday exchanges that we have with a product, brand and service. Each one, in and of itself, seems insignificant. But combined they define how we feel about a product, brand or service at a gut emotional level.” Little things mean a lot.