Technology
CXOs should try their hand at setting up a printer
I recently purchased a new HP smart printer for my living room. At the agency, I would typically give IT a call or send a ticket so someone else will take care of setting up the hardware for me. It’s always nice to delegate!
However, at home I was feeling ambitious, so gave it a go myself. My findings were remarkable and potentially highly relevant to our marketing and business strategy in my opinion as CXO.
But first things first. I scoured the box for printed instructions in vain. Instead, I discovered the enclosed card informing me that I need to download the HP Smart App on my phone to set up my printer. Nothing else.
So, I installed the app as instructed and was then guided through the installation process.
HP scores particular points by starting the process by highlighting the benefits to me, which, in turn, significantly increases my motivation to continue and open an account.
But that alone wouldn’t be worth reporting. Once I had successfully set up my printer and HP account, I was persuasively forwarded to additional value-added services via other icons on my phone.
Something which ultimately led to me immediately consenting to other opt-ins for the app and emails AND buying a subscription. While I’m aware it's probably completely overpriced, the subscription is really convenient for me as a customer. My printer orders its own cartridges according to their ink levels and everything is charged to my credit card. It’s as simple as that. As a customer experience management expert, I only have one word: WOW! The experience kicked off with the immediately effective lock-in effect of the razor and blades model on me, a customer ordering for the first time! Needless to say, when my family needed to print more because of homeschooling, I immediately received recommendations by email and app notifications to also increase my plan to meet the (increased) consumption.
What can we learn from this as marketers and what should we be asking ourselves (from a customer perspective)?
- Always prioritise benefits to customers before taking action ((What does my customer gain from this? Why should they do XYZ? Why should they give me their data?)
- Consistently follow the first-party data approach (Which milestones exist on my customer journey, where can I make opt-ins a mandatory condition for continued use without sacrificing too much business potential? )
- Extend product sales with beneficial (digital) value-added services (Which services can I offer to make my product easier to use or to enhance it with additional benefits?)
- Build your own app-based ecosystem (What added value can a (potentially native) app offer for my product to motivate customers to install it and regularly use it?)
Gerade der zweite Punkt ist für jeden Werbebetreibenden angesichts des (in Teilen bereits realisierten) Plans der großen Werbenetzwerke bzw. GAFAS (Google, Apple, Facebook, Amazon, Microsoft) und Browserhersteller (leider quasi selbige ;(), den Einsatz von 2nd und 3rd party cookies nahezu gänzlich zu untersagen, fast schon eine Überlebensfrage einer jeden Brand.
The second point is a question of survival for almost every brand in view of the plans of big ad networks, i.e. GAMAM (Google, Apple, Meta, Amazon, Microsoft), and browser makers (unfortunately essentially the same companies by this point) to almost completely ban the use of 2nd- and 3rd-party cookies. Something which has already been achieved to a certain extent.
As things currently stand, my main advice to companies out there would be to familiarise yourselves with the intrinsic value in fully integrated opt-ins (ideally cross-channel and cross-device). Taking things one step further, in my opinion, you need to be prepared to dedicate a substantial marketing budget to this, just like you do with fully-fledged leads, and make a sales commission scheme a core aspect of your company.
With this in mind, as a CXO (CEO, CMO, CTO), marketing expert or CX consultant, you
should be asking yourself:
What could be the HP Tango of your product range? And how can you increase the
large-scale use of first-party data at your company?
One first step I can personally vouch for is buying a HP Tango smart printer and setting it up yourself. Easy setup and chic design – what more can you ask for!
[End of HP commercial… ;-)]
P.S. Check out my interview in the CX Lounge with Bosch Smart Home CEO Christian Thess, where we discuss the connected home and IoT.
Kai Vorhölter is the founder and managing partner of the port-neo Group. The aim of his work is to comprehensively optimise the customer experience of his customers. To do so, he relies on his global perspective gained from several stints working abroad for years at a time.
