How Game of Thrones Turns Customer Experience on Its Head With a Single Block of Ice

Bite-Sized Delight From the Episode:

• How engaging with superfans means niched content that creates viral advocates
• Why building a long-term customer base means trusting them to do the right thing
• How bringing marketing, sales, and customer service under the same wing where everybody is communicating leads to better serving our customers.

CX PRESS – Game of Thrones [00:56 – 06:10]

Tweetable Quotes

It's really important for companies to not ignore their superfans. #CX http://bit.ly/2yomEf7 Share on X
The more they feel that they are loved and appreciated by your business, the more rabid those superfans will become. Share on X
The most trustworthy people on social media are our friends. #CX http://bit.ly/2yomEf7 Share on X

Takeaways

• While most content is meant to engage with a broad base of users, superfans require hyper-specialized content with narrow appeal.
• Superfans are one of the most reliable and rabid marketing vehicles — if you treat them right.
• It may seem boring to you, but if the superfans love it, it will be hugely successful.

DISSECTING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE – Land’s End [06:10 – 13:07]

Tweetable Quotes

Land's End trusts its customers to do the right thing, and the customers are on to that trust. #CX Share on X
If you give them the freedom and you show trust, then they're going to do the same back to you. #CX Share on X
It would be nice just to bring some more humanity back to the story. #CX http://bit.ly/2yomEf7 Share on X
Companies are realizing that customers are not going to put up with a lot of these old policies anymore. #CX Share on X
Let's stop treating all of our customers as if they exhibited the behavior of our worst customers. #CX Share on X

Takeaways

• The most important value you can show your customers is that you trust them.
• Look at your policies and procedures through your customer’s eyes to figure out whether they still make sense to customers.
• Don’t punish all your customers through policies aimed at the few bad eggs of the bunch.

BOOK REVIEW – They Ask, You Answer [13:07 – 27:25]

Tweetable Quotes

At this point, businesses have to get rid of the silos. #CX http://bit.ly/2yomEf7 Share on X
It does not matter what business you're in, you can be the expert in your field. #CX http://bit.ly/2yomEf7 Share on X
Your businesses aren't as different as you think they are. #CX http://bit.ly/2yomEf7 Share on X
We're all in a battle for trust and if we remember that, we can do some pretty incredible things. #CX Share on X
The greatest companies and modern-day rule-makers are obsessed with consumer fear. #CX http://bit.ly/2yomEf7 Share on X
We expect the brands that we do business with to be open and honest with us. #CX http://bit.ly/2yomEf7 Share on X
If you try to be all things to all people, you end up being nothing to anyone. #CX http://bit.ly/2yomEf7 Share on X

Takeaways

• You can always learn from the success of others, no matter how different their business or field may be from your own.
• Some of the best customer experience data can be found with your employees if you just think to ask them.
• With some forethought, a project to improve customer experience can also build employee morale at the same time.
• Obsessing over customer fear moves your business closer to building customer trust.
• Sometimes the best way to build credibility is by telling a customer your product isn’t right for them.

Be a Part of the Show!

We’d love to hear about your great customer experiences, which segments you like, and your ideas for future episodes!

Are You Looking for Things We Referenced?

• 4 Ways Game of Thrones Excels at Building Social Media Hype by Deborah Sweeney
• Game of Thrones Season 7 Promo – Melting Ice
• Many Happy Returns
• Guaranteed. Period.
• They Ask You Answer: A Revolutionary Approach to Inbound Sales, Content Marketing, and Today’s Digital Consumer by Marcus Sheridan

See you next week!