Forrester’s total experience framework is an excellent way for companies to measure performance with prospects and customers alike. Our growth grid (see below) maps brands into one of four quadrants: leading, churning, plateauing, and lagging. A successful growth strategy propels brands into the leading quadrant and, for brands already there, strengthens their position.
But growth strategy requires tough choices, and a brand’s trajectory in a given category may vary widely from peers in other quadrants. My new report, Acquire Customers And Serve Them Better With A Total Experience, is a playbook for revenue growth no matter where brands find themselves:
Leading brands excel at attracting prospects and satisfying customers. But leadership can be precarious, so leaders must track competitive and category trends and continuously innovate to avoid being blindsided, rather than resting on their laurels.
Churning brands attract prospects but disappoint customers. They spend to acquire customers but don’t retain them long enough to recoup that investment. Shifting emphasis to a better customer experience before aggressively investing in further awareness-building marketing is prudent. Additionally, efforts to keep new customers and build loyalty should be top priorities.
Plateauing brands have satisfied customers but struggle to attract new ones. Without broader relevance, today’s loyal customers eventually become tomorrow’s shrinking customer base. Mechanisms to unlock the well-kept secret, such as advocacy programs, can help spread awareness of the brand’s strengths among noncustomers. The brand positioning may also need a relevance tune-up to fit new customer segments better and win them over.
Lagging brands struggle to attract prospects and retain customers. A laggard should start by understanding the key drivers of brand and customer experience success — for the category and its target segments. Understanding what leaders get right can serve as a blueprint to emulate.
For a more detailed analysis and recommendations, Forrester clients can read my report, Acquire Customers And Serve Them Better With A Total Experience.
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