Hi ,
"You've got to start with the customer experience and work back toward technology - NOT the other way around." Steve Jobs
Many years ago when thinking about the best way to reach consumers, the answer was television (and perhaps press and radio). The media was the focus. Media and marketing bods were trained well (a bit like Pavlov's Dogs), that when advertising was mentioned, the default was television, press and/or radio, largely as few other options were available.
Much has changed, and often people have been deconditioned away from traditional media, even when it may be the right direction, as it is no longer the default. The Pavlov's Dogs of today is digital, be this a new App, website or even the desire for an enhanced user experience (AKA 'UX').
However, whenever the media is the cognitive default - be this TV etc or digital - the actual default should always have been, and should always be the customers, users, consumer et cetera. No question at all that digital provides monumental opportunities, but still it is not about the media but the problem or opportunity being solved.
Square Holes spends a load of time speaking with and researching real customers and users in relation to their experiences online (and offline). And, consistently the user (or customer) experience is flawed. This is often from replicating the category wrongs, but more so from ignoring actual users when modelling the user experience.
So today we thought we would share our thoughts on some steps to putting a bit more consumer empathy into digital. (Ps. In our research the term 'digital disruption' often scares real people as it isn't saying better just disruptive.)