Spring Break! Fun in the sun! Time away! And then that time you fly home with your family…only to be mistreated so incredibly that writing this blog seems like the only recourse I have. Let me present the facts. We booked a flight to Puerto Vallerta, Mexico in October. We flew from Chicago’s O’Hare airport […]

Recently, I went behind the scenes at the world famous San Diego Zoo and the experience was so much fun! I was in San Diego for the Next Generation Customer Experience conference and when we were offered the opportunity as part of the conference schedule, I jumped at it. It all started with a bus […]

While it’s technically easier to reach people through social channels for marketing and sales, it doesn’t mean it’s the right way to do things. Holistic Marketing for the Next Generation Generation Z, the generation AFTER the millennials (born late 1990’s to early 2000’s) rejects traditional marketing and sales completely. Smart brands are beginning to tap […]

As some of you who follow this blog may know, I took the CXI® magnifying glass with me to South By Southwest Interactive this month to scout for customer-focused themes within the latest tech trends. Trends are always a big part of SXSW, but each year it comes down to people. People are the ones introducing […]

Content marketing is such a big trend and for good reason! (In case you didn’t know it, the only marketing we’ve ever done here at Experience Investigators by 360Connext is blogging, speaking and social sharing.) I’m a believer. One of the smartest experts on this subject is Andy Crestodina, co-founder of Orbit Media and the […]

I’ve been traveling a lot in the month of March. I’ve been thinking about what it means to be a business traveler (who happens to be a woman) on the road. It’s easy to complain about the parts of the travel experience we don’t like, like airplane passengers who ask to switch with me so I […]

It’s Day two at the Next Generation Customer Experience conference. (You can catch up on my takeaways from day one here!)   Today I was asked to share insights around emotional feedback, along with Kathryn Churches from American Family Insurance. It was a great discussion, and I think the emphasis on emotions underlines one of the biggest […]

I’m speaking at the Next Generation Customer Experience conference in San Diego this week, but today I got to be an attendee and participate in some great conversations about customer experience. There were sessions on co-creating with customers, social media, and customer journey mapping. Throughout all these sessions, as well as the sidebar conversations in […]

Personalization was a big trend at SXSW and it’s no surprise. Humans like when people recognize us. We want to feel known and heard. We want to be seen as the unique individuals we are. What this means for some companies is getting to know customers in really great ways. Quirky Customer Personas I became […]

I’ve noticed a lot of blogs and articles and general gripes lately about why SXSW Interactive has jumped the shark. It’s fashionable to post emphatically about how there’s no appeal to the massive conference tackling digital and interactive trends each March. This was my sixth visit to SXSW. It has changed dramatically in those six years. […]