As a millennial, I often get asked “what makes you invest in a product or service”? While I’m not the expert on my generation, a cohesive customer experience is what keeps me coming back to a company. To illustrate what I mean by this, I want to share two of my favorite companies that I regularly purchase from and the customer experience for each.
Everlane
Founded in 2010, Everlane is an online only clothing retailer based in San Francisco. Customer experience at Everlane is about making the customer feel as though they are part of a community. Everlane’s social media pages often feature images from customers using their products, which are then also incorporated into the company’s website and advertising.
Everlane also has a mobile app that has a few interesting features. When first opening the app, the customer is not shown suggested items for purchase but rather the weather in their location. Then based on the weather, the app suggests to the customer clothing to purchase. If the app user is lucky enough to live in New York City or San Francisco, Everlane will deliver the mobile app order in an hour. One-hour orders also often come with a free coffee or little gift from a local shop. Customers are encouraged to share online their order and gift.
As an online company, Everlane is surprisingly present physically. The company regularly builds pop-up shops around the US with different themes. The most recent was a “Shoe Park” in New York City where customers could walk around a living art installation and shoe shop. Often Everlane’s pop-up shops include events. Guest speakers will come to the pop-up shop to talk on a specific topic. The success of this brand lies in its clear understanding of its customer’s lifestyle by tying in of the customer voice across all channels.
Blue Apron
Blue Apron is a meal delivery service that focuses on bringing its customers fresh local ingredients to make recipes at home. While meal delivery isn’t new, Blue Apron has done an expert job at using mobile technology and social media to further its brand. The Blue Apron app allows customers to access account information, seasonal recipes, how-to videos, cooking tips, photo filters, and information on ingredients. In addition, customers can search the company’s recipe collection and save favorites to a personal “recipe box”.
Like Everlane, Blue Apron encourages sharing among its’ subscribers through social media while also sharing extra food related content. Due to the nature of its business, Blue Apron is hyper aware of customer preference. The company allows for meals to be selected by dietary restrictions but also delivery schedules of food can easily be turned on/off. Blue Apron uses customer preferences to upsell other offerings such as its wine paring service. The wine pairing service will suggest wines based on the customers’ meals for the week.
Blue Apron customers are easily able to move across channels. Information from preferences in mobile pulls into the website, the website reflects social media activity, and culminates into a meal (product) customized right to the customer’s preference.
Blue Apron and Everlane are not “millennial only” brands but they incorporate two very critical things that appeal. First they have a clear vision of what their customer’s wants and needs are. Second, they deliver on those needs by providing a holistic customer experience leveraging technology and traditional marketing techniques. The customer experience consistent and easy to navigate making this millennial a returning customer.
