!""#$%&'# )*+#$% ,-.

#'+#$"# /01#*


2#3"'+.%+0$
A cllenL's paLh Lo purchase used Lo be llnear and generally predlcLable, as lllusLraLed
by Lhe LradlLlonal markeLlng and sales funnel," whlch beglns wlLh awareness and
ends wlLh Lhe purchase and reLenLlon. now, vlrLually every company recognlzes [usL
how dlfferenL consumer preferences are from years pasL, buL when Lhey look deeper
Lhey see how preferences vary slgnlflcanLly by consumer segmenLs. Whlle buyers sLlll
go Lhrough Lhe same sLages of awareness, conslderaLlon, evaluaLlon, purchase and
use, Lhey no longer enLer a channel buL, lnsLead, are conLlnuously ln Lhe channel.
AccenLure's nonsLop-CllenL Lxperlence Model lllusLraLes how Loday's consumers
behave and how Lhelr [ourney has fundamenLally changed ln Lhree slgnlflcanL
dlmenslons

1. 1he cllenL's [ourney ls now dynamlc. Lnabled by Lechnology, cllenLs expecL Lo
easlly conLrol and vary Lhelr rouLes seamlessly wlLhln and across channels Lo
sulL Lhelr needs aL any glven momenL. Consumers' paLhways can be dlrecL
buL more ofLen Lhan noL are nonllnear, as consumers enLer and exlL
relaLlonshlps wlLh provlders vla much less predlcLable polnLs or as Lhey clrcle
back Lo cholces made prevlously.

2. 1he [ourney ls more accesslble. More conLenL Lhan ever ls belng puL ln fronL
of cllenLs, much of lL beyond any glven company's conLrol. Ampllfled and
empowered by Lechnology, Lhe volce or nolse of oLhers" ls lncreaslngly
lnslsLenL and lnfluenLlal. lL's anyLlme and anywhere, and lL can come from or
Lhrough anyone.

3. 1he [ourney ls conLlnuous because Lhe Louch polnL's consumers are exposed
Lo are always on." As a consequence, evaluaLlon, noL purchase, ls now Lhe
focal polnL. Consumers can more easlly compare a provlder's promlse versus

dellvery, and how Lhe overall experlence maLches up Lo Lhelr own
expecLaLlons. 1here ls a downslde Lo Lhls, however: lL's easy for cllenLs Lo
become Lrapped ln a sLaLe of endless evaluaLlon. laced wlLh LhaL frusLraLlon,
consumers reacL dlfferenLly: Lhey may make a purchase drlven by emoLlon or
hablL, buy someLhlng based on Lhe lasL or easy-Lo-grasp" lnformaLlon Lhey
processed, delegaLe Lhelr cholce Lo oLhers, or slmply walk away. 1he
precedlng Lhree dlmenslons, Laken LogeLher, are Lhe new drlvers of
dlfferenLlaLlon. 1he new rule of Lhumb ls LhaL Lo be dlfferenLlaLed, a company
should clearly excel ln one of Lhe Lhree whlle belng aL leasL proflclenL ln Lhe
oLher Lwo. 8elng merely 'good enough' ln [usL Lwo of Lhe Lhree ls noL
sufflclenL Lo dlfferenLlaLe Lhe company from compeLlLors. 1hus, lL ls crlLlcal
for companles Lo evaluaLe and measure-from a consumer perspecLlve-
how well Lhey perform ln Lhese areas LhaL deflne dlfferenLlaLlon ln Loday's
new cllenL dynamlcs.

40&' 56$#3 07 )*+#$% 8$%#'6"%+0$
1o bulld a successful cllenL relaLlonshlp, consulLanLs need Lo sLop Lhlnklng abouL
cllenL lnLeracLlons as a one-lane hlghway", leadlng from awareness Lo evaluaLlon Lo
purchase. lnsLead lL ls recommended Lo deslgn and malnLaln dlsLlncL lanes" LhaL
accommodaLe Lhe varylng degrees Lo whlch dlfferenL consumer subseLs have
embraced dlglLal Lechnology. 1he four lanes LhaL have been ldenLlfled are as follows:
56$# 9:2+;+%6* )*+#$%3
1hls ls Lhe auLobahn," home Lo dlglLal cllenLs whom we see mosL clearly ln
emerglng markeLs. 1hese cllenLs have fully embraced dlglLal Lechnology and see lL as
a powerful Lool LhaL helps Lhem learn abouL and purchase producLs and servlces.
1hey are llkely Lo use mulLlple channels-especlally soclal medla and moblle
devlces-Lo communlcaLe wlLh provlders and make purchases, and Lo heavlly
research Lhelr purchases before maklng Lhem. 1hey Lend Lo have hlgher expecLaLlons
for whaL Lhey geL from a provlder, and Lhey are Lhe mosL llkely Lo swlLch lf Lhelr
expecLaLlons aren'L meL. !usL as drlvers on Lhe auLobahn, cllenLs ln Lhls lane are
movlng aL Lhelr own speed, wlLhouL llmlLs.
56$# <:='6$3+%+0$6* )*+#$%3
ln Lhls lane, Lhe fasL lane," are cllenLs who are pushlng Lhe llmlLs ln developed
markeLs-Lhey are dlglLal savvy and prefer Lo use do lL yourself" channels and Lools
for research, purchases and servlce. 1hey wlll fall back on LradlLlonal approaches lf
forced Lo, buL Lend Lo vlew such approaches as speed bumps" LhaL slow Lhem down
and frusLraLe Lhem. Whlle Lyplcally loyal Lo provlders and lanes, Lhese cllenLs also
wlll swlLch elLher or boLh lf glven Lhe rlghL lncenLlve.
56$# >:,-.#'+?#$%6* )*+#$%3
1hls lane ls occupled by cllenLs who have hlsLorlcally relled on LradlLlonal channels
and capablllLles, buL dlscover and selecLlvely engage ln dlglLal channels where lL
clearly lmproves Lhelr experlence. 1hls ls Lhe largesL group ln developed markeLs and
are provlders' LargeLs Lo LesL and learn" as Lhey experlmenL wlLh dlfferenL, less

cosLly channels and Lools. 1hey are apL Lo swlLch lanes" Lo Lhe one favored by
dlglLal cllenLs when lL solves a speclflc lssue (for example, uslng onllne banklng [usL
for waLchlng Lhelr balance or A1Ms for qulck cash), buL Lend Lo reLurn Lo Lhelr
home" lane for mosL acLlvlLles. 8ecause of Lhelr unpredlcLable naLure and hablLs,
LranslLlonal cllenLs-who exlsL ln boLh emerglng and developed markeLs-Lend Lo be
more dlfflculL Lhan oLhers Lo serve, buL Lhey also represenL a huge opporLunlLy for
provlders LhaL can meeL Lhelr expecLaLlons and help Lhem flnd a smooLher rouLe Lo
saLlsfacLlon
56$# @:='61+%+0$6* )*+#$%3
CllenLs ln Lhls lane generally rely on LradlLlonal channels (noL do-lL-yourself" Lools)
Lo lnLeracL wlLh Lhelr provlders-for lnsLance, preferrlng Lo shop ln LradlLlonal
physlcal reLall sLores and Lo speak wlLh a llve represenLaLlve ln a call cenLer Lo
resolve an lssue. Cnce esLabllshed, Lhey swlLch provlders leasL frequenLly, and Lend
Lo elLher do less research before purchaslng (lnsLead, buylng ouL of hablL) or noL
regularly seek advlce from oLhers Lo help Lhem make Lhelr declslons