When we launched The ExperienceBuilt Group in 2017, our vision included solutions to help organizations close experiences gaps in-person and virtually. Our work to develop these solutions involved talking to people face-to-face in restaurants, stores, and innovation centers. It was intensively in-person.
When the pandemic forced us into social distancing and quarantines, we adapted and turned to digital tools like Zoom. We reimagined our consumer-facing experience audit approach to be virtual first, while remaining inclusive of all audiences (customers, employees, etc.) and including both observed and self-reported data.
The result?
Enabling retailers and restaurants in markets across the US to effectively change processes and adapt to the new normal - all from the comfort of our home offices.
While we adjusted our workflows for B2C companies, our work with B2B companies remained consistent, considering the shift to virtual in this space before COVID. Though we may have fewer frequent flier miles, we're thrilled with what we accomplished in 2020.
New Faces
2020 brought on an innovative period of growth for The ExperienceBuilt Group as clients across the country required rapid adaptations to the respondent experience and expanded need for improved emotional connections.
Dan McDonald joined EBG as a User Research Lead. Dan’s ability to adapt quickly to the challenges of virtual and in-person user research comes from previous experience gained as an Associate Research at Chadwick Martin Bailey in Boston, Mass.
In his own words:
“The ExperienceBuilt Group has sparked my interest since graduate school,” said Dan. “It’s very apparent that their philosophy is thinking outside of the box. They are a small team with big imaginations that is truly unique to the industry. I am very excited to join the team and be part of the rapid growth they’re experiencing!”
Shelly Bouren joined EBG as VP of Strategy and Consulting. Hailing from Oxford, Michigan, Shelly’s decades of business experience, coupled with her analytical skills, provide expanded support for business development and strategic consulting for clients looking to improve people relationships and experience development.
In her own words:
"It's exciting to join the EBG team because of our shared belief in the foundational importance of experiences. I can't wait to bring this belief to life with their innovative focus and unique experience design frameworks."
The LIVE 5Q Monitoring System
With increased travel restrictions, our team adopted the concept of 'found time.' We accelerated the build of our LIVE 5Q Monitoring System, an actionable alternative to Net Promoter Score (NPS).
We finalized the emotional capture-powered algorithm that powers the system over the summer and launched the first pilot in the fall. The LIVE 5Q allows companies to target personalized responses based on recent experience feedback to guard and grow customer lifetime value. The survey and customer score itself is just the beginning. The magic happens when we activate personalized offers and messaging based on the scores.
Brands Become ExperienceBuilt
2020 saw the official launch of the first annual ExperienceBuilt™ Brand Index. We fielded Wave 1 in late February, but we had to adapt before we could publish, as was the case for most pre-COVID initiatives. Data from May 2020 became Wave 1, while the February data became a pre-COVID reference point.
We talked to past customers across 70 brands, collecting 5,000 responses. With the results, we created a composite ExperienceBuilt™ Score to quickly understand how these industries stack up against each other within industries. The response has been exciting, to say the least. Our team spent most of 2020 educating stakeholders about where to look for experience gaps in their own business. Look for Wave 2 this summer.
At The ExperienceBuilt Group, we're excited to continue to adapt as the new year unfolds. Building on the lessons learned in 2020, we see a bright future for the next normal.
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