Universe of Experience

Much of what I've read lately about customer experience seems to focus almost exclusively on two phases - the acquisition process and the period of ownership.   I can't disagree that these are likely the two most important parts of  the entire universe of experience that exists between brand and consumer, but it also seems to me that a great deal is left out.

The brand contact during the period of acquisition seems to be of greatest interest to firms, as it leads to their most treasured moment: the moment at which the consumer gives them money.  There are those who distance themselves from the mercenary aspect of business, and feel the desire to get money debases what they do - but there's really no getting around it: revenue is the critical factor for companies.  Even those who want to sweep it aside and talk about the benefit customers get from their product put a great deal of effort into getting the customer to buy it in the first place.   Revenue is even a critical factor for nonprofits, some of which seem far more concerned with appealing to donors than to achieving the social good ... but that's chasing a diversion a little further.

Switch back: there is disparity between the interest of buyer and seller in even the two most obvious periods of experience: the seller is more attentive to the a pre-sale experience (from getting known through the purchasing flow) whereas the buyer is more focused on the post-sale experience (owning and using the product).   There is some overlap - sellers recognize the post-sale experience is significant to getting repeat business and buyers find some value in a pleasant pre-sale experience.

But even at that, these two perspectives seem focused on a very narrow part of the broader brand experience.   When a customer notices a story in the media about the firm that provides a brand, that is part of their experience.   When a customer sees or interacts with another person who is a consumer of the same brand, that is part of their experience.   When a customer sees a discarded packaging in which a product once was contained, that is a part of their experience.   When a customer discards a worn-out product, that too is part of their experience.

Some these experiences/touchpoints derive from the acquisition and ownership periods, but others do not, and as such, they receive little attention - but each of them contributes in some way to the customer's overall conception of the brand, and I think they have the potential to do so in such a significant way that they merit greater consideration.

I feel I'm unraveling at this point - though  likely I never got raveled in the first place - thoughts popping up about the various incidents in this broader concept of experience.  Likely pouring them out in a stream-of-consciousness fashion is unlikely to be useful or remotely interesting, so I'll end this and begin compiling a list, perhaps to post it here when it's more developed and organized.