How to improve your customer experience by working on “Touchpoints”

Before starting any market or brand analysis, it could be useful to understand the technical word “touchpoint”. What is a touch point in fact?
Touchpoints are here to help you capitalizing every opportunity to interact with customers. In other words, touchpoints could be described as interfaces which help potential customers to “interact” with the brand. Touchpoints include human exchanges such as speaking to them face-to-face, by phone and high-tech interactions such as… websites. Another kind of touch points are Public Relations and most commonly, advertising e.g print and TV ads, flyers...As a brand, all opportunities to interact with a customer are valuable touchpoints. These opportunities represent a chance to win over a new customer who will talk around his social circle and spread a positive image of your brand. Touchpoints are also very useful in order to differentiate your brand than the other competitors.

Apply this notion to the bottled water market is really interesting because water remains water. It is useful when we are thirsty but then… What is the point to buy this brand X instead of this brand Y? Everything is the point. All water brands possessed different positioning and want to share a particular and unique environment with you.

If we take the example of these two still water brands: Evian and Volvic. They both have an original and particular way to communicate and more to interact with their customers.

The importance of a website and a presence in Social Network

The website of Evian is one of the first elements which help the brand to interact with their customers and potential customers. History of the brand, other information and the elaboration of services composed this interface. Among these services, customers can contact the brand and customize their own bottle for every specific occasion in their life (myevian).

The website of Volvic insists about its positioning regarding the production and the distribution for a sustainable world. Volvic created real interactions with their customers by proposing a visit of the Volvic Source. The main goal of this visit is to discover the origin of the water Volvic, all the process to extract it, bottling and annex services such as leisurely walks around Volvic location.
Sources: Official website of Evian ; Official website of Volvic ; Volvic Source Tour

Public Relations

What could be more attractive than a public event organized by a brand just for fun ?
Recently Evian sponsored a Dancemob with the famous dancer and choregrapher Blanca Li for the Day of Dance in Paris Le Grand Palais. This was the first Day of Dance in France which led to discover all form of dances all over the world as a ludique experience.

The Packaging is speaking

The packaging of a bottle is a key touchpoint to interact with your customers. Evian’s packagings are particularly relevant for that. Seven bottles sizes to suit your lifestyle. Every shape, size, conception is thought to respond customers’needs.

Volvic confirms its positioning of respecting the environment with a new kind of packaging : The first bottle of vegetal origin and 100% recyclable.

Sponsoring

Evian organizes every year the “Evian Master” an international Tournament of feminine Golf. It’s another way to interact with their customers.

Volvic is the sponsor of Local events such as The Cross Volvic Elite near Clermont-Ferrand.

They also signed sports partnerships especially in the world of Rugby. They create a special drink for the Rugby World Cup in association with the brand “Quinze” and they also signed with the Rugby Club ASM Clermont d’Auvergnes since 2007.

After this analysis, what could be more important than improving your customer experience?

The more brands succeed on identifying their touchpoints the more they become closer to customer’needs. As a result brands can optimize experience and build a strong identity for their customers who will stay loyal ones.