Customer-Centric Marketing. Cundari Aldo

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      Aldo Cundari

      Customer-Centric Marketing

Customer-Centric MarketingBuild Relationships, Create Advocates, and Influence Your CustomersAldo CundariChairman & CEO, Cundari Group LTD

      Cover design: Wiley

      Copyright © 2015 by Aldo Cundari. All rights reserved.

      Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey.

      Published simultaneously in Canada.

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       Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:

      Cundari, Aldo.

      Customer-centric marketing: build relationships, create advocates, and influence your customers/Aldo Cundari.

      pages cm

      Includes index.

      ISBN 978-1-119-09289-6 (cloth); ISBN 978-1-119-10261-8 (ePDF);

      ISBN 978-1-119-10265-6 (ePub)

      1. Relationship marketing. 2. Customer relations. 3. Marketing – Management. I. Title.

      HF5415.55.C86 2015

      658.8'12 – dc23

      2015002783

      DEDICATION

      Dedicated to my darling wife, Livian, and five incredible children, Natalie, Christopher, Julia, Joseph, and Nicholas, who mean the world to me. I further dedicate this book to my Mom and Dad for taking that leap of faith to fulfill their dreams for a better life and settling in Canada. My heart will always belong to you.

      PRELUDE

      Along with the overwork and hyper-speed environment that fills our day, the dedication and hard work involved in a project like this doesn't come along without the patience and support of some very talented individuals. It is their innovative spirit and creative talent for seeing what is just around the corner that makes our organization successful. So I thank all those who provided their input (thoughts and sweat) into making this book possible.

      There are also people you meet in life who make a mark on you and, over time, they exit and reenter as though these encounters are destined and purposeful. Doug Moxon is one of those people. In the mid-1990s, Doug ran my U.S. regional office. After he left, we always stayed in touch, as if there were unfinished business. And this book is that unfinished business. Doug helped with the heavy lifting of research, editing, and being my debating partner for the ideas and concepts you will find in this book.

      Let me also thank all those who have helped with their guidance and wisdom over the years and give a special shout-out to the many valued individuals who took the time to read the manuscript and provide their input. One in particular was Ronnie Cohen, who gave her time, energy, and love of writing to edit the book. I give my sincere thanks to the numerous employees, clients, and industry peers who have placed their trust in me and played important parts along this long journey. You make every day seem like it's a new beginning.

      INTRODUCTION

      THE SHOEMAKER'S STORY

      The starting point for this book came a couple of years ago, when after a 30-year absence, I reengaged with my love of fine art and sculpture. As a young man I had studied fine arts and intended to pursue a career as a sculptor. Since it was the late 1970s, I went off to the local library (definitely pre-Internet) to look for a school in Italy to explore my creative aspirations. I discovered the Istituto Europeo di Disegno in Rome, Italy. So off I flew to Rome to apply, gain acceptance, and become a fine artist.

      It wasn't quite what I expected. On the expected side, my studies exposed me to classical approaches to design and form, and enabled me, as a sculptor, to look at an object that has no form and see the form within it. I think that foresight has given me the ability to get to solutions more quickly. The unexpected was the practical side of creating fine art. You had to consider how the materials and installation affected the final viewer experience, so I studied industrial and architectural design, plus materials handling in order to work with the physical realities of the installation space. In hindsight, this combination of creative thinking and fact-based analysis established the basic framework for my future marketing mind-set.

Inspiration Where You'd Least Expect It

      While in Italy, I had a second and probably more profound experience that influenced my thinking. It took place on one of my school holiday breaks. My limited funds didn't allow me to fly back home to Canada, so I went to visit my parents' Italian birthplace in Rende, Calabria – a small village nestled in the hills of Cosenza, a southern Italian province. As I walked the streets of the small town, I could feel the rhythm of the community where my parents grew up and the life they left behind. Wandering through the central square, the Piazza Giuseppe Garibaldi, I overheard a conversation between a shoemaker and one of his loyal customers. This simple but personal conversation shaped my perspective on how to build long-lasting customer relationships, and I have illustrated it in the following story:

      My grandfather lived in a small town of about 500 people in southern Italy. In the town was a shoemaker. He was a great shoemaker and learned the trade from his father and his father's father. He knew practically everyone in the town: how many kids they had, when he had made their last pair of shoes, and what kind of shoes they needed and liked. He could see them, talk to them, and check how fast their shoes were wearing out. He literally knew his market on a first-name basis. He could anticipate their needs and next purchase. If something went wrong, he could make it right, fast. He was always there with exactly what they wanted – when they wanted it.

      He provided an exceptional level of what we now call customer centricity and experience, and that's how he ensured his customers' loyalty.

      When I returned to North America and the realities of making a buck set in, I soon discovered opportunities for aspiring sculptors were very limited. It was time for Plan B, and I decided to use