Companies of all kinds acknowledge that their customers are important; that customers are the company’s most valuable asset. Such proclamations are heard many times—in CEO speeches, in press releases, and in the phone queue waiting for a customer service representative. But how are customers really being treated? What about the customer’s actual experiences? The answer is often “bad,” despite all the protestations to the contrary.

But not all companies provide poor experiences for their customers. Some companies deliver a great experience, and that gives them a competitive advantage. These companies have a real understanding of the customer experience and use that to provide service, products, and communications that are relevant to the customer’s business needs and consumer’s lifestyle.

In his presentation, Bernd Schmitt introduces the five-step Customer Experience Management (CEM) framework, a comprehensive tool for managing the customer experience and connecting with customers at every touch-point.

As part of the CEM framework, Professor Schmitt presents cases of successful CEM implementations in a wide variety of consumer products, services and B2B industries. Most important, he provides new insight into perennial marketing and management issues such as segmentation and targeting, positioning, branding, service, and innovation.