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How executives leverage

customer centricity for long-term success.

We asked 47 decision-makers from eleven European countries on their view on customer centricity and how they operationalized, implemented and live customer centricity in their company.

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Six Key Learnings

There are very different understandings of what customer centricity is

Depending on the size of the company, industry and business model, there are very individual interpretations of how customer centricity is perceived, implemented and practiced in the company.
Customer centricity is perceived as a key differentiator in the digital age

The majority of experts agreed that in the digital age, sustainable competitive differentiation in the long term cannot be achieved solely by product or service features, but only through the specific customer experience.
Customer centricity should not be reduced to customer-facing roles

In any organisation, fostering a culture of customer centricity is crucial. This requires a collective effort, but it heavily depends on the dedication and commitment of a selected group of individuals - the true customer champions.

Customer Centricity requires skills, tools and mindset

For an organization aiming to operate on the principle of customer centricity, it is crucial to promote specific skills among its employees, to provide tools that enable them to understand customers and their needs and to align their activities accordingly. In addition, it is crucial to get employees to take an interest in the topic and to work on a corresponding mindset.
Data plays a central role – either to replace human-to-human interactions with automation or to improve them

While digitalization offers insights into customer behavior, the role of human interaction remains crucial, particularly in B2B relationships where trust is paramount. Achieving a balanced approach between data-driven insights and personal engagement is essential for customer satisfaction and business success.
Customer centricity is a C-level topic, yet management struggles with it

Investing in customer centricity is a marathon, not a sprint. Significant gaps remain between recognition and action within organizations. Long-term investment and sustained leadership support are required to deeply embed customer centricity in company values.

Study Approach

Who we interviewed

This study is based on 47 qualitative in-depth interviews with decision-makers from eleven European countries.

One third of our interviewees have the role of a CEO and another third work as CMOs. The final third is made up of CSOs, CSMs and other roles (like Directors, COO, CDO, Head of Fundraising, Head of Brand and Customer Centricity and Head of Marketing).

Research Methodology

All the interviews were exclusively conducted with top-level or C-level executives. This decision was taken from the recognition that individuals at these higher-level positions possess comprehensive knowledge encompassing various facets of an organisation's overall activities and therefore offer more comprehensive responses on the overall implementation of customer centricity. To gain insights from industry experts, we developed an interview guide with 29 key questions.

Percentage chart of the 47 respondents decision-makers

The people behind the report

Klaus Schwab

CEO bemorrow GmbH

As digital pioneer and entrepreneur, Klaus looks back on over 25 years of consulting and management experience in strategy and digital. He has founded and managed digital agencies and strategy consultancies and worked for the agency network WPP and the Serviceplan Group.

With his consultancy bemorrow, he advises clients on the development and implementation of holistic identity and customer experience strategies, the establishment of promising digital product, service and business model innovations, digital leadership and culture.

Andreas Posch

CEO Droot AG

Andreas has held senior sales and marketing positions for over 25 years.

Today he uses the experience he gained in the Tech Corp world (Microsoft, Verizon, Alcatel) to advise leading Swiss organisations on the digitisation and automation of their processes and customer communication.

Together with his team at Droot AG in Winterthur, he ensures that the concepts and strategies are actually put into practice.

Marc Toumelin

CEO Customer @ the Center

Marc has spent 30 years in Information Technology (Microsoft, ANSYS, Dassault Systèmes) and FMCG companies (Danone, Coca-Cola) in chief marketing and sales leadership roles.

He created Customer @ the Center, a sales and marketing consultancy company specialised in strengthening customer engagement for B2B tech companies operating in France & the rest of Europe.

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Preview image of the Customer Centricity Study 2024

These topics await you

In this study, you will learn how top decision-makers in Europe understand customer centricity, use the concept and implement it in their organisation.

In this study you will also find numerous quotes, statistical analyses and experiences. At the end of the study, we have summarized the most important tips on how you can implement customer centricity in your own organisation.