Touchpoint

A company-created touchpoint is one that is created and controlled by the company or brand (Brand Customer Touch Points, 2007). These touchpoints are pre-planned modes of communicating a message through physical channels, such as banner adverts and in store decorations. These methods are used to publicize certain directives to customers. These types of touchpoints operate in a traditional manner, visibly advertising a message the brand wants to convey.

These intrinsic touchpoints are in use when a customer is in store or in the act of purchasing a product or service (EClub News, 2012). Touchpoints such as timely and adept customer service is in constant use during the purchase period. These touchpoints are often human oriented, messages being communicated between customer service operator or staff and actual customers. This type of touchpoint is vital for communicating a brand's message and modus operandi, be it a family store that looks after customers on a personal level or a global company that can offer the best prices (Brand Customer Touch Points, 2007).

Unexpected touchpoints are out of control of the brands themselves but can be influenced by good business practices. These touchpoints are the communication from outside stake-holders, often dissatisfied or satisfied customers. These shareholders communicate between themselves, higher powers within the brand or company and review websites. These communications are touchpoints which hugely affect the reputation of the brand. The unexpected touchpoints of a company are out of their hands but also reliant on the decisions made by customers in regards to their pre purchase, in store and post purchase experiences. It's not only customers but employees that also create unexpected touchpoints, speaking about their treatment within a company, pay rates and other customers with family or friends (EClub News, 2012). This all has unexpected consequences to a brand, either positive or negative, that can affect reputation of their product or service.

Much like the unexpected touchpoints, customer-initiated touchpoints are a communication between customer and brand directly, without purchase. Unlike other touchpoints, these customer-initiated touchpoints are created solely by customers relaying the experiences they received from the brand/company directly back to the brand/company. Again, these are particularly difficult to control directly yet can be managed effectively and can portray a positive message to customers through actions such as a help desk or suggestions line. These touchpoints, created by customers and transferred directly to companies/brands are effective ways of keeping in communication with customers even after they have finished their purchasing, evolving a brand and growing a customer base.

Touchpoints allow marketers to deliver brand messages, increase consumer's knowledge of the brand and strengthen the company's customer-brand relationship, while adding value to the brand or product. When planning marketing touchpoints, marketers focus their attention on creating touchpoints that are most critical in forming and maintaining consumer relationships with the brand. Each company has communication objectives they look to achieve through having effective communication with their consumers through persuasion, influencing the brand voice and personality, creating a positive feeling towards the brand and driving sales.

When a consumer enters a store they intend to convert their pre-existing intentions into purchases. These pre-existing intentions are formed through pre-purchase experience touchpoints. These touchpoints include advertising, promotions, social media, word of mouth among others which allow consumers to interact with the brand before entering the store. However, the store itself also contains in-store communications which have the ability to introduce new brands to the consumer and influence spontaneous purchases. Of the aforementioned touchpoints the company only has direct control over the brand's advertising, however still has an influence on other touchpoints. Maintaining a diverse range of touchpoints is vital in evolving the consumer's attitudes and behaviours towards the brand.

Touchpoint interactions create benefits for the company as they are able to access feedback to monitor customer satisfaction, providing them with customer insights and allowing them to understand and meet the needs of their customers. They also allow the company to deliver a greater number of brand messages, emphasise promises between the brand and the customer and increase customer involvement with the brand. Traditional brand touchpoints have been utilised for many years such as, ad campaigns, media advertising, promotions and events. In present day, non-marketing communication touchpoints seem to have a larger influence on consumers and their relationship with the brand, such as word of mouth and social media.

Customer-initiated touchpoints are influenced through consumers and their experience with the company, however are not created by the company. Customer-initiated touchpoints can include product use, products purchase as well as visiting a brand's website. The most influential customer-initiated touchpoint is word of mouth where their experience was shared and may influence other consumer's perceptions towards this brand. Marketing today is more complex than ever as there are so many different ways brands and products can be communicated to consumers.

Paid touchpoints refer to different forms of advertising that marketers use to deliver their planned messages and communicate to consumers through different paid mediums. Paid touchpoints are traditional forms of media such as television, print, and radio. Using multiple different media platforms to communicate the same message is very effective and reaches a larger target audience.

Television advertising is a visual touchpoint that companies pay for the audience to see almost anywhere, their home, waiting area, malls, and any other place televisions could be available. This touchpoint has a very strong effect on the audience that for some it could be equivalent of a salesperson (Fill, et al.,2013). Television advertisement can be highly captive and adsorbent. It has the advantages of Multi-sensory appeal; sound, music, dialogue, movement, photos, written scripture, product and so on ("Television advertising pros and cons" n.d.). These high-impact visuals create a perfect brand image in audience's mind (Fill et al.,2013). Television advertisement is excellent paid touchpoint for mass marketing. It reaches way more audience than newspaper, magazine or radios ("Television advertising pros and cons" n.d.). These days, companies can choose a target market segment not only for the specific audience demographically but also geographically; specific local areas. (Leigh, n.d.). This is a huge advantage of Television advertisement. But when it comes to disadvantages for this paid touchpoint there is long list too. First of all, it is the most expensive paid touchpoint a company can choose. It finishes the advertisement budgets of small businesses really quickly ("Television advertising pros and cons" n.d.). Initial production cast for the commercial is also very high (Fill, et al.,2013). It includes paying writers, actors, film industry, advertisement agency and soon ("Television advertising pros and cons" n.d.). Second biggest problem with this paid touchpoint is that it is very short lived. Indeed, some seconds. Multiple studies also show that most audience can't recall the commercials they see on T.V (Fill, et al., 2013). This is also because during a commercial break audience are shown heaps of different commercial messages. Regardless of all these disadvantages many big companies, with big budgets, prefer this paid touchpoint in order to target mass audience ("Television advertising pros and cons" n.d.).

Another form paid touchpoint is print which involves newspaper advertising, magazines, brochures, point of sale, printed material at retail outlets and letterbox drops. Print advertisements can provide detailed information on the product however is in steady decline with the increase in social media.

The magazine is the most specialized paid touchpoints. in print media. It has many advantages compare to other print media, but it could be expensive. Magazines are the paid touchpoints that offer very high-Quality images, high-gloss, heavy paper, elegant and beautiful photos that really attracts the attention of a reader (Ives, 2011). High- quality magazine advertisement boosts the favorability by consumers (Appel, 1987). Furthermore, magazines are really highly selective (Fill, Hughes, & De Francesco, 2013). Each magazine targets a specific demographic (Russel, n.d.) such as sports. By advertising in a sports magazine a company can reach the targeted audience; people who love sports, and can advertise sports related products. In addition to this, magazines are kept for the longest period of time compare to other print media (Fill, et al., 2013). This is because their expiry dates in expanded by their presence in doctor's clinic, beauty salon and many other waiting areas (Russel, n.d.). So, it advertises the brand continuously. Additionally, people pay to get magazines (Fill, et al., 2013). This increase the chances for them to go through all the pages increasing the chances for the brand encounter. One more advantage of magazine advertisement is that it easily can become a multi-platform advertising channel (Fill, et al., 2013). Like; consumers reading the magazine (Offline), or consumers reading the magazine online. Online would come under using phones, computers, laptops, tablets and so on to read the magazine on their web page. On the contrary, magazine advertisements do have some disadvantages. For example, magazines are not good for mass advertisement at all (Russel, n.d.), because magazines only target specific demographics. Also, there could be many other advertisements on the magazine. This could cause confusion for consumers to choose between the brands. Additionally, whatever magazine a company chooses for advertisement, it would be expensive (Russel, n.d.). Another problem with magazine advertisement is that there is no flexibility with the deadline ("The advantages and disadvantages of magazine advertising", 2012). Sometimes a company would have to get the campaign ready two to three months before the publications of the magazine (Fill, et al., 2013). Overall, magazine advertisement could be great for target demographics. Some ways to deals with the disadvantages of magazines advertisements would be to prepare the campaign in well advance so that there would be minimum problems. Secondly, the company should try to make a very creative and attractive campaign in order to break through the clutter and appeal to a reader (Fill, et al., 2013).

Radio is another paid touchpoint. Radio advertisement is known as the "theatre of minds" as there are no visuals (Mateo, n.d.), so listeners have to imagine the brand image on their own. Good commercials on radio encourage listeners to have a unique picture of the brand (Fill, et al., 2013). If it is used effectively it makes emotional connection with the listeners (Peacock, 2007). This could work in the favor of brand in long term. Another, big advantage of radio advertisement is that it is very cheap compare to other paid touchpoints (Ian, n.d.). A company can reach potential consumers frequently at low cost (Fill, etal.,2013). Reaching frequently, is very beneficial for emotional connection and thus brand favorability (Peacock, 2007). Just like magazine, Radio advertisement also reaches different demographics for targeting specific audience (Fill, et al., 2013). Different times of a day are for different kind of demographics, depending on what kind of programs are on, at that time. The most effective time for radio advertisement are the peak traffic hours; as people like to listen to radio when they are stuck in traffic (Fill, et al., 2013). Most companies like to have talk-back sessions about their brand. General people discuss on the radio what they think about a brand and where they encountered that brand. This could be a great way for brand awareness as well as brand loyalty. It is particularly excellent for small local businesses (Ian, n.d.). Radio advertising has quite a lot of disadvantages too. Just like magazine, Radio is not good for mass marketing, as it focuses on segment of market (Fill, et al., 2013). Another big problem with this is that if listeners don't like a particular song and the advertisement was to come in that song; they switch the channel and therefore miss out on advertisement (Neha, 2011). Furthermore, there is a lot of background noise in radio advertisement; like background music, listeners doing their chores.(Ian, n.d.). Regardless, of these disadvantages many small business use radio advertisement as their paid touchpoint.

There are a number of other aspects of traditional advertising that are also forms of paid touchpoints. They include brand written promotional clothing, promotional pens, calendars, writing pads and company cars with brand advertising to name a few.

The communication objective for advertising is typically for consumers to learn about the brand and the company and be informed about what can be offered to them. These more traditional forms are slowly declining as everything is online, through the digital platform.

Social media and the Internet have produced new technology based communication channels, known as digital platforms. Digital platforms have played a major role in the communication abilities between a company and its consumers.

Social media is a fast evolving marketing channel that continues to have a strong influence in our daily lives. It is an effective touchpoint that targets a wide range of people in a cost-effective way. There is a delicate balance when managing the marketing of a brand through social media to maintain its reputation, i.e., protecting it against negativity, and increasing brand awareness through new touchpoints while encouraging profound connections between the brand and the consumer.

As consumers are continually engaging with technology, the expectations of a company or brand have been altered. Some marketers view social media as a way of providing promotional messages and offers to potential consumers. However, social media such as Facebook, is envisioned to be a platform connecting friends and colleagues worldwide. Social media is a way for companies to communicate their brand to consumers.

Research shows the most frequently used social media digital touchpoints are Instagram, Twitter at 96 percent, Facebook at 94 percent and LinkedIn at 83 per cent. All touchpoints on social media have a high level of interaction and communication between the company and the consumer, through the ability to post and respond directly to comments. Ninety-two percent of companies have created a Facebook page, and companies that create multiple posts of both information and promotional material maintain a high interaction with their consumers. Through social media touchpoints the opportunity for a two-way conversation with customers can develop allowing the company to gain customer feedback instantly and monitor customer satisfaction. This two-way interaction is becoming a co-creative process where consumers are encouraged to relay feedback of their preferences and experiences of a brand for the company's consideration and comparison to improve their existing advertising of that brand. However, if a company is not consistently active on social media this can lead to a high level of customer created content. This can result in both positive and negative outcomes as social media is great for networking a product but negative comments can turn consumers against a product or brand.

This is where consumers first come into contact with a brand and can be either conscious or sub conscious.

This is where brands use advertising or marketing and can choose from a variety of different channels to connect with consumers. Traditional channels of media used include: websites, direct mail/samples, email campaigns/rewards, coupons, incentives, deals and promotions.[9]

As the market place becomes increasingly complex and overloaded with various advertising, brands must consider carefully about how they can connect with consumers and how it will be most efficient without getting lost in the hustle of the market place [10]

At this stage the consumer has decided to purchase the product or service but the consumer decision making process is not complete.

Touchpoints here still have a great influence on the sale and reflects on the brand.

Touchpoints at the purchase stage include: Sales agent or person, store placement, packaging and the point of sale.

• A sales agent has the ability to up sell or provide the consumer with more knowledge of what they are selling.
• Store placement or placement of touchpoints is key as a brand wants to be seen by consumers before they come into contact with another brand.

The consumer wants to easily locate what they are looking for or they could be exposed to a brand and their product or service that they have not thought about before.

• Packaging: Packaging of a product or the way brand conveys its image should represent a brand and its product or service. Similar to placement, packaging needs to capture consumer attention in a way that will encourage them to purchase that brand over another.

As the market changes and evolves, brands must maintain a balance in the need to maintain familiar with consumers as well as the need to remain relevant due to constant change. When redesigning brands must be clear about who they want to attract and also remain consistent with the image they wish to portray.[11]

• Loyalty programmes give consumers an incentive to return and purchase more of a brand's product if they know they will be rewarded. Physical loyalty cards are being replaced with electronic systems. This enables rewards for the consumer without them having to go out of their way, creating a customer service experience that is hassle free and beneficial.
• Newsletters: Allow a business to keep in touch with their customers’ post purchase and inform them of other products and services they have to offer. This continuation of contact will help create a lifelong relationship between the brand and the consumer.
• Performance of the product/service: The quality of a brands product or service after the purchase reflects the brands image and could determine whether the consumer will return to purchase from that brand again. It is vital as interlinks back to pre-purchase stage, word of mouth, as consumers will share their feedback with others, positive or negative.

Atmospheric covers all aspects of when a consumer comes into contact with the store physically or digitally, and will activate any of the consumer's senses, such as: sight, sound, touch, and smell. Some atmospheric elements that need to be considered for physical stores are: Store layout and design, Store displays, the overall attractiveness of the store, ambiance and amenities (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016). For websites or mobile phone apps it is important to have an attractive, easy to use layout that will appeal to the businesses target audience (Xu, Peak, & Prybutok, 2015).

Technological touchpoints cover the ease of use of the technology and also the convenience of it, as well as self-service technology (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016). The technological side of businesses are becoming ever increasingly important, to a business are the overall success of it (MacDonald, Wilson, & Konus, 2012). As well as having up to date technology it is important for the business to use the technology to their advantage when sending out surveys or questionnaires to their target markets, by using tools such as social media and mobile phone apps it keeps the business evolving with the consumers (MacDonald et al., 2012). Technological touchpoints can be when a consumer is using a self-service checkout within the store, using the businesses mobile phone app/ website, or any other interactive displays within the store (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016).

Communicative elements focus on a promotional message, informative message and advertisement (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016). These messages are often used as a one-way communication channel from the business to the customer, it can include both promotional and informative information (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016). It can be received in the forms of: email flyers, messages via texts, advertising on the television or radio, physical flyers and telephone calls (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016). You can measure how affective these campaigns are through Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC) which measures the brands market performance as well as the businesses financial performance as a result of communicative elements to see how it haw aided the business (Luxton, Reid, & Mavondo, 2015).

Communicating and building customer awareness and knowledge of a product or service is often centred on brand communication. Brand communication and the way customers connect with a brand are now in fundamentally new and changing ways, often through social media channels that are beyond businesses control. The communication of brands can be defined as the interactions and exposures that customers can have with the brand called touchpoints. Brand touchpoints include deliberate communications generated by the business but also interactions the customer have with the brand throughout their everyday life.

According to Fripp, G. (2013) the brand touchpoints for service-based businesses, who may only distribute their products and services through their staff or a call centre, are their contact staff themselves. For businesses with their own retail/service outlets, the facilities of the store are the brand touchpoint facilitating multiple touchpoints such as, signage, environment, aesthetics, atmosphere and interaction with staff and product. These brand touchpoints able to be generated deliberately by the business. Non-brand communications are brand touchpoints are often not able to be generated by the business but are created through customer interactions with the brand through social media, blogs, video/TV media and individual customer reviews and communication. Non-brand touchpoints can also include observations, seeing the brand used by others or prior use of the brand, word-of-mouth, research online and product placement.

Today customers communicate and connect with brands by expanding the pool of options before narrowing it and after purchasing remain engaged with the brand, collaborating in the brands development. (Edelma, D, C. 2010) recognises that what has changed and is constantly changing is when and at what touchpoints they are most open to influence and how they interact with those points. Through research, Edelma, D, C. (2010) discovered that today's customers take a more iterative and less reductive purchase journey of four stages: consider, evaluate, buy, and enjoy, advocate, bond. Communication touchpoints within this journey consistently change as the customer's consideration of brands change. As they evaluate their purchase they often reduce their choices, then they evaluate those choices of brand, often expanding their options as they seek input from peers, reviewers, retailers, and competitors. Their own research is more likely to shape their ensuing choices then the marketers push to persuade them. Customers often put off the purchase decision until in store, thus the points of purchase; product placement, packaging, availability, pricing and sales interaction, are evermore powerful touchpoints. After purchasing the customer often continues to interact with the product, forming deeper connections through new online touchpoints. Often conducting online research after purchasing the customer, if pleased, will advocate the product or service by word-of–mouth, reviews and so may bond, entering an enjoy-advocate-buy loop that skips the consider and evaluate stages.

Referred to as the customer decision journey, business marketers should now work towards targeting these touchpoint stages and create a plan that will make the customer experience coherent and even extend the boundaries of the brand itself. Spenglar, C (2008) analysed that around a third of brand experience is based on personal recommendations, word-of-mouth, editorials, online communities and social media. Revealing that brand experience communication methods are most important and that flexibility and thus change, providing space for creative lateral thinking while developing touchpoints and planning new solutions, are more important than sustainability in today's brand and market management.

Process elements look at the process for the customer to get a product and the availability of the product, specifically: waiting time, navigation and service process (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016). Waiting time can be while the customer is in store, waiting in line to check out or even purchase a coffee/wait for it to be made, but it also includes virtual checkouts, delivery, how long you are on hold with on the phone (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016). Navigation and service look at the accessibility and ease for the consumer to get around the store, both virtual and brick and mortar stores. It can also come down to how easy the business has made the process of returning goods, whether they are faulty, wrong size, or if the customer has simply decided they no longer want it (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016).

From when a customer first discovers a product to the time of purchasing it, they will encounter a vast ray of experiences with the product or brand. According to Westernberg, E (2010) consumers touch the brand an average of 56 times between inspiration and transaction. While many of these interactive touchpoints still involve walking by the store front, going online to the website, TV ads or radio, more and more social media touchpoints such as networking communities, blogs, Facebook and Instagram are an integral part of the purchase journey.

Businesses are now realising they must find ways to differentiate their brands amidst a variety of consumer touchpoints throughout their purchase journey. Westernberg, E (2010) states that market leaders are using touchpoints to listen to their customers and are working to develop new services that help them earn ownership of the customer experience. They use social media to listen, to engage, to offer services and to interact through platforms that enhance the brand and customer experience, to keep them coming back. Traditionally businesses have developed their customer experience touchpoints by communicating their brand and services through channels they control; the shop, the phone, events, their website. Now, however there is a shift towards new touchpoints that are completely independent of the business owner; social net working such as Facebook, blogs, mobile apps, Twitter, Instagram, location based services and many more.

The customers derive touchpoint value from the capabilities offered, such as a great website making it easier to find product information, making their life easier or helping to facilitate decision-making. For business owners, value comes from information about customer preferences and the ability to use this knowledge to lock in customers. Today, early adopting consumers will immediately try anything if it looks as though it will improve their lives. The incorporation of Apps with GPS locations that can now display popular restaurants nearby and connect details of products and pricing, also offering consumer opinions and comments, enable consumers to select their destination and products based on brand and customer experience. The development of new touchpoint opportunities is hugely accelerated by new technology such as, augmented reality (AR), near field communications, IPTV and sixth sense technology. The challenge for businesses is to keep up to date, engaged, understand, make choices and respond to the touchpoint opportunities evolving. (Westernberg, E. 2010).

Richardson, A (2010), states that taking the time to look at touchpoints as a collective whole, would help shape a better customer experience and even point to opportunities to invent new types of touchpoints. It may reveal that some touchpoints are overly reliant on third parties who are not upholding their part of the customer experience. When Apple got fed up with retailers not doing a good enough job in communicating the Mac experience, it opened up its own stores, which is now a key reason why Apple is now able to attract a broader customer base. To analyse touchpoints requires multiple parts of a business to work together to improve the customer experience. Although hard to do and often more reflective of the business organisational chart than they are of an ideal experience, accomplishing a measure of integration will enable a customer experience that has competitive durability and customer enthusiasm and loyalty.

The interaction between employees and customers can be said to be another important touchpoint. This is because, during such an interaction, there is a need for employees to create a sense of trust between themselves and the customers.[13] Regardless of whether or not a customer has made a decision to purchase, and depending on the level of the employees’ customer service, the interaction between themselves and the employees of a brand can create a more gratifying (or terrible) experience for the customer. Employees of all brands can adopt Robert B. Cialdini's principles of persuasion in order to create a bond between themselves and the customers that may result in the customer's decision to purchase. Cialdini states that there are 6 principles of persuasion when it comes to the consumer's decision making process: Reciprocation, commitment and consistency, social proof, liking, authority and scarcity.[14] The use of such principles is at the discretion of the employee when dealing with a customers during the buying process. The interaction between employees and customers as a touchpoint is vital in the sense that employees have the opportunity to get to know their customers and be able to grasp what is important to them as a consumer of their brand. Once such a distinction can be made, the customer will have a sense of belonging to the brand or rather, trust of the brand and as a result, a purchase decision will be made.

Employee customer touchpoints offer employees the opportunity to listen and better understand their customer's needs and wants. Westernberg, E. (2010) suggest that through the pathways of interaction through social media, web searches and mobile apps, consumers are leaving fingerprints on many touchpoints, such as when they seek information or visit a specific destination. This presents the following opportunities for the employee; firstly they will know what the consumer is going to look for and be the first to offer it to him or her. Secondly is the opportunity to increase the importance of the brand by making life better and easier for the consumer. By enabling the customer to interact with the business experience through social networking, they allow their customer to share their ideas, questions and suggestions. Employees ability to create positive customer interactions, hinges on being able to respond quickly and appropriately to the customers experience.

According to N. Friedman (2016) there are seven touchpoints of communication; telephone, e-mail, voice mail, mail, fax, face-to-face and instant messaging. The touchpoints of each of these interactions need to convey a consistent business voice. Communications via telephone is known as a “synchronous” method, meaning you are in “sync” with the person, requiring no waiting. The best part about communicating through telephone is the ability to hear the tone of voice, having the ability to have effective and positive interactions. Email is “asynchronous”, meaning you communicative one at a time and do not get an immediate response, this relinquishes the interpretation of tone of voice. Standards around emailing processes need to be established within a business frame-work to avoid miss-communication, they need to be kept up to date, attended to, be well mannered and convey the voice of the business. Voice mail also uses tone of voice and needs to be to the point, ask a question and get an answer. Mail and fax again “asynchronous”, one-way information, are methods that are phasing out, but similar to emails where miss communication needs to be avoided. Face-to-face communication has it all; sight, sound, tone of voice, facial expressions and body language, it is a “asynchronous” touchpoint and yet miss-communications can occur. Instant messaging is a method of communication that is growing in use and appeal but again awareness around its best use, communication delivery and interpretation is vital.

Richardson, A (2010) defines the importance of the touchpoints behind employee and customer interaction, as the ability of businesses to speak to customers with the same tone, the same message and even the same words to communicate consistently and effectively. Businesses need to asks and address the questions; are the touchpoints addressing customer motivation, answering questions, working for your target market, meeting their needs, differentiating from their competitors and helping to retain the customer.

In the customer realm, when it comes down to deciding whether to use a service or purchase from a brand, it can be said that the consumer evaluates brand alternatives and ranks them from the most preferred to the least preferred and forms ‘purchase intentions’. However, there are two factors that influence the consumer's actual decision to purchase. Such factors are the ‘attitudes of others’ and the ‘unexpected situational factors’.[1] With regard to interaction between customers, the factor that is relevant to such a situation is the ‘attitudes of others’. During the pre-purchase stage of a consumer's decision making process, the consumer searches for information about a certain product from a variety of brands. An effective touchpoint during this search for information is experiences from other consumers of a brand whether it be from family and friends, or even reviews online via internet search or social media. Internet searches, (whether the consumer is conscious of it or not), are indirect interactions between customers that ultimately define and determine a consumer's purchase decision.[15] However, it is when a customer receives information about a product from someone important to them, that they truly take that information on board.[1] For example, if a consumer recognizes a need for a new car, they seek advice or information from a family member or friend. In doing so, the family member or friend may advise them to buy the cheaper car out of all available options because it is just as efficient as the expensive car. This then lowers the chance of the consumer choosing the more expensive car. This emphasizes the point that a lot of the consumer's decision making can be based on experiences other consumers have had with certain brands, creating this crucial touchpoint of customer to customer interaction.

Product interaction is when a consumer comes into contact with a businesses physical product, whether it be directly or indirectly (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016). Product interaction involves: quality of the product(s), assortment of products, direct and indirect interactions with the product (Stein, & Ramaseshan, 2016). When customers start interacting with a product, it gives them tangible evidence about the good and whether it meets the perceived value, from the pre-purchase stage. If the product does not meet expectations, the business overall could be viewed in a negative way and vice vera (Cassia, Ugolini, Cobelli, & Gill, 2015). Businesses should also ensure that they have a large assortment of the goods available, in-store or otherwise, this can means have a large range of sizes for clothing, and a large number of each size, or even having an item in differing colours to give the customers options (Cassia et al., 2015).

In developing a product businesses should do more than identify needed features. It should also design for experiences, after observing how customers interact with the product and service, why they use them and analyse how existing products might be frustrating them. Meyer, C., & Schwager, A. (2007) recognise that ideally product development will identify customer behaviour that may run counter to the businesses expectations and discover needs that haven't been identified yet. Although businesses know a lot about their customers buying habits, they know little about the thoughts, emotions and states of mind that customers interaction with products induce. Kaplan, A. (2006) discovers how marketers are using product packaging to connect with customer emotions. He identifies there are seven different ways product packaging can be used to create positive touchpoint experiences. Human touch; used to create deeper relationships with the customer, by connecting with customer's interests and aspirations. Spiritual touch; used to connect with different areas of customer life style, heritage and culture. Physical touch; meaning the actual physical sensation packaging can provide. Personal touch; where customers are able to interact and contribute to their own personalised designs. Ritual touch; where the packaging lends itself to a customer's unique experience and use. Mental touch; the state of mind people bring, influenced by environment, trends and life style. Finally, grounding touch; where customers want to believe in something that is real, so the product needs to be honest and authentic, where it tells a story in a very honest and well-designed way.

A customer may have numerous touchpoints with a bank, including client service advisors, statements, promotional events, products, financial expert reports, website, intranet, IT-systems, research reports, sponsoring, word of mouth, e-banking, call centres, etc.

With often over a hundred touchpoints identifiable within larger companies, the key question is: Which of these are relevant for the company's success? Analysis and assessment is undertaken on the nature and impact (for example, on brand management) of specific touchpoints. The touchpoints which are relevant for a company's success will vary by multiple factors including industry, product, service, target segment, etc.

From the overall interface landscape, central touchpoints can be identified, analysed and assessed. Such analysis enables companies to evaluate their processes, measures and engagements more holistically: future assets and budgets may be better aligned and applied to deliver a more sustainable contribution to the success of the company.

Across all industries touchpoints can be divided into paid (classical push media with advertising messages), owned (companies own marketing instruments, sales consultations, website, brochures, etc.) and earned ones (test reports, recommendations by customers,etc.). [16]

Paid, owned and earned touchpoints now flow through multiple channels and the message can be two-way. The proliferation of digital channels has now influenced owned and earned touchpoints to be considered in sync with traditional paid channels (Pessin & Weaver, 2014).[17] The category of paid touchpoints used to be considered the most frequently used channel of media. But people now expect various multichannel, multi-device experiences and have the ability to choose their channels to interact with a brand. This is achieved through using the same funds more effectively across paid channels, taking into account the interactions with owned and earned channels which drive better business outcomes, particularly sales (Pessin & Weaver, 2014).[17] Media no longer remains about just paid or traditional touchpoints; it is about manifolds of experiences across paid, owned and earned channels (Frampton, 2015).[18] In current days society earned media is preferred over paid and owned media. That is not to lessen the importance of the other two; paid and owned media channels should be distinguished to create engaging customer experiences. In a recent study, ‘84 percent of millennials reported that they "didn't like" advertising and trusted their closest friends nearly twice as much as sales messages’ (Instead Articles, 2015).[19] Sponsored content is a form of advertising brands use to strengthen credibility, but the tactic has not been very successful. The introduction of social media advertising has blurred the line between earned and paid approaches of media (Instead Articles, 2015).[19] A campaign, which used owned assets within its strategy, was Coca-Cola. Featuring smaller 250 ml Coke cans, which came in limited edition range of colours, which could be collected and shared. The campaign had a connected system of touchpoints, which supplied the opportunity to unlock the can to gain a vast world of content, experiences and prizes; leading to twenty seven percent sales increase above forecast (PR Newswire, 2015).[20]

By using touchpoints, a company can discover the many different opportunities for its brand to be positively maintained or negatively expressed.[21] Each activity goes with the three touchpoint experience categories: pre-purchase, purchase, and post-purchase.[21]

Pre-purchase experience touchpoints defines the many ways potential consumers can connect with a brand before deciding whether or not to do business with a company. Some pre-purchase touchpoints normally used by companies include web sites, word-of-mouth, direct mail, research, sponsorships, public relations and advertising.[21] The design of each of these pre-purchase touchpoint interactions should not only be to mould the perceptions and expectations of the brand but to increase brand awareness and influence its relevance. And at the same time, helping potential consumers understand why this brand is better than competing brands and the value the brand delivers in satisfying their needs and wants.[21] As the pre-purchase experience for potential consumers is examined, the brand should focus on improving the touchpoints that will encourage consumers, in the most effective and efficient way, to put the brand into consideration.[21]

Purchase (or usage) experience touchpoints refers to those that moves a customer from only thinking about a company's brand to buying a product or service and commencing a consumer-brand relationship. Purchase touchpoints that companies use include but is not limited to direct field sales, stores and face to face contact with customer representatives.[21] The purpose of these touchpoints of interaction is to increase the value that consumers see in what the brand is offering and to ensure them that have chosen the right brand. During these interactions, it is essential to engender trust into the consumers’ minds by proving without a doubt that what a company is offering is far better than those of the opposition.[21]

Post-purchase experience touchpoints are used after the sale of the brand, the product, and or service, and to enhance customer experience with the brand.[22] Post-purchase touchpoints can include loyalty programs, customer satisfaction surveys, warranty and rebate activities, regular maintenance, and reminders about the brand's innovations on its products or services.[22] Even though these touchpoints offer brand-development opportunities, and the chance for businesses to enhance sustainable and profitable growth, they are ignored at most times.[21] Post-purchase experience touchpoints aim to deliver the brand promise, to satisfy or exceed customer performance and usage expectations, and to build brand loyalty and advocacy towards the brand.[21]

There are significant long-term benefits in evaluating a brand's touchpoints. It can help keep the brand's relevance in the minds of its users, while also building a strong and powerful brand.[21] Utilising touchpoints is very important as George (2003) explains, in which it fully allows an organization to extensively monitor the crucial consumer to brand interactions.

A large number of good tools are available to analyze specific touchpoints. Yet it is still a challenge to compare all the different contact points. New tools – like the Live Experience Tracking (LET) – capture key online and offline touchpoints. In addition to frequently examined contact points such as advertising and sponsoring, it also details store visits, sales force and PR contacts. Moreover, it collects recommendations received and given (word-of-mouth). The result: all touchpoints are in one "currency".

The increased use of touchpoints across a variety of communication channels has resulted in development of neuroscience and behavioural economics, to advance emotional and experiential consumer connections (Noble, 2016).[23] Emotional customer connections are prompted by sensory characteristics, with the alignment of touchpoints in order for brands to develop beyond mediocrity. An example is herbal essences (a hair product brand), which focuses on the sensorial experience of smell, associating emotionally with indulgence and sensuality (Bailey, 2015).[24] Experiential consumer connections aim to create a bond or strong brand association with a consumer through a particular experience. Traditionally consumption relates to a goal-orientated activity in which someone purchases a product because it benefits him or her. This shopping orientation has been replaced with a strong desire for experiential benefits, affecting consumption emotionally and cognitively. This then leads to higher satisfaction and shows more positive loyalty intentions (Shoberiri, Rajaobelina, Duff, & Boivin, 2016).[25] Neuro-tools are used to help distinguish which touchpoint were used and why. The holistic approach creates a model shift, not only using neuro-tools but also through creating an integrated testing mechanism, which maps out the contribution each touchpoint makes within a campaign and the nature of the touchpoint. Implementation of the approach can be modified to fit into typically difficult areas to evaluate. These include telecoms and financial services, FMCG brands, fragrance, health and beauty as well as leisure and entertainment.[23] This approach is a three step sequence, all relating to the implicit tool. The first step is defining the overarching experience, which aims to pinpoint specific goals, helping to differentiate the brand from its competitors at a non-conscious level. Secondly it benchmarks specific touchpoints through evaluating them against the experiential template, emphasising the contribution of each touchpoint over the entire experience. Lastly it maps and tracks relative contributions through touchpoints on the experiential template.[23]

Both parties of the communication partnership can gain through touchpoint interactions. The brand is able to understand the consumer better, be able to deliver more brand messages, and can improve the involvement with consumers. While the consumers can get experiential value, brand satisfaction, and their needs satisfied.[26]

A company is able to better meet the desires and wants of consumers through the feedback they receive. The feedback is used to guide customer satisfaction and administer consumer insight. This in turn gives consumers an overall better and improved brand experience.[26] Second, the company can benefit from touchpoints as it aids in the investment of marketing communications by increasing message delivery and decreasing negative messages that can invalidate the marketing communications messages. And the customer benefits by assisting in the progress of two-way communication, which helps when something goes wrong, as it can be easily remedied through communication between the entities.[26] Lastly, the company gains leverage in interactive experiences to boost brand awareness, brand associations, anticipated quality of the brand, and brand loyalty. In turn, the consumers benefit from gaining brand insurance.[26] The risk in purchasing a product and using it is reduced or eliminated because of the increase of brand trust.[26]

Overall, by taking advantage of the vast uses and types of touchpoints, the company/brand and the consumer gain benefits as long as the communication is there.[26]

• Axel Puhlmann: Alle Berührungspunkte mit der Marke zählen! Content published in: planung & analyse, nr. 3/2013, online: https://web.archive.org/web/20150404053634/https://www.conoscenti.com/pdf/FD_Puhlmann.pdf
• Axel Puhlmann: Reaching Customers Where IT Really Matters. Content published in: p&a international market research, nr. 2/2013, online: https://web.archive.org/web/20150402192934/https://www.conoscenti.com/pdf/Artikel_pA_CustomerJourney.pdf
• Spengler, C., Wirth, W. (2009): 360° Touchpoint analysis: Maximising the impact of marketing and sales activities. Content published in: io new management (Ed. ETH Zurich/Axel Springer Switzerland), nr. 3/2009, online: https://web.archive.org/web/20150402150648/https://www.accelerom.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2009_io-new-management_Maximising-the-impact-of-marketing-and-sales-activities.pdf
• Mueller, J., Spengler, C. (2008): Welcher Marken-Touchpoint zählt? In: Kaul, H., Steinmann, C. (Ed.): Community Marketing. Schaeffer-Poeschel, 2008. ISBN 978-3-7910-2757-9.

• Christoph Spengler, Werner Wirth, Renzo Sigrist: 360-Degree-Touchpoint-Management – How important is twitter for our brand? Content published in: Marketing Review St. Gallen (Hrsg. Universität St. Gallen/Gabler Verlag, Springer Fachmedien), nr. 2/2010, online: https://web.archive.org/web/20140211035822/https://www.accelerom.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2010_Marketing-Review_360-degree-Touchpoint-Management.pdf
• Christoph Spengler, Mona Issa: TV spot, PoS, Facebook & Co: What really works? Content published in: W&V Media GmbH, nr. 12/2010, online: https://web.archive.org/web/20150807084109/https://www.accelerom.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2010_WuV_TV-Spots-PoS-Facebook-and-Co-What-really-works.pdf
• Christoph Spengler, Renzo Sigrist, Peter Sopp: Exploit innovation potential to the maximum Content published in: Swiss Innovation Guide 2011, online: https://web.archive.org/web/20150807084155/https://www.accelerom.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2012/11/2011_Handelszeitung_Exploit-innovation-potential-to-the-maximum.pdf
• Franzen, Giep, and Moriarty, Sandra (2009): The Science and Art of Branding. (M.E. Sharpe) ISBN 978-0-7656-1790-3.
• Spengler, C. (2008): The competitive advantage of a brand typical client experience In: Handelszeitung & The Wall Street Journal (33), online: https://web.archive.org/web/20160303233844/https://www.accelerom.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/2008_Handelszeitung_The-competitive-advantage-of-a-brandtypical-client-experience.pdf