This deep dive discusses the importance of exceeding customer satisfaction to achieve customer delight and its positive impact on brand loyalty. 

It explains that customer delight fosters stronger emotional connections, leading to increased advocacy and long-term success. 

The podcast details various methods for measuring customer delight, including Net Promoter Score (NPS), Customer Effort Score (CES), and emotional response surveys. It also analyses social media sentiment, customer testimonials, and key metrics like customer retention and churn rates. 

Furthermore, customer journey analytics and customer loyalty index (CLI) are highlighted as valuable tools. 

The ultimate goal is to provide businesses with actionable strategies to measure and improve customer delight.

Measuring Customer Delight And Its Impact On Brand Loyalty

This podcast focuses on key trends shaping successful consumer-first business strategies in 2025. 

It highlights the importance of AI-driven personalisation, data privacy, omnichannel experiences, and ethical AI in building customer loyalty. 

The discussion also emphasises the need for human empathy, automation, and proactive customer support to achieve a truly customer-centric approach. 

Finally, it stresses the significance of continuous innovation and adapting to evolving customer expectations for long-term business success.

Consumer - First Strategies For Business Success In 2025

This episode provides a comprehensive guide to crafting effective, consumer-centric mission statements. 

It emphasises the importance of understanding consumer needs, using clear language, setting specific goals, and aligning the statement with company values. 

The guide offers a five-step process for developing such statements, including market research and establishing measurable objectives. 

Examples of consumer-centric mission statements from various companies are provided to illustrate successful implementation. 

Finally, the text encourages readers to assess and update their own mission statements for improved business performance.

Customer - Centric Mission Statements  A Guide To Success

This episode of Deep Dives by Denyse emphasises the crucial role of continuous improvement and consumer feedback in achieving business success, especially in CPG. 

The discussion argues that it is essential to incorporate consumer insights through various channels, analyse feedback effectively, and prioritise actionable suggestions. 

Denyse advocates for creating a feedback-driven culture, emphasising leadership support, employee engagement, and closing the feedback loop. 

The episode concludes by promoting a data-driven, iterative approach to improvement, highlighting the value of learning from failures and rewarding employee contributions.

Feedback - Fueled Success  Continuous Improvement & Customer Insights

This episode focuses on transforming negative customer experiences into positive relationships. 

During the discussion it is argued that customer complaints are valuable opportunities for improvement and increased loyalty. 

The discussion includes several case studies from companies like Netflix, Toyota, and Zappos that successfully addressed complaints, highlighting strategies such as active listening, prompt action, and exceeding customer expectations. 

These strategies lead to increased customer satisfaction and profitability. 

In conclusion, the suggestion is to promote a proactive approach to customer relationship management, framing complaint resolution as a win-win scenario for both businesses and customers.

Turning Difficult Customers Into Loyal Advocates

In this latest episode of DEEP DIVES from DENYSE, Radical Consumer Centricity is presented as a superior business strategy compared to typical "consumer-first" approaches. 

The discussion emphasises the importance of embedding consumer insights into all company operations, leading to increased profitability and loyalty. 

Several companies, such as Monzo, Oatly, and Kroger, are highlighted as examples of successful implementation. 

A three-pillar framework focusing on cultural alignment, integrated data systems, and adaptable frameworks is proposed to achieve this. 

The episode concludes by advocating for proactive adaptation to evolving consumer needs to gain a true competitive advantage.

Radical Consumer Centricity  A Competitive Advantage

This episode argues that companies should reduce reliance on extensive market research and instead prioritise leveraging existing internal data and readily available information sources, such as customer feedback and competitive intelligence. 

The discussion emphasises the strategic prioritisation of research questions and the use of advanced analytics to gain actionable insights from smaller datasets. 

The hosts share many examples that Denyse provides of companies successfully using this approach to reduce costs, improve decision-making, and boost business outcomes, advocating for a more efficient and practical approach to understanding customers. 

The discussion promotes gaining profound customer knowledge with fewer surveys and, ultimately, better resource allocation.

Mastering Market Understanding

This episode advocates for fostering innovation within organisations. 

It emphasises the importance of a creative culture achieved through open communication, diversity, and resource provision. 

The discussion highlights the significance of a growth mindset, embracing challenges and viewing failures as learning opportunities. 

Several real-world examples (Google, Amazon, 3M) are discussed that Denyse uses to illustrate successful strategies. 

The episode argues that a customer-centric approach is crucial for driving continuous innovation and achieving sustainable growth.

Igniting Innovation  A Culture Of Creativity

This episode explores how technology is transforming customer service. 

It examines several key areas, including the rise of omnichannel experiences, self-service options, and the use of AI-powered tools like chatbots and virtual assistants. 

The importance of data analytics and personalization in creating seamless and unforgettable customer journeys is also highlighted in the discussions.

Denyse shares several successful company examples to illustrate these concepts, demonstrating how businesses can leverage technology to improve customer satisfaction and drive growth. 

In conclusion, Denyse summarises the episode by advising that data security and privacy are addressed as crucial considerations in handling customer information.

Technology - Driven Customer Journey Excellence

This episode of Marketing DEEP DIVES by DENYSE explores the challenges and solutions of developing actionable insights from data. 

Denyse defines actionable insights as statements impacting customer attitudes and/or behaviours based on human truths, and she provides several brand examples to illustrate them. 

She then details ten common obstacles to insight development, including data quality issues, data overload, and technological limitations. 

For each challenge, she offers practical solutions, emphasising data governance, advanced tools, and skills development. 

Finally, Denyse underscores the importance of addressing these challenges to leverage data for strategic advantage.

Actionable Insights: Overcoming Data Integration Challenges - 2

This episode argues that a customer-first strategy is crucial for business success in the post-pandemic era. 

It highlights the increased importance of customer connection and engagement, driven by consumers' higher digital media consumption and a greater sharing of experiences online. 

The discussion shares statistics demonstrating the strong correlation between superior customer experience and increased profitability, while also acknowledging challenges such as marketers' struggle to translate data into actionable insights and the need for improved market research capabilities. 

In conclusion Denyse advocates for a company-wide commitment to customer-centricity, emphasizing the significant return on investment such a strategy offers. 

She promotes C3Centricity's services as a solution to assist companies in implementing a customer-first approach.


Customer-First Strategies for Post-Pandemic Success

This session emphasizes resilience as a crucial skill for career success, especially in uncertain times. 
It highlights research demonstrating the measurable benefits of resilience, including increased productivity and promotion potential. 
In Denyse's blog post, she presents a three-part framework for building resilience: developing active response patterns, building strategic support networks, and practicing intentional reflection. 
Through anecdotes and expert insights, the text argues that resilience is not just about bouncing back but about adapting and growing from challenges, ultimately differentiating successful professionals.

Resilience: The Essential Foundation for Career Success in Uncertain Times

This podcast discussion argues that mid-sized companies can achieve remarkable success by strategically outmaneuvering industry giants, despite having fewer resources. It substantiates this claim by presenting compelling case studies from both the technology and consumer packaged goods sectors, such as Stripe, Zoom, Chobani, and Kind Snacks. The analysis of these examples reveals key winning strategies centered on focusing on specific problems, leveraging new technologies, creating new categories, building authentic connections, and maintaining quality during growth. The session serves as an implementation guide, offering practical steps and success metrics for mid-sized companies aiming to not just compete, but to truly outperform their larger rivals by prioritizing agility, focus, and customer understanding.

How Mid-Sized Companies Outsmart Giants: Learning from Tech and CPG Success Stories

This podcast discusses key strategies for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands to cultivate consumer loyalty in 2025 and beyond, emphasizing a shift towards a consumer-centric approach. 

It highlights the increasing importance of exceptional experiences, radical transparency, hyper-personalization, and purpose-driven commerce as primary drivers of purchasing decisions. 

The article discussed provides real-world examples of brands successfully implementing these principles and offers actionable strategies specifically tailored for mid-sized CPG companies, focusing on leveraging AI, agile development, co-creation, and precision marketing. 

In conclusion, the piece argues that moving from reactive insights to predictive foresight is crucial for gaining a competitive edge and fostering lasting consumer relationships.



7 Powerful Secrets Explaining How Successful CPG Brands Capture Consumer Loyalty

What if the secret to explosive growth isn't moving faster... but knowing when to stop?

This episode of Marketing Deep Dives with Denyse Drummond-Dunn challenges the business world's obsession with relentless acceleration. 

Drawing from real examples of successful companies, she reveals why strategic pauses lead to breakthrough innovation and energized teams.

You'll discover:

 - Why constant forward motion can lead to exhaustion and diminished returns

 - How recalibrating and challenging assumptions creates fresh perspective

 - A framework for making strategic pauses work for your business

 - Examples of companies that use reflection periods for explosive growth

 - Why intentionally slowing down is a bold move that drives sharper direction

Perfect for leaders who are ready to question the "always accelerate" mindset.

Based on the thought-provoking blog post from C3Centricity that's changing how business leaders think about growth.

Listen now and discover why your next bold move might be to pause.


Why Slowing Down Is the Boldest Move You Can Make to Accelerate Growth

The article that this podcast discusses argues that for Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) companies, the key to successful AI investment for customer understanding is not simply adopting technology. But undertaking a business transformation starting with clear strategic objectives. It highlights that many companies struggle to translate AI insights into measurable business impact, with a significant gap between generating insights and acting upon them. The author proposes a framework for balanced AI investment across short-term and long-term horizons, emphasizes the need for organizational capabilities like decision architecture and cross-functional activation to utilize insights effectively, and suggests using comprehensive metrics beyond just financial returns to measure success. In concluding the article asserts that value comes from building systems to translate understanding into decisive action and growth, not just from the AI technology itself.

Why Smart CPG Leaders Are Rethinking Their AI Strategy to Maximise Consumer Insight Value

The discussion argues that inclusive innovation is a system, not a department, and that many organizations are hindered by overlooking their mid-level managers. These managers should be appreciated as crucial for translating strategy into action and for possessing vital insights from both the C-suite and the front lines. Excluding them from innovation processes leads to stalled initiatives, lost insights, and leadership drain. True inclusive innovation involves not only who is within the company but also innovating for and with consumers, with mid-level managers playing a key role due to their proximity to both. In conclusion the discussion suggests that changing this requires a mindset shift, structural adjustments, and cultural reinforcement to include and value the perspectives of mid-level leadership.

Mid-Level Managers Drive Inclusive Innovation

The blog post discussed in this episode of Marketing Deep Dives by Denyse argues that the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) industry faces a "relevance crisis" because traditional market research methods cannot keep pace with rapidly changing consumer behaviour and preferences. 
It emphasises that AI-powered consumer listening is crucial for CPG companies to regain relevance, illustrating this with examples from industry leaders like Procter & Gamble and Unilever, who have leveraged AI to achieve faster insights, more accurate predictions, and improved product development. 
The discussion reviews the six pillars of AI-powered consumer intelligence summarised in the post, such as real-time sentiment analysis and predictive consumer modelling.
It concludes by asserting that embracing AI for deeper consumer understanding is no longer just a competitive advantage but a "survival requirement" for sustainable growth in the evolving market.

How Smart CPG Leaders Are Mastering AI Consumer Intelligence to Drive Growth

This week's blog post "How CPG Leaders Stay Ahead When Consumers Innovate Faster Than Brands" suggests that consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies urgently adapt to the accelerating pace of consumer-driven innovation, which often outstrips traditional brand development cycles. It highlights how platforms like TikTok foster viral trends and "dupe" culture, compelling brands to embrace, rather than merely analyse, these grassroots movements. The post presents case studies, such as e.l.f. Beauty and L’Oréal Pakistan, illustrating successful strategies where brands rapidly responded to consumer creativity. It concludes by outlining a playbook for CPG leaders focusing on spotting viral trends, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and visibly demonstrating the impact of swift responses to maintain market relevance and leadership in a fast-evolving landscape.

How CPG Leaders Stay Ahead When Consumers Innovate Faster Than Brands

This podcast emphasizes that effective cross-functional collaboration is crucial for innovation in the Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) sector. It highlights a global innovation crisis, with a low percentage of genuinely new product launches, particularly in North America, while Asia-Pacific and Middle Eastern companies are leading with entrepreneurial mindsets. The discussion suggests that traditional siloed approaches are failing, leading to significant financial waste and missed opportunities. Instead, successful CPG leaders are leveraging integrated teams to achieve higher revenue growth, increased efficiency, and more new product launches. It introduces the CATSIGHT™ process as a framework for developing actionable insights and transforming dysfunctional teams into innovation powerhouses, citing examples from companies like Unilever and Nestlé. It concludes by saying that mastering cross-functional innovation is no longer optional but a necessary competitive advantage for the coming decade, especially with the rise of automation and AI.

How Smart CPG Innovation Leaders Are Rewriting the Rules

The discussion of the C3Centricity blog post "AI in CPG: Strategic Growth, Not Just Content," emphasises that while AI adoption is increasing, many consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies are underutilising it for low-impact tasks. It argues for a strategic shift, highlighting that leading companies are orchestrating multiple AI models for both efficiency and innovation. The article suggests that CPG leaders should focus on asking sharper, more strategic questions of their AI, moving beyond superficial metrics to analyse mental availability and conduct robust scenario planning. Crucially, it advocates for deploying AI to tackle high-impact, complex challenges like dynamic customer segmentation, retailer-specific positioning, and rapid concept iteration. It concludes by warning that companies failing to embrace AI strategically risk falling behind competitors who are already leveraging AI for significant gains in productivity and market share.

AI Marketing Strategy for CPG- Your 2025 Playbook

The discussion this week is on the latest blog post on C3Centricity "Unlocking CPG Growth: Conquering Process Paralysis with QC2™." 
It diagnoses a critical issue for mid-sized CPG brands: process paralysis, identifying it as an internal barrier to innovation and growth. 
It explains how this paralysis manifests through excessive approval steps and a disconnect from rapid consumer expectations, leading to missed opportunities. 
The experts then introduce the QC2™ framework (Quantum Customer Centricity) as a solution, highlighting its four orbits - Company, Consumer, Brand, and Process - to pinpoint and address inertia. 
It concludes by offering some simple, actionable steps for mid-level leaders to implement QC2™, providing a case study and concrete recommendations to foster agility and accelerate market responsiveness.



Process Paralysis in CPG

The discussion about the latest C3Centricity blog post, "The Future of CPG: 2026 Consumer Trends," outlines four critical non-negotiables that will define consumer packaged goods by 2026: experience over product, transparency as a trust multiplier, personalization at scale, and sustainability fused with functional wellness. The article emphasizes that brands must adapt to these expectations to maintain loyalty and growth, as consumers increasingly prioritize values like trust and individual relevance. It introduces the QC2™ (Quantum Customer Centricity) and CATSIGHT™ frameworks as strategic tools to help CPG executives shift from reactive guesswork to proactive, consumer-centric leadership. Ultimately, the article argues that success in the future CPG landscape will hinge on a deep understanding of consumer needs and the authentic integration of these four core values into brand strategy.

The Future of CPG: 2026 Consumer Trends for Loyalty and Growth

From_Billboard_to_Digital_Passport__How_Smart_Packaging,_Sunris

This episode discusses how Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) brands can significantly increase revenue and profit margins by systematically analyzing existing consumer feedback rather than relying solely on traditional market research or costly R&D. It identifies five "hidden consumer signals" found in reviews, service emails, and returns, such as the “How To Use” Gap and Seasonal Language Patterns, which often reveal simple operational or messaging solutions. The article which is the sources of the discussion emphasizes that these signals provide actionable insights into product friction points, packaging issues, and new use cases, allowing brands to implement low-cost changes that directly boost sales and customer satisfaction. The post argues that strategically analyzing this already-owned data offers a sustainable competitive advantage over brands that only address complaints reactively.

The_5_Hidden_Signals_in_Customer_Feedback

The article on which this podcast episode is based, provides an executive overview and seven actionable strategies for businesses to increase repeat purchases by improving the crucial first-use experience of a product. A central argument discussed is that brands frequently leak value in the first week after launch due to consumer confusion over things like product dosing, packaging closure, and safety information, which leads to a drop in confidence. The recommended solutions focus on precise first-use redesign, suggesting practical fixes such as ensuring dose clarity with non-adjective anchors, treating reliable reseal mechanisms as a loyalty feature, and using plain language for safety cues. Furthermore, the post emphasizes leveraging consumer reviews as instructional content to teach correct usage and highlights regulatory and economic tailwinds, such as the move toward standardized food date labels, that support efforts to increase clarity and reduce waste.



Seven_First-Use_Fixes

The article on which this discussion is based provides an executive overview and seven actionable strategies for businesses to increase repeat purchases by improving the crucial first-use experience of a product. A central argument is that brands frequently leak value in the first week due to consumer confusion over things like product dosing, packaging closure, and safety information, which leads to a drop in confidence. The recommended solutions focus on precise first-use redesign, suggesting practical fixes such as ensuring dose clarity with non-adjective anchors, treating reliable reseal mechanisms as a loyalty feature, and using plain language for safety cues. Furthermore, the post emphasizes leveraging consumer reviews as instructional content to teach correct usage and highlights regulatory and economic tailwinds, such as the move toward standardized food date labels, that support efforts to increase clarity and reduce waste.



Many companies create great new products and services – from their perspective – but they fail! In such a situation, it is almost always due to an outdated innovation process, in which the customer has not been involved.

I know it can be difficult to innovate in this new age of technology, but it remains vital for growth. This podcast shares some of the latest ways to improve your innovation success rate.

C3Centricity Blod Post Podcast

Improving Ideation, Insight & Innovation

What habits have you become so comfortable with that you don’t even notice or question them? These 13 marketing quotes are amongst my all time favourites. 

1. “There may be Customers without Brands, but there are no Brands without Customers.” Anon 
Brands depend on customers and if companies remember this, then they can only succeed. 

2. “Nothing can add more power to your life than concentrating all your energies on a limited set of targets.” Nido Qubein
One of the biggest mistakes marketing can make is to not appropriately define its target audience. 

3. “The more you engage with customers the clearer things become and the easier it is to determine what you should be doing.” John Russell, President, Harley-Davidson 
Every employee should have regular customer connections added to their annual objectives. Customer connections inspire new thinking, can identify previously unknown issues and excite everyone to think customer first.

4. “If you use standard research methods you will have the same insights as everyone else.” David Nichols 
The methods you use to observe, understand and eventually delight your customers should be moving as fast, if not even faster than the market.

5. “The structure will automatically provide the pattern for the action which follows.” Donald Curtis 
Perhaps it is time for your organisation to review its structure and see if it is still optimal for the business of today, as well as of tomorrow.

6. “Customer Service shouldn’t be a department, it should be the entire company.” Tony Hsieh, CEO Zappos 
Zappos have an integration program for all new hires that incorporates time at their call centre answering customer queries. What a great way to show a new person what the company is really about.

7. “The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but in seeing with new eyes.” Marcel Proust
Instead of forcing your marketing and R&D to meet certain percentage targets of new launches, why not review your current offers with the customers’ eyes?

8. “A brand for a company is like a reputation for a person. You earn reputation by trying to do hard things well.” Jeff Bezos 
As consumers become interested in knowing and adhering to the policies of the companies behind the brands they buy, it is vital to manage your image from both perspectives. 

9. “The journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” Chinese Proverb 
Today’s customers often have more complex paths to purchase in many categories than they did in the past, so thinking of the simple awareness to loyalty funnel becomes less relevant. 

10. “However beautiful the strategy, you should occasionally look at the results.” Winston Churchill 
Review last year’s business results in comparison to the metrics you have been following. Were you correctly assessing the environment, the market and customer behaviour? 

11. “The fear of being wrong is the prime inhibitor of the creative process.” Jean Bryant
Do you embrace entrepreneurship in your organisation? What happens when someone fails whilst trying something new? The more accepting you are of relevant trial and error, the more likely it will be that your employees will share their more creative ideas. 

12. “Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information.” T S Eliot
Do you ever take decisions based on information alone? If so then perhaps you should reconsider your insight development process. It is only when you have integrated everything you know and understand about them, that you can begin to develop insight.

13. “If you can’t sum up the story in a sentence, you don’t know what you’re talking about.” Garr Reynolds
Taking the decision to share understanding in a new way through storytelling, will have a profound impact on the way your employees think and remember the essential understandings of your customers. Before every presentation ask yourself what is the one sentence that sums up everything you want to share.

C3Centricity

13 Inspiring marketing quotes

With the move of most major supermarket chains to offer online stores too, plus a few successful online only stores, such as Amazon in the US and Ocado in the U.K. manufacturers are now reconsidering just how big they could or should grow their online business.
Today, supermarkets are scrambling to catch up as start-ups in many developed countries are giving this new type of freedom to consumers.
The case for bricks & mortar stores
Customers will always need to see and try before they buy in numerous categories. Offering free returns may work for apparel but not for electronics. 
Several home improvement brands and stores are already offering apps which allow customers to see their potential purchases in their homes. Or their paint and fabric choices "in situ" but actually virtually. 
The future of retail
I decided to summarise some of the key changes which I believe are essential to answer customers needs already today, not just in the future:
Convenience: customers have busy lives and prefer less and less to go for the large weekly shop in out-of-town shopping malls and hypermarkets. This is why smaller stores in strategic localities will develop faster in developed markets. There will also be a clear differentiation by category. 
Experience: while some shopping malls are in decline, especially in the US, those that survive will shift the emphasis from purchasing to experience. By incorporating cinemas, bowling alleys, cafes and restaurants, malls are hoping to attract customers by differentiating themselves and driving more traffic to them. 
However, the retailers themselves also need to start selling differently. Apple, Nike and a few others have already done this. But most outlets appear to be oblivious to the change in their customers' desires for experiential connections with brands.
Delivery: Whether we buy online or in-store, one thing is clear; we want it NOW! Fast these days is two-day or same-day delivery. In the near future, we will want our purchase to be waiting for us when we get home. Already a quarter of shoppers, according to some L2 research said they would abandon their cart if same-day delivery was unavailable.
Choice: We all know what is available around the world, thanks to the internet. Our desires are no longer limited by what is available in-store or even in our own country. We want to have the choices that others have, wherever in the world they live.
According to research conducted by Walker, by the year 2020 customer experience will overtake price and product as the key brand differentiator.
Values: Millenials, in particular, are basing their choice of brands on things such as social responsibility, sustainability, transparency and authenticity. 
Corporate reputation is being scrutinised and evaluated at each mention in the press or on social media. Organisations that don't walk their talk will be rapidly found out and publically discredited.
 
Conclusion
Retail has always been about making sure that "the right product is in the right place at the right time at the right price.” The right place at the right time appears to be gaining ground over the other two. What do you think?

Is the future of retail in the stars?

MARKETING DEEP DIVES by DENYSE is a Podcast for CPG Executives wanting to attract, delight and retain more consumers.
In each episode Denyse shares her tips, tools and ideas gathered from her more than 30 years experience working in over 125 countries around the globe.
Denyse is: 📈 Advisor to Fortune 100-Inc 5000 | 🚀 Strategist for mid-sized CPGs | 👨‍💼👩‍💼Leadership Coach | 🎤 Keynote Speaker | 📚 #1 Best-Selling Author | 🌍 Former Global Head of Consumer Excellence at Nestlé

Marketing Deep Dives by Denyse

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