VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER
IS VOICE OF THE
CUSTOMER THE NEW
MARKET SURVEY?
By Carolyne Gathuru
I
f there’s anything this decade
has harped on about in both
the marketing and customer
experience circles, it is the need to
listen to the “Voice of the Customer”
(VOC). The real motivation behind
the commissioning of these VOC
surveys and the requirement for
corporates to conduct these studies,
is driven by different objectives
depending on the desired end game.
VOCs have been known to be
commissioned by: the research and
development department seeking
to sass out customer views for
new products in development; the
marketing department in the light
of conducting a market survey
to put feelers out to establish
market temperatures; the brand
strategists with a view to establishing
brand health based on consumer
perceptions and attitudes; the legal
team following up on corporate
charters and agreements in place
‘‘ Marketing communication in itself must
for sure be built around content that inspires
customer curiosity. To have this then resonate
successfully, insights into what works and
what doesn’t work would form the basis
of informed concept to creative output
direction. By assessing customer profiles
and understanding their needs, desires and
orientation, the success of a communication
campaign will be less likely to be anchored on
unsubstantiated feel, but on customer data
that provides direction.’’
34 MAL 19/17 ISSUE
requiring compliance; or the
customer experience team seeking
customer feedback to plug into
building responsive customer service
initiatives.
Whatever the case, and whoever
the process driver, the information
sourced from the VOC requires prior
planning to direct the outcomes.
Marketing, being the umbrella that
houses all facets of the marketing mix
within it, in essence should be the
department that runs towards, and
sponges off Voice of the Customer
Studies as the chief beneficiary.
Each unit within marketing should
be desirous of the data from this
source that can then be aligned
to the information sought for
creative decision making. All the
key responsibility areas covered by
marketing should form a tactical
point of sourcing for VOC results
irrespective of who originated the
study.
Marketing Strategy and Research
usually the preserve of team
leadership in the marketing
department, and charged with the
responsibility to drive the big picture