DCX Links | February 16, 2025
The Experience Economy is Here
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Welcome to the DCX roundup of customer experience insights!
The Experience Economy is Here
Great brands don’t just sell products or services—they create moments.
The kind that surprise, delight, and stick with people long after the transaction.
Whether it’s through unexpected details, sensory immersion, or rethinking the ordinary, the best brands understand that experience is the real currency of loyalty.
This week, we’re exploring how boundary pushers are making their offerings more than just functional—they’re making them unforgettable.
There’s a lesson here for anyone in CX: The brands that win are the ones that make people feel something.
Let’s dive in.
Happy reading—and stay curious, DCXers!
-Mark
This week’s must-read links:
The Magic of Delight
Verizon’s 2024 Consumer Connections Report
The Dream Machine
Taylor Swift’s Playbook: How to Build an Unstoppable Brand
Brands Breaking All the Rules
Smells Like First Class
The Magic of Delight
Tobin Trevarthan, CEO of SpatialShift, an agency that helps companies refine their identity, recently said:
Delight is a rare and powerful currency. It lives in the moments when something exceeds expectations; when a human connection sparks joy; when a product or service delivers something you didn’t even know you needed.
How to Make Delight Happen
Don’t just meet expectations—blow past them. A little extra effort, an unexpected surprise, or a friction-free experience can turn someone into a lifelong fan.
Think about:
Apple’s Packaging: Unboxing feels like an experience.
Ritz-Carlton’s Service: They remember what you love.
Chewy’s Handwritten Notes: A simple thank-you feels personal.
Simple Ways to Spark Joy:
Add Surprise & Personalization: Small touches make a big impact.
Turn the Everyday Into Something Special: Routine doesn’t have to be boring.
Make It Seamless: Less hassle = happier people.
What’s Next?
Don’t leave delight to chance—bake it into everything you do. The best brands don’t just get customers, they create superfans.
Your Move: Find one way to add delight today—whether for a customer, a colleague, or a friend. Those little moments matter more than you think.
Verizon’s 2024 Consumer Connections Report
Why it matters: Technology is reshaping relationships, family life, and daily experiences. Customers expect seamless interactions whether shopping, streaming, or staying connected. Verizon’s latest report highlights the trends driving these shifts.
Key Takeaways
Smarter Homes, Higher Expectations
The average Verizon home now has 18 connected devices, up 6% from last year.
More households rely on smart home tech to simplify daily life.
CX Takeaway: Customers demand effortless connectivity. Remove friction and streamline digital experiences.
Shopping Blends Digital and Physical
Twenty-three percent of purchases happened online, yet 62% of Verizon upgrades were in-store.
Customers move fluidly between digital and in-person shopping.
CX Takeaway: Stop thinking in silos. Build experiences that integrate both worlds.
Live Events Are Digital Experiences
NFL game-day data use jumped 37%—fans aren’t just watching, they’re engaging.
Peak games saw over 7 terabytes of data use.
CX Takeaway: Customers want interaction, not just consumption. Give them real-time ways to connect.
Holidays Push Tech to the Max
New Year’s Eve had the highest call volume of the year.
Airport data usage surged—people rely on tech to stay organized and entertained.
CX Takeaway: Be ready for demand spikes or risk frustrating customers.
Bottom Line
Customers expect connected, effortless experiences across all touchpoints. Brands that remove friction, integrate digital and physical interactions, and prepare for peak demand will build stronger loyalty.
The Dream Machine
Why it matters: AI-generated video isn’t just a gimmick anymore. Luma Labs' Dream Machine makes it fast, smooth, and ridiculously realistic. This changes the game for brands, creators, and anyone looking to grab attention without a Hollywood budget.
What’s New?
Better Motion, More Realism
Dream Machine delivers crazy smooth, high-detail video from a simple text prompt.
Unlike older AI tools, it nails natural movement, lighting, and physics—so videos feel real, not robotic.
No Production Crew? No Problem.
AI video used to look stiff. Dream Machine moves naturally, making DIY content way more polished.
It’s not just for fun—brands can now scale high-quality video production without big teams or costs.
AI Video is About to Explode
This isn’t a futuristic experiment—it’s happening now.
As AI improves, expect more brands using it for ads, social, training, and customer engagement.
How CX Pros Can Use It
Personalized video at scale – Imagine sending custom video messages to customers in seconds.
Instant storytelling – No need for a big shoot—AI makes it easy to test, tweak, and launch campaigns fast.
More engaging content – Customers don’t just want info, they want a story. Video brings it to life.
Bottom Line
Dream Machine isn’t just cool—it’s useful. If you’re in CX, marketing, or brand strategy, AI video is about to be your new best friend.
Taylor Swift’s Playbook: How to Build an Unstoppable Brand
HBR’s Kevin Evers went deep this month into Taylor Swift’s career and strategy. Taylor Swift isn’t just a superstar—she’s a master strategist. Her career offers lessons in innovation, brand loyalty, and reinvention that CX professionals can apply to their own work.
Swift’s Masterclass in Customer Obsession
Finding Fans Before They Knew They Were Fans
Swift built a brand by speaking to an overlooked market—teen country fans. She didn’t wait for an opportunity; she created one.
Turning Listeners into Detectives
Easter eggs, hidden messages, and interactive storytelling make her music more than just songs—they’re experiences. She turns passive listeners into active participants.
Making Change Her Competitive Edge
Every time she reaches the top, she changes direction. Pop, indie, synth—she reinvents before audiences get tired. Success doesn’t make her complacent, it pushes her to evolve.
Controlling the Narrative, Owning the Brand
From pulling her catalog from streaming to re-recording albums, she takes ownership of her work. She doesn’t fight disruption—she uses it to her advantage.
CX Takeaways from Taylor’s Playbook
Create experiences, not just products. Fans want to engage, not just consume.
Stay ahead of change. Reinvention keeps audiences excited.
Own your customer relationships. Direct connections build long-term loyalty.
Key Takeaway
Swift’s success isn’t luck. It’s strategy. She understands her audience, adapts early, and keeps fans invested. CX pros can take a page from her playbook: Build deep customer relationships, evolve before the market forces you to, and create experiences that keep people coming back.
Source
There is Nothing Like this Book - Preorder on Amazon
Brands Breaking All the Rules
Why it matters: Forget sleek and minimal—brands are embracing chaos packaging, where familiar products are wrapped in designs that feel random, bold, and totally unexpected. This trend is shaking up customer expectations and creating viral moments in the process.
Brands Gone Wild
Companies are ditching traditional design in favor of disruptive, playful, and borderline nonsensical packaging. Think coffee sold in VHS tape boxes, tampons disguised as ice cream tubs, and skincare in cereal-style packaging. It’s weird, and it works.
Why Customers Love the Madness
Nostalgia with a Twist – VHS tapes, vintage candy wrappers, and ‘90s aesthetics trigger instant emotional connections.
Surprise Sells – Packaging that looks “wrong” grabs attention and invites social media buzz.
Collectibility & Exclusivity – Limited-run chaos packaging turns everyday products into must-have items.
What CX Pros Can Learn from the Mess
Disrupt the Expected – Customers crave novelty. Unexpected branding can break through the noise.
Make Packaging an Experience – Unboxing should be fun, interactive, and worth sharing.
Leverage Playfulness for Engagement – Humor and absurdity create memorable brand moments.
Final Take
Chaos packaging proves that breaking the rules can be a powerful branding strategy. If your product feels stale, a bold design shake-up might be exactly what it needs.
Source
Smells Like First Class
Why it matters: Airlines compete on seats, service, and snacks—but now, scent is the next frontier in premium travel. Emirates teamed up with luxury organic brand VOYA to create exclusive fragrances that enhance the passenger experience from check-in to touchdown.
First-Class Fragrance Therapy
Forget stale cabin air—Emirates is introducing soothing, signature scents throughout the travel journey, from lounges to onboard restrooms. Think spa-level luxury at 35,000 feet.
Why Your Nose Cares
Relax, You’re Flying – Scents like lavender and eucalyptus help ease travel stress.
Branding by Aroma – A custom scent builds subconscious loyalty and makes Emirates feel unmistakably premium.
First-Class Feels in Every Cabin – While airlines often reserve perks for business class, this scent strategy touches every passenger.
What CX Pros Can Sniff Out from This
Engage Every Sense – Great experiences aren’t just seen and heard—they’re smelled, too.
Scent = Emotional Connection – A signature fragrance can make brands instantly recognizable.
Luxury is in the Details – Small sensory upgrades can elevate an entire customer journey.
Final Boarding Call
Emirates proves that smell isn’t just an afterthought—it’s a branding powerhouse. If you’re not thinking about scent as part of your customer experience, it’s time to start.
Source
More Emirates Onboard Amenities
Thank you!
I hope you found value in this week’s links. See you next Sunday at 8:15 am ET!
If this edition sparked ideas, share it with a colleague or team member. Let’s grow the DCX community together!
👋 Please Reach Out
I created this newsletter to help customer-obsessed pros like you deliver exceptional experiences and tackle challenges head-on. But honestly? The best part is connecting with awesome, like-minded people—just like you! 😊
Here’s how you can get involved:
Got feedback? Tell me what’s working, what’s not, or what you’d love to see next.
Stuck on something? Hit me up whether it’s a CX challenge, strategy question, or team issue—I’m here to help.
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Your input keeps this newsletter fresh and valuable. Let’s start a conversation—email me, DM me, or comment anytime. I can’t wait to hear from you!
— Mark
www.marklevy.co
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📌🚀Grab a Copy: A CX Leader’s Guide to Organizational Buy-In
Ready to cultivate a customer-obsessed culture? A CX Leader’s Guide to Organizational Buy-In is your playbook for ensuring that every department—customer service, sales, product, tech, finance, HR, and beyond—puts customers at the center of everything it does.
Learn how to rally every department around customer obsession, click the button below to get started:
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Super-interesting coverage today, Mark.
I really like the name "The Experience Economy". It gives a name and a home to everything people like we do. Telling someone you are a customer value management expert often results in blank faces unless they are in the know :o)