Touchpoint

Touchpoint (also Touchpoint, Point of Contact (POC ), contact point, the contact point; possibly preceded by a word like " Corporate " (corporate), "Brand " (brand) or "Customer " (customer) ) is a concept of marketing. It stands for a place at the interface

• Of a company,
• A brand or

To potential, actual, or former customers, suppliers, employees and other stakeholders.

For customers and suppliers can contact a touch point before, during or after a transaction take place (eg purchase), both in the business- to-business and business-to- consumer sector.

Examples

A bank, for example, has a wide range of touch points. Here is a selection: customer consultant (direct conversation, telephoning ), bank statement, events, written offers, website, IT systems, research reports of the Bank, sponsorship, electronic banking, office etc.

Importance

At one point of contact a person comes directly with a company ( a brand, a commodity ) in contact. This contact consists of two levels:

• The person learns may be slightly about the company ( = cognitive or knowledge - aspect);
• The contact is accompanied by feelings or triggers feelings ( = emotional aspect).

Based on this experience - with brands is called brand experiences - arise in the person

• An internal image ( idea ) by the Company and
• An attitude (image) to the company.

May change under the impact of the experience an already existing image or an existing setting.

Contact points are thus for a business essential starting points, ideally to start the image of the company ( a brand, an asset ) the make target groups and stakeholders in the perception with the aim of a client relationship to strengthen existing customer relationships and positive word of mouth to generate.

Applications

A ROI - oriented corporate management aims to increase and optimize the effect and cost -benefit ratio of the internal and external processes. Rarely today is a communication channel alone is able to reach all target people effectively - whether in customer relationship management, purchase and sale, or sales, service, both in internal and external communications, human resources and the optimization of processes. Transactions across divisions made ​​on very different points of contact over the entire supply chain of a company, for example via traditional advertising, intranet, call center or sales staff or sales locations. The precise measurement and systematic management of connections result in a results-based performance improvement of brand management.

Touchpoint analysis

The benefits of touchpoint analysis is to be that media and interdepartmental filtered out and measured the relevant points of contact from the perspective of the target persons. The management of performance- relevant touchpoints helps companies all interactions with existing, potential or former customers, internal communication and optimal to design in process management.

Relevance for success

Often, more than one hundred touchpoints can be identified for larger companies in the inventory phase. All the more central is the question: " Which are relevant for success"

The importance of individual touchpoints for a company and the resulting consequences for the management of corporate brand must be company-specific analyzes and assessed. Which contact points are relevant for success depends largely on the industry, on the "product" and from the addressed target group. At the interface the key touch points are identified and assessed for significance and effect. With the help of touchpoint analysis, companies can evaluate their processes, measures and commitments holistically. Future resources and budgets can be used more effectively and make an important contribution to long- term business success.

Touchpoint Management

The Touchpoint Management, often called customer contact point management, coordination of all measures includes such a way that the customer at every point of contact at least a satisfactory experience is on offer, without losing sight of the process efficiency from the eye. It is to be understood as a multi-disciplinary strategic approach that is designed to optimize the performance in all internal and market-oriented management areas. Typically, companies manage their touch points in different ministries or departments such as marketing, sales, communication, service, public relations, investor relations and human resources. From this specialization results in the challenge, in a 360 - degree perspective in their orientation to design the contact points so that the brand is perceived as consistent across all interfaces of time and the brand promise is fulfilled. For an effective and consistent brand management and building a unique brand experience, it is critical, formal, content and timing match the communicative activities towards or integrate. Anne Schüller developed this CTMP ® Customer Touchpoint Management process.

Demarcation to "Moments of truth"

Since contact points are part of the company, the theory of marketing assumes that the contact points by the company (usually from marketing ) can be designed. This is different contact points of Moments of truth.

Moments of truth are situations where, for example, customers come into contact with a company. These situations can either directly to a point of contact (eg during a call in a call center ) or indirectly based on information from " second-hand" arise (eg through press reports on its research of the editors and not on official statements company are based ). The latter largely beyond the control and supervision of the company.