The growing bifurcation of the marketplace between the two extremes of product commodity and customer needs-based solutions will make rapid losers and winners across different industries. Innovative companies know that they cannot merely sit safely in the middle anymore.

In order to drive sustainable, profitable organic growth and competitive differentiation organizations must better integrate and align the way they treat customers with their go-to-market strategy and branding at each touch point of the relationship. Achieving this is a continual, uphill battle as competitors increasingly raise the stakes.

Customers expectations continue to rise  largely through their experiences with a boundless commercial world  but also through unrepentant brand marketing and well-publicized customer focus programs. Given the vast number of customer interfaces companies have to manage  multiple channels, front-line employees and customer segments  the key challenge is to create the right experiences at the right time in the right way for the right cost.