Priceless : turning ordinary products into extraordinary experiences

"Diana LaSalle and Terry A. Britton take businesses from concept to practice, offering a tactical guide to creating value-adding experiences around any product or service--whether the offering is candles or computers, catering services or consulting advice. The authors argue that most managers remain stuck in a "features and benefits" mentality that zeroes in on what a product does. That focus needs to shift, they say, to what a product or service offers and how it affects customers' lives. LaSalle and Britton provide a hands-on model for understanding the relationship between value and experience, and then show how companies can leverage that knowledge to transform ordinary products and services into experiences that customers consider extraordinary--even priceless. Drawing from extensive research and the stories of experience pioneers, the authors introduce new systems--the "Experience Engagement Process" and the "Experience Event Matrix"--Businesses can use to: evaluate the entire consumption experience through the customers' eyes; better understand what various customer groups value and why; identify areas where new dimensions of value can be added to an offering; eliminate customer sacrifice and increase rewards at every stage of the process; align products, service, and environment to deliver a complete value experience; and translate experience creation into bottom-line profits."