_{Submitted by:  Gill Bowmaker}

Customer engagement is considered by many as “The ongoing interactions between a brand and a customer, offered by the company and chosen by the customer.”  Expanding on the interactions the key to understand is that they can be thought of as transactions as each require something of the other party.

The mutual exchange of value in each transaction is key to defining the type and volume of customer interactions that a brand has as a goal.   It comes down to the Customer Experience (aka the emotional connection) as to whether the engagement is simply an exchange (transaction) or whether the engagement leaves the customer with a need for more (experience). 

Designing a Customer Experience Journey for the purpose of creating a long term, value driven relationship between your brand and your customers, the design should focus on your customer’s “needs and wants”, understanding...