Often Imitated: CX Stories from History

Sunset Boulevard is considered to be one of the best movies of all time. But it was almost an abject failure. What ended up being a saving grace to the creators Billy Wilder and Charles Bracket was going directly to their viewers and hearing their feedback. And in their case…it was brutal. But going straight to their customers was their saving grace—and it might be yours too.Today’s guest, Ruben Harris, is the CEO of Career Karma, and he knows the secret to great CX is engaging directly with customers. In this episode, he’ll share how Career Karma is revolutionizing people’s lives, building trust with users, prioritizing customer input, and much more.--------“If you're trying to rehaul your CX, you have to take calls yourself and actually talk to your users.” - Ruben Harris--------Time Stamps* (0:00) Lights, Camera, CX* (5:12) What is Career Karma?* (7:54) How Career Karma helps people* (10:31) Putting trust at the center of CX* (14:24) The importance of speaking with customers--------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Oracle CX. Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives--------LinksConnect with Ruben on LinkedInCheck out Career Karma

The cupholder is an often-overlooked feature of a vehicle. But what else will willingly hold a drink, your phone, garbage, a perfectly-sized burrito, or your wallet? That’s right, your local cupholder. Now taken for granted, it was once a novel idea that came directly from customers. When CX leaders at Sears realized the weight of their customers’ opinions mattered a bit more than the C-Suite, they changed the cupholder game forever.Our guest today, Dakota Semler, Co-Founder and CEO of Xos Trucks, dives deep into the importance of weighing customer feedback. He and his team have completely revolutionized the trucking industry, and it’s because they put the customer first. --------“You don't need to make engineering, product decisions, or customer experience decisions by committee, but you need a committee to listen to that feedback and incorporate it back into your processes.” - Dakota Semler--------Time Stamps* (0:00) How cupholders changed the world* (5:49) What is Xos Trucks?* (7:38) The modern-day fleet operator experience* (10:54) Decarbonizing transportation* (12:35) Designing CX for your end user* (13:52) Approaching weighted feedback--------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Oracle CX. Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives--------LinksConnect with Dakota on LinkedInCheck out Xos Trucks

Baseball has been at the heart of American culture for almost 150 years. Giving us icons like Jackie Robinson, Babe Ruth, and most importantly, Benny “The Jet” Rodriguez. But behind the bravado of men in capris, is a marketing powerhouse. Today we’re doing a deep dive into baseball marketing. Starting with Charles Finley from the 60’s and 70’s to today’s guest, Adam Grossman, CMO of the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Sports. He shares how social media has changed sports marketing, how to be bold and change centuries-old institutions, how to experiment with your marketing, and so much more.--------“You have to push yourself to be a little bit nervous and push the envelope, because if you play it safe the whole time—you're just going to have safe results.” - Adam Grossman--------Time Stamps* (0:00) What a donkey can teach us about CX* (8:20) An inside look at what the CMO of a major league baseball team does* (11:41) Social media’s impact on CX* (15:58) Tackling the green monster* (18:05) Experimenting with the City Connect Jersey--------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Oracle CX. Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives--------LinksConnect with Adam on LinkedInCheck out the Red Sox

We all love a guilty pleasure. From reality TV to Britney Spears to a 1am trip to your favorite fast food restaurant. Maybe you enjoy all three of those! There’s nothing wrong with that and here at Often Imitated we will always be team #FreeBritney.What all of these have in common is that they form consumers' experiences and emotions into creating lasting memories. No one understood that more than Pete Harman when he coined the phrase “Finger-Licking Good!” for KFC except maybe today’s guest. In this episode, we’re speaking with Bob Kraut and he has been the mastermind behind all of your favorite guilty pleasures. As the former CMO of Arby’s, Pizza Hut, and Captain D’s, he has revolutionized the way we as customers interact with fast food. Today, he’s the CMO of Billy Jealousy and will help us get our brands locked into the minds of our customers. So pull through that drive through, click play, and enjoy!--------“The key to excellent customer experience is to create behaviors and experiences for customers that build memories.” - Bob Kraut--------Time Stamps* (0:00) Finger-licking good CX* (6:45) Background on Bob's extraordinary career* (8:35) Promising a great CX and how to follow through* (12:04) How Bob revolutionized Arby's* (15:00) How your brand outweighs your product--------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Oracle CX. Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives--------LinksConnect with Bob on LinkedInCheck out Billy Jealousy

His Airness. Mike. MJ. All names that represent the GOAT himself: Michael Jordan. When he rocked the now infamous Air Jordans in the 1985 Slam Dunk Contest, he changed the shoe game forever. His sneakers had been banned from the NBA, and subsequently became the world’s next obsession. How he turned wearing shoes into an entire empire and one of the best customer experiences of all time, is something else all together. Someone else who’s turned the mundane into a one-of-a-kind experience is today’s guest, Andy Pearson. He’s the Vice President of Creative at Liquid Death, and he and his team have changed how the world drinks water. From selling your soul to tattooing your face…their CX might make a customer say, in the words made famous from Micheal Jordan’s hit film Space Jam…”I believe I can fly.” Today, we’ll find out how.--------“Our customer experience is the brand. From the moment you interact with us, you’re in the ecosystem.” - Andy Pearson--------Time Stamps* (0:00) Michael Jordan: the king of CX* (7:00) Liquid Death explained to those who haven’t sold their souls* (10:13) How hating marketing builds exceptional CX* (12:37) Making CX your brand--------SponsorThis podcast is presented by Oracle CX. Hear more executive perspectives on CX transformation at Oracle.com/cx/perspectives--------LinksConnect with Andy on LinkedInCheck out Liquid Death This podcast was produced by the team at Caspian Studios. Learn more at Caspianstudios.com