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The customer journey map is one of the most innovative and useful tools in the marketer’s arsenal. These visual representations of customers’ experiences with a brand — from first awareness to final purchase — serve as roadmaps for improving marketing strategies. The Customer Journey Map has become an essential part of the modern marketer’s toolkit, adopted by businesses across industries. The origins of the customer journey map are unclear, but we do know that it was popularized by software company SAP, who released its version in 2014. It’s since been used by companies like Zappos and Sephora, among others. This article explores who invented the customer journey map and how it has evolved since its introduction.
Who Invented the Customer Journey Map?
There is no one inventor of the customer journey map. While the current concept of mapping out customers’ experiences was likely invented by multiple people at multiple times, one of those people is C. J. van Riel. van Riel, a marketing consultant, published a paper titled “The Experience Economy” in 1999. In it, he describes a customer journey focused on the customer experience. Although van Riel did not use any visual representations, his writings were the foundation for the modern customer journey map. Another possible inventor of the customer journey map is Victor O Organici, who published a book in 2006 titled “The Customer Experience Advantage.” In it, he describes a customer journey focused on the customer experience, but with a diagram. While the diagram is not identical to the current customer journey map, it is extremely similar.
What Does a Customer Journey Map Look Like?
A customer journey map is a visual representation of how customers progress from being unaware of a product or service to becoming loyal and repeat customers. The journey map uses colors, icons, and shapes to illustrate customer touchpoints, customer emotions, and brand interactions. Because every customer journey is different and each brand has its own goals, there are many different ways to create a customer journey map. Generally, they are organized into three main sections: - First touchpoints - These are the earliest points at which customers have any contact with a brand. This could be seeing advertisements, visiting a website, attending an event, or any other form of contact. - Customer journey - This is the middle of the journey, where customers interact with a company and its offerings. - Final interaction - This is the end of the journey, where customers make a final decision about a brand. This could be making a purchase, signing up for a loyalty program, or writing a review.
How the Customer Journey Map Evolved
As van Riel’s writings began to be adopted by marketers, his customer journey concept was translated into a visual representation. One of the first instances of the customer journey map came in 2010 when GE partnered with software company Autodesk to create a 3D customer journey map for its energy business. While similar to van Riel’s concept, this diagram focused on finding out what customers needed and their desired outcomes, as opposed to their interactions with brands. This was followed by an even more structured customer journey map diagram in 2012, used by Salesforce to explain its customer journey process. This diagram was more focused on the customer’s path to purchase, with a heavy focus on analytics. The biggest change to the customer journey map came in 2014 when SAP released its version of the diagram. This was the first time the customer journey map was incorporated into a customer experience management (CEM) cloud platform. Because of SAP’s reach, the customer journey map became even more popular, and many businesses began adopting it to improve their marketing strategies.
What is the Future of the Customer Journey Map?
The future of the customer journey map is bright. As more and more businesses adopt it, its impact will only increase. The biggest change will be the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI). AI will allow marketers to predict what customers want and need, as well as understand how customers are interacting with their brands. Another change will be the increasing adoption of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in marketing campaigns. These technologies will allow brands to create more immersive and compelling customer journeys. With increasing adoption, the customer journey map will likely become more standardized, with most businesses using similar diagrams to represent the same concepts. Finally, businesses will begin to adopt the customer journey map on a larger scale, incorporating it into their organization as a whole.
Final Words
The customer journey map is one of the most important marketing tools available. By visualizing the path customers take from being unaware of a brand to becoming loyal repeat customers, marketers can improve all aspects of their business. From advertising campaigns to product development to in-store experiences, the customer journey map can help businesses improve in every area. While the customer journey map has existed in one form or another since the 1990s, the version currently in use was invented by software company SAP in 2014. Since then, it has become an essential part of the modern marketer’s toolkit.
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