The basic concept of a strategy is that it describes what an organization plans to do, and very importantly, it excludes the things that the organization doesn’t plan to do. But it’s not just the what that matters: It’s also the how. When I advise Forrester’s clients on how to think about their customer experience (CX) strategy, I often start by asking about their organization’s CX vision, because that’s the guiding principle for deciding what should (or shouldn’t) be in that strategy. A great CX vision doesn’t manifest without a lot of cross-functional soul searching; it should be the result of thoughtful conversations rooted in the understanding that the CX vision must describe the ideal customer experience in light of the organization’s brand promise.

And so it concerns me when I review strategies that often speak only of CX and don’t align with the plans of the marketing or digital teams — both fierce friends and powerful partners in the important work to provide great CX. This is a terribly missed opportunity. It’s with this in mind that I’m excited to speak at two of our upcoming CX Summits about the importance of aligning CX, marketing, and digital strategies into The One Strategy To Rule Them All.

In my keynote, I’ll explore the state of this type of alignment, why it matters, and some examples of organizations that have crafted aligned strategies. As our CX Summits are designed to bring together CX, marketing, and digital leaders in the same space, it’s only natural that we’ll talk about how to get these three areas working more closely together — which also includes tightly connecting their strategies. Join me, won’t you?

Click here to register for CX Summit APAC, taking place May 28 in Sydney, and click here to register for CX Summit North America, taking place June 17–20 in Nashville. I hope to see you soon!