Via Ted Karczewski, Content Standard, Excerpt

What Is Experience, Really?

According to speaker, author, analyst, anthropologist, etc., Brian Solis, “An experience is something that you feel and sense, but it only counts when it’s whole, when it’s one thing.”

And as a business in the digital age, you’re not just competing with those in your industry when it comes to experience—you’re competing with everyone. Solis cites Uber as an example, recalling how many times he’s heard an entrepreneur or media outlet call an up-and-coming organization “the Uber for X.” I’ve personally heard this same comparison of our friends at HourlyNerd just down the street here in Boston. (The Uber for Consulting.)

Solis explains that because Uber came to market with a revolutionary way of servicing both riders and drivers, expectation changed forever. The bar is now set higher.

Airbnb, the Uber of the hospitality industry (or maybe it’s Uber, the Airbnb of transportation), faced this experience challenge head on. The company found that both its guests and hosts weren’t having the level of experience they had hoped and that was advertised by the brand. Because a host is essentially the tangible side of Airbnb, the company discovered that the guests overall memory and experience with the brand depended on the host’s abilities to make the guest’s stay comfortable, safe, and enjoyable. To unify the experience users had with Airbnb, the company turned to Pixar and storytelling to help align expectations.

Enterprises struggle with consistent experiences across the board. In the Airbnb case, lack of a continuous experience meant that guests weren’t enjoying their vacations as much and next time they might opt for a hotel instead.