Airbnb is also offering “social impact experiences,” hosted by nonprofits, in which all proceeds from the activity go to the nonprofits without Airbnb taking a cut. Initially, “experiences” will be available in 12 cities: Detroit, London, Paris, Nairobi, Havana, San Francisco, Cape Town, Florence, Miami, Seoul, Tokyo and Los Angeles. But Airbnb plans to add more than 50 cities in the next year.

“Dominant hoteliers such as Marriott, Hilton and Hyatt built their reputations on ensuring that guests could expect consistently, predictable experiences anywhere in the world, but connected consumers now want the opposite of that,” said Brian Solis, principal analyst for Altimeter Group. “As much as Airbnb commercialized personal space, the real play was to get to the root of what consumers really want…experiences.”

Even if this idea never comes to market, it won’t necessarily be a failure, said Brian Solis, principal analyst at Altimeter Group and an expert on corporate innovation. Airbus, he noted, is one of many corporations that has set up a Silicon Valley outpost in hopes its California-based employees can “sort of breathe the air and drink the water to create new products.”

Sometimes the innovation centers do not not produce viable products, and the corporation still benefits, Solis said.

“Digital transformation is one of those terms that is open to interpretation. So, if you’re in IT, it’s about modernizing the infrastructure –moving to the cloud, changing operations, apps, and processes– to accommodate how to do business in a digital economy. If you’re in Marketing, it’s about understanding the new customer and investing in customer experience. If you’re in Service or Support, it’s looking at optimizing loyalty or CRM. But it’s actually all these things, right? I think this is where digital transformation has its greatest promise…”

by The Next Silicon Valley Asia has for the first time overtaken Europe in its number of innovation centers built and operated, with the region now host to nearly a third (29%) of all such centers globally. So strong is Asia’s growth that it could soon overtake the US as the biggest hub of innovation centers, if it continues to grow at the same rate […] “Innovation centers are corporate attempts at thwarting digital disruption. And companies seeking to out-maneuver…

It’s Time to Change How Companies Perceive Customer Experience (CX)

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As the author of X: The Experience When Business Meets Design, Brian Solis is one of the industry’s leading experts on customer experience. This lengthy interview explores the expanding role customer experience will play in the future of marketing.

“Where to start with Brian…” – I’m sure that’s a phrase his parents have used many times over the years. Brian Solis is a global standard bearer for the digital age. He is a successful company founder, a bestselling author, an outstanding interviewer…, has been recognized as the top blogger globally not once but twice, is one of the most sought after speakers in the world; I think you get the point.

Brian’s day job, if there is such a thing, is as the principal analyst at Altimeter Group focusing on digital strategy. He focuses on the intersection points of digital and people to determine what effects social media and technology have on individuals and businesses to drive digital strategies and engagements.

And he is a really nice guy.

“CMOs build bridges between brands and customers, giving purpose to internal transformation while demonstrating to the rest of the C-suite the ROI in doing so,” Solis said.

While CMOs don’t typically lead R&D efforts, they are at the forefront of digital transformation and driving CX initiatives to compete for connected customers.

“Innovation centres connect to outside ecosystems and introduce new value by solving problems and creating opportunities. There’s still a lot to learn, but what’s clear is that no one solution is enough,” Solis said. “Companies must continue to invest in pilots that help teach stakeholders through trial and error how to compete differently.”