Customer Experience

Applicators and Tips are shaping your beauty brand experience. Most professionals underestimate them, but they are the end points of packaging through which the product exits. Be aware... Global applicator tips market is projected to grow from roughly USD 2.4 billion in 2025 to USD 4.5 billion by 2035, at a CAGR of ~6.7 % +72 % consumers say packaging design is a major factor in their purchase decision for beauty and personal care products. >>INNOVATIONS. These innovations are especially critical in premium skincare, where product integrity, hygiene, and consistent application are paramount. Modern applicators go beyond simply guiding the product: +Silicone Valves → Prevent backflow & contamination. +Air-Tight Closures → Preserve sensitive formulations. +Anti-Spill / Leak-Proof → Travel-friendly, mess-free. +Controlled-Flow → Precise dosing & less waste. >>PERCEIVED Value. Consumers link advanced applicators, airless pumps, silicone valves, decorative nozzles, to innovation and premium quality, making products feel more exclusive and appealing even when formulas are similar. +61 % consumers say they are more likely to repurchase beauty products that feel luxurious in their packaging. >>HYGIENE Perception. Features like silicone valves, air-tight closures, and leak-proof tips reassure users that the product is protected from contamination and oxidation. Consumers increasingly associate these features with trustworthiness and quality, which can sway them to purchase or stay loyal to a brand. +70 % purchase decisions are made at the retail shelf, where packaging is the first interaction point. >>EXPERIENTIAL Engagement. Decorative or shaping nozzles add visual and tactile pleasure to application. Creams that form ribbons or stars on the skin create a memorable, “Instagrammable” experience. The experience of using the product becomes a differentiator, influencing repeat purchases and brand advocacy. +Airless/Silicone valve → Hygiene → Builds trust & loyalty. +Decorative/Shaping → Sensory appeal → Enhances luxury perception. +Controlled-flow tip → Easy application → Encourages repeat use. +Multi-chamber/Multi-orifice → Novelty → Sparks curiosity & premium feel. +Leak-proof/Spill-proof → Travel-friendly → Simplifies purchase decision. Conclusion Innovative applicator tips do more than dispense product, they enhance hygiene, ease of use, and sensory appeal, driving purchase decisions, brand loyalty, and premium perception in the beauty market. Find my curated search of examples and get ready for your new Hero!. Featured brands: Beyond Glow Belif Bubble BRTC Elf Kylie Cosmetics Omy Refy Reviderm SUNJUK JEJU Vyru Wipped #beautybusiness #beautyprofessionals #beautypackaging #packagingprofessionals

I've been working and building in the CRM industry for 30+ years (so have far exceeded the needed 10,000 hours). The last big transformation we saw in CRM was over 25 years ago with Salesforce's launch of what became the Cloud CRM. Eventually, every (successful) CRM was a cloud CRM. The next big transformation is happening now with the advent of AI and agents. But it's not about being "AI first", it's about being CONTEXT FIRST. Context isn't a feature. It's the whole game. Modern AI models are sensationally smart. But success is not just about high IQ, it's also about having high CQ (Context Quotient). The smartest person in the room is useless if they just walked in. An AI that knows your Q2 pipeline is full, your best rep is on parental leave, and your biggest account just hired a new decision-maker responds very differently than one that doesn't. In most companies, context lives in databases, docs, message threads… and people's heads. It's scattered and fragmented. That's a problem because without shared context, AI is just a very smart intern on their first day at work. AI agents are awesome – but only if they're context aware. So, I'm thrilled to finally share what HubSpot has been working towards. It's been 20 years in the making: The Agentic Customer Platform A customer platform built for both humans *and* AI agents. One that is context-first. A platform that combines the world's smartest AI models with the deepest context to deliver the most effective agents to drive your growth. Agents are the future of software and agentic is the future of customer platforms. Eventually, every (successful) customer platform will be an agentic customer platform -- and every successful GTM agent will need to integrate with an agentic customer platform. Yes, I know I'm biased, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm wrong. :) You can read more details about our vision in a post today by Yamini Rangan (HubSpot's CEO). You can get to it by visiting: acp .net (yes, I like short links…and I don't know why). I'll be digging into the details of what this means from a product/technology perspective and how it actually works over the coming weeks and months. I love it when the dots start to connect. If you have any questions, comments or feedback, would love to hear them.

This Salesforce news sounds rather technical but it reflects a strategic shift. Salesforce recently expanded Model Context Protocol (MCP) support and third-party integrations. How I see it: 1. It positions Agentforce as a hub connecting agents to enterprise systems without custom code. 2. Platforms are converging on a model where CRM becomes an agent orchestration and control layer, not just a system of record or a copilot surface. 3. We are moving from closed copilots to agent ecosystems. Implications for transformation leaders: - It is an AI operating model transformation, not just CRM. - Organizations can now mix AI freely and reduce vendor lock-in. - Leadership questions: Who owns AI agents? How do we govern across systems? - Integration, identity, and data governance are now first priorities. Executive takeaway: 1. This creates a step-change in flexibility and speed, but also introduces new governance, security, and operating model risks (Shadow AI and blurred accountability). 2. Organizations that understand CRM as the orchestrator of AI agents rather than just a system of record, are best positioned to leverage multi-agent automation, enforce governance, and accelerate enterprise innovation. 3. At the same time, a gap is widening between vendor strategy narratives and reality. Community discussions reveal that organizations are increasingly bypassing CRM platforms to build cross-enterprise AI solutions elsewhere. CRM + AI is no longer a technology decision. it is an enterprise operating model decision. #Salesforce #Createmomentum #CRM

Cleartrip won Contextual Marketing game! Other brands fighting for "End of Year" sales. #Cleartrip is selling us 2026. I saw this ad in The Economic Times today, It’s a masterclass in understanding customer psychology, at least how I see it. Here's why: - The Simplicity: Stripped away 320+ days of the year. By showing only the days that matter - the long weekends, they’ve reduced the cognitive load for a busy professional. - The Anticipation: Marketing isn’t always about immediate conversion. By helping people visualize their 2026, Cleartrip occupies mental real estate before the holiday planning even begins. - The Utility: Instead of a generic Book Now CTA, they provide a QR code to sync a Long Weekend Tracker on their calendars. It moves from being an "ad" to being a "tool" - The Timing: Published on a Saturday morning. This is exactly when their target audience is sipping coffee and dreaming of their next getaway. Cleartrip isn't selling tickets here; they’re selling ideas to take a break Don't just sell a product. Sell the solution to a problem your customer hasn't even started stressing about yet. What do you think? Does it attract you and make you think? #Marketing #Advertising #2026

ceo: where’s the buyer in the funnel? cmo: yes. ceo: top? middle? bottom? cmo: …all. none. depends on when you look. ceo: be serious. cmo: okay. they liked our post in March, opened an email in May, toured a model in July, vanished, then showed up yesterday ready to buy. ceo: that’s not how the funnel works. cmo: correct. because the funnel doesn’t exist anymore. ceo: then what does exist? cmo: chaos. beautiful, behavior-driven chaos. ceo: renames slide “embracing the chaos: our modern marketing strategy” Buyers have been rewriting their journeys. And they are non-linear. Sporadic. Platform-hopping. Emotion-led. And timeline-flexible. Which means the real competitive advantage isn’t the funnel. It’s the ecosystem. The brand, the content, the digital experience, the trust you’ve built over time. That’s what catches them whenever they resurface.

When I worked at Swiggy, I spoke with at least one consumer every week. One conversation still stands out. This guy's order history was weird. Only vegetarian food during the day and on weekends. But twice a week, like clockwork, we'd get non-veg orders from his account. Always after 11 pm. I couldn't figure it out. So when I got a chance, I asked him directly. He got a little sheepish. "My family members are strict vegetarians. But I love chicken dishes." Then he explained his whole system. He'd wait until everyone in his house went to sleep, and then he'd order whatever he was craving. When the delivery arrived, he'd sneak down to the society gate and intercept the delivery guy before he could ring the bell. And then he'd sit at the clubhouse eating his chicken biryani or whatever he'd ordered, completely alone, before heading back home. I wasn't expecting that level of detail. Here's what that conversation taught me. Your data can show you patterns. But it won't tell you the whole story. The MIS dashboard showed me the "what": orders after 11 pm, only non-veg. However, talking to the actual person revealed the "why"—a guy who loved his family's values but also really loved chicken dishes. No amount of data analysis will replace actually talking to people and understanding their lives. Get out there. Have those conversations. You'll learn things no dashboard will ever show you. Consumers will always surprise you. #business #life #entrepreneurhip #work

I once lived at distributor’s home in a small town because I had no choice... When Marico Limited was nascent, Bombay Oil Industries was still the family’s backbone. In those early days, I wanted our business to transform from a commodity trade into a branded consumer company. To do that, I had to understand the ground truth. There were no fancy hotels in the towns we visited. I stayed in dusty and small guest rooms. I sat with distributors over chai and samosas. I watched how coconut oil was stored, how shopkeepers priced it, how packaging changed hands. One day, a retailer told me matter-of-factly: “You always sell big tins. When people come back to buy, they carry a few kilos. If your packet is small, they will pick your brand at convenience.” That simple insight was a turning point. It nudged us to expand SKU ranges, introduce smaller packs, and think about how to become a “grab-and-go” brand, rather than just a bulk commodity supplier. If you ask me where innovation begins, it begins in the least glamorous places. In the musty shelves of neighbourhood stores, in conversations that feel insignificant, in paying attention to what people don’t say aloud. Takeaway for entrepreneurs: Your real research lab isn’t spreadsheets or agencies. It’s the ground. If you go build empathy for your customer at the shelf level, the brand strategy almost builds itself. #entrepreneurship #business #resilience #mindset #growth

How the Humble American Diner Became the Stage for Brand Storytelling.... When we think of a diner, we think nostalgia. Neon lights, checkered floors, milkshakes, and the smell of fries drifting through the air. But today, brands aren’t just serving nostalgia, they’re serving story, theatre, and tangible brand experiences that make people stop, engage, and remember. Take Tesla’s Cybertruck “Tesla Diner & Drive-In.” It’s not just about the Superchargers. It’s about a retro-futuristic diner and drive-in theatre that transforms a functional stop into a multi-sensory moment. The diner becomes the stage where Tesla’s narrative, 'innovation meets Americana' comes alive. It’s tactile, it’s playful, and it’s a perfect example of a brand turning necessity into experience. Luxury and lifestyle brands are doing the same. CHANEL, SKIMS, and Jellycat have used pop-up diners to reinforce their brand DNA while giving consumers a physical, sensory connection. Think soft tactile displays, curated menus, neon signs echoing campaign aesthetics, and social moments built into every corner. The diner becomes a theatrical playground: consumers don’t just buy a product, they inhabit it. They sip, they snap, they share. So why does this work so well? It taps into the experience economy and Gen-Z’s appetite for moments that feel real, tangible, and shareable. A diner is both familiar and fantastical, it’s something people already know how to navigate, yet it can be transformed into a brand’s universe. Retro cues spark nostalgia, playful design encourages interaction, and the combination of taste, touch, and sight delivers multi-sensory engagement that static campaigns can’t match. They also offer collaboration potential; menus, merch, even limited-edition treats become vehicles for storytelling and co-creation. Social content writes itself: photo-booths, milkshake moments, and a drool inducing aesthetic, all make for irresistible feed fodder. And because diners are inherently communal, they naturally create micro-communities around the brand experience. For me, the power of the pop-up diner is that it’s more than just activation, it’s a physical manifesto of a brand’s values and aesthetics, inviting consumers to live the story, not just consume it. It’s theatre, tactility, and sensory engagement all rolled into one. Brands today aren’t just launching products, they’re designing worlds. So, are you still marketing products, or are you serving experiences with a side of storytelling? ________________ *Hi, I am Tim Nash. I help global brands build connected campaigns that resonate across every touchpoint. 🚀 #BrandExperience #ExperientialMarketing #RetailInnovation #GenZTrends #StorytellingInRetail #CulturalStrategy #BrandActivations #ExperienceEconomy Pictures courtesy of Glossier, Inc. / Skims / Chanel / Tesla / Benefit Cosmetics

Had to share the one prompt that has transformed how I approach AI research. 📌 Save this post. Don’t just ask for point-in-time data like a junior PM. Instead, build in more temporal context through systematic data collection over time. Use this prompt to become a superforecaster with the help of AI. Great for product ideation, competitive research, finance, investing, etc. ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰ TIME MACHINE PROMPT: Execute longitudinal analysis on [TOPIC]. First, establish baseline parameters: define the standard refresh interval for this domain based on market dynamics (enterprise adoption cycles, regulatory changes, technology maturity curves). For example, AI refresh cycle may be two weeks, clothing may be 3 months, construction may be 2 years. Calculate n=3 data points spanning 2 full cycles. For each time period, collect: (1) quantitative metrics (adoption rates, market share, pricing models), (2) qualitative factors (user sentiment, competitive positioning, external catalysts), (3) ecosystem dependencies (infrastructure requirements, complementary products, capital climate, regulatory environment). Structure output as: Current State Analysis → T-1 Comparative Analysis → T-2 Historical Baseline → Delta Analysis with statistical significance → Trajectory Modeling with confidence intervals across each prediction. Include data sources. ⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰⏰

Decathlon chose to zoom in (literally) and take a different perspective. Their “Choose Your Way” campaign doesn’t push product features or promotions. Instead, it invites you in through close-up, tactile moments that make you feel something. These are memory triggers. Emotional cues. It’s simple, sensory and surprisingly powerful. A reminder that the most effective creative work doesn’t just show what something is. It makes you feel something about it. This shift didn’t come out of nowhere. Last year, Decathlon rebranded and it marked the beginning of a new chapter for a brand that had always been big, but rarely emotional. This campaign builds on that foundation. It shows what happens when you stop trying to say everything and focus instead on creating a feeling. You don't have to lead with product to make people care. You just need to show up in a way that resonates. Other brands are doing this too. British Airways rolled out its “A British Original” campaign with eye-catching out-of-home executions that use minimal branding and focus on expressions of wonder from people gazing out of plane windows. PepsiCo also nailed it with work that zoomed in on their logo hidden in plain sight on other brand packaging. A smart, subtle flex. It's all about shifting the perspective and zooming in to bring something visually interesting to life. What brand have you seen recently that made you feel something without saying too much?