The Buyer Utility Map is a tool used in the Blue Ocean Strategy to identify the key areas where businesses can create new customer value. This map helps organizations understand the customer experience at different stages of the buyer experience cycle and pinpoint opportunities to enhance utility by leveraging various utility levers. By identifying and eliminating pain points and improving the overall customer experience, businesses can create a unique value proposition that differentiates them from competitors.
4.1. Six Stages of the Buyer Experience Cycle
The buyer experience cycle consists of six stages customers go through when purchasing and using a product or service. These stages are:
- Purchase: The process of selecting and acquiring the product or service.
- Delivery: The process of receiving the product or service.
- Use: The experience of using the product or service.
- Supplements: Additional products, services, or support that enhance the core offering.
- Maintenance: Maintaining, repairing, or upgrading the product or service.
- Disposal: The process of disposing of or replacing the product or service.
By examining each stage of the buyer experience cycle, businesses can identify potential pain points and opportunities to create value for customers.
4.2. Six Utility Levers
The six utility levers are the key factors businesses can leverage to enhance the customer experience and create new value. These levers are:
- Customer productivity: Improving the efficiency or effectiveness of the product or service for the customer.
- Simplicity: Making the product or service easier to use, understand, or access.
- Convenience: Increasing the accessibility or availability of the product or service.
- Risk reduction: Reducing the risks associated with using the product or service, including financial, physical, or reputational risks.
- Fun and image: Enhancing the emotional appeal or appearance of the product or service.
- Environmental friendliness: Improving the environmental impact or sustainability of the product or service.
By leveraging these utility levers, businesses can create new value for customers and differentiate themselves in the market.
4.3. Identifying and Eliminating Pain Points
Using the Buyer Utility Map, businesses can systematically identify pain points at each stage of the buyer experience cycle and determine how to eliminate or mitigate them using the six utility levers. By addressing these pain points, organizations can create a more seamless and enjoyable customer experience, increasing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
4.4. Enhancing Customer Experience
In addition to eliminating pain points, the Buyer Utility Map can help businesses identify opportunities to enhance the overall customer experience by leveraging the six utility levers. By creating new value and improving the customer experience at each stage of the buyer experience cycle, businesses can develop a unique value proposition that appeals to a broader customer base and creates a blue ocean market space.
The Buyer Utility Map is a valuable tool for businesses looking to create new value and differentiate themselves in the market. By examining the buyer experience cycle and leveraging the six utility levers, organizations can identify and address pain points and enhance the overall customer experience, creating a unique value proposition and uncontested market space.