Accidental narcissists. That’s what Altimeter Group’s digital futurist Brian Solis calls consumers today.

Our mobile devices are extensions of us and mirrors we peer into, pose questions to, and seek experiences with. Solis says we can’t get consumers to put down their phones, but we can change their journeys by designing experiences that make people feel fantastic.

Solis shared his research on the effects of emerging technology on business with marketers at the Zillow Group Multifamily Forum 2018 in Los Angeles.  We asked him a few questions about how to apply his findings to mobile-first renters.

You say great products and customer service are no longer enough to win customers. What is?

The idea of business as usual, which in multifamily would be treating people like leads, is done. We need to create the experience of what matters to a person in their own unique way. Experience is the most important word now and in the future of business. It’s the sum of all engagements a customer has with your business, not one touchpoint, but all of them. This is the age of experience economy.

Break down for us types of experiences marketing professionals need to create.

An experience is something you feel, sense and interpret in the moment, and you react based on how you feel. Think about the experience of getting groceries delivered by Amazon. Or an Uber or Lyft ride where you don’t have to worry about getting from point A to B. That experience goes with you everywhere. It’s part of your lifestyle. You don’t forget it. You tell everyone how great the experience was  – good old word of mouth. Except now it’s online. And once you’ve tasted a great experience, you’re not going backwards. That’s the standard for engagement.

Multifamily marketers ultimately deliver what’s probably the most important experience in a person’s life, a place to call home.  But you’re suggesting we re-invent how we do this. Why?

When we talk about the consumer experience we fall into a trap. We look to the past to make something better. This is iteration.  But now is the time to innovate. This is a time where each and every marketer at this conference has ideas. I say don’t be relegated, held back by yesterday just because that’s the way we did things. Unleash your creativity on the world because that’s what we need right now.

Brian Solis is the author of the book “X: The Experience When Business Meets Design.” You can learn more about him at briansolis.com.