Episode Summary

In this episode of The Intuitive Customer, Colin Shaw and Ryan Hamilton dive into the predictions shaping 2025 and their implications for customer experience. From economic uncertainty and its emotional impacts to the rise of AI in search behavior, they explore how these trends will influence customer decisions and business strategies. The conversation also delves into the unintended consequences of tariffs, the challenges of AI implementation, and the importance of maintaining a customer-centric culture amidst technological advancements.

Quote of the Episode

“Perception is reality, especially in customer experience. Customers’ feelings about the broader world—not just your product—shape their choices.”

Key Takeaways

1. Economic Uncertainty Is Emotional: Confidence, a powerful emotion, drives customer behavior. Economic stability is less about the numbers and more about what customers feel about the economy.\n
2. Tariffs and Customer Choices: Tariffs create unintended consequences for customer experience, from higher costs to reduced competition and choice. Policies that seem disconnected from customers often have profound impacts.\n
3. The Shift in Search Behavior: AI tools like ChatGPT are reshaping how customers find answers, creating new challenges and opportunities for businesses to differentiate themselves in an AI-driven landscape.\n
4. AI Projects Must Prove Value: Without clear goals and success metrics, AI initiatives risk failure. Businesses must align AI with tangible improvements in customer experience.\n
5. Customer-Centricity Trumps Technology: A customer-first culture remains essential. Advanced technologies, including AI, will only deliver value when built on a foundation of empathy and understanding.

Links Mentioned in the Episode

• Forbes article by Adrian Swincoe: https://www.forbes.com/sites/adrianswinscoe/2024/12/17/15-customer-experience-predictions-for-2025/ 

About the Hosts:

Colin Shaw is a LinkedIn 'Top Voice' with a massive 284,000 followers and 86,000 subscribers to his 'Why Customers Buy' newsletter. Shaw is named one of the world's 'Top 150 Business Influencers' by LinkedIn. His company, Beyond Philosophy LLC, has been selected four times by the Financial Times as a top management consultancy. Shaw is co-host of the top 1.5% podcast 'The Intuitive Customer'—with over 600,000 downloads—and author of eight best-sellers on customer experience, Shaw is a sought-after keynote speaker. Follow Colin on LinkedIn.

 

Ryan Hamilton is a Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta Business School and co-author of 'The Intuitive Customer' book. An award-winning teacher and researcher in consumer psychology, he has been named one of Poets & Quants' "World’s Best 40 B-School Profs Under 40." His research focuses on how brands, prices, and choice architecture influence shopper decision-making, and his findings have been published in top academic journals and covered by major media outlets like The New York Times and CNN. His work highlights how psychology can help firms better understand and serve their customers. Ryan has a new book launch in June 2025 called “The Growth Dilemma: Managing Your Brand When Different Customers Want Different Things” Harvard Business Press Follow Ryan on LinkedIn.

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