THERE has been a sliding-door moment in the past decade, as brands have wanted to become more like people, and people have wanted to become more like brands. Some brands have been very successful in making the transition, by embracing the traits and values we admire and like in people. Some have not.

COMPANIES: consumers know you have a lot of data on them — and they now expect you to use it to their advantage. They expect you to have all of their information at your fingertips when you ring them or chat to them in store. They expect just the right number of emails with the latest offers — offers that are relevant to what they need.

Australians have always been an inventive lot. In the 19th century, our creative thinkers invented the refrigerator, mechanical clippers and the electric drill. More recently, it was the ultrasound scanner, the black box flight recorder and the bionic ear. All have become part of our everyday lives because they solved problems.

SPECULATION differs as to the origins of loyalty programs. They were created to avoid price discounting and drive additional purchases by providing a reward to win over consumers’ hearts. 

In the 1800s, trading stamps were given to people who paid in cash instead of on credit; the stamps could be used to buy other goods at that store. By the 1950s, the Sperry and Hutchinson Company in Britain had a virtual monopoly in this space with their Green Stamps. Many Brits in their 50s and 60s remember collecting them with their parents, and gazing into the glass box of toys and books they could redeem them for.

THERE’S a dichotomy in the world of customer service. Marketers and retailers are under pressure to cut costs, but customers’ expectations of great service are rising.

Retailing provides a great example. In store, companies have cut costs by cutting staff numbers, which puts enormous pressure on the remaining few to deal with customers. To enable more face-to- face customer service time where it really matters, some stores are automating areas that don’t really require interaction. This is why supermarkets have moved to self-service checkouts.