Whose throne is the driver’s seat of the Ford Mustang? Who feels the grip and glide of the steering wheel? Who moves with the pull of a sharp turn? Who commands the windshield wiper intervals during the sputtering rain?
Who wields the OXO whisk? Who clutches the soft, rigid handle? Whose wrists sweep into each pancake batter morsel? Who stuffs the whisk into the crammed dishwasher?
Who sinks their teeth into a Wendy’s hamburger? Who remembers the first and last bite? Onto whose lap slips the mustard-laced sliced pickle?
Simple.
It’s the customer. They feel the nuances of a product. The customer experiences the product in all its glory … or shame. They own the experience of whatever product they are using or consuming.
Companies don’t own their customers experiences, nor can they design them. But, they certainly influence those experiences.