Crafting a Customer-Centric Brand With Ryan Turner

"Brands that are doing social really well today are the ones that have mastered the art of listening really broadly — at scale — and listening beyond just what’s sort of ‘on-trend,’ or ‘trending,’ or kind of what the dumpster-fire-of-the-day is on social media and hear behind that the cultural trends that are driving attention and interest. And then, really understanding how the brand connects with it.”

– Ryan Turner, Global Marketing Leader: Formerly Starbucks & Amazon; Startup CMO

Welcome to OnBrand! In this episode, join host Sarah Grace McCandless as she speaks with Ryan Turner, a global marketing leader whose extensive experience includes building Starbucks’ world-class social media operation. Learn more about what it means to truly listen to customers, what it takes to instill customer-centricity in the heart of brand and understanding the art of connecting through social media.

While the internet and social media have made it faster and easier to communicate with more customers than ever before, quality always beats quantity — modern consumers crave sincerity and true connection.

That’s why it’s vital that brands begin by listening carefully to their customers and thinking critically about their responses before they speak. As Ryan explains:

“I think what separates the good from the great is not just understanding how to show up and say, ‘pancakes on fleek’ — as IHOP did in like 2009 to much acclaim — but understanding what’s true about a brand or about a product or service that’s highly relevant to the core truths about the customer. And being able to connect those dots is the true art of listening. It’s hard to do.”

Furthermore, becoming a truly customer-centric brand also means transparency. This includes clearly defining the organization’s values and mission, but also backing this with actions to prove it’s not just all talk when it comes to important social issues.

"Over the last few years, we’ve seen that consumers really care about what the companies they make purchases from stand for and what their practices are and what their impact is,” Ryan says. “And the idea of ‘voting your dollars’ has become more real over time for consumers, and so it’s never been more important for companies to communicate their values, what they stand for and how they’re practicing on social issues they want to connect with.”

Beyond his previous leadership positions for massive brands Starbucks and Amazon, Ryan also spent a decade working at digital agencies including WPP and Publicis. Most recently, he’s been serving as the Chief Marketing Officer and Head of Product for the tech startup Jove.

His breadth of experience provides Ryan with a unique understanding of what it means to listen to and connect with customers in an online space as well as merging data and creativity to help brands reach new audiences in unique ways.

Join us and discover why keeping customers at the center of each decision, statement and action taken as a brand can help build more lasting connections in this episode of OnBrand!

Episode Resources

Ryan Turner