Customer experience centers (CECs) have long been important tools for demonstrating the value of enterprise products and services, and for good reason. They’re personal and engaging. They’re usually visually impressive, featuring comfortable reception areas, upscale refreshments, and giant, immersive multimedia displays to showcase their products and services. And their value goes beyond the anecdotal: research conducted by the Association of Briefing Program Managers consistently shows that CECs build stronger business relationships, shorten sales cycles, and increase the likelihood of closing deals.
The COVID pandemic put a major damper on these in-person experiences in 2020 and 2021. However, in 2022, companies gradually and tentatively began inviting customers back to their in-person CECs. But the pandemic continues to wax and wane. That’s why savvy companies are becoming more creative in their efforts to engage prospects, giving rise to the hybrid customer experience center.
Crafting impactful virtual experiences
The most impressive physical CECs create the biggest impact. Program managers often choreograph these customer experiences from beginning to end — meticulously planning out the visitor’s route through the building to the CEC, assigning a formal greeter, and deciding whether the event will be demonstration-based, presentation-based, or both.
However, the prospect of designing virtual experiences has left program managers stumped. How can they mimic the experience or achieve the same results as a physical CEC when the encounter is online? Sure, they can send over refreshments (hello DoorDash and UberEats!) and ensure that the sign-on experience is frictionless. But how can they reproduce the impact of those giant displays, electronic whiteboards, and multimedia experiences?
The answer lies with Alleo, an infinite visual canvas that allows you to integrate videoconferencing, multiple forms of audio and visual media (simultaneously), electronic whiteboards, and more. Alleo-based hybrid CECs offer immersive, interactive experiences that boost engagement and retention. They allow the customer to interact with and share the content, even after an event has ended.
The components of an Alleo-based CEC
Alleo is perfect for a hybrid CEC because it offers rich features, both in-person and online:
- The display. In-person, the Alleo-based CEC can be used on a wall-height, stage-length multimedia display. Online, it provides an infinite canvas that is not limited by the size of the screen. This means that it can accommodate a nearly unlimited amount of data at once: an agenda, spreadsheets, videos, slides, and even streaming, real-time dashboards. No matter how large, most physical displays (without Alleo) can’t do that!
- Polling and gamification. In person, a presenter can poll the audience with a show of hands. Online, Alleo allows you to assemble electronic polls that are even more colorful and engaging.
- Customizable activities without writing any code! When you want purpose built activities for your CEC or Workshop, you can create customizable interactive activities that are designed to solicit input and get even the most reserved participants to participate and engage. Need to plot opinions on a spectrum, create breakouts for budgeting, or just wow a new group with a completely new type of icebreaker? You can create all of that and more with Alleo.
- One platform to replace multiple tools. During the COVID pandemic, companies collected an assortment of software to boost productivity and keep workers connected. Hybrid CECs also suffer from “tool sprawl.” In contrast, Alleo brings your favorite tools together and adds extra functionality to make its experiences more immersive.
- Audience participation. While physical CECs typically feature a one-way experience with a presenter on stage and an audience passively watching, Alleo invites attendees to participate — creating their own whiteboard drawings to illustrate their ideas or questions, adding items to virtual sticky-note boards or agendas, and more.
- Capacity restraints. Physical CEC events must limit the number of participants to the size that the room accommodates. An Alleo online experience eliminates this limitation.
- Persistent content. Unlike the content delivered at a typical CEC event, Alleo boards aren’t ephemeral. They allow participants to refer to the presentation content after the event and share it with colleagues later without degrading the experience.
A competitive advantage
The bottom line is that an Alleo-based CEC is a perfect choice for today’s hybrid world. It gives you the gift of flexibility — allowing you to deliver rich, immersive experiences online or in person. And even when the unexpected happens, your events can continue as scheduled without degrading the impact.
To learn more or experience Alleo for yourself, you can watch the video or schedule a demo with one of our Alleo experts.
