• • Analyse the evolution and concurrent meaning of a customer-centric view and customer experience in extant literature, reflecting an understanding of various perspectives/theories pertaining to the two constructs.
• • Outline frameworks available to detail the customer journey and customer experience, relative to their underlying premises
• • Apply frameworks to categorise and understand the nature and dynamics of various customer touchpoints
• • Define the business model construct, in terms of both its meaning and its relevance in entrepreneurial innovation processes as they relate to a firm’s marketing processes
• • Describe different types of business models and business model innovations
• • Classify the frameworks and processes available to initiate and implement business model innovation, reflecting on the role of the marketing organization in business model innovation
• • Present arguments for business model innovation, according to a customer-centric view, for a particular case in a readable, well-structured report (i.e., business plan) that meets academic requirements and practical requirements in its structure and contents

Similar to customer experience management, this course’s consideration of business models and modelling seeks to define and describe how an activity system works, including its processes, architecture, and methods of operation. In management literature, both business models and modelling represent productive tools for strategic development, through processes that can capture opportunities for innovation and thus business development. Business model innovation is an evolving, core construct and process in both practice and management literature. With these insights, this course will focus on the application of and associations across customer experience management and business model innovation. Students accordingly will develop important knowledge derived from the link between customer experience management and business model innovation, which constitutes a growing field in marketing literature.

In turn, a central objective of this course is to equip students with academic knowledge and practical skills dealing with customer experience management, so the course is centred on competences. Students will learn to describe customer experiences and their associations with customer activities and various touchpoints in a customer journey, as well as detect prospects for innovations in customer activities and the structure or design of customer touchpoints. Another, related objective entails business model innovation. Once students have identified prospective, valuable touchpoints for innovation from a customer-centric perspective, they will consider how firms can address and capture market opportunities revealed from the customer-centric perspective. These objectives can prepare students to apply a customer-centric perspective when designing a new venture or innovation for an existing brand, product line, or business model. They will take a participative and active role in course classes, workshops, and project work.

The course and related project work are designed to apply both prevalent and emerging ideas and frameworks for customer experience management and business model innovation in an actual setting, for an existing company or potential venture. Students must present and argue for an innovative initiative, using academic and practical knowledge they have gained through the learning process. Ultimately, the end-product—a business plan and its oral presentation—should express the student’s solid insight about customer experience management and business model innovation, as well as the issues and considerations involved in the application of these constructs and processes in practice.

This course is part of the minor in Entrepreneurial Marketing for Corporate Business