Consumers increasingly expect more from today’s brands, and the implications of falling from the top spots in a category can be substantial. Beyond merely transacting, brands need to form an emotional connection with customers. Technological advances in general—and the internet and social media in particular—have made it easier than ever for brands to form meaningful relationships with customers.

The world is growing increasingly complex and fast-paced. Technological advancements enable more and more brands to get the basics right. Copying is becoming increasingly easy as the sameness of more products and services makes differentiation more difficult. In the age of the customer, brand leaders have a steep hill to climb in building their brands with distracted, empowered consumers. Fortunately, brand-inspired customer experiences can help mitigate these effects. In this new era, brand marketers must shift from a company-centric approach of managing brand as an asset to a customer-obsessed one of creating a resonant brand experience.