Some reject the Experience Economy already after a first confrontation or the first experiment. It might be that they were looking for a new tool, a new way to impress customers and to gain ‘free’ publicity.

Others continue and start to orchestrate an experience for their relations on a specific theme. It is the organization who knows what is best for his customers and does not avoid making (major) investments to design and create the real experience. At moments customers get bored with this experience, the decision is made to renew it in order to keep on exceeding customer expectations and to leave a personal memorable impression. These are the organizations, we have said, that create a first generation experience.

Another category of organizations approach the Experience Economy from the perspective of the individual (the second generation of experiences). One could name it a more fundamental approach. It is not the event in itself, or the creation of a themed experience space in which persons interact, that forms the focal point of attention, but the ambition to contribute directly or indirectly to personal meaningful experiences. If a director/company owner enters the phase in which he has to step back and to look for a successor, you as a bank director will feel the drive to do more than discussing money issues with your client. You want to see how you can help this person in this transition period in his life, where he has to take his hands of his company, something he created with a lot of passion. You might want to help someone who has a chronic disease and sees his world come smaller and smaller, to shift his borders, to regain confidence and to get out to maintain her/his relations and to experience life. Someone who has become an administrator, but had the dream of becoming a great architect, can still see it come true. If you, as Lego executive for example will facilitate (as they do) communities of people that design and build wonderful buildings and sculptures with their products.

Organizations and managers that opt for this approach of the Experience Economy will face a major challenge. It requires a 180 degrees turn around in thinking. In thinking and acting one does not start with the own organization, but with the individual, not in her/his role as a consumer, but all its facets and aspects as a human being. It is not the buyer of investments, pacemakers or Lego blocks, but the individual who build an enterprise, who does not dare to leave the house after dawn and wants to create. It is not about selling products, services or the asking of a fee for the time someone experiences entertainment or whatever. By asking a price for the experience one even commercializes it and runs the risk of undermining the value it represents. In a competitive market it becomes important to trust that ‘one who does good’ will finally get his share.

It is impossible for organizations to make this transition at once. It asks for experiments and pilots. Lessons have to be learned. One has to find out what works and what does not. The scalability of the projects and experiments needs to be studied.

With regard to the Experience Economy we made a distinction in three categories. We invite you to share with us the category you belong to and the best and worst experiences that you have with the Experience Economy.