Analog? Digital? Doesn't matter!

In so many conferences, workshops, and discussions, everything revolves around "digitalization", with the "digital customer" and his wishes at all touchpoints of the purchasing process (Customer Journey) as well as at all stages of the product experience before, during, and after the purchase (Customer Lifecycle) being central. It is said that "everyone is more focused on the digital customer" while a clear dividing line is drawn wherever possible between the antiquated analog customer and his cozy, idyllic world on one side, and that very digital customer and the fascinating (but intimidating) new world on the other. Does the digital customer exist? Let me ask a question: Does the often-quoted digital customer and his counterpart, the forever analog customer, actually exist? I wonder if it is even still relevant to distinguish between digital and analog, between online and offline. With an open look at everyday life, it becomes clear that the boundaries have long been blurred, with both customers and providers switching between the analog and digital "worlds", combining elements, and creating symbioses. In this symbiosis, people are multi-optional and multimedia, sometimes digital and sometimes analog, sometimes on a smartphone and sometimes on a landline, sometimes on YouTube and sometimes on TV, sometimes at Amazon and sometimes in the shopping mall, sometimes on Facebook and sometimes at the counter, sometimes on Tripadvisor and sometimes with a travel guide in hand, sometimes on Expedia and sometimes at Rosi's Travel Corner. Yet no presumed opposites withstand scrutiny, as the boundaries between digital and analog have long been blurred on the provider side: landlines run on VOIP, the TV is smart, Amazon opens physical stores, photos from the counter are shared socially, travel guides are also available as apps, and Rosi provides customer service on Facebook. How many times a day are you online? What a silly question... The customer wants maximum relevance - always and everywhere The customer also no longer fits into any one category. He wants the best possible information, neutral information, relevant information tailored to his situation, device, and location. He wants the right product with the highest current relevance for him, presented in a personalized and situation-appropriate manner. Above all, the customer wants a product that makes him happy. Because then he will share it and soon return as a loyal customer. The customer at the center One should not even have to invoke this truism anymore, but it should still be the mantra for every industry: The customer and his wishes are and will remain the focal point of all actions. And the product shaped in this way remains the centerpiece of marketing - analog as well as digital.