Q&A: Meet...AntiConLX Global Speaker Michela Cocco

Going loco with Michela Cocco might not actually be a song by the Four Tops. But it should be, considering how excited we are for her AntiConLX Global sesh!

 Michela is an international Customer Experience expert for Nestlé Nespresso who strongly believes in CX to break the silos in the organization and drive business growth. In her career she has led global CX transformation projects in international companies across different industries: Telecommunications, Retail, Utilities, Food&Beverage. 

She has an endless pool of skills, from CX strategy, CX design, Customer Journey, CX governance, and customer-centric culture development. 

Join Michela at this year's AntiConLX Global, where she'll be speaking on Humanising the digital customer experience!

We chatted to Michela ahead of her session to get her tips, tricks and insights:

We want to hear about you, marketing legend. Give us a quick overview of what your company does and your roles and responsibilities there!

WE LIKE TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY Who we are and what we stand for is rooted in our coffee expertise, our innovative spirit and the farmers we work with.  We’ve spent the last 30 years fine-tuning our know-how, partnering with the finest craftsmen along the way. We want to work with people who care as much about the little details as we do. Because in the end, that’s what makes the difference.  

Throughout our coffee value chain – from our skilled agronomists and farmers to our in-house coffee development experts, factory teams and coffee ambassadors, right through to our customers – we’ve assembled a team of coffee experts that share our obsession with uncompromising quality. 

Together, we’ve developed a range of exceptional coffees, machines and services tailored to every preference, and developed to meet the strictest quality standards. In my role, as a Global CX & Innovation Manager, I take care of the design and delivery of new value propositions, customer journeys and experiences that will shape the future of Nestlé Nespresso globally.

 
 
What, in your opinion, makes a great AntiConLX Global presentation?

I would consider a presentation as great when the audience leaves the "room" thinking about how they could apply what they have just heard and seen to their industry, in their organisation or project, and that thought sticks in their mind for some time.

 
 
What bull$hit industry advice do you hear too often?

Digital is the solution to every problem! It is true that in our era digital is key, but we shouldn't forget about what different customers need on which channel, and be there.

What’s your biggest industry gripe? Don’t hold back!

Customer Experience is something that has been around for quite some time now, how is it possible that still some people across different industries don't consider it as a no-brainer? We are all customers out of our offices, aren't we?

 
 
What advice would you give for starting a career in the industry?

Do you want to become an outstanding CX manager? Equip yourself  with a lot of patience then :) 

Working in customer experience can be challenging sometimes as not all the organisations today are structured in a customer centric way, but rather in a product centric way.

Being a CX manager means orchestration the end - to - end  customer  journey and delivering a full experience and ecosystem to your end customer, not "just" a product.

If you find yourself in a company that it is still on their journey to customer centricity, start small, select one key project aligned  with the company strategy and objectives, design the end-to-end experience, launch, and monitor the results to finally show that a customer-centric approach is always the way to go.

 
 
We’ve all read about Mark Wahlberg’s insane 2:30am morning routine, filled with golf and cryo-chambers. What’s your personal morning routine?

Of course, I couldn't start my day without a great cup of Nespresso!

 
 
What up-and-coming trend or tech do you predict will take the industry by storm?

The "humanisation" of the digital channels is something that was boosted by Covid but it's here  to stay. We are all humans, we all need some sort of human interactions, even on digital and remote channels.

 
 
What was your first job, and how did it help you develop in your industry?

I have started my career at Vodafone, I was lucky enough to join at the moment where an important CX transformation was happening. It is at that time that I joined the "Zero defect customer journey" team. As the name says, the ambition was to deliver a perfect experience to our customers.

The customer-centric mindset of the company was already very strong, and I am so grateful that I have been "contaminated" at the beginning of my career. On top of this, you can imagine how complex it could be to work in a leading global telecommunication company, I let you imagine the complexity of the processes and the speed of reactivity you need to have is something go wrong. This really allowed me to learn how to react fast in order  to avoid as much as possible any problem for our customers.

 
 
Who's a public speaker you admire, and what makes them good at what they do?

I would mention Barack Obama for his empathy, his "people-centred" language, and his willingness to reduce the distance among him and his audience to 0.

 
 
If you could recommend one book, podcast, tv show, magazine, or piece of bathroom stall graffiti, what would it be?

"Born a crime" by Trevor Noah, an autobiographical comedy book written by the South African comedian Trevor Noah. A funny way to tell a sad story.

What is your favourite marketing campaign of all time?

"Just do it" by Nike. Launched more than 30 years ago, it was one of the few campaigns not product-centred, that had instead the objective of inspiring a positive feeling in the customer and finding a way to resonate with their values and desires. It seems normal now, but try to go back in time by 30 years, how disruptive was it?

 
 
Can our audience expect any future projects on the horizon, personal or professional?

Too many, stay tuned ;)