The Forces of Customer Experience

The importance of customer experience (CX) as a driver of financial performance is widely acknowledged. Read more about how organizations can move beyond functional customer experience metrics to build stronger emotional connections that drive loyalty, advocacy and long-term growth.

Since its launch in 2020, the Forces of CX has become the golden thread across Ipsos measurement, design, analytics, and advisory work, helping organizations in B2C and B2B globally to create the Experience Advantage and deliver a Return on CX Investment (ROCXI). 

Building on the work presented in our original Forces of CX paper, this updated version distils years of practice and draws on fresh data, analysis and case studies.

The Forces of CX framework

Our Forces of CX framework helps organizations understand and respond to the emotional needs that shape customer relationships. While many businesses focus on operational improvements such as reducing effort, increasing speed and resolving issues faster, these actions only prevent dissatisfaction. They rarely create the memorable experiences that distinguish market leaders from the competition.

At the heart of the framework are six universal human needs, known as the Forces of CX:

Our research shows that emotionally attached customers are significantly more likely to remain loyal, recommend a brand to others and continue their relationship even after a negative experience. In this way, emotional attachment becomes not just a customer experience objective, but a measurable business asset that influences retention, revenue and return on customer experience investment. 

The paper also offers practical guidance on how organizations can apply the framework across every stage of the customer journey. We show how customer priorities change depending on context, expectations and moments of truth, and how the Forces can be used to align strategy, research, service design, frontline delivery and ROI measurement around a common customer-centric language.

Whether you are responsible for customer experience, marketing, service design, operations or business strategy, we provide a practical guide for creating experiences that customers remember and value.

Download the paper to discover the complete Forces of CX framework, explore the supporting research, and learn how to build emotionally engaging experiences that drive a true return and provide a lasting competitive advantage.