Frankfurt, November 26th, 2021

With a team located in Berlin, Stuttgart and Frankfurt, Experience One is an award-winning agency that helps companies to define, create and deliver the best digital experience for customers worldwide.

They believe that at the center of digital transformation the right mindset and the right team will make the difference.

Kai Henrik Müller is the founder and the CEO of Experience One. In an interview with TIA, he described his professional background and the start of the agency, highlighting the factors that differentiates it from the rest.

He looked at the changes in customer experience strategy in the automotive industry and went through recent examples of his work.

To kick things off, what’s one must-do experience in Frankfurt in your opinion?

The Museumsuferfest. Coming back from the US as a student in 2002 this event was the most welcoming mix of nice people and an authentic atmosphere for me. You can have a glass of Äppler (apple wine) while enjoying the Mainhattan skyline.

Tell us a little bit about your background, how was the day you founded the company?

Recalling that moment, I immediately remember two emotions: First, a strong appreciation for the past years right before we founded Experience One. At the time we were still working at Daimler AG and were able to establish the very first digital platform at Mercedes-Benz (eMB) worldwide. Being able to reach out to so many people around the world, from the digital headquarters to retail, influenced me a lot. Mercedes-Benz taught us, what quality and true excellence is all about and how to deliver at scale – to every single customer around the globe. Our team was amazing and so special that even now, 20 years later, there are still reunions of the core members. Secondly, founding our company to build a great team on our own has been the most inspiring challenge.

Could you describe Experience One in a few words?

At Experience One, we are all about empowering people to do things in a new and improved way by delivering innovative and responsible digital experiences. In every challenge we detect something beautiful, that can make a huge difference for customers. Our ambition is no less than to build the one experience that changes everything.

In your opinion, how has customer experience strategy in the automotive industry changed over the course of the last 10 years?

There is a whole area of customer experience (CX) that can be improved without having to change the way you do things as an organization: web platforms, product and marketing communication, social media or apps. These CX capabilities can be outsourced and have been maxed out for two decades now. Everybody has them and they therefore are no longer a unique selling proposition.

Here is what has changed now: With the connected car the digital customer experience has finally become the core offering and forces companies to do things very differently. Being so close to the product itself, this cannot be outsourced anymore – companies must become tech-driven and employ a different kind of people with a completely new mindset. From managing CX optimization to innovating new experiences that set companies apart from the competition. From thinking in product features to offering pivotal experiences to customers. From treating mobile as a marketing channel to leveraging the most important, personalized interface to your customer. It is not about claiming customer centricity, it is about actually creating impact on the customer experience.

What strategy do you use to manage your fast growth?

I think it is not about growing fast in the first place. It is about growing in the right direction. That is why we put people at the center of every decision we make. Our growth is partner-made, our business scales with platform thinking. We treat every project as a platform business that must create long-term value for multiple stakeholders, this means not only for customers, but also for employees (CX, EX). In our experience this is the only way to grow sustainably.

How can leadership create and then cultivate an inclusive workplace?

In my experience there are three key factors to successful leadership: Honesty. Humor. Humility. Always with the goal in mind to inspire people to do the best work of their lives – every day.

What is some recent work from Experience One that you’re most proud of?

We are currently helping OLYMP, a leading European manufacturer for menswear, to become a digital-first organization when it comes to customer experience and sales transformation. Re-connecting with clients after the pandemic has become vital and insures the future existence of businesses.

What was the toughest challenge you faced when growing a business?

If you have a great team that trusts each other there is nothing that you will not achieve. At the same time, building relationships and developing the best team is one of the biggest challenge one can face. At the core, our way to achieve this is to have every confidence in our people and give them the ownership and freedom to create the best customer experience for our clients.

In an era of nearly exponential technological growth, what defines innovation?

I think innovation is all about solving problems to create a better human experience in
the long run. We see a lot of tech that never impacts people’s lives for the better or that aims at short term profits. In a time where we are facing radical climate change and many other global challenges only true innovation will lead us towards a better future for everyone.

In your opinion, what’s the most important factor that leads companies to create a successful digital transformation?

The people. Change requires the right mindset to accept a state of uncertainty before achieving the next stable level of a better future. No technology will help you achieve that, only the people around you. So, building the right mindset in the company always comes first.

You’ve been able to shape many brands in your career, but what are some of the biggest mistakes you’ve seen from companies trying to thrive and stay relevant?

Most companies lack a true obsession for customer impact – or let’s say they lose this ambition over time if they focus too much on short term benefits. Many spend millions on and talk all day about CX without anything happening at the customer frontend. If the actual customer experience doesn’t improve, chances are you are too obsessed with yourself. So my advice is: don’t try to make an innovation omelet without cracking the old eggs.

If you could change or improve anything about the industry, what would it be?

I would give people the ability to see the big picture and value long-term goals over short-term benefits. Customer experience is an infinite game, not something you can achieve within a given time frame or career episode.

Could you name three important things or experiences that have brought you to where you are today?

Working at Mercedes-Benz – “The best or nothing”.
Helping General Motors to scale the digital experience of seven brands – by reaching out to people in more than 60 countries worldwide.
The innovation space Forstland in New York City – learning about the impact that your environment can have on the success and scalability of your work.

In this industry or in life, have you had any particularly influential mentors?

Marius Naidin. He was my mentor in sports when I was thinking about playing Bundesliga handball and he was also the first person to give me a job in the digital world. More than anything he trusted me to always come up with a solution to an unknown problem.

Can you name a fun-fact people would be surprised to learn about you?

I am quite competitive when it comes to the next table tennis game at work – and who doesn’t like to challenge the CEO 😉

Thanks Kai!

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