• by Sean Hargrave , Staff Writer, May 4, 2018

It's funny when you hear someone incredibly famous talk about their success to see that there is often a strategy behind it. A thought-out plan that means being one of the most recognisable people on the planet doesn't just happen -- it is built. Everyone in any part of any business can learn a lot from the famous faces we see on television.

That's what I found today when Victoria Beckham took to the Adobe Summit EMEA stage in London. The theme was experience and how everyone within a business has to devote themselves from thinking about how they can change customer experience and doing it. I think we're all guilty of thinking about how we could change things at work or how the brands we interact with could improve their customer journey. Very few of us ever do anything about it.

So, interestingly, to understand Victoria Beckham you need to get a hook on what she wanted The Spice Girls to be. Even on day one it had nothing to do with winning awards and number ones -- although those would be the sign of success. She told her manager, Simon Fuller, that she wanted the group to be as big as Persil. Yes -- a young Victoria Beckham had the famous laundry detergent from Unilever as her target when she strutted along to "Wannabe" and other chart toppers. 

Then, when she set up her fashion empire, she had a very clear goal from the outset. Having been photographed many times, she wanted the silhouette of what she calls a "sucky, sucky" dress to be her calling card. Throw in a bit of corsetry so her dresses are flattering and you have a brand image that makes her dresses instantly recognisable -- apparently they are, but I really haven't got a clue.

Anyway, the thing that stuck with me was that in addition to wanting to be Persil and having a distinctive look, she wanted to be the first luxury fashion house that was built around a digital relationship with customers but wasn't cold. She has huge reach on social media but still wanted her shop in London to be a warm, welcoming place. 

The reason is simple. It's not a secret that no woman ever wants to feel like Julia Roberts in "Pretty Woman" when she is turned away from a designer store. Well, that actually happened to Victoria. She was heavily pregnant and got turned away from a store in London that didn't recognise her with a curt warning that they wouldn't have anything that would be right for her. 

It always stayed with her, and so it became the cornerstone of staff training at her London store. All are welcome. The clothes may cost a sizeable chunk of cash, but people just looking should never be made to feel like imposters. 

So what did the 5,000 assembled delegates learn today? Probably that it's good to dream as big as Persil and you have to use your own experiences, and those around you, to fine-tune what customer experience you want. Ultimately, I think, we all got to see that thinking isn't enough, marketers and brand managers have got to live the brand and act on their vision. It's not enough to just imagine.