NEW YORK—Peppercom has launched a new service, Audience Experience, designed to help companies design marketing and communications strategies that align with the way customers actually use their products and services.

The firm has enlisted Emily Yellin (pictured), a former New York Times correspondent and author of Your Call is (Not That) Important to Us, to work closely on the development of Audience Experience.

The new offering was designed after Peppecom survey 75 chief marketing and communications officers about whether they had ever put themselves in the shoes of their key customers—only a quarter had done so—and helps company executives experience the various touch points (online, in-store, advertising, events, and more) through which customers come into contact with their products and services.

The firm will conduct interviews with marketing, communications, sales and customer service executives, and fieldwork with retail customers; analyze and map customer journeys, and the storylines they experience; and then conduct workshops that deliver deeper insights into customer experiences.

According to Peppercom managing partner Steve Cody, “It’s our belief that the average Fortune 500 corporation is making a fundamental mistake by relying solely on traditional market research and creating their marketing and communications plan before experiencing the brand.”