From Target Experience to Competitive Strategy: Unpacking Strategic Intent in B2B Customer Experience Management

Customer experience management (CXM) is a strategic priority for service firms, yet its conceptualization and implementation in business-to-business (B2B) markets remain underdeveloped. Existing research offers limited insight into the nature of customer experience (CX) as a managerial objective and into competitive CXM strategies. This study addresses these gaps by examining the nature of B2B firms’ target experiences (TXs), defined as the set of customer reactions a firm intentionally seeks to evoke, and how TXs inform CXM strategy. Using an abductive approach, we conducted a qualitative field study of forty-one B2B service providers practicing CXM with strategic intent. Our findings reveal two TX approaches: general TX, emphasizing reactions’ valence (e.g., positive, improved), and specific TX, describing qualitatively distinct reactions (e.g., effortless, caring, inspiring). The findings show how the nature of TXs shapes the execution of CXM, shared CX culture, and CX-based competitive positioning. We further identify two competitive CXM strategies—responsive and proactive—and articulate their conditions and implications. This study advances service research by clarifying CX as a managerial objective, explicating TX’s role within CXM, and introducing a framework for TX-informed CXM strategies. For B2B service firms, the study offers actionable insights to advance differentiation through CX.