Conceptualizing customer experience in multi-actor platforms

Customer experience (CX) is a critical marketing concept, yet most CX research has focused on pipeline business settings. This paper presents a framework for CX in multi-actor platform settings. The study identifies key differences between multi-actor platforms and pipeline businesses based on extant literature. Using value cocreation as a theoretical lens, the study uses the key differentiating characteristics to identify the emerging drivers of CX for platform touchpoints. These include ecosystem integration capabilities, optimized matchmaking algorithms, robust digital and technological support systems, trust and reputation mechanisms, and prosumption opportunities. Further, the study identifies provider-specific drivers of CX as asset performance, skills and capabilities, interpersonal interaction capabilities, and ambiance. The findings suggest that CX is not only shaped through interactions between multiple actors but also by the capabilities of the system as a whole to facilitate value cocreation processes. The paper presents propositions to further our understanding of CX in such business settings.