72% of Kiwi consumers believe companies are not fulfilling the promises they make, the Brand Experience Gap study has found.
Created by the tech-driven creative agency Accenture Song, the study assesses the ‘gap’ between the promises brands make and the experiences customers actually have.
This year, the study analysed 65 brands across six different sectors in New Zealand.
Financial services providers exhibit an experience gap of 63%, indicating that 63% of their customers feel their primary provider fails to deliver on its promises. 33% of financial services customers identified fair fees and interest rates as one of the key areas needing improvement.
Media and entertainment companies, including content streaming services, have an overall experience gap of 79%. Key areas for improvement were enabling users to manage and customise content (81%) and ensuring content is frequently refreshed to prevent boredom (78%).
The study also explored other sectors, revealing brand experience gaps of 71% for general insurance, 72% for telecommunications, 68% for utilities, and 76% for travel and tourism.
“Customers are demanding more from the brands they deal with, and rightly so. In an increasingly complex business environment, companies simply can’t afford to promise what they can’t deliver,” Storm Day, NZ Lead at Accenture Song, said.
“Again in 2025, we’re seeing a stubbornly high experience gap among brands in New Zealand. But this gap comes with an opportunity, as closing it is one of the best ways to build long-term customer trust.
For Day, “The key is to treat customer experience as a purpose-led growth driver, not just a budget line item.”
“Sectors like financial services are holding steady because they’ve invested in owning the customer experience, along with the systems and strategies to support it.”
“It’s also important to remember that your brand doesn’t exist in a vacuum. You might be closing gaps, but if your competitors are closing them faster, people notice that. Customers’ experiences are framed by all the organisations they deal with, not just those in your sector.”
Day said intelligent technologies such as generative AI to genuinely fulfil organisational purpose will transform intentions into actions and help bridge the gap.