The consumer decision journey

Consumers are moving outside the purchasing funnel—changing the way they research and buy your products. If your marketing hasn’t changed in response, it should.

McKinsey Quarterly, June 30, 2009 — If marketing has one goal, it’s to reach consumers at the moments that most influence their decisions. That’s why consumer electronics companies make sure not only that customers see their televisions in stores but also that those televisions display vivid high-definition pictures. It’s why Amazon.com, a decade ago, began offering targeted product recommendations to consumers already logged in and ready to buy. And it explains P&G’s decision, long ago, to produce radio and then TV programs to reach the audiences most likely to buy its products—hence, the term “soap opera.”

Study: Blogs Influence Purchases More Than Social Sites

ClickZ, October 28, 2008 — Blogs can have more impact on purchase decisions than social networks, a new study finds. Blogs create a conversation and trusted resource that influences purchase decision.

The study, "Harnessing the Power of Blogs," sponsored research by BuzzLogic and conducted by JupiterResearch, a Forrester Research company, looks at the evolving influence from the reader's perspective. "What we wanted to do was look at the reader's side of the coin, look at reader patterns and how people are reading blogs...and drill down into the content impacting other media platforms," said Valerie Combs, VP of corporate communications at BuzzLogic.

Affluent Women Dramatically ‘Multiply’ Major Purchases with Word-of-Mouth

Marketing Charts, October 22, 2008 — A new subset of affluent women dubbed “Marketing Multipliers” spends twice as much as other affluent women on consumer electronics and fashion, and uses dramatically more online and offline word-of-mouth to drive increased purchases, according to a study from the New York Times Company.

Based on qualitative interviews and a survey of more than 3,000 women with household incomes of at least $100K, the research identifies a combination of extensive social networks, past recommending behavior and personality traits that differentiate influential Marketing Multipliers from other affluent women.

“In a time of tight marketing budgets and an increased focus on return, this study provides advertisers a much better understanding of consumers who are... continue reading