The McKinsey Quartely’s report The Consumer Decision Journey main message advocates the necessity of a company’s presence throughout the consumer decision process. The importance of a company’s presence from the consideration stage to the post purchase stage is vital in keeping in touch with the target market. It establishes how companies need to be more in tune with their consumers’ lives. This entails new ways of marketing to be able to satisfy target markets. Consumers are taking control of the consumer decision journey. The consumer is now “pulling” information voluntarily rather than it needing to be “pushed” on them by the marketer. All of this concluding that the consumer decision process is no longer linear but circular. Meaning that consumers are being influenced from all around them, both marketers, their peers, and other consumers are an influence in their buying decisions.
As stated in the McKinsey report the consumer decision journey is no longer linear but circular. This modification calls for many changes in the way marketers strategize to reach their target market. McKinsey implies that no longer are consumers partaking in the awareness stage. It is now a trigger or impulse that begins the consumer decision journey. The trigger is not related to the awareness a consumer use to be faced with but with an event. These triggers are referred to as touch points in which the consumer begins to consider brands because of their recent exposure to them. That is where the second stage begins which is active evaluation before referred to as the consideration stage. This is when customers do their research on products, find out what other have to say whether it is from family & friends; website reviews; or other word of mouth. No longer is a brand in the safe zone if they make it past the consideration stage. Consumers are still identifying specific products in the consideration stage but they are more lenient and willing to consider other brands as they arise throughout the decision making process. This allowing for brands that were never initially in the consideration stage to come in and undertake the other products.With the consumer decision making process being circular consumer information inputs are coming from every direct. Information is virtually available anywhere and it can trigger a purchase or discourage it. Consumers are taking control of the information and doing and doing their own research instead of marketers pushing information on them. The consumers is using a “pull” gathering system versus the traditional “push” that the marketer was responsible for. It is important that marketers are able to participate in this information gathering because consumers want a two-way conversation. Not only that but they will also be able to build online word of mouth through consumer driven touch points.
The consumer decision journey is a continuous process because of the loyalty loop. The loyalty loop occurs after the consumer has made a decision. It involves the consumers post purchase experience and what the marketer does to shapes the opinion of the consumer. From this two types of loyalties are created passive and active. The goal in the loyalty loop is to create active loyalists that emit positive buzz and recommend that brand to their friends and family. continue to advocate for you brand. In the end creating strong brand advocates who stay loyal to that specific brand. The passive loyalists are what companies do not really want. These consumers are half-heartedly committed to brand and can easily be persuaded to purchase another brand. They keep an open mind to competitor messages to see what more can they offer them to make the decision of switching. McKinsey points out that having a group of active loyalists is something that marketers need to strongly do because they can create this positive word of mouth.
The consumer decision journey is not something new but there are changes that marketers need to be able to understand and address. It is important they be able to do so effectively there are four activities that McKinsey recommends for marketers. The first is to prioritize objectives and spending. Before marketers put focus on a certain area, there now needs to be a shift from the overall brand positioning to make consumers act. Companies need to be a part of all of the consumer decision journey and not only in certain touch points. Marketers need to also tailor the message they want to address their audience with. It no longer needs to be a weak general message but a message that pinpoints every area of the message they want spread. An investment also needs to be made in a consumer driven marketing strategy. A companies needs to be successful in getting their consumers to become advocates for their products. A way to do so is to use vehicles such as the internet to generate online word of mouth. This is an important way to communicate to consumers especially in the active-evaluation stage where consumers want information about products to be able to make a decision. The last activity that McKinsey talks about is to be able to win the in-store battle. Presentation is the key to doing so. Everything from packaging, shelf-position, powerful displays, and leading signage can lead to the encouragement or discouragement of a purchase. If marketers can synchronize what customers are looking for in an in-store purchase experience they can guarantee a purchase.
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