SPONSORED CONTENT
Maury Giles
SVP, Brand,System & Journey Solutions Team Leader
Heart+Mind Strategies
512-656-3800
What’s missing from customer decision journey work?
We are seeing an explosion of interest in the customer journey. Why? Digital and social media have dramatically changed the path to decision-making. Old models assumed that a compelling message, when repeated, would build awareness, interest, desire and finally action. Voila! In the aisle, the voting booth, the boardroom, they’d choose your brand. It’s not so simple anymore. The most compelling message can fall short as a swirl of influencers, channels and options stand between your customer and the decision you need them to make.
But the old linear models remain. We hear clients talk about getting customers “into” or “through the funnel” as though decisions still follow a straight line. How do you resonate within today’s journey dynamics?
Our strategy is to leverage a systems approach. We know the path is shaped and behaviors influenced by the brand and life systems in which people make decisions. We unpack these systems to identify the rational and emotional needs they have at key points along the journey. This involves assessing the discrete phases, behaviors and drivers of the journey in addition to the ecosystem of influences shaping how decisions are made. The resulting journey map captures a visual and holistic view of these dynamics to provide a common framework for your planning teams. It also allows us to isolate the role the brand must play to deliver the right solution in the right way at the right moment. Our bottom line: We architect clear imperatives for brand success.
John Lo
Director, Marketing Intelligence
University of British Columbia
What is the biggest misunderstanding within the MR industry regarding panel research?
Panel research is not survey research. Insight communities offer a two-way relationship with panelists, whereas traditional survey research is rather one-directional –typically an “ask and answer” type of interaction. Best practice panel research entails closing the loop for respondents on survey outcomes, creating a sense of connection and ownership over the initiative or strategy being researched.In this way, insight communities have potential to be brand-defining touchpoints for organizations, provided that they are managed as such.