Cadent's Customer Journey Series: Cultivating Preference in the Digital Age

That hasn39t always been the caseamp160 More advertising used to be focused on showcasing product attributes and differentiation such as taking on quotthe other leading brandquotamp160 This classic Volkswagen ad for instance notes that the Beetle got 25 miles per gallon quota lot more than the average domestic carquotamp160 Ads for Thomas39 English Muffins used to go on about its quotnooks and cranniesquot and the fact that they were quotforksplitquot whatever that meantThese days social media and ubiquitous internet access mean prospects can now research whatever they39re thinking of buying at a time of their choosingamp160 While most inmarket shoppers conduct online research before making a purchase the majority of that research is not produced by the brandEnter TV advertising as an education and consideration toolamp160 Because people pay more attention to TV ads than any other type of advertising running TV ads in the awareness stage is crucial in setting up the criteria for the buyer and connecting at an emotional levelamp160 That emotional statement is especially important because it weeds out people who aren39t philosophically aligned with your brandWhat Consumers are Looking ForFor the consumer the preference stage is about doing homework setting criteria and finding the product or serviceamp160 Think about the mindset of a consumer in the consideration phaseamp160 By this time he or she has already recognized a need or desireamp160 quotTime for new running shoesquotamp160 The thought process then leads to a search for information about shoes in a certain price range that is recommended for the person39s needsamp160 That leads them to make a list of options in the marketThe evaluation process isn39t as linear and logical as you might thinkamp160 Someone may research a certain brand of shoe and home in on a particular model then loop back to researching brandsAffinity plays a big role in the preference stage of the journey that39s why TV advertising can be very effective at this stageamp160 By reaching an interested consumer in an immersive way with high quality messaging advertisers can help create an emotional connection between a buyer and a brand that augments and in some cases supersedes the features checklist they39ve madeOne reason for this is that consumers pay more attention to alternatives when they39re searching for alternativesamp160 This is a variation on the quotobservational selection biasquot in which we buy a new car and suddenly notice that the same car is everywhereamp160 In hunting and gathering mode we are more aware of alternativesBut isn39t finding consumers inmarket for your product only something digital media can doamp160 Not anymoreamp160amp160Advanced TV particularly household addressable now can use the same datasets as digital media enabling advertisers to reach consumers on the big screen in their home as they research and set their buying criteriaWhen that targeting capability is combined with first and thirdparty datasets advertisers can layer on relevant data to personalize their campaigns by showing ads only to segments where specific preferenceforming messages will resonateamp160amp160Settopbox data paired with behavioral purchaseamp160and demographic data helps marketers target highly specific household audience segmentsThe other reason TV is effective in the consideration stage is that TV advertising creates a trigger effectamp160 Sixtyeight percent of Millennials use a smartphone or laptop while they watch TV according to eMarketeramp160 Google39s research shows twothirds of smartphone owners use their phones to learn more about something they saw in a TV commercialamp160 If you39re thinking of buying new running shoes then an ad for running shoes will get your attention but one that focuses on a specific need like your level of pronation will really get your attentionHow This Looks in the Real WorldIdeally TV and digital messaging coalesce in this phase to move the consumer through the purchase journeyamp160 If a consumer is searching for a new winter jacket the advertiser could run banner ads for the jackets then use addressable TV to target specific audience segmentsamp160such as adventure seekersamp160to show those households a spot demonstrating how the jacket performs best in an active lifestyleamp160 The sight soundamp160and motion of television combined with smart messaging would provide the consumer with the emotional statement and information to choose that brand over a competitorThe upshot is that TV advertising is more adaptable than in the pastamp160 Now advertisers can find those consumers inmarket for a product or service and reach them during the consideration phaseamp160 That will move them to the ultimate goal taking actionClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Cadent's Customer Journey Series: Cultivating Preference in the Digital Age

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"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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Cadent's Customer Journey Series: Cultivating Preference in the Digital Age

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"About That with Carl Mayer": Involved Media Connected Audience Fall 2024 Report (Episode 5) - By Carl Mayer

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