Last week, I came across an interesting reading article about the consumer decision journey. The article talks about how the consumer decision journey is starting to change. In the past, the traditional way to gain the loyalty of customers might start from awareness, familiarity, consideration, purchase and then loyalty. But now, there are four primary phases representing potential battlegrounds where marketers can win or lose –
1) initial consideration
2) active evaluation, or the process of researching potential purchases
3) closure, when consumers buy brands
4) postpurchase, when consumers experience them
As I ponder about the consumer package industry, I thought about how P&G Olay products are a great example of how they are tailoring their offerings to the current needs when a consumer makes a decision. Through Olayforyou.com, P&G provides credible consultative advice for consumers without them having to leave their home. P&G understood the frustrations women faced in having to choose a suitable skin product, and invented a streamlined way to connect with consumers online. The site’s narrator walks a customer through a series of engaging questions about her skin and from analyzing the customer’s responses, the system quickly assembles a tailored set of recommendations for a regime that is designed to meet one’s age and stated desires.
Specifically, I feel that by creating a unique shopping experience in the ‘active evaluation’ stage, Olayforyou.com has naturally won customers over in the closure and postpurchase stages. By giving personalized recommendations, P&G is minimizing customers’ research time and directing them to what they want, yet giving them a range of options suited to their skin. With customer reviews about the products, this increases customers’ confidence in a product during the closure stage. And when consumers experience the product, they can always ‘share’ their experience with their friends. Since this is an “online” experience, sharing becomes more transparent – others can look at the reviews of other customers or try the shopping experience themselves.
With increased satisfaction and better experience, P&G does see an increase in their equity scores and better loyalty to the brand.