Zero moment of truth

by Mohenesh Chamith Buthgumwa

The marketing world is plagued with buzzwords. But there's one up-and-coming buzzword that may have more substance to it than most: the "Zero Moment of Truth." Coined by Google in their 2011 eBook ZMOT.

Google partnered with Shopper Sciences, which talked to 5,000 consumers that had made a large purchase in major categories. Google wanted to understand what sources of information these consumers used to make their purchase decisions and which were most influential. Google and Shopper Sciences gathered and analysed 50 different drivers influencing purchase decisions, and categorised them by stimulus (newspaper ad, radio ad), Zero Moment of Truth (online search), and First Moment of Truth (in-store purchase). What Google discovered is that the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) between the stimulus and First Moment of Truth is where buyers are conducting important research. Buyers are using a higher average number of online sources in their research (10.4 in 2011 versus 5.27 in 2010), and are spending more time with these sources (17 percent of time in 2011 versus 9 percent in 2010).

The term "First Moment of Truth" (commonly called FMOT) was coined by Procter and Gamble in 2005 to define the first interaction between a shopper and a product on a store's shelf. This moment was considered one of the most important marketing opportunities for a brand, as P and G asserted - and others believed - that shoppers make up their mind about a product in the first few seconds after they encounter that product for the first time.

While this first moment of truth is still important, the rise of full internet adoption and increased search engine use often lead to many brand interactions taking place between a consumer and a brand before that consumer ever sees a product on a shelf. This phenomenon is what we are calling the "Zero Moment of Truth", or ZMOT. When consumers hear about a product today, their first reaction is 'let me search for it online.' And so they go on a journey of discovery: about a product, a service, an issue, an opportunity.

As Google defines it: The Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) is that moment when you grab your laptop, mobile phone or some other wired device and start learning about a product/service you're thinking about trying or buying. Consumers no longer want to just hear what you have to say about your brand, they want to know that your brand is as good as you say it is. With the amazing ease of access we have to information via smart phones, tablets, laptops, and PCs, we can find incredible details online about all possible brands in a matter of minutes. And when we're ready to buy, we now buy with confidence. It is these Zero Moments of Truth that determine whether we (the consumers) do business with you, or don't.

As Jim Lecinski says about ZMOT, "It's a new decision-making moment that takes place a hundred million times a day on mobile phones, laptops and wired devices of all kinds.

It's a moment where marketing happens, where information happens and where consumers make choices that affect the success and failure of nearly every brand in the world." Your consumers are now learning from search results, user reviews, ratings, text ads, image ads, news headlines, friend's social media posts and good old-fashioned brand websites. And they are learning before they reach your brand and even as they are deciding. The buying decision journey has changed.

Here are some FMOT vs. ZMOT examples that illustrate how ZMOT has turned conventional brand insight on its head:

Example 1

FMOT: Consumers arrived at a fast food restaurant and scoured the menu on the spot to decide what to order.

ZMOT: Consumers go online to research their food options, perhaps looking for health and value, in advance of getting in line to place an order.

Example 2

FMOT: Consumers found out about a local brand's promotional event (like free ice cream day) via stumbling upon it, or by seeing a flier posted in the neighbourhood.

ZMOT: Consumers become aware of these events in advance either through e-mail newsletters, becoming fans on social media sites, or following brands on sites like Twitter. Not only that, but they can tell hundreds of their friends and family all about it in real time with one quick social networking status post.

Example 3

FMOT: Consumers waited for their monthly beauty magazine issue to arrive, to learn about the next season's hot looks.

ZMOT: Consumers are going online to find inspiration for their own looks, and to get tips and tricks from experts - or to take their cues from a favourite celebrity.

Winning the ZMOT Game

How do you take advantage of ZMOT for your marketing? How should your business embrace ZMOT principles? Here are some actionable examples you can implement in your business immediately.

SEO:

Showing up in search engines is important, but for ZMOT, it goes beyond picking the keywords that are relevant to your solutions. Shoppers and browsers won't always remember your product exactly, but they'll remember ancillary details you might not think to optimise for.

Social Media:

With social media results appearing in Google searches, connecting your social media efforts to your other marketing efforts is increasingly vital.

Ratings and Reviews:

Your customers are already talking. They're already writing reviews on other websites. Other potential customers are seeing these reviews before they buy. You can't stop it, but instead, choose to support it and engage your customers. Here are some tips:

Feature positive reviews on your site in prominent places

Integrate a product review system on your site or pull in reviews from other sites.

Keep an eye on reviews on other sites

Respond to negative reviews in a constructive way

Know what people are searching for

Would you put a billboard up before you know how many people will see the ad? Similarly, why start a marketing campaign before you know if anyone will see it? How do you determine what people want to see? The answer is to find out what people are searching for in the first place. It's the online equivalent of putting a billboard on a busy highway.

Proper Landing Pages:

Think about when someone clicks on the link in your ad or video or other marketing pieces. Does the link go to your homepage that doesn't speak to anything in your marketing, or does it go to an optimised landing page that continues the messaging from your ad?