Thanks to an April 1st post on Jay Baer’s Convince & Convert blog, I landed upon Google’s latest free eBook – “Zero Moment of Truth” on the “new” mental model of marketing.
A fantastic read, the free book focuses on how marketing has made a fundamental shift since social media entered the scene. Until social media hit mainstream, consumers were hit by stimulus (advertising, direct mail, etc.), followed by their first buying decision when they see the product on the shelf (the first moment of truth), then hit with a second moment of truth during the experience of using the product.
Now? Consumer buying cycles have changed – people leverage online reviews and research before making a buying decision, they rely on smartphones while they shop, and multiple pieces of information (10.4 sources) converge into a single moment of decision.