The Idea in Brief
Consumers today connect with brands in fundamentally new ways, often through media channels that are beyond manufacturers’ and retailers’ control. That means traditional marketing strategies must be redesigned to accord with how brand relationships have changed.
Once, a shopper would systematically winnow his brand choices to arrive at a final selection and complete his engagement by making a purchase. Now, relying heavily on digital interactions, he evaluates a shifting array of options and remains engaged with the brand through social media after a purchase.
Smart marketers will study this “consumer decision journey” for their products and use the insights they gain to revise strategy, media spend, and organizational roles.
The internet has upended how consumers engage with brands. It is transforming the economics of marketing and making obsolete many of the function’s traditional strategies and structures. For marketers, the old way of doing business is unsustainable.
