Google's New Moment of Truth: Why CMOs Need to Invest in Micro-Moments

Remember Google’s Zero Moment of Truth–that moment when a consumer began his or her digital journey through search and next steps were defined by what made the list? Well, Google just shared research about micro-moments, new consumer behavior for marketers to learn and master, and it’s a game changer.

What makes this new moment interesting and equally challenging is that it’s not really one moment, it’s a series of micro-moments that amount to the new reality of consumer behavior. Building upon the Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT) and the consumer steps that followed, these new micro-moments unbundle activities and break them down into smaller, more manageable (and winnable) scenarios.

Before we can appreciate the magnitude of Google’s new micro-moments though, we have to understand how they expand the company’s perspective on the Zero Moment of Truth.

In 2011, Google released an ebook written by Jim Lecinski,Winning in the Zero Moment of Truth, that helped those in advertising, search, social and marketing win in the early stages of discovery. The premise of the book introduced the world to a series of key moments when consumers undergo their journey before, during and after transactions. These Moments of Truths, starting with ZMOT, required new, intentional strategies and investments to help brands become discoverable, capture attention and guide consumers to and through purchase while also delivering great experiences.

The idea was that once a consumer searches on Google, and your ZMOT strategy earned the attention of that consumer, Google helped you connect the dots between the next moments of truth to build more successful customer relationships:

• First Moment of Truth (FMOT)—Introduced by P&G, it’s what people think when they see your product and it’s the impressions they form when they read the words describing your product.
• Second Moment of Truth (SMOT)—It’s what people feel, think, see, hear, touch, smell, and (sometimes) taste as they experience your product over time. It’s also how your company supports them in their efforts throughout the relationship.

But now, mobile and social are disrupting everything, redrawing the consumer journey in ways that force marketers to adapt and innovate in real time.

Shortly after the release of ZMOT, I introduced what I called the Ultimate Moment of Truth (UMOT)—the moment when people go online to review, post about, or otherwise share their experiences with a product.

Through social media, people share thoughts, insights, answers, feedback and other forms of shared experiences that become discoverable (and sought after by other consumers) and people go through their digital journey. For instance, when someone searches on Google to learn more in the Zero Moment of Truth, my research found that shared consumer experiences such as YouTube videos, online reviews, blog posts, social conversations etc., resulted in either pushing people forward or changing the direction of their next steps. This is key because what people experienced, and in turn published in their favorite channels, connected this Ultimate Moment of Truth with the Zero Moment of Truth. It’s what appeared in various searches that informed consumers about their impressions and actions.

Think about it. When you’re in the moment and need to find or learn about how to do something, you reach for your phone. And chances are, you’ll find a video to help you visualize it. Personally, I do this instead of reading “how to” instructions every time. I mean, who has time to read something like that anymore right?

Recently, I also reached for my phone when shopping for a high-end blender. I needed to narrow the list of options, learn about the value proposition of each and understand what people thought after comparing competing blenders. I didn’t have time to do research traditionally, nor did it cross my mind. This is just the beginning, however, as we live in a multi-screen world. According to mobify, 90% of consumers will use multiple screens to accomplish their goal. More so, Google is already seeing nearly endless micro-moments each month: across billions of monthly searches, hours of video watched and interactions with prominent networks, sites and apps.

If You Aren’t Competing for Attention Where It’s Focused, You are not Competing to Win

Here’s the thing, in these micro-moments you are present or hidden, engaging or disingenuous, helpful or inconvenient. Customers expect answers and direction their way, in the right time, on the device and in the channel they are using.

It’s like that old saying, “if a tree falls in the woods and no one is there to hear it, did it make a sound?” The same can apply to micro-moments. If a micro-moment happens and you’re not there to engage a consumer, then that consumer can only act on what they know.

Traditional ad buys and content strategies have given way to numerous short bursts of digital activity as they occur throughout the day. They may be unpredictable or constantly evolving, but they’re not elusive. As Google notes, micro-moments are moments of high intent and engagement many of which, happen in spare moments, such as waiting in line, commuting, or generally when not preoccupied with something else. The journey then continues later either on mobile or through an entirely different channel such as a laptop or tablet.  You can design for these new opportunities. And make no mistake, they are opportunities for engagement, not distractions.

Now that Google has introduced micro-moments, everything changes and at the same time makes more sense. The customer journey is rarely linear in a world of constant digital distraction, aka “short-attention-span theater.” Google’s concept of micro-moments represent the new frontier (and reality) of digital marketing. It’s all real-time and everything is on demand.

Remember, without discovery or engagement, there can be no consideration. Nowadays there is no one customer journey map to design against. No matter how your funnel is designed or supported, your customers are hacking it to suit their needs. Instead, marketers must outline and invest in a series of contextual micro journeys that meet customers in their domain when, where and how they unfold. More so, each micro-moment must connect consumer intent with the desired outcome. This means that the future of marketing starts with identifying these new moments to learn how to make each matter.

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