The Influence of Print, Digital, and Social On Today's Purchase Decision
Consumer Attitudes
July 2011 -- Shopper Sciences, IPG Mediabrands' research and shopper marketing consultancy, conducted a national study commissioned by Google to explore how the changing world of media is influencing shoppers' move from undecided to decided as they move along the path to purchase.
Conducted in April 2011 among 5,000 U.S. shoppers across 12 diverse shopping categories, from groceries to cars to financial products, the research analyzed the role of more than 50 different media sources—including traditional advertising, internet search and display, mobile, online social and retail store channels.
The research divided potential forms of influence into three areas:
According to the study, today's shoppers are digging up more information, from more sources, before they buy. The survey reveals that the average shopper uses 10.4 sources of information to make a decision in 2011, up from 5.3 sources in 2010. Those 10.4 sources range from TV commercials and magazine articles, to recommendations from friends and family, to websites, ratings and blogs online.
Survey participants were asked, "When you were considering purchasing [PRODUCT] what sources of information did you seek out to help with your decision?"
The top marketing sources delivered by the three forms of influence mentioned above:
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1. Top "Stimulus" Sources Used By Shoppers |
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| TV commercial | 37% |
| Direct mail or catalog from brand/manufacturer | 31% |
| Newspaper ad/newspaper insert | 29% |
| Newspaper article/review/information | 28% |
| Magazine article/review/information | 27% |
| Magazine advertisement | 24% |
| Email received from a brand/manufacturer | 23% |
| Online ads noticed while browsing | 22% |
| Direct mail or catalog from store/retailer | 22% |
| TV show featured a product | 21% |
| Billboard ad | 16% |
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N=5,003 Source: Google/Shopper Sciences, Zero Moment of Truth Macro Study, April 2011. |
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Analysis shows that 82% of 18-34 year olds cited "stimulus" mediums on the path to purchase, roughly 5% higher than 35-49 year olds (77%), and 10% higher than 50-plus year olds (72%).
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2. Top "Zero Moment of Truth" Sources Used By Shoppers |
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| Online search engine | 50% |
| Talked with friends/family | 49% |
| Comparison shopped products online | 38% |
| Information from a brand/ manufacturer website | 36% |
| Online product reviews or endorsements | 31% |
| Information from a retailer/store website | 22% |
| Online comments following an article/opinion piece | 22% |
| Became a follower/”liked” a brand | 18% |
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N=5,003 Source: Google/Shopper Sciences, Zero Moment of Truth Macro Study, April 2011. |
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Nine out of 10 (91%) 18-34 year olds turned to research and fact finding ("Zero Moment of Truth") mediums on the path to purchase, compared to 85% of 35-49 year olds, and 79% of 50-plus year olds.
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3. Top "Final Moment of Truth" Sources Used By Shoppers |
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| Product packaging | 50% |
| Brochure/pamphlet read in store | 49% |
| Talked with a salesperson or associate | 38% |
| Product signage/display | 36% |
| Phone call with a customer service representative | 31% |
| Sampled/experienced the product in a store | 22% |
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N=5,003 Source: Google/Shopper Sciences, Zero Moment of Truth Macro Study, April 2011. |
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The study data showed that 81% of 18-34 year olds relied on "at the shelf" (Final Moment of Truth) mediums before purchase, compared to three-quarters of 35-49 year olds and 50-plus year olds.
“Pre-shopping before buying has become a huge, huge part of customer behavior. In the past, it was pretty much confined to big-ticket items like cars, or expensive electronics or homes. Now people engage in discovery before shopping on very small things. It’s crossed all categories of shopping behavior. It’s just the way people buy today,” Bob Thacker, Gravitytank Strategic Advisor and former CMO of OfficeMax is quoted as saying.
Source: Google, ZMOT: Winning the Zero Moment of Truth, by Jim Lecinski, accessed July 6, 2011.
