The Consumer Journey | How it really works!
Today I'm going to show you how I ended up spending over $200 dollars on stuff at Michaels, and why it matters to every modern marketer in the world.
In my last video, we talked about in that first video are Moments of Inspiration, M-O-Is. Today we're diving deeper into MOIs, because they're massively insightful and unbelievably powerful for today's marketer.
Because the truth is, if you can own the MOIs, you can own the entire consumer journey.
But in order to show you the real power of a Moment of Inspiration, we need to dive into a real consumer journey. So, let's go!
But before we head out on the road, we need to dive into the three different kinds of of MOIs there are.
Moment of Inspiration - Type 1
The first kind of Moment of Inspiration we're going to talk about is the brand-initiated Moment of Inspiration.
These are moments that a brand sends you on a journey themself.
Last week's mistake that Mercedes made is a perfect example of a brand-initiated Moment of Inspiration.
Moment of Inspiration - Type 2
The second kind of Moment of Inspiration are called Media Moments and we're going to explore Media Moments lots more in upcoming episodes.
Moment of Inspiration - Type 3
The third type of MOI is Consumer Sparks. Consumer Sparks are an instant in the consumer's life that sends them on a journey they never expected.
Many Consumer Sparks are the result of a life-stage change, like going to college or retiring, maybe having a baby, or getting a new job.
Now, we just moved. And when I say "just", I mean we moved here six months ago, and we're still trying to make this house feel like a home.
Elizabeth and I want some artwork for our very bare walls. So, what do I do? I embark on a journey I never expected. To buy some art! You see how fast that happened? I just experienced a Consumer Spark, a Moment of Inspiration directly related to my life.
There are two Moments of Inspiration that just flew by. We're trying to make this house a home, and, more specifically, we need some art for this wall.
The Trigger Question
Any time a Consumer Spark happens, a question pops into your mind. This is called a Trigger Question.
I immediately ask myself, "Where can I buy some art for that wall?" That is my Trigger Question.
The Initial Consideration Set
Almost immediately, I answer this question with what's called the Initial Consideration Set.
What is the first brand that pops into my mind when I ask myself this question? So, what brand pops to mind? Let's see. And so the search begins.
But, to be honest, it doesn't take me long to realize that it's much harder to find art that works with this room, and this house, and our color scheme, at a price point we're willing to invest on Artsy.
Active Evaluation
So, I head into active evaluation, looking for other options. I consider renting art. I check out the Netflix for the art world. I search for local artists. But nothing suits my fancy. And here's where it gets interesting.
The truth is, we're renting this house. And it seems a little silly to invest in art that I don't know will work in our next house. So, I start wondering if I can make my own art. See what happened there? I just had a new Moment of Inspiration, a new Consumer Spark.
And, again, I'm off on a new adventure. I'm on a journey I never expected. What's my Trigger Question? Can I, a non-artist, non-craft person, make my own modern art? And where do I go for the answer to this question? What's my Initial Consideration Set? I head to Google to answer this question.
And after 40 minutes of browsing, and watching, and reading I find The Lolly Jane Blog. Ashley, who wrote this article, writes in the very first sentence that she wanted to do a piece that anyone could do. And I am anyone. And I realize I can do this! I can make my own art!
And now, I'm off on another journey I never expected. I've just had another Moment of Inspiration. And the question that immediately jumps to mind is, "Where am I going to buy all the supplies I need "to try and make this art?"
Back to the Initial Consideration Set!
The answer, the Initial Consideration Set. The first brand that I think of is Michaels, which is right down the street from my house.
Now, imagine that you're a marketer for the team at Michaels. Here I am in the store, buying hundreds of dollars of paint supplies, and this is the first they've ever seen of me. I didn't go to their website. I didn't subscribe to their email. I don't get their coupons. I didn't attend one of their in-store classes. I didn't even have to map where the store was, because I drive by it every time I go to the grocery store.
Michaels is completely in the dark, and I'm a nameless, faceless person who's spending money at their store.
Ironically, Michaels' very own website says, "At Michaels, we believe anyone can make, and we're on a mission to inspire and encourage everyone to unleash their inner maker."
Really? Because, if we back-track in my journey and look at the page of Google results that inspired me to walk into Michaels, you'll see that Michaels content isn't even on the first two pages of Google search results.
In fact, on their very own website they have exactly 18 beginner level projects featured for fine art in their painting section. And they kinda suck. No offense, Michaels. It's just not what I'm looking for, given my True Moment of Inspiration.
There is no way I am hanging a forest woodland owl portrait in my bedroom. Nope!
And that, that right there, my Loyalty Loop friends, is the key. You see, most of us, as marketers, spend a huge amount of time focusing on that last Moment of Inspiration. The final moment that sent them on the journey into our store, or to buy our stuff. It's usually a really basic question, like, "Where can I buy the paint supplies "to make some art?"
Understanding the True Moment of Inspiration
The fact is that very few, if any of us, really understand the True Moment of Inspiration. And in my case, my True Moment of Inspiration is that I just moved, and I need to make some art for that wall. I really want to turn my house into a home.
If Michaels really does believe that "anyone can make", and if they really were "on a mission to inspire and encourage everyone to unleash their inner maker", don't you think they could own my entire consumer journey if they just created a project a week to help make my house a home?
About 40 million Americans move to a new house every single year. Let's say Michaels got just 2% of those people to make one $200 project. That's a hundred and sixty million dollars in revenue. What?! A hundred and sixty million dollars?!
Now, if that same 2% of people did six projects, we're now talking 800 million dollars.
What is you target market's True Moment of Inspiration?
Modern marketing success is all about inspiring people to go on a journey they never expected. And to do that, we must understand the True Moment of Inspiration. What is your target market's True Moment of Inspiration?
For now, I want you to start exploring your audience's Consumer Sparks. What are those moments in your audience's life that sends them on a journey they never expected?
You might also like:
Subscribe to The Loyalty Loop
Don't miss a week!
Get next week's Loyalty Loop video a day before everyone else in the world!