Sam Sebastian, Director, Local & B2B Markets, Google Inc. Audiences initiate connections with a brand long before they make a purchase decision. These connections, which include search queries, reviews,
site visits, video views and many more interactions with content, influence whether users eventually select a brand or a competitor’s brand. Google’s Sam Sebastian will discuss research and examples about what Google calls the Zero Moment of Truth and share fresh strategies of how Brands are winning and optimizing the Zero Moment of Truth.
1. Winning the
Zero Moment of Truth
Sam Sebastian
Director, Gov’t & Local Markets, Google, Inc.
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2. Win at point of decision
According to Procter &
Gamble, shoppers make
up their minds about a
product in three to seven
seconds, just the time it
takes to note a product
on a store shelf.
This time lapse is called
(by P&G) the “First
Moment of Truth," and
it's considered the most
important marketing
opportunity for a brand.
— Wall Street Journal, 2005
Google Confidential and Proprietary
2
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5. Online research forever changed the game
Query Volume, January 2008 – January 2012
Automotive Travel
+262% +211%
Real Estate Legal Services
+253% +233%
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Source: Google Internal Data, 2011.
6. Research surges in B2B industries as well
450
Business Services & Consulting Construction & Maintenance
Energy & Utilities Industrial Materials & Equipment
400 Management & Corporate Operations Manufacturing
Office & Printing Services Advertising & Marketing
Transportation & Logistics
350
300
Indexed Queries
250
200
150
100
50
0
Jan-07 Jun-07 Dec-07 Jun-08 Dec-08 May-09 Nov-09 May-10 Nov-10 May-11
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Source: Google Internal Data, 2011.
7. Offline ad exposure leads to search
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Source: Google and ipsos, ―Our Mobile Planet: Understanding the Mobile Consumer, May 2012
8. Research is happening across devices
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Source: Google Internal Data, 2011. % of each platform’s traffic shown hourly for one day. Does not indicate absolute or relative traffic volumes.
9. So what does all this online research mean for us?
There is a new “Moment of Truth” to optimize for.
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12. Shoppers today are able to process an
enormous amount of information
Avg # Sources Used Average Usage
17%
10.4
5.27
9%
2010 2011 2010 2011
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Source: Google/Shopper Sciences, Zero Moment of Truth Study Apr 2011
13. Analyzed 50+ drivers across 11 categories
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Source: Google/Shopper Sciences, Zero Moment of Truth Study Apr 2011
14. Across all categories, shoppers are using
stimulus, ZMOT and FMOT equally
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Source: Google/Shopper Sciences, Zero Moment of Truth Study Apr 2011
15. ZMOT: Now an “equal” fourth moment
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Source: Google/Shopper Sciences, Zero Moment of Truth Study Apr 2011
16. Mobile as ZMOT
will only grow in importance
61%
of smartphone users call a
business after searching
45%
of all consumers use
smartphones for in-store
product research
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Source: Google TheMobilePlaybook.com 2012
23. How to win at ZMOT:
1 Put someone in charge
2 Find your Zero Moments
3 Answer the questions people are asking
4 Optimize for ZMOT
5 Be fast
6 Don't forget video
7 Jump in!
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24. 1 Put Someone
Put Someone
In Charge
in Charge
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25. 2 Find Your
Zero Moments
[Your Brand] Search
[Your Brand] Review Search
Best [Your Category] Search
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26. 3 Answer the Questions
People are Asking
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27. 3 Answer the Questions
People are Asking
Financial Reform
Healthcare Reform
Immigration Reform
Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct
2007 2008 2009 2010
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Source: Google Internal Data. Queries on Google Search properties in the U.S Jan 2006 – Mar 2010. Both series indexed to their respective start dates.
30. 4 Optimize
for ZMOT
Available on:
Google search results Google search ads 3rd Party sites (coming soon)
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31. 5 Be Fast
70% of legal service seekers make a decision within a week.
> 2 months
1-2 months 7%
3%
About 1 month
5%
Less than 1 day
25%
1-4 weeks
15%
Afew days
About a week 25%
20%
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32. 5 Be Fast
Betty Crocker Kraft
June Launch Dec Launch
81.8K users 9.9K users
JUN JUL AUG SEP OCT NOV DEC
6 months = 8x the users
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36. What are in your
plans to win ZMOT?
Google Confidential and Proprietary
36
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37. Winning the Zero Moment of Truth
Download the new, free eBook
from Google
Google Confidential and Proprietary
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Hinweis der Redaktion
Focus of Event: “Every marketer believes they are doing ‘content marketing’, but are they driving or retaining business with their content? Learn the content marketing successes and failures of brands around the world…and then leave with tangible ideas that will transform your business into a storytelling factory. Audience: “elite B2B, B2C and Small Business/Non-Profit marketers”ZMOT Connection: ZMOT is a new marketing model for reaching your audience with relevant content in the moments that matter during their decision journey. “Our customers are your customers” – you’ll see examples for both B2B and B2C
In early 2000’s P&G called this the first moment of truth in a WSJ article. Remember that old phrase “look for it In your grocer’s freezer?”In that same article, they also explained P&G’s other critical decision point “The Second Moment of Truth”The concepts of FMOT and SMOT still hold true today. But there’s a new moment changing the game, the ZMOT….what we just talked about And it’s just as critical to be winning there…..
This is marketing as we know it - starts with a stimulus, you make a decision at shelf and then you experience it.
Today there’s a step between the stimulus and the FMOT – we take it upon ourselves to research what we want to purchase.
All of these industries have been impacted by the amount of online research customers do before making a purchase.
Q: How often do you use your smartphone to do a search in response to an ad you have seen in a magazine, on a poster, on TV or in a shop/business?
We talked about the traditional marketing model, and how it is changing.Now we have the zero moment that comes between the stimulus and the first moment.
Q2 When you were considering purchasing [PRODUCT], what sources of information did you seek out to help with your decision?Shoppers today use twice as many sources to arrive at a decision and use each source almost twice as heavily as in the pastShoppers are not replacing traditional source nodes with new source nodes. Rather, they are dramatically increasing their activity to accommodate new information.
Q2 When you were considering purchasing [PRODUCT], what sources of information did you seek out to help with your decision?Base: N=5,003
Q2 When you were considering purchasing [PRODUCT], what sources of information did you seek out to help with your decision?Base: N=5,003All three moments critical to the shopping process
Q2 When you were considering purchasing [PRODUCT], what sources of information did you seek out to help with your decision?Base: N=5,003Searching online is the #1 source sought out to inform a purchase decision
As mobile phone usage and availability proliferates, mobile is an always on ZMOT, always with you. Use it to shop and make purchases via click-to-call as well as in-store to research and check prices at other stores
UPS TV AD http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mRAHa_Po0Kg
In the political space, campaigns have new insights into the mood of the electorate.The best candidates understand what voters care about and connect with them in the right places.(Illustration of hot topics from 2010)
Source: Nielsen Multi-Screen Lab Study, Sept ’11
The +1 Button is a socially inspired endorsement gesture designed to allow users to endorse their favorite stuff, and for their contacts to see these recommendations at the moment they need it most…during a relevant search experience on Google.
Betty Crocker launched a recipe gadget that had few bells and whistles but grabbed an early following. 6 months later, Kraft launched their gadget - which was much more sophisticated, had a searchable database, pretty pictures, etc. But by the time they did, the damage was done - Betty Crocker had 8x the users as Kraft. Six months is a long time.Don’t miss out on Zero Moments of truth. You have to act fast and keep up with consumers.