Tapping into micro-moments: How brands can win in the age of instant gratification
While AI may still have a long way to go, we have existed in the “Age of Assistance” for quite some time now. The snug, small mobiles are ubiquitous to the point where over 65% of smartphone users turn to their devices to learn something new, while more than 80% consult their phones to influence a purchase decision. And each of these “searches” for information influences a purchase decision or two, even if that wasn’t the original intent, per se. That alone may be enough for marketers to lust after the opportunity, but hold on, just yet. I-Want-to-Know Moments: Emergent, when consumers seek information or solutions to queries At the bare minimum, all 4 are significant opportunities to engage and convert consumers. They also carry a fairly high risk if a marketer were to simply look at these moments as a usual opportunity to carpet bomb users with ads. Micro-moments are not your typical marketing space. These are impulsive, yet, determined need-based searches. And unlike an emailer that consumers can snooze or a billboard, they can come back to later, these moments are oftentimes personal, where marketing must look to be respectful and responsible. After all, the Age of Assistance is also a time when data brokering has filled user inboxes with enough and more spam, and conversion rates stand in single digits. While it may be enticing to tap into moments to convert through a barrage of ads, doing so could hurt a brand irreparably. Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author and do not in any way represent the views of pitchonnet.com.
Google calls them “micro-moments” - pivotal instances when consumers instinctively turn to their smartphones to “search and address” a pressing need or inquiry. One look at anyone’s screen time offers a fair idea of just how much collective time is spent on micro-moment-esque searches, and as a marketer, you can break down this phenomenon across four primary categories:
I-Want-to-Go Moments: These arise when consumers scout for local information or directions
I-Want-to-Do Moments: Manifest when consumers seek guidance or instructions to accomplish a task
I-Want-to-Buy Moments: Epitomize instances when consumers are poised to make a purchase decision
What’s ideal then? We could try to understand that better with a few examples.
For the next google search related to your product, visualize a piece of sponsored content that says “I know the answer, and I am here if you need help” vis-a-vis an ad that screams “Look at this crazy offer - buy me, and see these ten other things I have in my bag!”
Consider Uber’s “Thank you for not riding” campaign that told users to stay home during the COVID-19 pandemic. The rest of their messaging - “When you stay home, we can all move what matters” - nonetheless managed to call out the brand’s value and proposition, while building immense goodwill they could leverage once the world reopened.
Most of us already know Mastercard’s ‘Priceless’ Campaign. Remember “There are some things money can’t buy, for everything else there’s Mastercard”? At its heart, Priceless was about conveying it is the everyday and ordinary things that are the most important.
Bisleri went a step further to join a nation’s moment of pride by highlighting ISRO’s Chandrayaan 2 mission (and the space agency’s overarching high-quality output) with its “Har Space Mission Chandrayaan 2 Nahin, Har Paani Ki Bottle Bisleri Nahin. Subtlety won the day here in light of the numerous copycats the brand suffers day to day.
Finally, amid the ongoing election fever, one recalls Samsonite and their “#EkDinKiChutti | Let's travel to vote '' campaign that encouraged people to take a leave from work for a day, and head to their hometowns to vote and fulfil their civic responsibility.
In conclusion, consider moment marketing as an opportunity to create meaningful impact by joining and pulling responsible narratives, instead of pushing on your own to customers in their time of need. Think of it as a responsibility to offer genuine value and support as against overwhelming them with sales tactics, cultivate trust and credibility, and foster connections that go beyond a single transaction. Treat your customer (and their moments) as you’d treat a friend or a family member.