The Road to Purchase: How to Create a Touchpoint Strategy

Touchpoints – moments that customers or prospects interact with a brand – are a critical element in any customer-centric marketing strategy. The goal is influence the customer at every point of contact, be it at the store, through social media content or via customer service.

For marketers, however, the advent of media proliferation (yes, brought on by Web 2.0 and its many platforms) has made designing a touchpoint strategy more….complicated. The worthy McKinsey Quarterly article entitled, “The Consumer Decision Journey” follows the evolution of classic decision funnel to today’s needs in determining a touchpoint strategy.

Mambo’s Take

Flush with actionable insight, the main points of the piece include:

• The old-school decision funnel needs updating
• The new road to purchase is infused with User Generated Content that the modern marketer must acknowledge and leverage
• Being in the consideration set of a consumer has never been more important – marketers must tailor their efforts to align with these shifts in a consumer’s decision to purchase.

Mambo Media advises clients to literally map out the road to purchase, and where your company has the chance to “touch” a prospect. Then, detail the channels and messaging means that your company should invest in to optimize the touchpoint. These two items become your touch-point strategy. The key is to ensure your brand promise is delivered in each and every instance.

Yes, touchpoint strategy has evolved with the eminence of User Generated Content. But the basic idea, of influencing purchase behavior once considered, merges social media marketing and consumer behavior for stunning results.