Page 14 - Decoding Decisions ~ Making sense of the messy middle

14 CHAPTER 2 IDENTIFYING THE MESSY MIDDLE

A brief history of the evolution of marketing models

One of the ways that marketers have tried to describe (and to some extent prescribe) the
paths elephant and rider take towards purchase is to map them in marketing models.

To give us some historical context, The Behavioural Architects kicked things off with
an extensive investigation of marketing model white papers, starting with Elmo Lewis’
famous AIDA, and covering several of the influential models that have emerged over the
intervening century and a bit.

1. AIDA 5. ATR-N
1898 1997
Elmo Lewis’ theoretical customer Ehrenberg’s model emphasises
journey from the moment a brand or the importance of post-purchase
product attracts consumer attention experience and interaction (nudges).
to the point of action or purchase.

6. First and Second
2. The Funnel 2005 Moments of Truth
1924 William Townsend’s adaptation A.G. Lafley builds on Carlzon’s moment
of AIDA. Introduced the funnel of truth, distinguishing between looking
concept. at the product and then using it with the
first and second moments of truth.
3. DAGMAR
1961
Not intended as a decision-making 2009 7. The McKinsey consumer
model, but Russell Colley adds an decision journey
important pre-awareness stage to McKinsey’s “active evaluation” stage
the funnel. updates decision-making to reflect
a less linear, active process and
4. Moment of Truth introduces the “loyalty loop”.
1986
Jan Carlzon’s model, captured in
his claim that: “Any time a customer 2011 8. ZMOT
comes into contact with a business, Google extends Carlzon’s and Lafley’s
however remote, they have an moments of truth with the “zero moment
opportunity to form an impression”. of truth” - when you start to learn about a
product or service for the first time.

The Behavioural Architects eventually proposed the above list as representative of the way
thinking in this space has evolved. It isn’t exhaustive – we chose not to include any model that
seemed more focused on organisational concerns than consumer perspectives – but what
this list does show is a general direction of travel and a tendency towards increasing detail.