Page 85 - Decoding Decisions ~ Making sense of the messy middle

5

Implications of

the messy middle

Implications for brands

With both theory and experimental evidence in hand, in this chapter we’re
going to start looking at what our research findings mean in practice for
marketers. We’ll explore how both established and challenger brands can
adapt to the new consumer reality, and identify the key implications for both
types of business.

For established brands

As our shopping experiments show, even established brands can find

themselves vulnerable within the swirl of the messy middle.

Heavyweight brands can’t afford to be complacent: understanding the
behaviour and mindset of consumers is now a vital part of protecting market share.

Established brands represent a significant historical and ongoing investment.
This research suggests that these businesses may not be getting the optimal
return on that investment if they aren’t conscious of the disruptive potential of

the messy middle. Just being present during initial consideration isn’t enough.
With shoppers happy to loop through multiple phases of exploration and
evaluation, even the biggest brands need to ensure that they are present and
meeting consumer expectations throughout the decision-making process.