Page 87 - Decoding Decisions ~ Making sense of the messy middle

87 CHAPTER 5 IMPLICATIONS OF THE MESSY MIDDLE

1. Ensuring brand presence

Put simply, none of the other tactics explored in this report are possible if you
don’t first show up and make a claim for the consumer’s attention. Being
present from the first moment of deliberation is table stakes for any brand
hoping to emerge triumphant from the messy middle.

As we’ve seen, simply being presented with a choice can lead to significant

changes in consumer preference. Consumers instinctively favour those brands
that enable exploration and help them to make sense of the messy middle,
especially when they first enter the space. Ensuring brand presence creates (or
retains, in the case of repeat customers) mental availability for your products
and services, which would otherwise be ceded to competitor brands.

To cut through in the messy middle and make swift, effective connections
with customers in “explore” mode, you should:

Use available data to qualify and categorise shoppers who
are exploring – data-driven algorithms should eventually
make this identification possible at scale.

Provide a great user experience that makes exploring your
offerings as easy as possible.

Present all the relevant information potential customers
need to make a rapid transition into evaluation and then on
towards purchase.

Brands are long-term strategic assets, expensive to build and maintain.

This research is not intended to define a comprehensive brand strategy,
nor to give insight into how the exposure phase contributes to the enduring
associations and attachments that branding activity seeks to foster.