Is the Marine Industry Ready for a “I Want to Buy Something in a Moment – a Micro-Moment?”

marine industry micro moments

marketing planPart One of a two part series on micro-moments in the marine industry

The correct question to ask would be “are segments of marine industry ready for micro-moment buying”?

As a few marine professionals pointed out via my original posting on the Marine Marketing Tools LinkedIn group, few if any large monetary purchases (like boats) are or will be made via “micro-moments” when people turn (in increasing numbers) to a mobile device as defined by Google – yet an exception may be the efforts by the automobile manufacturers to sell cars via an extended micro-moment – one never knows does one??????



What is a micro-moment?

Micro-moments are a mobile-based phenomenon that Google defines as the following:

“Mobile has forever changed the way we live, and its forever changed what we expect of brands. It’s fractured the consumer journey into hundreds of real-time, intent-driven micro-moments. Each one is a critical opportunity for brands to shape our decisions and preferences”.

Google includes within it’s definition the following:

“Micro-moments via smart phones allow (demand) immediate action no matter what phase of the purchasing cycle we are in, pre-tail, retail or post tail

(italics indicate my additions to the definition)

Micro-moments heighten the need to deliver an important aspect of marketing relevance, couple this need with a lack of patience on the buyer side, a need for quality and a need to make the marketing process useful meaning to link the process to a defined end result of either sale of no sale.

Google continues:

Brands that offer the best use of micro-moments will win the marketing battle, loyalty and having the ear/eye/heart and soul of the consumer will only add to the micro-moment going the brands way.

Is it that simple?

I don’t think so. I see the micro-moment as part of complex but much needed change in the marketing promotional and communication strategy offered by any brand – with added emphasis for marine based brands. I see the introduction of this new term and discipline by Google as being in part self-centered; Google after all is a mobile based brand, but also self serving in the fact that is a single media option – that directly benefits Google.

I also see the micro moment as a valid and realistic end result of an integrated and convergence based cross/multi/trans media marketing plan, which uses mobile as one of many tools to deliver the micro “Ah-Ha” moment.

Confused?

If you look to the difference of the definition of micro and macro you will become less confused, well I hope. Macro is a large-scale process, which cannot or is not seen while micro is a very small-scale process, which can be and should be seen.

I see a micro-moment as being the result of a series of correctly used, defined and measured macro moments (strategic marketing). The stronger the connection – the integration, the convergence, relevant messaging, the balanced use of both micro (tactical marketing) and macro strategies are linked, the better the result will be for the marine marketer and the more micro-moments the brand will achieve via a pleased and satisfied consumer (Micro-moments can work within the B2B word as well).

Content is King, Context is Queen

First ask what makes a potential customer or prospect “select” or “use” a micro-moment; Need! They have an interest in your product. Relevance, it’s something that they will benefit from this product. Interaction, they want to search thru your website, request and contact you via email or request additional information – the best result is for them to purchase your product or service. Integration, consistency in message, defining the brands credibility and defining the brands offering is the base for integration. On the brands side you can measure the enquiry, reply and end result, which are all very positive results of the marketing process.

Need

Consumers who use micro-moments evaluate products and services in the moment but they DO NOT evaluate in a vacuum, they also have multiple sources of information provided to them that fit their needs, desires, buying cycle.

Relevance

YOUR customers and prospects need to make the most of those pre-micro-moment moments and to allow this micro pre-sell/pre-tail opportunity to occur, the brand needs to provide the marketplace with macro moments of as mentioned critical, decision based, sales oriented information and knowledge, via a multitude of valued media interaction that perhaps will end up on the being delivered in part on the mobile side of the equation.

Interaction

The brand must provide the interaction to allow the consumer to make the most of their time, search, review, compare and relate to others who have been down this trail before or sailed this ocean. Experienced shoppers more often compare their thoughts, potential decisions with others and access those “satisfied customers”, it must be easy, simple and real!

Integration

Consistency of message, content, context, the value of the message, the product, and the services must be clearly defined across all media, digital and legacy. A single focused message based on an action orientated program must be the port of call, the destination offered by the brand. Is the correct media for the purpose (informative, sell, referral, reply or post sale) being used and is the plan worthy of the brand and of the targeted demographics or segments?

Maintain a high level of human interaction, people still are people and if you offer only a closed loop of computer-based interaction you may find that your marketing stoic ways are weakening your overall efforts and damaging your profits.

Fulfill for the consumer the needs that you the brand fulfill each time you market. For example: know what the customer wants, fulfill their desire to gain relevant information to make the correct buy decision, allow them to make the buy seamlessly and easily.

People evaluate purchase decisions in the moment.

82%
of smartphone users turn to their phone to influence a purchase decision while in a store.

People solve unexpected problems in-the-moment.

62%
of smartphone users are more likely to take action right away toward solving an unexpected problem or new task because they have a smartphone.

People pursue big goals in small moments.

90%
of smartphone users have used their phone to make progress toward a long term goal or multi-step process while “out and about.”

(Credit: Micro-moment stats Think with Google 2015)

Don’t underestimate other avenues of sales/buy stimulation, direct mail/marketing, print, social, AR and IR all can now be simply and easily link to the mobile micro-moment.

How does this all impact you, your business and future sales?

Here is the simple part, it seems from my review of micro-moments that an aggressive, relevant, personalized, and need based marketing communication program needs to be developed, install and used. Updated via the nearly immediate feedback that new technology provides and the brands efforts MUST be based on the metrics (attribution) and the measurements of the success or failure of each the INDEPENDENT tool used to move the process to a positive (for both the brand and the consumer) outcome.

Summary Part One:

For those that question micro-moments to influence or close the potential of a large monetary sale (a boat for example) well perhaps you are correct, but the process of selling to a micro-moment can provide your brand with the foundation to move the stalled sale to the correct immediate conclusion and also set the table for a larger potential sale.

Also take heed. We are on a fast track of marketing communications. Apple will be introducing an ad blocking brower in iOS on its iPhone and iPad. It makes your integrated micro-moment message more important. Micro-moment is not a passing “new thing.” It’s real time info to help make your marketing successful, integration; media convergence is critical to your success.

Need to learn how to take advantage of a micro-moment? Read on in part two of this article in the next issue of Marine Marketing Tools: How Marine Businesses can Take Action and PROFIT from Micro-Moment Buying




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Thaddeus Kubis

Founder and Chief Integrattion Officer at The Institute For Media Convergence
Offering integrated marketing/media communication consultant based services; my broad skill set is founded on profit advocacy and ROI – Where marketing becomes dialogue and engagement! Integrated Marketing • Media Convergence • Profit Advocacy • Multi-Media Management • Forensic Marketing Analysis thad.kubis@tifmc.org 917.597.1891

One Comment

  1. All good to think about. Biggest turn off on any sale is a total lack of customer attention. That could be electronic contact or a physical contact. Example: Come into a dealer and nobody even talks to you or will say hello. I don’t care if they are on the phone, staring at the computer or whatever, the customer who does not feel welcomed, is not going to do business with you. That is another example of a micro moment….customer comes in to store and is ignored OR customer comes into store and is given the attention deserved. After all they probably did not come there because they were lost. If your sales people have become bored zombies it is time for a new crew or a come to Jesus moment. LOL

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