thearf.org

Our Approach

78%

2%

8%

5%

7%

78%

3%

10%

4%

5%

79%

2%

6%

5%

8%

77%

1%

10%

5%

7%

Yes, that was the original brand I had in mind

No, the brand I initially intended to buy was out ofstock

No, I switched for better value

No, I accidentally came across something that is moreinteresting

No, for some other reason

Did They Buy the Brand They Had In Mind?

Overall

Auto

Smartphone

Grocery

6.6

9.5

7.7

1.3

Overall Auto Smartphone Grocery

Total Number of Sources Used (Online and Offline)

for Marketers

• Marketers need to be “marketing” to people before they are actively shopping the category by increasing brand presence across channels

• Consumers need help making sense of it all. Help them by managing their perception of risk.

IMPLICATIONS

Consumers Live in Interconnected Worlds

Social media expands the consumer’s “trust network”

57%

71%

71%

74%

71%

73%

74%

77%

69%

70%

68%

66%

68%

Friends/followers on social networking sites

Fan pages/Following brands on socialnetworking sites

Blogs

Comparison-shopping sites

Search engines

Reviews: professional/expert

Reviews: consumer-generated

Brand/Company website

Online-only retailer

Other retail websites

Video websites

Online advertising

Daily-deal sites like Groupon, Living Social, orGoogle Offers

65%

64%

56%

74%

63%

71%

72%

76%

66%

64%

59%

57%

54%

21%

33%

30%

36%

26%

28%

39%

48%

30%

19%

18%

28%

24%

Importance of Each Online Source: By Category (Somewhat/Very Important)

Auto Smartphones Grocery

for Marketers

• People’s “trust networks” are highly influential and factor greatly into both high- and low-risk/reward purchases.

• Marketers need to help consumers interact about their brands to be perceived as trusted and less as adversaries.

• Mobile can help facilitate this process

IMPLICATIONS

Shopping Is an Emotional Experience

41%

82% 83%

72%

GrocerySmartphoneAutoOverall

Excitement About the Purchase (Somewhat/Very Excited)

Purchase Decision Stage and Sentiment for All Observed Product Categories

Post-Purchase Comments

Pre-Purchase Comments

negative

198

92

neutral

371

307

positive

808

407

Note: Numbers adjacent to the dot groupings are the actual counts, while the dots illustrate the frequency graphically.

Plutchik Wheel of Emotions

Shar

e o

f In

cid

ents

in C

ateg

ory

11% 14% 13% 19%

54% 35%

14% 22%

41%

14%

22% 42%

42%

27%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

Problem Recognition Information Search CompetitiveEvaluation

Purchase Decision Post- Purchase

Emotions at Each Purchase Stage

Fear

Distraction

Apprehension

Pensiveness

Acceptance

Trust

Serenity

Surprise

Interest

Sadness

Annoyance

Disgust

Anger

Anticipation

Joy

5% 17%

11%

35%

17%

11%

12%

6%

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

ProblemRecognition

Information Search CompetitiveEvaluation

Purchase Decision Post- Purchase

Fear

Distraction

Apprehension

Pensiveness

Acceptance

Trust

Serenity

Surprise

Interest

Sadness

Annoyance

Disgust

Anger

Anticipation

Joy

For smartphones, post-purchase messages split into joy vs. anger, disgust, annoyance and sadness.

Sh

are

of

Inc

ide

nts

in

Ca

teg

ory

for Marketers:

• Consumers share their triumphant shopping experiences online. Marketers need to ensure that consumers have the information they need to have a positive shopping experience.

• Monitor the emotional journey the consumer is on. Watch out for disconnects between the brands’ values and the ways the brands are being discussed online.

• Use this learning to optimize marketing communications.

IMPLICATIONS

Summary

• Think of mobile’s potential role in the passive stage and when moving from passive to active – Conveying emotions

– Catching downtimes

• Marketers need to actively participate in simplifying online information for consumers.

• Marketers need to facilitate consumer conversations about their products and brands.

• Monitor the emotional journey and respond in real time