In 2011, Google proposed a consumer mental model called "ZMOT (Moment of Truth)," which states that the Internet has significantly changed people's purchasing behavior, and that many consumers have already made up their minds about what to buy during the online research stage.
Of course, this is a fact that modern marketers are aware of in their daily work.
ZMOT has become an important concept even in the B2B sector, where 60-70% of purchasing behavior now takes place online .
In this article, we will explain the meaning of ZMOT, which is important for B2B marketers to understand, its relationship with the other three types of "MOT (Moment of Truth)," and the key points to consider when using ZMOT in marketing.
What is ZMOT?
ZMOT is an abbreviation of the term "Zero moment of truth." It is a theory proposed by Jim Lecinski, then vice president of sales at Google, in 2011 , and is known as "one of the mental models of consumers in the Internet age."
Ideas and theories
Since the advent of the Internet, people have been able to access a huge amount of information about products and services, and the psychological and behavioral process of buying something has changed dramatically. ZMOT is a theory that says that potential customers have already solidified their intentions about what they want to buy during the online and offline research stage.
Conceptual diagram of ZMOT
(Reference: thinkwithgoogle.com )
Google unveiled ZMOT based on a study it conducted student phone number list with Shopper Sciences in 2011. The study found that the shift to ZMOT varies by industry, with, for example, in retail, 88% of consumers spend ZMOT time before making their final decision, and they consult an average of 10.4 news outlets and sources before making a purchase.
We also found that ZMOT is penetrating other consumer markets. The extent of impact by industry is shown in the figure below.
The Automotive industry has a ZMOT influence of 97% with 18.2 references to information sources, followed by Travel at 99%, Insurance at 94%, and Health, Beauty, and Personal Care at the lowest at 63%, but most industries are seeing an increase in ZMOT influence.
ZMOT ratio by industry
(Source: ZMOT WINNING THE ZERO MOMENT OF TRUTH - Google )
While this study was conducted on general consumers, Google suggests that ZMOT can work in any industry, including B2B and B2C, as well as in areas such as education .
In the video, proponent Lesniski states, " Marketers who believe in the zero moment of truth and optimize and build their marketing programs around it will gain a competitive advantage in the market . "
What was the buyer's decision-making process before the ZMOT proposal?
In fact, even before Google proposed ZMOT, the theory of "MOT (Moment of Truth)" existed in the marketing field.
MOT refers to the moment when a customer's impression of a brand, product or service is formed or changed. The concept of MOT was introduced in the book " Moments of Truth " published in 1987 by Jan Carlzon, CEO of Scandinavian Airlines.
At Scandinavian Airlines, each customer only has 15 seconds to interact with a staff member, and these 15 seconds determine the customer's opinion of the service. Calzon called these 15 seconds "the moment of truth." He implemented organizational reforms to delegate authority to the front line, and successfully revived the company, which had been suffering from declining performance.
Subsequently, Procter & Gamble (hereinafter referred to as P&G) proposed three new MOTs (Moments of Truth), and then in 2011 Google proposed ZMOT.
MOT (1987) Scandinavian Airlines
FMOT (2004) P&G
SMOT (2004) P&G
TMOT (2006) P&G
ZMOT 2011 Google
Below, we will explain in detail the four MOTs that have been established as marketing mental models.
4 Moments of Truth
(Reference: www.engati.com )
FMT
FMOT is an abbreviation for "First Moment of Truth" and was coined by Alan Lafley, CEO of P&G. The company describes FMOT as "the moment when a consumer chooses a product over other competitive offerings." FMOT occurs within the first 3-7 seconds of a consumer's encounter with a product.
SMOT
SMOT is an abbreviation for "Second moment of truth" and is a mental model proposed by Lafley, also of P&G. It refers to the moment when a customer purchases a product and experiences the quality as expected. SMOT does not only appear at the first moment of use, but also multiple times during the process of use.
TMOT
TMOT is an abbreviation for "Third Moment of Truth." It was proposed by Pete Blackshaw of P&G in 2006.
It is when a customer gives feedback or reacts to a product or service. More specifically, it is the moment when a customer becomes a brand advocate and spreads the word through word of mouth and social media.
There are four "Moments of Truth (MOTs)" in addition to ZMOT.
Looking at the sources that could be ZMOT, as shown in the diagram below, most of them overlap with the responsibilities of the marketing department. The era in which the concept of ZMOT was born and became important is an era in which marketing can influence customer purchasing behavior more than ever before.
