Managing Moments of Truth

Was a very early user of the concept of MOT, so this struck  me,   Have to be measurable, understandable by decision makers, influence-able as part of a real process.  And then:

Get Scientific about Managing Moments of Truth   By Mitch Belsley in Customerthink

James Dodkins the CX Rockstar recently put out a video detailing the 5 Dimensions of Moments of Truth where he briefly outlined how to manage Moments of Truth (MOT’s) based on 5 simple and measurable dimensions. We wanted to delve deeper into these dimensions to give you a clear line of sight to understanding how effective management of Moments of Truth can lead to delivering world class experiences for your customer and achieving business outcomes.

When a customer enters into a moment of truth, everything is on the line for the company: revenue, loyalty, the entire relationship. We take a scientific approach to managing these moments to align our investments with specific outcomes and generate an optimal return.

Here’s how we manage the 5 dimensions of moments of truth:  .... "

Expanding the Dash Button

During our early work on an 'ordering button' we imagined them integrated into consumer products, right next to the point of need.  Most of my own Dash Buttons are on the frig after early concept and operations testing.   These can also detect patterns in ordering that can drive other replenishment behaviors. I would also like easier price comparison.  A Moment of truth that combines use and selection?

Amazon ramps up Dash Button integration for super-quick ordering     By Trevor Mogg in Digitaltrend 

" ... Amazon already has a number of manufacturers working the technology directly into their products, and this week it announced that more makers are getting on board.

New devices offering automatic ordering via Dash include printers from HP and Epson so you never run out of ink, a range of home appliances from Kenmore, smart air filters from 3M that automatically reorder replacement filters, coffee machines from illy that track capsule usage, and Wi-Fi “pet camera” maker Petcube that’ll automatically reorder animal treats.

Amazon this month also announced the Virtual Dash Button Service (VDBS) that allows third parties to offer virtual Dash Buttons on their screened devices — think smart washers and refrigerators.

“Virtual Dash Buttons are shortcuts that allow Prime members to quickly find and reorder their favorite products from a selection of millions of eligible products,” Amazon explains. “Virtual Dash Buttons launched on Amazon’s mobile application and website in January 2017, expanded to Echo Show in October, and now can be available on third party devices via VDBS.”

The system enables you to quickly bring up multiple items on the display — so for your washer it might be different brands of detergent and fabric conditioner — and order in a couple of taps. While the ordering is manual rather than the automatic system employed by many Dash devices, this method allows you to select from multiple products associated with a particular machine. .... " 

Alexa Disruptive to CPG Retail Brands?

Does this take us back to the old-time, self service store?    True we can ask for a particular brands, influenced by advertising, but the quick way is to just ask for the product.  Perhaps driven by price or delivery time,  but maybe not even that.     And the AI will assign the product.  Note that saying 'AI' is overplaying this.  It will start with simple logic, easy to implement.   But it will change the nature of the moment of truth.  Disruptive to CPG process.   How will CPG react to that?   Other expert comments at the link below.

How disruptive is Alexa to CPG brands?  By Lee Peterson
Through a special arrangement, what follows is an excerpt of an article from WayfinD, a quarterly e-magazine filled with insights, trends and predictions from the retail and foodservice experts at WD Partners. .... 

“Alexa, order a 12-pack of toilet paper, a case of bottled water and a bag of tortilla chips.”

Welcome to the new moment of truth.

If you’re the brand manager of a CPG product, this existential threat should shake you to your brand-loving, MBA-trained core. The in-store marketing model that has ruled the consumer products industry for more than a century is being replaced by a talking cylinder.

Artificial intelligence and the generation of smartphone shopping assistants, from Siri to chatbots, are upending the traditional path to purchase, but they are all brand agnostic. Those ephemeral intangibles long considered the essence of a brand don’t matter. Price and delivery time are more likely to drive preference and selection in this new AI-driven store.    .... " 

Alexa Defies and Defines the Moment of Truth

From Wayfind, thought provoking.  No longer a moment of truth, but a moment of speech?  But isn't the cylinder now in control of the conversation?   Sure Brands will still influence the conversation by their value equity, but control is slipping.

Alexa is Brand Agnostic
What happens if brands no longer influence the moment of truth?     By Lee Peterson

Alexa, order a 12-pack of toilet paper, a case of bottled water, and a bag of tortilla chips.

Welcome to the new moment of truth. There is no shelf. There is no cart. There is no register. There isn’t even a laptop or mobile phone. There is only a talking cylinder on a kitchen table. Artificial intelligence has enabled every household to become a store shelf. And in this new, demand-based moment of truth, something is often being left unsaid: Charmin, Dasani, and Tostitos. Or Scotts, Evian, and Santitas. Or even Cottonelle, Fiji, and Mission.   .... "   (read the whole thing) .... 

Conversation: Beyond Moments of Truth

Its all about conversation.    It used to be about 'moments of truth',  but now more about much more fluid conversations that can be generated and sustained by initial interaction.  That interaction can come from data, Bots, intelligent prediction, even old fashion marketing.    Sometimes all of these can be analytically combined to produce something very prescriptive.   CustomerThink talks this:

In CustomerThink
Turning Data to Conversations: Intelligent Marketing  .... "

Moments of Truth

As I understand it,  the concept of commercial 'moment of truth'  was invented by my former enterprise in conjunction with consultants.    I remember hearing it for the first time in an innovation meeting and thinking:  'too simplistic'.    It later became a constantly used phrase.   I became convinced that it was useful to provide a very broad classification like this,  as long as you were quick to identify the inherent complexity as well.  In e-Commerce Times.

Speed of Marketing Automation

Consider in addition attentive or analytical methods to detect needed intervention.

Traveling at the speed of culture: can marketing automation keep up?
For successful brand campaigns that emerge based on real-time reactions to culturally relevant events, marketing automation capitalizes on these moments by driving consumer engagement.
Our latest marketing meme, driven by "war rooms" and 24/7 trendspotting teams, has data-driven marketers using insights to create memorable customer experiences that are linked to topical, cultural moments. These are not just a brand promise and not only singular interactions, but a combination of several relevant moments of truth (or MOTs) - the kinds of engaging moments of truth popularized by Google in 2011. Each touchpoint is personal, customized, and responsive of the actions and interests of the individual. ... " 

Marketing and On Line Video at Zero Moment of Truth

In Think With Google:  Stats and thoughts about using online video for marketing.  Varies significantly with category,  but clearly engaging and influential.   Note the use of the 'moment of truth' meme, which we co developed and expanded for the purpose of marketing innovation.

" .... In the mobile age, instead of a few "moments of truth" or a Zero Moment of Truth, consumers experience countless micro-moments throughout the day while exploring interests, solving problems, searching for products, and making decisions. These micro-moments are the new battleground for hearts, minds, and wallets. Increasingly, we're seeing that these moments happen while people are watching video on their mobile devices. When it comes to digital video viewership, mobile's small but mighty screen is having a profound impact. In fact, 50% of global viewership on YouTube comes from mobile devices. And as we reported back in October, millennials are 2X more likely to be focused while watching video on mobile than while viewing it on TV. To them, mobile isn't the second or third screen. It's the first. .... " .

Digitizing the First Moment of Truth

Former P&Ger Randall Beard in his Marketing with Impact Blog about digitization of the first-moment-of-truth, the interaction of shopper and store at the shelf. Also known as merchandising. The topic is a frequent one in this blog. He does a good job providing an overview of the topic, connecting it to P&G practices and mentioning a number of vendors currently in play. Worth following. Via Stan Dyck.