Marketing Fundamentals
Key question
What journey does someone take from first contact to recommendation?
Nobody buys at the first point of contact. People notice an offer, compare, hesitate, decide, use it, and talk about it – or they simply don't. The customer journey describes this path phase by phase, including every touchpoint.
Learning objective: You can map a customer journey with stages, touchpoints and an emotional curve, and identify where design has the greatest impact.
Buying is a journey, not a single moment.
3.1 / Phases of the Journey
Attention, consideration, decision.
Models differ in the details, but most follow the same logic: first, someone has to be aware of an offer, then seriously consider it, and finally take action. After that comes the part that many forget: use and recommendation.
01
Attention
Someone notices the offer for the first time. The goal is brand recognition, not sales.
02
Consideration
Someone is comparing and looking for reasons for or against. The goal is trust.
03
Decision
Someone takes action: makes a purchase, books, or signs up. The goal is a smooth completion.
Once the decision is made, usage and recommendation follow. Those who inspire at this stage gain the most credible form of advertising: people telling others about it.
Every phase needs its own message.
3.2 / Mapping touchpoints
Where, when, and with what feeling?
Touchpoints are all the places where someone comes into contact with an offering: a poster, website, invoice, phone call, packaging, or the workshop itself. A journey map lists these for each phase and notes how the person feels throughout.
The emotional journey map highlights where things get stuck. Often, the lowest point isn't caused by the advertising, but by an inconspicuous step like an unclear form or a long waiting time. That is where design has the greatest impact.
Improve the lowest point first.
3.3 / Moments of truth
A few moments define the entire experience.
Not all touchpoints are equally important. A few key moments define the entire experience: the first impression, the moment something goes wrong, and the end. People primarily remember the peak and the conclusion of an experience.
For Rheinrad, one such moment is the handover: the bike is parked outside, freshly cleaned, with a handwritten note explaining what was done. It costs very little and gets people talking.
Craft the ending as carefully as the beginning.
Exercise
Create a journey map
Task: Create a journey map for an offer you have already used yourself.
STEP 1
Collects all touchpoints from first contact to recommendation.
STEP 2
Use the tool to assign them to the five phases and rate the feeling.
STEP 3
Defines the lowest point and a moment of truth.
STEP 4
Outline a design improvement for this point.
Evaluation: Was the lowest point in the communication or in the process?