ZMOT:

a Critical Step in Marketing and a Wise Moment in Life

Did the following story tell you something?

Once upon a time, I was walking in my hometown. I perceived a film poster. I stared at the
name of the movie and I realised that Ive never heard about it. I thought about watching it the
same day before going back home. Then, thinking about it, I concluded that I couldnt, as Im not
sure if I will like it or not and this will cost me time and money.
However, this, didnt mean, that I wouldnt watch it at all. Actually, what I needed at that time
was to have more information about the movie to guess if Im going to like it or not. So, I came
back home, picked my laptop, open a search engine and searched for the movie.
Reading its synopsis, watching the trailer, peeking in the comments and the critics, checking its
rating on IMDb website, asking friends, analysing its reviews are all steps I moved through to
make my decision. Then, I decided to watch it and went to the cinema to do so.

What marketing model this story hides?

I suppose that this story isnt only mine. Its a story that we all lived, live and will live. However,
what is important about it is the fact that it sticks to all marketing steps, that are:

The stimulus: the moment the need is triggered,

The process of making the decision: the period necessary to collect data,

The shelf: the moment to decide whether to buy the product/service or not,

The experience: when you use the product/service.

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These marketing steps are not matched only in the case of watching a movie in a cinema, but it
arises each time we express a need. If we want to buy an electronic device, if we want to buy a
company service (whether B2B or B2C ), if we want to eat in a restaurant, doing any activity
or buying any product or service, we move through all these steps.

To what correspond these marketing steps?

In 2005, P&G performed a study on 5000 shoppers across 12 categories of business and figured
out that the process of buying could be summarised in 3 marketing steps (the 3-step marketing
model):

The Stimulus

The First Moment of Truth (Shelf)

The Second Moment of Truth (Experience)

The tradition 3-step mental model
Then, in 2011, Google came out with another distinct step; they called Zero Moment of Truth
(ZMOT)".

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What is ZMOT?
If we get back to the movie scenario stated above. We will automatically realise that the most
crucial moment was while making the decision of watching the film. The most important
moment occurred when I started collecting data about the movie and transforming that data to
information.
This is exactly what is called Zero Moment of Truth (ZMOT)!

The new mental model

According to Mr Jim Lecinski, Managing Director of U.S Sales & Service at Google,
ZMOT is a new decision-making moment that takes place a hundred million times a day on
mobile phones, laptops and wired devices of all kinds. Its a moment where marketing happens,
where information happens, and where consumers make choices that affect the success and
failure of nearly every brand in the world.

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Based on this definition and its compliance with our experiences. I may say that the greatness
of the ZMOT resides on the fact that it supposes the existence of many sources of information.
Indeed, ZMOT could occur in a real-time, through meeting with friends or relatives, through
mobile devices or laptops, through websites, posters, blogs and articles, through comments,
conversations and critics Its about a range of tools, parties and indicators that we engage
every time we need to make a decision.
In addition to that, ZMOT not only serves to have the required information about the brand
were dealing with to satisfy our needs. But, it also serves to find the right offer that
presents the best quality with the lowest price in the most limited time.
In another words, ZMOT is the incarnation of the pure human desire expected from any brand
and that Google sums up in 3 questions:

Will it save money?

Will it save time?

Will it improve my life?

In my side, for some reasons, I may split the third question to 2 questions:

Will it satisfy my need?

Will it improve my social status and my reputation?

In my opinion, these two questions are both essential as theres always a need behind buying
any service/product or doing any activity.
Besides, while trying the service/product or doing an activity, we often expect to recommend it
or not depending on our experience. So, we wonder if this service, product, activity will
enhance our community status among our entourage and if it will help to boost our reputation.
In brief words: we always get ready for Sharing.

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Why ZMOT is so crucial?
In Google's study, 84% of the shoppers said that ZMOT shapes their decisions.

Source: Google/Shopper Sciences, Zero Moment of Truth Macro Study Industry Studies, U.S.,
April 2011

For the consumer, ZMOT is the moment in which he collects data and transforms it to
information in order to make the right decision. Thus, it is a process of learning that contributes
in:
Developing the consumers capacity of processing many information in one shot and in a

real-time,
Increasing the awareness about how brands turn and how the consumer should behave

(negotiate) with it,

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Defining ones standards of selecting one thing among a multitude of offers and by that

creating, implicitly, ones consumer guide,

Updating ones knowledge about what is happening in the community and even in the

world,
Leading ones choices based on fixed goals and limited resources.

I may say that ZMOT is for the consumer an ecosystem incorporating many parties, tools,
emotions, interactions and reasons that develop his human capacities.
For the brand, ZMOT is considered as an opportunity. Its a moment in which success or
failure of consumer experience relies on information. In fact, the more the information will be
available about a brand, the more the process of decision will be short but complicated for the
consumer.
Actually, the complexity of making decision generally arises when the information available
about a brand is not owned by itself. So, ZMOT is an opportunity because its measurable in
terms of time and it is the time in which the brand should get closer to the potential consumer
in a way that will provide him with the information needed and reply to his questions.
Nowadays, everyone could look anytime from anywhere to any kind of information. Today, we
own access to every due to all the technologies we deploy. This means that the brand that will
provide the more available information and the more accurate one is the most nominated to be
the ultimate choice of the consumer. And thats the reason why every single brand should be
highly presented, by its own regards, during the ZMOT.
For the nexus between the consumer and the brand, ZMOT is the moment the connection is
created between the consumer and the brand. It is the time when two diverse destinies
cross each other. It is the period in which two different stories become one story.
If we get back again to the movie scenario exposed in the beginning of this article, we will
notice that the progress of that story connotes a certain permanent interaction that was
formulated in the past in a form of messages. But, today, its not anymore about messages its
rather about conversations.
Indeed, while seeing the movie poster, the brand was addressing a message to me. I received it
and then replied to it by interest. I started collecting information and this step suppose that I
have some questions that, first, the brand will answer and then the external sources. In this

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sense, it is an exchange of information between me, as a consumer, and the brand and then
others. Consequently, we have all the rights to call it a conversation.
In the light of all the conversations that people may have with the brands that theyre
interested in, its is the brands choice to whether be a part; an effective part; of these
conversations or not.
Furthermore, what is important to keep in mind is the fact that the conversation already exists.
It doesnt suppose that its triggered by the brand because information is circulating about
everything on Internet and the brand chooses whether to master it or let it go.
In this way, it is essential to win the ZMOT. Mr Rishad Toboccowala, Chief Strategy and
Innovation Officer at VivaKi, once said:
Dont call them search engines. Call them connection engines.
So, the main goal for each brand is winning this connection to gain the ZMOT."
Before answering this question, I bring to your attention that a brand is not only a company,
but its also an institution, an association and an individual. I insist on the fact that brand
means also individual as we commonly talk about the personal branding.
Besides that, the individual is also subject to the ZMOT:
For students, graduates and professionals, recruiters perform ZMOT when theyre

deciding whether to call you for an interview or not. So, information about you on
Internet matters!
For simple individuals, people accomplish ZMOT. Even before meeting you, people will

look for information and ask about you and will build a first impression towards who
you are.
For managers, your collaborators, suppliers and customers operate ZMOT. Youre

representing your company, your institution or your NGO So, the best your reputation
is on Internet, the more your business or your activity will gain good notoriety.

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www.forcinet.com - Email: contact@forcinet.com - Tl: +212 6 70 67 26 20

How to win the ZMOT?
ZMOT is one of those moments in which impact is widely unleashed. And its not easy to be
present with the right answers at the right time unless we have the ability to well-process
consumers data and the capacity to manage the flow of information about the brand
concerned.
Thus, winning the ZMOT begins by understanding the power of the digital word of mouth.
Mr Hurt Brett, Owner of Hurt Family Investments, said,
This is the first time in history that word of mouth has become a digitally-archived medium
The word of mouth has become, nowadays, a comment, an email, a post, a photo, a video, a review,
So, the most part of ZMOT happens on Internet. And mastering the word of mouth about your
brand requires boosting and monitoring your presence on the web.

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In this perspective, to win the ZMOT you should:

Be present on Internet by building your own digital identity and defining

your digital strategy and brand planning,

Deliver continuous information about your brand by creating websites,

mobiles apps and by producing updated content,

Get involved in the conversation by interacting with your target (prospects,

collaborators,

suppliers,

customers)

through

well-

established community management on social media, search engines and

any web and mobile platform,
Follow up your online reputation and manage it by performing a

permanent digital monitoring and figuring out how to improve what your
web community is saying about you and that defines your image,
Forecast the questions that may be asked by your followers and anticipate

their needs,
Assess and enhance the customer experience services that are object of the

Second Moment of Truth for the main reason that the SMOT of any person
constitutes the ZMOT of another person.

Finally, we can argue that winning the ZMOT is a long process that could be more detailed
and fleshed out by many figures. However, whether youre a brand or a consumer you
should take into consideration ZMOT in every step youre going through. As a brand
ZMOT is a critical component of your marketing strategy and as a consumer ZMOT
is a wise process of decision-making that affords you a better quality of life.
Soulaimane AMRI
Chief Executive Officer at Forcinet

Forcinet S.A.R.L Hay Wifaq 01, NR 5089 1er tage Temara Morocco
www.forcinet.com - Email: contact@forcinet.com - Tl: +212 6 70 67 26 20