Consumer behaviour has changed forever. Today's battle for hearts, minds, and dollars is won (or lost) in micro-moments—intent-driven moments of decision-making and preference-shaping that occur throughout the entire consumer journey.
As mobile has become an indispensable part of every Australian's daily life, we're witnessing a fundamental change in the way people consume media. What used to be our predictable, daily sessions online have been replaced by many fragmented interactions that now occur instantaneously. In fact, 80% of smartphone users say they now access the internet more often but in shorter bursts. There are hundreds of these moments every day—checking the time, texting a spouse, chatting with friends on social media.
But then there are the other moments—the I-want-to-know moments, I-want-to-go moments, I-want-to-do moments, and I-want-to-buy moments—that really matter. We call these " micro-moments," and they're game changers for both consumers and brands.
Micro-moments occur when people reflexively turn to a device—increasingly a smartphone—to act on a need to learn, do, discover, watch, or buy something. They are intent-rich moments when decisions are made and preferences are shaped. In these moments, consumers' expectations are higher than ever. The powerful computers we carry in our pockets have trained us to expect brands to immediately deliver exactly what we are looking for exactly when we are looking for it. We want things right, and we want things right away.
Consider these findings from research we recently conducted with Australian smartphone users from all over the country:
• I-want-to-know moments: 74% rely on their phones more than, or at least as much as, they rely on their desktops when searching for information, ideas, or advice.
• I-want-to-go moments: 86% found directions or contact details for a business with their phones in the past three months.
• I-want-to-do moments: 87% of females 18 to 24 years old used their phones to search for health and beauty how-to content in the past three months.
• I-want-to-buy moments: 68% have used their phones to search online about a product while in a store. Of those, 66% say the search helped them choose a product different from the one they intended to buy.
The successful brands of tomorrow will be those that have a strategy for understanding and meeting consumers' needs in these micro-moments.
Stay up to date on the latest insights and research at thinkwithgoogle.com/micromoments/au.html.
