A New Format
2021 is nearly behind us and we’ve been giving a lot of thought to the podcast moving into 2022 and beyond. We’ll be moving into some deep research methods and hope you’ll find the format fun but a lot more informative.
Q: What exactly is a customer journey map?
I like this baseline definition:
“A customer journey map is a visual representation of a customer’s experience with your brand. These visuals tell a story about how a customer moves through each phase of interaction and experiences each phase.”
How can I improve a customer journey?
Identify each touchpoint with the brand and understand the consumer’s need at each point. Then quantify the impact of changes to the journey.
The final output
The final product should be a consumer journey map & simulator that includes:
- Identify each stage of the decision-making journey
- For each stage, the possible options or influencers
The simulator allows you to run various “what if” scenarios. For example, what if we run an ad on the Goodyear Blimp during a game? How will that impact sales?
Determine the stages and various options
This is where qualitative interviews shine.
Recruit 15 people, half of which have recently purchased and the other half plan to purchase in the next week. Then, start asking them about their journey.
It should create a funnel that looks something like this:
Quantify impacts made to the journey
For this, we will use the Shapley Value Analysis, aka Averages Over Orderings (AOO). This yields linear regression models where all possible combinations of predictor variables are used in an exhaustive set of regression models.
The parameter estimates for each predictor variable is averaged over all of the parameter estimates of that predictor variable. The purpose of this approach is to eliminate the biasing effects of highly correlated predictor variables.
Here’s how it works
Participants will rate options per stage.
EXAMPLE
Stage 1: Awareness Stage of the Consumer Journey with Options that impact the probability of moving the consumer to the next stage.
You can use either binary (multi-select or single choice data) or ratings questions (frequency, impact or probability).
Shapley Value Analysis shows the relative importance of each option in the consumer stage.
The Simulator Example 1In the below example, we have increased “I see billboards” by 10%. This increases the overall Purchase Probability by 13%.IMPACT: Material opportunity to improve conversion. |
The Simulator Example 2
In the below example, we have increased “I drive by…” by 10%. This increases the overall Purchase Probability by 0%.
IMPACT: Not worth investing in additional locations.
The Simulator Example 3
In the below example, we have increased both “I see billboards” and “I drive by…”. This increases the overall Purchase Probability by 13% which is the same outcome for just improving Billboards alone.
IMPACT: The combination of Billboards and Locations doesn’t improve above just Billboards.
Final thoughts on applying AOO to your Consumer Journey
By using the Shapley Value Analysis (AOO) we don’t just uncover the stages and items within a stage that impact the consumer’s purchase decision, we are able to quantify the impact of changes.
This helps us make informed decisions on where to invest and has a direct attributable outcome to market research!
Interested in learning more? Click the button above, hit “Reply”, or email me at jamin@happymr.com.
Happy researching!
