The Zero moment of truth

The ZMOT, or zero moment of truth, is a marketing term that has been developed by Google in 2011 by Jim Lecinski. It has been influenced by the original moments of marketing unraveled by the teams of Procter and Gamble in 2005. They are the First moment of truth (FMOT) and the Second moment of truth (SMOT). This was possible through the stimulus at the beginning of the marketing process. This was so important to Procter and Gamble that they decided to create a position for this as Director of FMOT. The job was filled with Dina Howell.
According to Procter and Gamble CEO, A.G. Lafley, there are two moments of truth. The first one happens at the store shel, when the consumer has to choose between the brands. The second one happens at home, when the customer uses the brand and is deeply satisfied by it. As a result, we use to see the marketing stigma as, first the Stimulus, then the Shelf, then the Experience.

The ZMOT introduced by Google ads another moment of truth. The zero moment of truth is made possible thanks to our connected environment. The consumer is now able to search for a product on his/ her laptop or his/ her smartphone. He can see which brand fits the best it's needs before the shelf. As a result, the ZMOT is volatile and is hard to visualize for a brand. The new "mental model" as Lecinski calls it, is Stimulus, ZMOT, FMOT, SMOT. First, the consumer sees the ad on TV, he makes research about the product, and finds the best brand. When his decision is made, he goes to the shelf, buys the product and enjoys it at home. The weakness of the first model was that the decision was made at the shelf. The consumer was able to get help from the seller. He could directly see if there was a specific promotion or a bundle of the product he was buying. Yet he was directly influenced by the advertisement on the point of sale. The product that would win would be the one standing in front of the customer at that specific moment. Now the consumer's decision happens far away from the point of sale. The consumer doesn't waste any more time wandering in the alleys, he already knows why he came to the shop. He is still able to ask advices from an employee and might still be influenced on his way to get the product. The ZMOT ads up a whole new  dimension to the customers experience. The content is richer, through videos, pictures and buzz marketing. The brand have to take this into account and find their ways to adapt their strategy to customers.

As a result ZMOT is a big part of our buying process. ZMOT stands as the perfect solution to describe the online marketing and sales. The search engine is the best suited to do the job as they regularly receive tons of questions. They are the best at engaging with customers and providin them with the best product they would need, at the right time. When a customer searches a "shampoo for bright hair" for example or a "soft toothbrush", you have to do it right. When is the best moment to show your product to the customers?

Audio:
https://soundcloud.com/pilum-agency/pilum-agency-zmot