3. Moment of truth
or
What is it?
tCMoN is a moment when a specific need of consumer is
intensified and this occurs periodically or reflex to some
condition.
Note: Need means both need or want
4. Factors that make up tCMoN
It’s a moment created by the consumer experiencing something over and over again,
very difficult to be created by a brand
At that moment one specific need of consumer is intensified and its importance
overwhelms other needs in consumer mind.
This specific need can only be satisfied by a specific function or emotional support,
only a small number or only one brand or product can satisfy this need
The moment reoccurs again and again either periodically, when some conditions are
met or both
tCMoN belongs to a category not a product or brand
5. Side note on intensified need
What is intensified need?
There are many needs belong to a category that present at the same moment. The
intensified need is a need that might or might not exist outside that moment but in that
moment its importance or sense of emergency is higher than other.
How to clarify the scale of importance or sense of emergency?
tCMoN is only a moment and in that moment we can see what is the prioritized action or top
of mind desire . They represent importance and sense of emergency.
From those action or desire we can trace back to what need they originated from.
6. Role of tCMoN
The product or brand that can satisfied the moment specific needs is the strongest in
consumer mind
By the notice of the moment and know the right intensified need brand can communicate
or create new product to own that moment
Winning tCMoNs could lead to winning category (transforming the category)
A new product can revolve around solving only one tCMoN existing in category
7. Can you make it clearer?
Yes! Yes, I can!
Why meal time is a tCMoN to cocacola but only a strategic occasion to pepsi? Though
both are carbonate drink, Cocacola address the need of happiness in a meal while
Pepsi address refreshment.
During meal time (with friends or family), the need of happy moment is intensified
while the need for refreshment is almost the same as any other moment
tCMoN is about finding out the reoccurring moment and
pointing out the intensified need
The need can be functional or emotional
8. Can you make it clearer?
Yes! Yes, I can!
On a sunny and hot day, the need for a drink to refresh yourself is indeed
intensified but that’s not a tCMoN since most beverage can satisfy that need
without having some specific functions.
For example, when you eat something hot, it burns your tongue, at that
moment you want some drink that can cure your tongue. That would be a
tCMoN since only the specific function of treating burnt tongue can satisfy.
Now in the 1st example, if we point out a different need that is “lower body
temperature” then it becomes a tCMoN since now there is a specific function
required.
9. Periodically: tCMoN happens hourly, daily, monthly, yearly, every 4 days etc.
At night, young people may find it difficult to sleep early due to their biological clock expanding awake
hours even though they know they want to sleep. Then the tCMoN would be occurring every night and the
need is to be able to sleep the moment their head hit the pillow in the category of drink (water that help
you sleep, not as strong as sleeping pill) or candle (sleepy aroma)
Women putting on makeup in the morning isn’t tCMoN but reapplying makeup is since the longlasting
makeup is a specific function not all product in category have.
On conditions: tCMoN happens when some conditions are met.
After playing sport, the need for deodorant arise but it’s not a tCMoN, the need to stop the sweating
afterward is. This tCMoN occur only when condition play sport is met. Moment after playing sport – Need to
stop further sweating – Deodorant
Under the rain the hair gel or wax get washed away, causing hair to fall out of style and the dripping water
that may hit the eyes contain chemical that burns. The need for hair not to fall out of style is more intense
than the later. Moment of rain – Need wax or gel to not be washed away – Hair Gel or wax.
Both or not fixed at one type
Cocacola meal time may sometimes occur daily, or 3 times a day or a few time a week when condition of
eating with others is met
Can you make it clearer?
Yes! Yes, I can!
10. tCMoN isn’t EVERLASTING.
A Moment – Need – Category can stop being a tCMoN when:
The moment stop happening or the frequency becomes too small for consumers
The need lost its importance in consumer mind
The need become popular known and satisfy by a lot of products ( Moment while in an air-
conditioned room – erase the smell in the closed room – air-conditioner used to be a
tCMoN until most air-conditioner now a day have erasing smell function)
The Specific need with specific function to satisfy become a new category (perfume was
for making you smelled better than tCMoN of moment when you stink – erase the bad
smell – perfume appear then perfume branched out into deodorant and the tCMoN
disappear)
…
At the same time tCMoN can be created anew through changing in consumer
behavior, consumer thought, consumer perception, market, society, technology etc.
Can you make it clearer?
Yes! Yes, I can!
11. How to find tCMoN?
Identify consumer
Understand category
Look into every moment the consumer use, prepare to use, experience using
products in category
Finding out which moments reoccur
Dig into those moment to find if there is an intensified need
Find out if that intensified need can only be satisfy by a function or emotional
support only a small number of only one brand or product possess.
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