This document discusses consumer shopping behavior based on a study. It finds that most consumers do not buy the original brand they had in mind due to issues like stock outs or better value. Consumers use a variety of online and offline sources for information with friends/social media being very important. Purchasing elicits both positive and negative emotions. Marketers need to help simplify information for consumers, engage in conversations to build trust, and monitor the consumer emotional journey with their brand.

1. thearf.org

2. Our Approach

3. 78%
2%
8%
5%
7%
78%
3%
10%
4%
5%
79%
2%
6%
5%
8%
77%
1%
10%
5%
7%
Yes, that was the original brand I had in mind
No, the brand I initially intended to buy was out of
stock
No, I switched for better value
No, I accidentally came across something that is more
interesting
No, for some other reason
Did They Buy the Brand They Had In Mind?
Overall
Auto
Smartphone
Grocery

4. 6.6
9.5
7.7
1.3
Overall Auto Smartphone Grocery
Total Number of Sources Used
(Online and Offline)

5. for Marketers
• Marketers need to be “marketing” to people before they
are actively shopping the category by increasing brand
presence across channels
• Consumers need help making sense of it all. Help them
by managing their perception of risk.
IMPLICATIONS

6. Consumers Live in
Interconnected Worlds
Social media expands the consumer’s “trust network”

7. 57%
71%
71%
74%
71%
73%
74%
77%
69%
70%
68%
66%
68%
Friends/followers on social networking sites
Fan pages/Following brands on social
networking sites
Blogs
Comparison-shopping sites
Search engines
Reviews: professional/expert
Reviews: consumer-generated
Brand/Company website
Online-only retailer
Other retail websites
Video websites
Online advertising
Daily-deal sites like Groupon, Living Social, or
Google Offers
65%
64%
56%
74%
63%
71%
72%
76%
66%
64%
59%
57%
54%
21%
33%
30%
36%
26%
28%
39%
48%
30%
19%
18%
28%
24%
Importance of Each Online Source: By Category
(Somewhat/Very Important)
Auto Smartphones Grocery

8. for Marketers
• People’s “trust networks” are highly influential and
factor greatly into both high- and low-risk/reward
purchases.
• Marketers need to help consumers interact about their
brands to be perceived as trusted and less as
adversaries.
• Mobile can help facilitate this process
IMPLICATIONS

9. Shopping Is an Emotional
Experience

10. 41%
82%83%
72%
GrocerySmartphoneAutoOverall
Excitement About the Purchase
(Somewhat/Very Excited)

11. Purchase Decision Stage and Sentiment for All
Observed Product Categories
Post-Purchase
Comments
Pre-Purchase
Comments
negative
198
92
neutral
371
307
positive
808
407
Note: Numbers adjacent to the dot groupings are the actual counts, while the dots illustrate the frequency graphically.

12. Plutchik Wheel of Emotions

13. ShareofIncidentsinCategory
11% 14% 13%
19%
54%35%
14%
22%
41%
14%
22% 42%
42%
27%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Problem Recognition Information Search Competitive
Evaluation
Purchase Decision Post- Purchase
Emotions at Each Purchase Stage
Fear
Distraction
Apprehension
Pensiveness
Acceptance
Trust
Serenity
Surprise
Interest
Sadness
Annoyance
Disgust
Anger
Anticipation
Joy

14. 5%
17%
11%
35%
17%
11%
12%
6%
0%
25%
50%
75%
100%
Problem
Recognition
Information Search Competitive
Evaluation
Purchase Decision Post- Purchase
Fear
Distraction
Apprehension
Pensiveness
Acceptance
Trust
Serenity
Surprise
Interest
Sadness
Annoyance
Disgust
Anger
Anticipation
Joy
For smartphones, post-purchase messages split into joy vs. anger, disgust,
annoyance and sadness.
ShareofIncidentsinCategory

15. for Marketers:
• Consumers share their triumphant shopping experiences
online. Marketers need to ensure that consumers have
the information they need to have a positive shopping
experience.
• Monitor the emotional journey the consumer is on.
Watch out for disconnects between the brands’ values
and the ways the brands are being discussed online.
• Use this learning to optimize marketing
communications.
IMPLICATIONS

16. Summary
• Think of mobile’s potential role in the passive stage
and when moving from passive to active
– Conveying emotions
– Catching downtimes
• Marketers need to actively participate in simplifying
online information for consumers.
• Marketers need to facilitate consumer conversations
about their products and brands.
• Monitor the emotional journey and respond in real
time