We write for Advertising Week about mid-funnel customer strategies
Many advertisers and media planners tend to focus on the top and bottom of the sales funnel, ignoring the critical mid-funnel customer. Our Chief Research Officer, Heather O’Shea, writes about how to change this in her latest article for Advertising Week, “Enhancing media planning with mid-funnel strategies.”
As audience fragmentation increases and media consumption habits shift towards diverse platforms, planning and buying media becomes increasingly challenging. Advertisers often target the very top (awareness) or the very bottom (purchase) of the marketing funnel, missing the crucial middle phase where consumers transition from being undecided to making a decision. She writes, “This binary focus on either branding-based activities or performance-based activities means a lack of engagement with those who are considering and evaluating different brands.”
Heather maintains that mid-funnel is vital for connecting with consumers and that, at this stage, brands must demonstrate how their products align with the consumers’ values and needs. For example, a consumer researching anti-aging skincare products might initially see general ads about retinol. Still, their consideration could shift toward a brand promoted by an influencer who highlights its vegan and environmentally friendly attributes, aligning better with their values.
To effectively capture mid-funnel consumers, it’s essential to deeply understand them, and Heather outlines various market research methodologies that can help.
- In-context testing evaluates consumer responses in real-world settings, providing authentic feedback and observing actual behaviors.
- Agile neuroscience leverages physiological responses to predict meaningful and relevant messages, offering insights far beyond traditional research data.
- Mobile ethnographies allow participants to document their experiences in real-time, providing rich contextual understanding.
Once insights are gathered, Heather writes that it is crucial to communicate these findings effectively to stakeholders to spur action. This ensures the full ROI of market research investments. Advertisers and media planners should then activate these insights by incorporating mid-funnel engagement as a key performance indicator in their strategies. Utilizing the gathered data to identify and prioritize efforts, such as in-the-moment messaging, content marketing, retargeting, and influencer partnerships, can significantly enhance engagement.
She concludes the article with: “As the advertising landscape continues to evolve, a comprehensive approach that includes mid-funnel engagement will be crucial for staying competitive and achieving long-term success.”
Read the full piece here: https://advertisingweek.com/enhancing-media-planning-with-mid-funnel-strategies/
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