In performing arts, the first and most important principle taught is ‘timing is everything'.
In a nutshell
- The rise of customer journey mapping has helped marketers communicate the right message at the right time, on the right platform.
- But contemporary moments marketing goes wider and deeper: there are cultural, category and consumer layers to understand.
- Moments are not just the ones you create as a brand but more than often than not are the ones happening around your brand.
Landing the figure skating jump spin at the peak of the crescendo, the ‘pause for dramatic effect’ in the theatre or the comedian who somehow times every gag to feel natural, improvised and relevant.
In the dance of marketing, the same principle of timing applies. Any lifecycle marketer knows this, it the basis for all campaign development.
The birthday email from your local gym, timing the upsell comms at the specific moment customers feel they are needing more, or the retention offers in the team toolbox for when a customer is on the brink of leaving.
Constructing a marketing programme around the ‘moments that matter’ is a no brainer, it works but only if you know the right moments to turn up. After all, messaging is one thing but if you don’t time that message at the right moment, everything becomes irrelevant.
The growth of customer journey mapping over the past decade has been a reflection of adding more science into the principles of timely marketing. We are now swimming with detailed maps pinpointing customers every move with the message we want to land, which is great – more personalised, relevant and even helpful!
However, contemporary moments marketing goes wider and deeper.
From CMO to CCO
The role of the Chief Marketing Officer is no longer confined to a specialist function called ‘marketing’, instead, they are expected to take ownership of the ‘customer’ – a much broader remit. This means we must consider the broader context of a customer – their macro context of their lives, their experiences and ultimately, their behaviour.
Moments marketing
When it comes to moments marketing, successful brands leverage moments in a much more holistic sense. After all, humans are complicated creatures living in a complicated world. How each person thinks, feels, and acts depends on more than just their customer status in our CRM systems.
There are several moments layers to consider:
1. Cultural layer
2. Category layer
3. Customer layer
1. The cultural layer of moments marketing
The cultural layer is the macro trends and shifts influencing our behaviour, society and brands today. The brands who leverage these cultural shifts, play on the strengths of their brand to fit into these moments. Heineken’s masterful connection to a cultural moment of bringing together different perspectives was pure brilliance. And even with this powerful and emotional topic, the use of the Heineken product felt natural and right.
