The Customer Journey in B2B Marketing: Kotler's 5 A's

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A fundamental aspect of marketing is the customer. The customer is the target that every company should aim for to achieve its goals, it does not matter if it is a company, as in B2B marketing, or a person; it is still a customer and as such, it goes through different phases during the interaction with the company.

The consumer experience has been studied and updated by Philip Kotler, in this article we will understand how to apply his theory to B2B marketing.

Over time, marketing has kazakhstan cell phone number list shifted its focus from the product to the consumer, as the latter has become an active and no longer passive actor, thus participating in the dynamics of the company.

Consequently, B2B marketing, i.e. marketing that aims to inform other companies about a product or service, must also put the customer at the center to adapt to this new trend.

For this reason it is necessary to build a marketing strategy that revolves around the customer by analyzing what is defined as the customer journey.

But what is meant by customer journey?

What is the customer journey?
The term customer journey is used in the marketing world to refer to the journey that the consumer takes during the purchasing process.

Unfortunately, the consumer journey is not a simple straight line but a tangled journey, made up of stops, explorations, encounters.

For this reason it is necessary to analyze each single stage, analyzing the phases of the sales process, to ensure that the customer chooses our company at any time.

The innovations that have involved our society have also changed the consumer purchasing processes. Today this process is defined as a b2b digital customer journey that tends to follow different stages:

I want to know moment: during this first phase, users feel the need to do research to get information.
I want to go moment: following the research, the user begins to approach the product because he has developed a certain interest and wants to test the product.
I want to do moment: after testing the product, the user is finally ready to take an action that will deepen this knowledge.
I want to buy moment: in the last phase the user has decided to buy but needs a stimulus that will convince him to complete the purchase.
These phases obviously vary based on the context of reference, but according to Philip Kotler, the father of modern marketing, the most important ones are linked to generating attention and curiosity towards the brand.

Kotler is therefore the one who updates the customer journey model through the 5 A's, idealizing the hypothetical customer, the Kotler customer, let's find out how.

Philip Kotler's Customer Journey
Philip Kotler, famous economist and founder of modern marketing, understands, through his studies, that the AIDA model, used to trace the customer journey, is now obsolete.

With the advent of the Internet, the consumer is increasingly “connected”, and this novelty has also brought changes in their purchasing behavior. Kotler therefore identifies 5 new phases, the so-called 5 A:

Aware (discovery)
Appeal (attractiveness)
Ask (search)
Act (action)
Advocate (word of mouth)
But now let's analyze them more closely.

AWARE

Aware
Phase in which consumers are surrounded by numerous brands, it is therefore essential to emerge and differentiate oneself from competitors.

How to do it? In this step it is important to launch a good message that communicates the brand values ​​and allows you to be remembered. The most important sources of brand awareness, in this phase, are word of mouth and brand marketing.

In order to stand out, it is necessary to have a strong brand identity, to convey the brand values ​​and the differentiating element. For example, online and offline advertising that is capable of attracting the attention and curiosity of the potential customer will be very important to create the memorability of the brand.

The most common metrics for measuring brand awareness are digital, that is, those that are based on impressions, reach and the ability to increase the so-called vanity metrics, which are very important when you want to investigate brand awareness.

appeal

Appeal
At this stage, it is crucial to capture the attention of the consumer amidst the noise and competition of the market. To attract attention, it is essential to create messages and content that are relevant, interesting and distinctive.

There are several strategies that companies can adopt to attract the attention of their target audience; for example, focusing on the originality of advertising messages, creating engaging content, understanding which communication channels are appropriate and distinguishing themselves through originality and uniqueness.

If the company's marketing or website attracts the buyer, then the company may earn a spot on their list of potential suppliers. During this time, they may look at the company's website to learn about the different solutions offered, read testimonials, and look for sales promotions or other deals.

For example, a potential customer looking to purchase a new car might search a car dealer's online inventory to find out what makes and models are available from that dealership.

Depending on the industry, prospects may also participate in free activities from the company, such as webinars or promotional events. If you are interested in a college, a prospective student may be able to attend free webinars about the activities offered, to gain resources and insights from experts.

ask

Ask
At this stage, consumers begin to learn about the brands they are most attracted to to understand if it is the right choice for them.

Being in the digital age, people have many channels available to get information, so it is essential for brands to maintain a multifaceted presence to meet the needs of potential buyers.

During this phase, consumers conduct detailed research on brands that interest them, using a variety of methods: they ask friends and family for recommendations, read online reviews, compare prices, and, if possible, try the product in-store.

Additionally, potential customers may contact the company directly for further details and clarifications, via phone, email or online chat. This direct contact gives them the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the solutions offered by the company and resolve any doubts or uncertainties.

Interactions between consumers and brands during this stage play a fundamental role in shaping purchasing decisions.

act

Act
After gathering the necessary information, consumers are ready to make a decision and purchase. This stage is not only limited to the moment of purchase, but also concerns the consumption and use of the product.

It is therefore important that the customer is satisfied throughout the experience because this judgment will influence the next phase.

In fact, only after having evaluated the information available, consumers will decide whether to purchase that particular product and whether, possibly, to interact with the brand in question.

advocate

Advocate
The last phase is based on the experience lived by the customer. Depending on the latter, in fact, a sense of loyalty towards the brand will develop or not, which will lead the consumer to be a promoter of the product or service. In this way, loyal customers will recommend the product they have just tried to acquaintances, friends and family.

It is therefore of considerable importance to understand how to build customer loyalty in order to retain and exploit them to the fullest.

To build customer loyalty, it is therefore essential to use effective strategies, which may include exceptional customer service, loyalty programs, personalization, social media engagement, but asking for and acting on feedback, creating a community around the brand and surprising customers are equally crucial activities.

Finally, maintaining brand consistency and integrity completes the approach to transform loyal customers into enthusiastic promoters of the product or service.