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The McKinsey Customer Journey - Coggle Diagram
The McKinsey Customer Journey
Traditional Funnel vs Consumer Decision Journey
Traditional Tunnell
The traditional model sees consumers moving through a fairly linear process
awareness;
familiarity;
consideration;
purchase;
loyalty.
The idea is that consumers start with many possible brands and gradually narrow them down until they make a purchase
Why the tunnel is limited
The traditional tunnel is too simple for modern digital marketing
Consumers now use too many touchpoints before buying
The McKinsey article argues that the funnel fails to capture the complexity caused by more product choice, more digital channels and better informed consumers
The Consumer Decision Journey
The consumer decision journey is more circular than linear.
Consumers do not simply narrow down brands in a straight line.
They may add or remove brands during the journey.
They may also be influenced after purchase, which affects their next buying decision.
Main Stages
Trigger
Initial consideration set
Active evaluation
Moment of purchase
Post-purchase experience
Loyalty loop
1. Trigger
The event or need that starts the costumer journey
It makes the customer realise they may need a product or service
Examples
A pipe breaks and floods someone’s basement.
This triggers the need for a plumber.
A phone breaks or becomes outdated.
This triggers the need for a new phone.
A student starts a new course.
This could trigger the need for a laptop.
2. Initial Consideration Set
The initial consideration set is the small group of brands or options the consumer thinks of first.
It is shaped by:
brand awareness;
previous experience;
advertising;
word-of-mouth;
reviews;
recent touchpoints.
The McKinsey article emphasises that accumulated brand impressions matter because they shape the initial-consideration set when something triggers the impulse to buy.
3. Active Evaluation
Active evaluation is the stage where consumers research and compare options.
This can involve:
online search;
product reviews;
comparison sites;
social media;
word-of-mouth;
store visits;
brand websites;
recommendations from friends or family.
This stage is important because consumers may add or remove brands.
Unlike the traditional funnel, the journey may expand here rather than narrow.
Consumer Driven Marketing
The McKinsey article highlights that consumers increasingly “pull” information themselves during active evaluation.
This includes:
online reviews;
word-of-mouth recommendations;
internet research;
past experiences;
in-store interactions.
4. Moment of Purchase
The moment of purchase is when the consumer selects and buys a product or service.
This can happen:
online;
in-store;
through an app;
over the phone;
through a booking form.
What influences purchase?
price;
availability;
reviews;
trust;
website usability;
checkout process;
delivery options;
sales staff;
packaging;
in-store displays;
promotions.
5. Post-purchase experience
The post-purchase experience is what happens after the consumer buys.
It includes:
product performance;
delivery;
customer service;
returns;
follow-up emails;
support;
reviews;
satisfaction;
complaints handling.
The McKinsey article states that after purchase, consumers build expectations based on experience, which then informs their next decision journey.
6. Loyalty Loop
Occurs when a positive experience make the consumer more likely to buy again
Instead of starting the whole journey again, a loyal customer may return directly to the same brand
Active Loyalist
genuinely committed to the brand;
repeat purchase;
recommend the brand to others;
generate positive word-of-mouth.
Passive Loyalist
continue buying from the brand but are not strongly committed;
may stay because of habit, laziness or confusion;
are open to switching if competitors give them a reason.