Marketing directors who are in the trenches every day realize that big shifts in consumer behavior continue to reshape the marketing landscape, but it sometimes hits us harder when we reflect on how it was just five years ago. Way back in 2006 quarterly revenue from the entire US newspaper industry peaked at $14Billion, while Google hadn’t reached $2Billion. According to the Newspaper Association of America figures, they lost another 3% from 2Q shown below to 3Q 2011.
In 2012, Google US revenues will surpass those of the ENTIRE US newspaper industry.
Google’s revenues are largely generated from search advertising, where they bring buyer and seller together at the moment of need. These are increasingly local sellers meeting local consumers where they want to do business.
This was once the domain of the local newspaper. Rates for a tiny display ads commanded thousands of dollars for just one day.
What if your consumer wasn’t looking on that particular day? What if they had a need for your product or service before the newspaper was delivered and forgot about it later? Oops. Retailer and co-op dollars wasted.
As you can see from the chart, meeting consumers needs at the instant it pops into their heads is a very good and profitable thing to do.
It is good for you, your retailers and obviously Google.
Are your dealers there at that very moment with a brand-approved, compelling offer? Do you offer online tools to make it easy for your dealer or retailers? What are you going to do differently in 2012 to make this easier for your retailers?
Experts are calling this the “Zero Moment of Truth”. ZMOT for short. It’s a phenomenon brought on by the ever-present nature of web based information from mobile and traditional browsers (desktops and laptops) to be there right when we have a question or need about your product or service.
JGSullivan’s platforms help your dealers be present in that Zero Moment of Truth.
My LinkedIn friend, Jim Lecinski (Google’s Managing Director of US Sales & Service) just published an eBook on the subject. It’s a free download and I encourage you to check it out.