Consumers have changed completely in the past couple of decades. They’re more informed than ever; they research consumer product reviews online. They’re not easily swayed by the advertising that leads to brand recognition but doesn’t necessarily breed trust. They’re more influenced by word of mouth. Due to this, some marketing reports suggest that consumers have largely made up their minds about which products to purchase before shopping.
I disagree: Ultimately, purchase decisions are overwhelmingly being made at the retail shelf where consumers can analyze category products side by side. In “The Consumer Decision Journey,” McKinsey & Company marketing research bears this out: “Consumers want to look at a product in action and are highly influenced by the visual dimension: Up to 40 percent of them change their minds because of something they see, learn or do at this point — say, packaging, placement or interactions with salespeople.”