New technologies and mobility driving consumer decision-making

Customer behavior and purchase decision-making is growing increasingly complex, driven by multiple factors that include accelerated mass adoption of new technologies and mobility, according to KPMG.

In a new KPMG report, Me, My Life, My Wallet, the firm introduces a new customer engagement framework that is designed to help businesses understand the forces that influence decision-making and preferences of today’s customers. The KPMG report presents the “Five Mys” to help navigate the complexity of consumer decision-making – and includes a survey of 10,000 consumers globally, including 2,500 in the United States. The survey shows that new technology platforms have upended the old ecosystem of what, when and why to explain how consumers open their wallets to buy something.

“How companies understand their customers and respond to their unmet needs has changed drastically,” said Julio Hernandez, head of KPMG’s Global Customer Center of Excellence and U.S. Advisory Customer Solutions lead partner. “Differentiating your products, services and experiences requires a deep understanding of the trade-offs customers are willing to make, as well as the forces impacting their decision to open and close their wallets.”

In fact, the KPMG survey found that, 57 percent of U.S. respondents said they would like technology and apps to automatically filter information for them, while 54 percent reported looking at their phone screens every five to 30 minutes without being prompted.

Rise in digital media consumption and trustworthiness of online reviews

The KPMG report indicates that the United States has the highest media and digital media consumption compared to the rest of the world, with new consumption via social media on the rise. What’s more, U.S. consumers also demonstrate more trust in online reviews.

Connectivity on mobile devices is also on the rise in the U.S., with 43 percent of users receiving a notification on their phone at least every 10 minutes.

“Ordering and paying for goods and services on mobile devices is becoming the norm, which is why we’re seeing significant investments by retailers in the mobile consumer experience,” said Mark Larson, national leader of KPMG’s Consumer & Retail practice. “This holiday shopping season you can expect to see new forms of mobile interaction with consumers, from advertising and in-store engagement, to predictive analytics and checkout processes. Companies need to adjust to customers’ increasing dependence on mobile devices and provide frictionless experiences and on-demand services for everything from food to a pet grooming.”

The underlying drivers of human decision-making have become exponentially more complex in recent years. Yet transactional data, traditional market research and demographic profiles alone are proving inadequate to explain not just what customers are doing, but why.

“Making sense of the signals of change is critical to keeping up with your evolving customers. Finding the right ways to mine and analyze these signals will help companies better predict customers’ changing needs and expectations,” said Colleen Drummond, head of KPMG Innovation Labs and a partner with KPMG in the U.S.

Source: KPMG LLP