Consumer Decision Journey:

Health and Wellness

Help consumers improve their health and wellbeing
The healthcare industry is one of worlds largest and fastest-growing sectors,
consuming over 10% of GDP in most developed nations and commanding nearly
$1.2B in digital ad spend this past year 1. With the cost of healthcare rising (US costs
are an average of 90% higher than in other industrialized nations2) and personalized
attention harder to find (in the UK 3.2M consumers are on waiting lists for treatment
from the National Health Service 3), consumers are demanding more proactive and
preventive healthcare approaches.
In 2013, 90% of US internet users looked online for health information before
consulting a doctor, while 40% used health apps to monitor their progress 4.
Consumers seek greater control over the various dimensions of their physical,
mental, and emotional health, and digital channels are increasingly supporting this
need.

Microsofts The Consumer Decision Journey: Health and Wellness, conducted with
Tapestry Research, uncovers the consumer needs that drive health-related decision-
making, from consumers initial curiosity about getting healthier to the conscious
decision to make a change and take action. Along the way, we will highlight
strategies for marketers to understand how to leverage digital to become
consumers preferred partner in health and plan media that meets the right
consumer needs, at the right moments, with the right messages.

1 eMarketer, The US Healthcare and Pharmaceutical Industry 2013 Digital Ad Spending Forecast & Key Trends, 2014.
2 World Health Organization, Table: Health Expenditure, Total (%of GDP) 2009-2013.
3 Durham times, 3.2m NHS patients on waiting lists, August 8th , 2014.
4 eMarketer, Online Health Information Seekers Internet Use Grows. . . , 2014. eMarketer, Fitness General Health Are Leadi ng
Health Apps, 2014.

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Table of Contents

Part 1: Objectives and Methodology. . . . . . . . . . P. 3

Part 2: A Cyclical, Lifelong Journey. . . . . . . . . . . . P. 5

Part 3: Stage-by-Stage View . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 8

Part 4: Key Take-aways and How . . . . . . . . . . . . P. 31

Microsoft Can Help

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Part 1: Objectives &
Methodology
The Consumer Decision Journey: Health and Wellness study provides an in-depth view
of a goal-driven consumer journey (e.g. I want to get in shape to run a marathon),
rather than a product-driven journey (e.g. I want to buy a new car). The health and
wellness journey is a lifelong endeavor, with the end goal as a state of being: overall
good health and a feeling of wellness, rather than a definitive purchase within a given
category. Though the study is broad, specific categories do come to the forefront for
varying health goals. For consumers trying to get fitter, apparel and sports
equipment come into play; for those trying to lose weight or eat healthier, food and
healthy snacks are priority; and for those managing conditions, medications are key.

Its an ongoing
journey, this one. You
never stop learning,
you never stop
searching.
Balvinder, UK
consumer

Microsoft partnered with Tapestry research using both qualitative and quantitative
methodologies to get a better understanding of both what consumers are doing and
why. All respondents have high speed internet, regularly use a smartphone, and are
actively working toward at least one of four health goals: getting fitter, managing a
condition, losing weight/eating healthier, or managing stress.

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Part 2: A Cyclical, Lifelong
Journey
Consumers are in a perpetual health journey

No defined endpoint

Permanent lifestyle change

Different measures of success

Weve conducted consumer journey studies in a number of categories, including

consumer packaged goods, autos, retail, financial services, and now health and
wellness. Similar to the previous categories weve studied, the health journey
manifests itself in five decision-making stages that consumers move through as
theyre working toward achieving a health-related goal, but there are several
aspects that make it unique.

First, health journeys are goal-oriented (rather than purchase oriented) and have no
defined endpoint. The ultimate goal is to achieve optimal health by incorporating
permanent lifestyle changes that instill better, healthier habits. Second, consumers
have different measures of success. For some its losing 15 pounds for bikini season;
for others, theyre seeking a general feeling of wellbeing and empowerment.

Regardless of how they measure success, consumers agree on one thing: the
journey to optimal health and wellbeing is a long-term one rife with challenges,
both internal (inertia and self-doubt) and external (sedentary jobs and the seasonal
colds that throw off progress). As a result, consumers are on the lookout for
products, solutions, and partners who can ease the pain of change. Digital channels
come to the forefront as influencers at each stage of the journey. We believe
brands who understand how and when to leverage digital to pave the road to
success for their consumers will be preferred partners.
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Goals Overlap
Health is holistic; focus on the consumer, not the goal
When theyre beginning a health and wellness journey, 80% of consumers have at
least two health goals in mind. Goals often overlap: 50% of consumers who are trying
to lose weight and eat healthier are also trying to reduce their stress levels. Thirty-
five percent of consumers managing a health condition are also focused on eating
healthfully and getting into an exercise regimen.

Because consumers dont look at their health goals in silos, marketers shouldnt
either. In order to truly connect with consumers along their health and wellness
journeys, brands and marketers need to target the whole person, rather than their
individual health goal.

For example, an OTC allergy brand might think about expanding their messaging
beyond treatment of symptoms to speak more broadly about helping consumers live
healthier, happier lives all-around so that they not only effectively manage their
allergies, but also enjoy everyday activities like exercising outdoors, without fear of
an attack.
Messaging and planning around holistic health not only helps build a broader
consumer base, but also opens up opportunities for cross-selling across a brands
portfolio of health-related products.

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Ultimate Goal: Healthier Life
Change is hard; minimize the pain via digital channels

Starting any routine is hard.

Change is pain sometimes,
we all know that! But the
hardest part is finishing what
you started, continuing and
improving and not falling off
the wagon.
Lisa, US consumer

Of the four health goals we studied,

getting fitter is the easiest to achieve, while
managing conditions, losing weight, and
decreasing stress are more difficult to assimilate into a true lifestyle change. With the
latter three goals, since they often require changing long-standing habits, consumers
are more prone to get stuck before they get even get started.

Consumers Progress Towards Change (Success after 12 months)

True lifestyle change Getting used to a new routine Still struggling to get started

15% 14% 15% 18%

36% 34% 36% 27%

49% 52% 49% 55%

Lose weight / Eat Manage a condition Manage stress/work-life

Get fitter
Healthily balance

As well see a bit later on, part of the reason why success is so difficult to achieve is because
several key consumer needs are going unmet. For example, enjoyment is lacking, which is
likely part of the reason why getting started and staying motivated is so difficult. But things
like Xbox Fitness and apps like Skype that let consumers easily connect with health experts
and friends and family for needed support go a long way in satisfying that need. Marketers
can help minimize the pain of lifestyle change by strategically leveraging digital experiences
that meet true consumer needs.
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Mindset is Key to Success
Proactive consumers are twice as likely to succeed
Theres a spectrum of
mindsets that a Its become a way of life and if I
consumer may take slip up or have a naughty day, I
know I can forget it and get back
on when tackling a on track. -Liza, UK
goal: one end of the
spectrum is a more
positive, proactive I have to find the will to get it
approach focused on done and sharing with friends is
starting better habits, crucial. Unfortunately, I have a
habit of depriving myself of the
on the other side is a support structure that might have
more negative, propped me up. -Manusi, UK
reactive approach
focused on stopping bad habits. We call this the Start-Stop spectrum.

Consumers who Start are more likely to proactively seek out information, people and
activities that can help, and are therefore twice as likely to achieve a permanent
lifestyle change within 12 months of beginning their journey. There are a wealth of
opportunities for brands and marketers to leverage digital channels and tools to help
spark more Start mindsets in their consumers. For example, searching for online
health content was key in moving Lisa, whose story is outlined below, from a reactive
Stop mindset into a proactive Start mindset, which set her up for success in battling
her high blood pressure.

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Part 3: Stage by Stage View
They need a Consumers struggle
friendly push to seamlessly
Over whelmed transition from
with options routine to lifestyle

Consumers
struggle to build a
Consumers routine
battle inertia

Consumers have a unique set of needs at each stage of the health and wellness
journey. In this section, well dive deeply into the needs, as well as the media ecosystem
that meet (or dont meet) these consumer needs. Along the way, well highlight ways
that a) marketers can leverage digital to plan better, smarter media, and b) white space
opportunities where digital can be leveraged to target underserved needs.

In the beginning stages, consumers need help and guidance to get going. In the Open
to Possibility stage, consumers are building angst about their current state of health,
but goals are often amorphous, so getting to a healthier place can seem
insurmountable. Consumers need personalized information, benchmarks, and a bit of
inspiration to build up the self efficacy theyll need in the next stage, Decision to
Change. Usually, something will trigger the Decision to Change stage (e.g., doctors
orders or encouragement from friends), and consumers will make a conscious
commitment to work on their health. At this point, they need reassurance and
emotional support that theyre doing the right thing in order to move on. In the
Evaluating stage, consumers are flooded with potential approaches and products that
could help. They need help navigating this sea of information and discovering content
and tools that will be build a clear, focused, and realistic plan.

In the latter stages of the health journey, Action and Experiencing, consumers are
experimenting with approaches, solutions and products to try and build a new routine
and ultimately a new lifestyle. At Action, consumers need tools and partners to cheer
them on and help them stick to their plan in order to move to the first phase of
Experiencing, known as Routine, where they continue needing help sticking to plans,
but also seek partners who will be mentors and guides. Once consumers make it to the
Lifestyle phase, they have successfully assimilated into new habits, but they still need
inspiration and motivation to maintain that success.

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The Consumer Needs
Framework
Internal, external, rational, emotional
We identify four key consumer need-states: internal needs (Personalization), external needs
(Validation), rational needs (Information), and emotional needs (Enrichment ). Each of these
four core needs is composed of three sub-needs that allow us to uncover the nuance in how
needs change from stage to stage. For each stage, we ask consumers which needs were
most important and also what channels they turn to in order to meet those needs.

Personalization - the set of internal needs where consumers want to figure out what kinds
of solutions, strategies, and products might work for them on an individual level and what
gets them excited and inspired to take action and stick with healthier habits.

Validation - the external needs where consumers want to share their experience, confirm
that theyve made good choices, and then find the best deal for the tools and solutions that
can help them act against their plan and feel good about their purchases.

Information - the rational needs where consumers want to be aware of the options
available to them, have some details they can compare, and know where to find the
solutions they ultimately decide on.

Enrichment - the emotional needs were consumers are trying to get a better feel for the
options available to them. They want to feel familiar with approaches or products that can
help them enjoy the road to better health and feel a close connection with brands, products,
and tools that can help them achieve their goals.

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Archetypes
Create content, solutions, and tools that embody the
roles consumers need at each stage

In addition to asking consumers about what they needed at each stage and the
influencers that meet (or dont) meet those needs, we also asked them about the types
of partners theyd want along the way.

We identify 12 archetypes, or types of roles, that consumers might want, and for each
stage of the journey, starting with the Decision to Change, we surface which
archetypes pop in an effort to help brands and marketers identify the appropriate tone
to use when creating marketing content, solutions, and tools for consumers.
In the early stages of the journey, for example, consumers told us they are looking for
partners who will play a Counselor, Guide, or Role Model part (see definitions above);
but in the later stages, they want a Cheerleader, Policeman, and Mentor. Understanding
the roles consumers want fulfilled and how they align to the needs can help in
constructing the right types of messages for the right stages.

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Open to Possibility:
Needs
Personalized information is the top need; enjoyment,
sharing, and bonding are also important

In the Open to Possibility stage, consumers are just starting to think about changing
their habits or work on their health. For a consumer in the Start mindset, he or she
starts developing an ideal state of health and start envisioning what its going to take
to get there. For a consumer in the Stop mindset, he or she start to grapple with a
health condition getting worse or feeling like they cant put things off for much longer
without really compromising their wellbeing.

At Open to Possibility, consumers need personalized information most of all, but also a
sense of enjoyment to overcome the initial inertia that comes at the beginning of the
health journey. Consumers also want a platform to share their experiences, as well as a
feeling of close connection to the approaches, strategies, and products that can help
them succeed.

Brands that provide personalized information to get consumers thinking more

proactively about their health, as well as benchmarks to make the goal seem less
insurmountable, could potentially trigger them from a subconscious idea to a conscious
Decision to Change. Undoubtedly that journey would be closely linked to the parent
brands products and services, particularly if the brand provides spaces where
consumers can share their experiences with like-minded people.

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Open to Possibility:
Influencers
Search personalizes; different ways to bond

Top 5 Influencers by Need vs. Importance of That Need

Search and advice from health professionals help personalize information for
consumers at this early stage of the journey, but theres white space for online
content to be more tailored to individual needs in the way that advice from
professionals and search results have the capacity to be.

There is a lack of strong media, word-of-mouth and activities that help consumers
Enjoy at this stage. Advice from family and friends, mass participation events (e.g.
running a 5k), and devices and games support part of the job, but there need to be
stronger influencers to help consumers enjoy the beginning stages of their health
journey. Digital, particularly games and devices that can track and benchmark
consumers first steps, could be a lot more fun if the social aspect of playing and
sharing with friends is amplified.

Share is served by WOM and discussion online. Bond is well-met by samples,

WOM, and branded suggestions.

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 Open to Possibility:
Opportunities
Enjoy is vastly underserved, likely one of the reasons
why overcoming inertia is so difficult

Consumers need-states in the Open to Possibility stage are on the whole, underserved,
particularly Enjoy, which likely makes it challenging for consumers to get started.

The good news is that digital, particularly gaming platforms, devices and services that
can help consumers split their goals into achievable milestones while amplifying the fun
of getting healthier can help.

Imagine the opportunities of syncing that type of solution with a social component like
Skype, allowing consumers not only to start planning their journey but also easily
conferencing with key people who can encourage them to get started.

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Decision to Change:
Needs
Consumers need reassurance and partners who are
willing to provide inspirational guidance

The Decision to Change can look very different depending on their mindset of the
consumer and the state of his health. For example, a consumer who has a Start
mindset and is trying to lose weight might be triggered by an internal desire to
become his best self. On the other hand, a consumer who has a Stop mindset and
is trying to lose weight might be triggered by a doctors orders that she get
healthier or risk more serious health problems.

Regardless of their mindset and the type of trigger, consumers need a friendly push
to make a commitment to changing their habits and building healthier lifestyles.
Brands who can provide the reassurance that consumers need and play the role of
Guide will have more of a chance to connect and engage as true partners in the
later stages, where consumers are testing and evaluating products.

Consumers also need ideas for how to start planning and a level of familiarity and
know-how of products and solutions to start getting a sense for the information
theyll need to have handy as they move into the next stage, Evaluating.

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Decision to Change:
Influencers
Professional advice helps Confirm and search is the
gateway to online content

Top 5 Influencers for each Need vs. Importance of That Need

Advice from professionals helps consumers Confirm that theyre doing the right
thing and bolsters their confidence, so that they can overcome the initial inertia that
comes with most health journeys. Friends, family and support groups also help, but
nothing beats the personalized attention of someone who is trained in health and
wellness.

Digital channels provides a platform to enable quicker and easier conversations

between consumers and health professionals whom they may not otherwise have
access to. Skype, for example, can connect a consumer to their general practitioner, a
specialist, and a nutritionist to get confirmation.
Search is a gateway to most of the online content that inspires consumers, while
helping them build familiarity with products and identify where to find them.

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Decision to Change:
Opportunities
Confirm is most important need, but is extremely
underserved

The most important need at Decision to Change, Confirm, is extremely underserved

by current influencers. This highlights an opportunity for brands and marketers to
leverage digital as a platform that enables a smoother, faster connection to health
professionals who can provide the strongest reassurance for consumers. Platforms
like Skype allow for the intimate one-to-one connection that consumers seek with
professionals, friends, and family when theyre looking for confirmation and
validation.

Search is powerful as a gateway for inspiration, familiarity, and location needs. Linking
a search engine like Bing to a social platform like Skype could provide BOTH the
confirmation that consumers need, as well as more tactical research needs as they
start thinking about approaches and solutions.

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Evaluating: Needs
Personalized information is needed most,
along with more tactical research needs

Once they move into the third stage, Evaluating, consumers are confronted with a
slew of information and options for building a plan. Depending on the type of goal
and the consumers mindset, Evaluating can be its own standalone stage or it can
blend into the following stages, Action and Experiencing.

For example, a consumer who is tackling a serious health condition, like diabetes,
may take quite a bit of time looking into the options available to them before taking
Action. On the other hand, a consumer who is trying to get fitter for bikini season
might only do a quick skim of approaches before kicking off a new diet.

Mindset also matters. A consumer in Start will very proactively look for
information, products, and solutions while a consumer in Stop is more likely to do
whatever is easiest without doing as much research. Start consumers are actively
engaged health consumers, so the more that brands and marketers can encourage
proactive mindsets, the better for hooking them into your products in the latter
stages when they start actively buying.

Regardless of their goal or their mindset, theyre trying to make sense of the options
and are thirsty for personalized guidance from partners who can make the cluttered
landscape a bit more navigable.

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Evaluating:
Influencers
Search can be the gateway for meeting needs

Top 5 Influencers for each Need vs. Importance of that Need

Search is strong across the key needs at the Evaluating stage, and is particularly
strong for personalizing the experience for consumers and bring them closer to
products and solutions that can fit into the plan they are building.

Platforms like Bing in combination with portals such as MSN that can loop in content
from different publishers provide both the personalized information that consumers
seek at this stage. Armed with a breadth of quality content, consumers find needed
familiarity with approaches and products as they start comparing and evaluating what
will work best in their plan.

Additionally, advice from experts, friends, and even brands help consumers compare
and locate services. Leveraging a platform like Bing, which incorporates social search,
can also link consumers to discussion with others who help them collect and compare
information about products and solutions.

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Evaluating:
Opportunities
Help consumers more easily locate solutions

Most needs are well-served by media, word-of-mouth, and activities at the

Evaluating stage with the exception of Locate, or the need to know where to find
products and solutions that can fit into ones plan.

Only Search really helps consumers determine where they can find products and
solutions in their local area. Search has the ability to both pull data from the global
web to personalize the health journey for a given consumer, while also going hyper -
local and connecting that same consumer with information on where to find the
products and services that theyre investigating.

Health and fitness content and email ads from brands fall short on fulfilling location
needs, so in terms of optimizing these platforms, we might ask ourselves How can
we make these channels more like Search? For example, an email newsletter could
be personalized with information relating to that consumers location. Or, health and
fitness content online can be fitted with the right contextual advertising to
prominently highlight where to go to buy a given product.

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Action: Needs
Consumers need help sticking to the plan

At the fourth stage, Action, consumers start experimenting with different approaches,
and products to start building a routine that they will hopefully be able to stick to.

In the core Consumer Decision Journey, we call this the Shopping stage, but because
the health and wellness journey is goal-centric, its really all about starting to take
measures to change behaviors, which could involve making a purchase, but doesnt
necessarily have to.

At this point, consumers need help sticking to the plans theyre building more than
anything else. Remember that changing habits is no easy task and its often at this
stage that consumers falter, lose confidence, and then fall out of the journey
altogether. Its crucial that they link up with partners or solutions that encourage them
to keep at it. Brands can play a role here by striving to create services that are tailored
to individuals and provide the kind of help they need to coach them through this
difficult stage and give them extra support.

Brands that can position themselves as those types of partners will not only position
themselves as lifelong partners but will also ensure that their products are top of mind
the next time the consumer goes to buy a health and wellness solution.

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Action: Influencers
WOM confirms but few things help consumers stick
to plans

Top 5 Influencers for Need vs. Importance of Need

Taking Action against a health goal is naturally the most challenging part of the
health and wellness journey this is where consumers are trying to change
long-held habits that have often been the things that led to below-ideal health.
So this stage is generally where consumers struggle the most. But there is also a
lack of current services, devices or solutions that adequately help consumers
stick to their plans.

Devices that track progress and professional advice are the two strongest
influencers for Stick, but even so theyre meeting less than half of the need.
Brands and marketers have to build new types of experiences and solutions to
help consumers stick to their plans. They have to be easy and seamlessly
integrate into the consumers day-to-day lives. They should also be intelligent in
adapting to the consumers needs as they progress and strive to be more
human in the way they support the consumer. They also have to be rewarding
and make the consumer want to keep working towards a lifestyle change.

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Action:
Opportunities
Easier, more seamless, human experiences
are needed to help consumers stick to plans

Stick, the most important need at the Action stage, is vastly underserved.

This highlights an incredible opportunity for digital to fill the gap with services that
are easier, can integrate seamlessly into consumers lives, and provide more of a
helping human hand and give consumers the companionship they need to make it
through this stage into the next.

From the qualitative phase of the research, we discovered that even a tiny taste of
success can be enough to get a consumer hooked on a new exercise regime, diet
plan, or medication. Strive to develop tools that help make progress tangible for
consumers so they can see how far theyve come. Leverage digital in combination
with tracking tools to provide both the tangible evidence consumers need to feel
successful and also enable those social conversations with friends, family,
professionals, and other health experts to bolster consumer confidence.

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Experiencing
Routine: Needs
Stick is key; consumers also need some enjoyment,
awareness, and help finding good deals

Moving from Action into the first phase of Experiencing, called Routine, is no
easy task. Remember that the core need at the Action stage, Stick, was
underserved, so many consumers either stall and get stuck in that stage, where
they continue to struggle. Others fall out of the journey entirely, frustrated by their
lack of perceived success. The key to getting into the Experiencing stage is finding
something that makes their plan sticky and having a positive and flexible Start
mindset that powers them through the struggle into a routine they feel they can
stick to.

Once consumers are in the Routine phase, theyre working out the last few kinks
and are assimilating that routine into a seamless and (ideally) permanent lifestyle
change. But getting into the second phase of Experiencing, Lifestyle, is not as easy
as it sounds. It takes determination, grit, tangible evidence of progress, social
support, and the right mix of inspirational content.

If you can help consumers see how far theyve come and how close they are to
achieving their goal, you will likely be a preferred partner.

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Experiencing
Routine: Influencers
Social enables enjoyment while search is the gateway
for tactical needs
Top 5 Influencers for each Need vs. Importance of Need

The top need, Stick, is again underserved by current media, word-of-mouth, and
activities, but we also see the other key need, Enjoy, lacking in strong influencers.
Devices that track and measure progress and WOM come closest to helping
consumers stick to their routines and enjoy the process but stronger influencers are
needed against both needs.

Community activities such as belonging to a health club and surrounding oneself

with other health-minded people also helps, but its not always easy to do. Busy
schedules and time commitments are often cited as a challenge. Digital can connect
consumers to these health-interested consumers on a more regular basis by
circumventing those barriers to progress.

Devices that track progress that seamlessly link up with a consumers social network
are a good foundation for boosting Stick and Enjoyment, but more is needed.
Devices have to become more natural in consumers day-to-day routines and take
the burden off of consumers by becoming more intelligent and providing the kind of
human support that people are currently seeking from other people. Services like
Cortana are a great example of technology become more seamless, easy and human.
Cortana learns about you and adapts to your needs, surfacing personalized
suggestions for you and providing reminders to keep you on your game.

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Experiencing
Routine: Opportunities
Seamless, supportive tools needed to help
consumers make a true lifestyle change

Stick and Enjoy needs are underserved in the Routine phase. Digital can help with
connecting consumers to others who are knowledgeable and interested in health
and can provide a supportive community that provide both Stick and Enjoy. Skype
and messaging apps can help with coordinating group events, such as running clubs,
and support groups. These can help consumers both Enjoy the process of integrating
a new Routine into a Lifestyle, as well as lend strategies to Stick to their new plan and
not lose their resolve.

Devices that track progress that also link up with a consumers social network can
further encourage Stick. Encouraging a public commitment to make a change can
also help keep that consumer on track by making them accountable to themselves
and also to their community.

There are so many new approaches, solutions and products to discover as consumers
move from a routine into a new lifestyle. Provide seamless, supportive tools that help
guide your consumer toward holistic health with your products at the epicenter of
their ongoing journey.

25
Case Study: Skype
Skyping with health experts and advisors provides
needed mentors, companions, and coaches

Skype enables consumers to connect directly with health experts. Marc started his
own personal training business on Skype where he provides mentorship,
companionship, and coaching to his clients as they get started working towards
their fitness goal. Today, seventy-five percent of my personal training happens
over Skype video, and I hope to get it to 100 percent, says Marc.

The contextual environment that Marc is able to provide to his clients through
Skype sets the perfect stage for sponsorship or advertising around relevant fitness
content. For example, a gym could connect with Marc and sponsor his sessions,
embedding their own content, approaches, and solutions in and around his
training sessions to become top of mind with the consumers Marc is training.

26
Experiencing
Lifestyle: Needs
Consumers need ongoing inspiration

You might think that the work ends once consumers have achieved a permanent
lifestyle change, but this is actually the stage with the most potential for building
loyal consumers and vocal brand advocates.

At the Lifestyle phase of the Experiencing stage, consumers need ongoing

inspiration to stay motivated. This phase is extremely important because its also the
point at which consumers will start weaving in new goals, which creates many new
opportunities for product discovery. Awareness, help finding good deals, and
platforms for sharing product experiences are also key. Brands that can find ways to
leverage digital to provide ongoing inspiration and help surface personalized
suggestions for new products and deals are more likely to be top of mind for
consumers future goals.

This is the point at which consumers shift from consuming to discussing products,
brands, and experiences that have helped them find success. They share with friends,
family and their social networks online. Incentivize your consumers not only to try
and continue using your products, but also share them with friends and family for
additional benefits.

27
Experiencing
Lifestyle: Influencers
Traditional media and search help Inspire and
Aware but only search helps find the best deals

Top 5 Influencers for each Need vs. Importance of Need

Traditional media and search help meet Inspire and Aware needs. Additionally,
physical touch points such as product samples and advertising in doctors offices and
health and fitness clubs help increase awareness. As digital continues to evolve,
brands and marketers should think about how physical touch points can be
enhanced through digital, as physical spaces such as doctors offices are increasingly
switching over to digital ecosystems.

Search is the only channel that fully meets the need for helping consumers find good
deals on products, so can be a powerful gateway for information that encourages
consumers to buy your brand. Think about how other channels can be optimized to
function more like search in this capacity make sure the emails you send out to
your consumers are clear about how they can get the best deal on your products.

Word-of-mouth and social media are key for sharing, while advice from professionals
and experts also helps consumers share their experiences. Digital can go a long way
in enabling spaces and places for sharing not only their experiences but also
advocating for products that can help.

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Experiencing
Lifestyle: Opportunities
Inspire with ongoing content and tools that
motivate and get consumers talking

Inspiration, the key need at the Lifestyle phase of Experiencing is well-served by

media, word-of-mouth, and activities. Make sure you are leveraging not only the
traditional channels that satisfy Inspire but also the digital ones, particularly search, as
consumers are increasingly turning to digital touch points as a starting point for
discovery.

Aware and Share also have strong channels that allow consumers to satisfy these
needs, but Deal is underserved by most channels, with the exception of search.

As marketers, we need to think about how to enable consumers to more easily find
products and solutions that not only fit the new lifestyles theyre building, but also
their budgets. Search is a good start but we also need more holistic solutions that
take the best of traditional and digital channels to create a more seamless experience
across place, space, and screen.

In the meantime, brands and marketers need to be thinking about encouraging

consumers to start talking about what helps and what could help them even more.
The key to building loyal advocates is giving ongoing attention that shows you want
to be a partner to your consumer.

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Case Study: Zyrtec
Windows 8 Ads-in-Apps native ad concept
helps consumers track their progress
Section in Bing Health & Fitness App on
preventing and treating allergies
Consumer can opt to play a video with
more information on treating allergies
Symptom tracker lets them load in their
symptoms and gives recommendations for
product lines to consider for their personal
needs
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Opens to page with content around
treating allergies, Zyrtec ads featured
Opens up into a symptom tracker page
with sponsored products visualized
Symptom tracker helps them track their
day to day progress to prove out the
efficacy of Zyrtec and build loyal
consumers
Part 4: Key Takeaways
Turn insights into action for your brand
Inspire and Reassure
Provide content that gives consumers
ideas about how to tackle their goals
so they dont seem insurmountable.
Personal stories from other consumers
or from health professionals and
experts can reframe a reactive
approach to treating issues into a
proactive one about aspiring to your
best healthiest self.
Give them the tools and platforms to
connect with those consumers
(professionals, friends, family) who
provide social support and
reassurance along the way. Strive to
be a partner who reassures them
through messaging that re-enforces
the importance of their journey and
why they should keep at it.
Personalize
Benchmarks
Help consumers build their plan by
providing personalized benchmarks
showing them the milestones they
need to hit along their journey towards
their goal.
Link consumers to tools that make
success feel more tangible, for
example, devices or games that can
track and measure their progress and
make Action and Experiencing more
fun.
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Give a Friendly Push
Arm consumers with the information
they need to understand their options
and the emotional support they need
to build the confidence to Start. Link
them to sources that provide both
rational support (e.g. search) and
emotional support (e.g. expert and
friendly advice).
Trigger your health consumer into
making a change sooner by being the
Counselor they need at the Decision to
Change and the Cheerleader they need
at Action. Find ways to be the Mentor
they need at Routine and the Policeman
they want in Lifestyle.
Use Social to Motivate
Help consumers stick to the plans
theyve made by leveraging digital
platforms to link them to the social
support thats crucial for maintaining a
new routine and assimilating it into a
lifestyle change.
Surface group activities (e.g., team 5k)
and digital tools that get consumers
connected with others or technologies
that can help track their progress and
show tangible change that spurs them to
keep working toward creating a new
lifestyle.
How Microsoft Can Help
Guidance around how to strategically leverage our
products and services

At Open to Possibility, Lifestyle sites such as MSN provide needed inspiration: 68% of
consumers say lifestyle sites do a good job of providing new approaches for healthy
living. Social platforms like Skype can also help by connecting consumers with health
professionals, specialists, and friends and family who can give personalized advice, help
make the initial stage a bit more fun and feel less insurmountable by enabling sharing:
social platforms are 20% more effective than the average channel at this early stage.

At Decision to Change, Lifestyle sites like MSN and apps like Bing Health and Fitness
are great at providing content that reassures the consumer that theyre making the right
choices and bolstering their confidence with expert advice: 50% of consumers say that
lifestyle sites are good at providing expert advice needed at this point to feel confident.

At Evaluating, search is an incredibly strong channel for meeting both personalize

needs and more tactical research needs: search is 70% better than the average channel
at this point.

At Action and Experiencing, gaming helps consumers enjoy getting healthier and
encourages them to stick to their plan: fitness games on consoles are 60% stronger than
the average channel. Social media like Skype are particularly good at helping consumers
enjoy, share and stick. Apps like Bing Health and Fitness also provide inspirational
content and tracking tools to make progress tangible, help consumers see their success,
and provide ongoing challenges to keep progressing.

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Microsoft Advertising
Consumer Insights
While many tech and media companies conduct market research that describes
what consumers are doing, the Microsoft Advertising Consumer Insights team
believes innovation stems from getting to the why. As a result, we take a consumer-
centric approach, going beyond behavior to focus on the motivations and need-
states driving those behaviors. Whether its choosing one brand over another or
exhibiting a preference for a specific platform, our goal is to humanize digital
behavior and motivation, enabling brands and agencies to put consumer needs at
the center of their marketing strategies.

Contacts:
Natasha Hritzuk Kelly Jones
Sr. Director Head of Thought Leadership
Global Consumer Insights Global Consumer Insights
natashah@microsoft.com kellyjon@microsoft.com

Ivy Esquero Esther Burke

Sr. Consumer Insights Manager Consumer Insights Manager
Global Consumer Insights Global Consumer Insights
ivye@microsoft.com esthbur@microsoft.com

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