Lowdown: ZMOT
Nick Hirstadam&eveDDB
Not quite a tool, and not quite brand-new, Google's 'Zero Moment Of Truth' (or ZMOT) has been around for a couple of years. It essentially describes part of the decision-making journey, referencing P&G's idea of the 'First Moment Of Truth' – the encounter with the product on shelf. (The 'Second Moment' is direct experience.) The idea is that, thanks to the transparency, accuracy and volume of online information, we effectively have a virtual moment of 'truth' before the real-life encounter.
According to Google's research, the majority of consumers in most categories are conducting active research...