At its core, marketing is about delivering the right message to the right people on the right channels at the right time. In a word, marketing is all about timing. But in today’s marketplace, the journey consumers take before crossing the finish line to make a purchase has become far more complex than ever before.

Previously, marketers relied on a predictable, linear funnel focused on awareness, consideration and action/decision. Yet today’s consumer behavior defies such simplicity. It is no longer about generational differences or digital versus traditional media preferences. The rise of mobile, social commerce (TikTok Shop and Instagram Shopping), personalization and real-time feedback loops (emailed discount codes following a user abandoning their cart) has created a more fluid, non-linear path to transaction.

With approximately 63% of consumers preferring to find information about brands and products on their mobile devices, consumers now rotate, loop, backtrack and bounce between various channels and touchpoints in ways that make old models obsolete. This evolving landscape demands a new understanding of how consumers make decisions and how brands can meet them at the most opportune moments.

4S Behaviors

Today’s consumer journey is shaped by four key behaviors: streaming, scrolling, searching and shopping. Instead of progressing step-by-step in neat, predictable stages, these 4S behaviors occur in no set order and typically overlap, influencing final decisions at every point along the way. Each behavior represents how people currently interact with content, brands and each other within the digital age.

• Streaming services reached a record share of 3% of TV usage as of July 2024, with many consumers choosing to cut the cord and cancel their traditional cable subscriptions. Streaming platforms, such as YouTube, Hulu, Peacock, TikTok, Netflix and Spotify, provide continuous, personalized content consumption to consumers, but it has become more than entertainment. Consumers are influenced through product placements, influencer reviews, how-to content and highly-targeted Over-The-Top (OTT) advertising, which is the delivery of ads through streaming services that bypass traditional cable or satellite TV.
• Scrolling serves as a more subconscious engagement within social media feeds. Through scrolling, users discover new brands and trends, as well as opinions. Typically, consumers in the scrolling phase are not actively searching for products with an intent to buy, but they are highly impressionable, often bookmarking and saving products for future decision-making. Brands ahead of the curve use these moments to spark initial interest and create emotional connections through visibly compelling, shareable content.
• Searching is a signal of intent in the decision-making process as the active pursuit of information via Google, Amazon, TikTok or Reddit, to name a few. Search behaviors have also evolved with the use of AI-powered tools and multimodal search through Google Lens, Pinterest and eBay. In the searching stage, consumers are educating themselves on options and narrowing down choices. Brands that show up in this phase with reasons for consumers to trust them, traditionally win.
• Shopping is no longer considered the final behavior because it can happen at any point in today’s purchasing journey. Thanks to social commerce, one-click purchasing, payment programs and shoppable content, the line between discovery and conversion is thin. Consumers now swiftly move from scrolling to completing a transaction within a matter of seconds, so understanding how spontaneous and non-linear the shopping phase can be is essential.

What Does This Mean for Marketers?

To succeed in this new decision-making environment, marketers must rethink their traditional approach to meet consumers seamlessly between platforms, devices and phases. Because the 4S behaviors (streaming, scrolling, searching and shopping) do not occur in a fixed order, every touchpoint must influence, inform or convert, regardless of the stage that the consumer enters the process.

This shift demands more thoughtful strategies, such as content sequencing, AI-driven personalization and integrating shopping into every relevant marketing touchpoint. Through content sequencing, brands can tell cohesive narratives that pair with the consumer’s level of engagement.

Alternatively, AI-driven personalization enables dynamic content delivery that adapts to individual interests and behaviors in real-time. Moreover, with shoppable content essentially a part of everything from social media posts to livestreams, marketers can seemingly break down the journey between discovery and purchase, allowing for each touchpoint to drive conversions, which was not previously possible.

Success is not about showing up everywhere possible – it is about showing up in the right places in ways that truly resonate with the target audience. By understanding how target consumers behave in how they us the 4S behaviors to stream, scroll, search and shop, brands can adapt their strategies to break out of normal confines of distinct purchasing stages but rather weave them into the entire decision-making process.

The modern consumer journey may be complex but with the right mindset and tools, marketers can navigate it with clarity and purpose. For brands looking for a partner in embracing this new, nonlinear reality, contact Denim Marketing at 770-383-3360 or Contact Us.