Culturally-Optimized Consumer Journey Mapping

Consumer Journey map

According to a recent industry survey, nearly 9 out 10 companies currently engage in some form of consumer journey mapping. However, only a handful are truly optimizing their models by activating on the behaviors (steps and triggers) of their multicultural consumers.

Furthermore, many fall short when it comes to identifying the points in the  journey where culture exerts the most influence, and where divergent steps emerge among multicultual and youth consumers.

The ‘holy grail’ of holistic Total Market consumer journey mapping lies in revealing points of divergence along the consumer journey, and activating more effectively and efficiently against them to unlock profitable growth. 

We’ve seen (and conducted research for) hundreds of consumer journeys at Collage Group. A ‘best in class’ culturally-optimized journey is:

    1. Rooted on a strong foundational ‘cultural dimension’ framework to explain the why behind how we shop. Your consumer journey needs to identify and correlate the influence of shared cultural values in shopper behavior.
    2. Designed with innovative data collection and journey mapping techniques that are dynamic and omnichannel (on-line and offline). The approach can’t be static or linear. It can’t look at each touch point, source of influence, and behavior in isolation. It must look at each step of the journey by setting it in the context of cultural values, norms, and traditions. Only then will the journey story-telling be truly cohesive and human-centered.
    3. Delivered against an actionable strategic framework for activation A best-in-class consumer journey must surface emerging pathways/channels, quick-win ideas, and develop roadmaps for immediate action. Ideally, they are designed such that they can be continuously monitored to evaluate customer experiences over time.

Why do you need a culturally-optimized consumer journey?

Understanding where you should invest your multicultural marketing efforts along the consumer journey is critical to ensuring that your dedicated and integrated approaches reach your consumers in the most impactful way.

Consider this – we know tons through our syndicated research about where multicultural consumers generally differ along the path-to-purchase from general market consumers. You may know:

    1. One-in-four coupons redeemed by Hispanics were handed to them by a friend (much higher than GM).
    2. Asian consumers tend to research products online before the shopping trip, while Hispanics research at the store closer to the point of purchase.
    3. Hispanic consumers are much more tactile in-aisle, and in some categories they are much more likely to rip open packaging to touch and feel the product.

These are great insights, but they beg big questions:

  • Which insights are most impactful for me, for my brands and my categories?
  • What is at the root of this behavior, and how should I activate against the core cause?
  • With a limited budget, what do I do to capitalize on these divergent behaviors to get the biggest bang for my buck?

Allow us to simplify your Total Market go-to-market strategy without losing impact or relevance.

Our Consumer Journey mapping will help you manage complexity, create alignment cross-functionally across departments (brand, sales, media, innovation, etc) and deliver a unified strategy that works.

If you think there’s an opportunity for quick wins with multicultural consumers by better understanding where they differ along the consumer journey, fill out the form below to be contacted by an expert for more information.


At Collage Group, we’ve developed a  unique approach to understanding the customer journey that will help you get the real, actionable insights you need to influence consumer behavior. 

Fill out this form to learn more, and someone will be in touch to schedule a call with an expert. Otherwise, Collage members, LOGIN to review the latest from your membership.

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