Lecture 6 – Understanding the Customer Journey

30 vocabulary flashcards summarizing the key concepts, stages, tools, and examples related to consumer insights, customer journeys, personas, and journey mapping discussed in Lecture 6.

Consumer Insight

A deep understanding of the WHY behind customers’ thoughts, feelings, and motivations—not merely facts or statistics.

Customer Journey

The complete path of direct and indirect interactions an individual has with a brand, product, or service.

Consumer (Decision) Journey

A visual representation of the steps a person goes through to accomplish a goal, from awareness to loyalty.

Customer Journey Mapping (CJM)

An illustrative diagram that depicts customers’ experiences across touchpoints to reveal pain points and opportunities.

Touchpoint

Any point of interaction—online or offline—between a customer and a brand (e.g., website, packaging, customer service).

Awareness Stage

First journey phase where a customer becomes conscious of a brand or product through ads, PR, word-of-mouth, etc.

Evaluation Stage

Phase where the customer actively seeks more information—reviews, blogs, e-books—to assess options.

Purchase Stage

Stage in which the customer makes the buying decision and completes the transaction.

Usage Stage

Period when the customer actually uses the product or service and forms real-world opinions.

Repurchase Stage

When a satisfied customer buys again, often prompted by reminders, discounts, or loyalty programs.

Advocacy Stage

Final journey phase where customers promote the brand through reviews, referrals, and social sharing.

Need / Expectation

What customers look for in a product or service, shaping their satisfaction and choices.

Motivation

The underlying force that drives a consumer’s behavior or purchase decision (e.g., confidence, convenience).

Personality (Customer Factor)

Enduring traits—such as risk-taking or introversion—that influence brand and product preferences.

Lifestyle

Daily routines, habits, and values that shape purchasing behavior (e.g., eco-conscious shopping).

Pain Point

A frustration or unmet need experienced by customers along their journey.

Attitude

A customer’s belief or evaluation toward a brand, category, or issue (e.g., distrust of online shopping).

Emotion (Buying Context)

Feelings—like guilt or excitement—that can strongly influence purchase choices.

Customer Persona (Buyer Persona)

A detailed, semi-fictional profile summarizing key traits of a typical target customer, based on research.

Segmentation

The process of dividing a broad market into smaller groups with shared characteristics.

Proto-Persona

A quick, assumption-based user representation built from internal knowledge to spark early ideas.

Full Persona

A research-based, evidence-driven fictional character that accurately represents a real user group.

Consumer Data vs. Insight

Data describes WHAT people do; insight explains WHY they do it, enabling empathetic decisions.

Steps in Building a CJM

Create personas ➜ interview customers ➜ identify stages ➜ list actions & touchpoints ➜ capture thoughts & emotions ➜ spot pain points ➜ analyze & act.

CJM Benefit – Humanizing Data

Transforms analytics into relatable stories that build empathy and align teams around customer needs.

CJM Benefit – Actionable Insights

Reveals friction and delight points, guiding improvements at each touchpoint to boost satisfaction.

Nike “Just Do It” Insight

Recognized consumers’ New-Year drive for empowerment, tapping emotion rather than mere shoe demand.

Haidilao Hot Pot Journey Example

Illustrates all six stages—from TikTok awareness to social-media advocacy—using personalized service touchpoints.

Machine-Learning Product Suggestion

Use of analytics to recommend additional products (e.g., insurance, credit card) during a banking journey.

Customer Journey Map Ownership

Internal assignment of specific teams to address identified opportunities and pain points.