The Predictably Unpredictable Consumer: How to Win in a Wildly Non-Linear World
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The Predictably Unpredictable Consumer: How to Win in a Wildly Non-Linear World

  • Writer: Finfrock Marketing
    Finfrock Marketing
  • Aug 14
  • 3 min read

Let’s face it: the consumer journey isn’t a neat little path anymore. It’s a chaotic, multi-device, multi-platform rollercoaster. People are searching on their phones, streaming on smart TVs, scrolling through social feeds, and shopping all at the same time. Data shows the average person hits 130+ mobile touchpoints daily, and that’s not even counting laptops, tablets, or smartwatches. If you’re still banking on a linear marketing funnel, you’re fighting yesterday’s battle. Here’s how to rethink your approach and connect with today’s unpredictable consumer.


The Funnel Is Dead—Embrace the Chaos!


Back in the day, marketers swore by the funnel: awareness, consideration, purchase. Nice and tidy. But consumers? They’re not following your script. They’re bouncing between stages, skipping steps, or circling back like they’re playing a game of digital hopscotch. Picture this: someone searches for a product on their morning commute, browses on their laptop at lunch, forgets about it for hours, then seals the deal on a mobile device while binge-watching Wednesday: Season 2 on Netflix. That’s the new reality.


Sticking to a rigid funnel is a recipe for wasted ad spend and messages that miss the mark. You need a framework that’s as flexible as your audience’s behavior.


Enter the era of influence mapping a smarter way to meet consumers where they are.


Decoding the 4S Behaviors That Drive Decisions


Research points to four key consumer behaviors shaping today’s journeys: Search, Stream, Scroll, and Shop. These aren’t sequential they overlap, creating a web of micro-moments where brands can make or break their shot.


Be Everywhere, All at Once: Your audience is jumping across platforms in real time. You need to be there, whether it’s a Google search, ChatGPT, Instagram, Prime, or a YouTube Short.


Master the Influence Trifecta:


  • Attention: Are they actually focused, or just glancing at your ad while scrolling?

  • Relevance: Does your message hit their exact need in that moment?

  • Trust: Do they trust the platform or source delivering your message?


Here’s a stat to chew on: 61% of shoppers engage with 5+ touchpoints during their online purchase journey, and Google or YouTube show up in 86% of those paths. That’s a massive opportunity if you play it right.


Influence Maps: Your Secret Weapon


Forget funnel stages. Influence maps are where it’s at. These visualize how your audience moves across channels, letting you pinpoint the moments that matter.


For example:


  • The Impulse Buyer: Watches a YouTube review, sees the product in-store, checks reviews on their phone, and buys within hours.

  • The Deal Hunter: Starts with price comparisons on Google, gets retargeted by a YouTube Short, and searches for discounts before clicking “buy.”


By mapping these paths, you can focus your budget on the channels and moments that drive the most impact for each persona.


AI: Your Shortcut to Scaling Influence


Here’s where things get exciting!


Building influence maps for every audience segment?


That’s a job for AI. It can:


  • Crunch Behavior Data: Spot patterns in how your audience searches, streams, scrolls, and shops.

  • Pinpoint High-Value Touchpoints: Find the channels that actually move the needle.

  • Create Tailored Content: Generate personalized ads or videos that hit the right note at the right time.


Imagine a travel brand discovering a hot conversion path: a travel blog leads to a YouTube destination video, which drives bookings. AI could analyze the blog’s top content, whip up a killer video ad script, and push qualified traffic straight to the booking site.


Today’s consumers aren’t walking a straight line from “I see your ad” to “I’m buying.” They’re weaving through a dynamic, messy web of touchpoints. To win their attention, trust, and dollars, you need to ditch the outdated funnel, map their real-world journeys, and use AI to deliver personalized experiences at scale. The consumer is predictably unpredictable—embrace it!

 


Nathan Finfrock Company Owner @ Finfrock Marketing 5757 W Century Blvd Suite 650-I, Los Angeles, CA 90045

Nathan Finfrock

Company Owner @ Finfrock Marketing

5757 W Century Blvd Suite 650-I,

Los Angeles, CA 90045






 
 
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