When I was a marketer in a fast moving consumer goods company, we had this similar concept called the “First Moment of Truth” when the product first ‘interacts’ with the shopper – in the case of consumer goods, the product on the shelf in the store.

All the ‘marketing’ does is to bring the customer to the shelf – the purchase (and repeat purchase) decision is made during the split second when s/he holds the product – and this is what makes or breaks a product launch.

I’ve always wondered why there’s so much less thought being given to this ‘moment of reckoning’ as far as marketing is concerned – we seem to be always occupied with creating demand (via advertising) and driving traffic (or getting customers into the store). Often, we fail at the final mile.