Missing Links are the bits of information that customers need in order to make their own way down the purchase journey to get to the purchase. Missing Links are observable and addressable by marketers -- and are straightforward way to solve the challenges associated with 'customer journey spaghetti."

1. marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Missing Link Marketing
2015 Update
January 2015
Augustine Fou, PhD.
acfou @ mktsci .com
212. 203. 7239

2. February 2015 / Page 1marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
The right info, at the right time, to the right person,
through the right device.
So, couldn't every person have a different missing link? Yes.
Doesn't that mean that it would be very hard if not
impossible to identify every customer's missing link, let
alone solve it? Yes. And even if we could identify each
user's missing link, wouldn't it be cost-prohibitive to get a
message out to each individual addressing his missing link?
Yes.
All of the above would be unfathomable in the age of one-
way media. But in the new digital landscape there are new
tools, services, and methods which can help solve these
missing links; these were simply not available in the "one-
way media" world. For example, while conversations were
always happening around water-coolers, no one but the
parties to the conversation could hear it. Now, more and
more such conversations are happening online and are
"archived" in forums, social networks, and blogs for
everyone to see.
Original article and slideshare from 2008
http://www.slideshare.net/acfou/missing-link-marketing-presentationhttp://mktsci.com/missing-link-marketing.htm

3. February 2015 / Page 2marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
Power has shifted to the consumer
“no, that isn’t the ‘best price’
for this HDTV and the reviews
aren’t even that good… ”
• 43% smartphone owners used
device in-store
• 15% checked prices in-store and
then bought from competitor
Source: comScore 2012
When users have constant and instant
access to information...

4. February 2015 / Page 3marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
Users will pull the info they want when they want it
People ignore “interruption media” and
only pay attention to information they are
seeking. (“Purple Cow” by Seth Godin)
• Direct marketing
• Email marketing
• Online marketing
• Sports marketing
• Word of mouth marketing
• Guerrilla marketing
• Blog marketing
• Event marketing
• Product placement
• In-game marketing
• Sponsorships
Advertisers push message out Users do their own research
PULLPUSH

5. February 2015 / Page 4marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
Our job as marketers also needs to change
Traditional Advertising
1. Who is our target
customer?
2. What message do we push
out at them?
3. Where do we stick the
message?
Marketing in Digital World
1. What information does
target user need?
2. Do we have that info
available?
3. Is it optimized so they can
find and use it?
“storytelling” “answering missing links”

6. February 2015 / Page 5marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
What are “missing links”?
Missing links are the bits of info that users
need as they make their way through the
‘purchase journey.’
“If ANY link is missing or broken, the entire
chain is broken and the customer will not get
all the way to the purchase.”
-- Dr. Augustine Fou

7. February 2015 / Page 6marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
There are missing links at every stage of the journey
awareness consideration choice purchase loyalty
digital camera
What’s in Amazon Top 10? Where’s the best price?
Any special deals? Do I show off?Epinions/User ReviewsFriend just bought one
motor oil What’s out there? Can I mix?
How/where to buy?
How do I show peers?
Which is best for me?I can choose an oil?
“As each missing link is completed, the user can move
to the next step and get closer to the purchase.”

8. February 2015 / Page 7marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
Missing links are observable and addressable
What do they search for? What do they ask about?
“All the ‘big data’ is already there.... if only we’d use it.”
Google related search Amazon Q&A

9. April 2015 / Page 8marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
Missing Links can also improve content
“storytelling” “answering missing links”
April 13, 2015 -- VIZIO, the #1 Smart TV company
in the U.S.1, announced today the rollout of its
second Ultra HD line-up, ... brand's leadership in
Ultra HD technology, ……. stunning picture
quality and access to several Ultra HD streaming
apps.
Last fall we disrupted the market with the VIZIO
50" P-Series Ultra HD Smart TV, now the #1
Selling UHD TV3, and this year, we're poised to
do it again with M-Series.
The VIZIO M-Series has been purposefully
crafted with an all-new design that distinguishes
it from the rest. Built using select materials, an
elegantly slim profile and ultra-thin bezel, the all-
new M-Series delivers an immersive, near
borderless entertainment experience …
What is LED backlighting?
Full-Array LED backlighting offers an even distribution of
light for superior uniformity as compared to Edge-Lit TVs,
ultra-high contrast, and deep black levels
Can I stream HD content directly?
[M-Series TVs are] equipped with ultra-fast 802.11ac dual-
band WiFi and VIZIO's V6 six-core processor. This translates
into a fast, easy-to-use experience for the consumer, with
access to Ultra HD content from Netflix, Amazon Instant
Video, etc.

10. February 2015 / Page 9marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
Missing links can reveal ‘segments’
Where they are in the funnel
Physician Nurse Patient
“orexin
receptor
agonist”
“dosage”
“sleep
drug”“how to
administer”
“lasik” “lasik recovery
time”
“lasik surgeon
10016”
Top of Funnel Consideration Ready to Act
Who they are

11. February 2015 / Page 10marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
Missing links have a direct path to action
• Create content to address them
• Tailor content to segments
• Place content on-/off- domain
• Stimulate more action with ads
• Observe and optimize
• What are the missing links?
• What segments reveal themselves
• Where do they look for it?
• How do we get more action?
• Did it work for them?
What we can observe What we go do
“Based on what we observe, we can take specific actions
to address; that’s rational and straightforward ...”

12. February 2015 / Page 11marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
This approach solves the ‘customer journey spaghetti’
“Rather than guesstimating customers’ journeys, if we
systematically observe and address missing links, we help
more customers get to the purchase, more efficiently.”

13. February 2015 / Page 12marketing.scienceconsulting group, inc.
Dr. Augustine Fou
Dr. Augustine Fou – Digital Consigliere
“I advise clients on improving their digital
strategy and marketing by focusing on solving
propects’ missing links. Missing links are
observable and addressable – which means the
data will reveal what we need to go do.”
FORMER CHIEF DIGITAL OFFICER, HCG (OMNICOM)
MCKINSEY CONSULTANT
CLIENT SIDE / AGENCY SIDE EXPERIENCE
PROFESSOR AND COLUMNIST
ENTREPRENEUR / SMALL BUSINESS OWNER
PHD MATERIALS SCIENCE (MIT '95) AT AGE 23
ClickZ Articles: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-clickz
Slideshares: http://bit.ly/augustine-fou-slideshares
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/84444-augustinefou
212. 203. 7239 | acfou @ mktsci. com