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The constant battle to cut through the noise and reach consumers is intense as well as constantly evolving - it can feel like a thankless task sometimes, but I'm hear to tell you something - the struggle is real, and not the thing you should be focussing on.
Your marketing strategy will have a number of layers:
Always on / ever green brand awareness
Strategic pushes around key moments and seasons
Tactical additions based on reactive circumstances
There is one area where our efforts can fall flat, go ignored or simply fail. And that's because of one simple thing.
We target the customer struggle and not the trigger
As marketers, we are good at painting a picture of our customer and creating personas. But all too often we focus on their general life struggles - being a busy parent short of time, being a traveller wanting to live like a local, or being a graduate keen to find their first big opportunity.
These are all struggles. Not triggers.
What is Trigger Thinking in Marketing?
Trigger Thinking is better than having a sixth sense - you are literally thinking a step ahead to the point your customer's struggle because a big enough issue to take action.
It’s an automated response to specific behaviours or actions—those critical moments when a consumer’s mindset aligns with action-taking readiness. Unlike traditional scheduled campaigns, Trigger Thinking doesn’t rely on arbitrary timing, instead, it leverages specific moments to deliver tailored prompts at the moment it matters most.
The Struggle vs. The Trigger
Picture this: Your potential customer faces a challenge—a struggle. Maybe they’re contemplating a summer break but haven’t quite committed. The struggle is real—the desire for relaxation, adventure, and sun-kissed memories—but they’re not yet in the mindset to take action because there are other more important and immediate challenges like getting the car serviced or taking the kids swimming.
Now, let’s introduce the trigger. Imagine our holiday-seeker sitting at their laptop, sipping coffee, and typing “best summer destinations on a budget.” That’s the moment—the trigger point—when their mindset shifts from idle contemplation to active search. Suddenly, they’re ready to explore options, compare prices, and book that dream getaway. And the key is to understand what prompted the trigger.
The Logic Behind Trigger Thinking
Precision Timing: Trigger thinking capitalises on these pivotal moments when people reach for their phone and start a search. So rather than marketing around the generic 'need a break?' message you're marketing around a very specific circumstance which has created the trigger. That might be that you've finally managed to sort your annual leave, or you've accounted for the costs of other summer holiday activities and now know your budget.
Context: Triggers allow you to tailor your marketing to individual preferences. This isn't about intercepting the purchase journey, this is about pivoting your message from 'curtains seen better days' to 'the neighbours mentioned your unusual bedtime routine'. It's great that you understand your customer, but you have to understand the context around their decision making too.
Maximising Conversion: Once you've identified the types of triggers your customers have, then you can start the really fun bit - building the conversation with your audience. And because you're relatable, that shouldn't be too hard - I mean, what's the worst thing you've done with the curtains open?! This is where your engagement can go through the roof and prompted UGC is the dream.
Crafting Your Trigger Based Strategy
Identify Key Triggers: Map out your customer journey. What actions signal readiness?
Segment and Personalise: Group customers based on triggers. Tailor messages accordingly.
Understand how cultural changes impact triggers. Make sure you stay relevant, scale back when world events put triggers on hold and equally understand when consumers go into overdrive.
The Summer Holiday Example
Our traveller's trigger? These can be many and varied, here are a few more.
A friend went to Mexico and loved it - plus their photos are unreal
You got a tax rebate
There is a finite amount of time left to book
Prices are suddenly going up
Other members of the group commit to dates
The weather forecast looks promising
You barter an agreement like if we go on holiday first....
Overcoming an illness
Coming to the end of a big project
The neighbour confirms they can feed the cat
Remember, trigger thinking isn’t just about marketing—it’s about understanding the constant and changing rhythm of consumer behaviour. You can adapt all of your content, your themes and copy based on the point at which someone actually makes a decision and takes action.
Want help mapping out the triggers in your brand strategy? Let's talk.
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