Taking time to gain insights and look deeply into the customer journey ensures you’re reaching customers at critical moments. As market shifts continue to influence customer behavior, it’s even more critical to know how to reach them—and to develop a deeper understanding of when and where your message will make the biggest impact. Our Decision Pathways customer journey research framework maps the full journey—revealing not just how people research, evaluate, and purchase, but why they make the decisions they do. The goal: equip your team to act on the moments that matter most.
Get beyond how people shop to understand their decision-making process.
Decision Pathways aren’t just journey maps—they’re strategic tools designed to reveal the most actionable patterns in consumer behavior. The process helps brands identify the key decision points that drive purchase, from early category exploration to post-purchase reflection. These insights guide where and how to prioritize marketing, messaging, and channel strategies to increase impact and efficiency.
Want to see the full framework in action? Download the PDF for a detailed look at each phase of the Decision Pathways approach.
The Decision Pathways customer journey research framework.
The Decision Pathways program unfolds in five key phases, blending qualitative insight, quantitative rigor, and organizational alignment:
1. Uncover the journeys.
This exploratory qualitative phase digs into how consumers really think, shop, and decide. Through interviews, diaries, or in-home visits, we reveal the motivations, behaviors, and influencers that shape each path to purchase.
2. Build the hypothesized pathways.
In a collaborative workshop, we bring your team together to translate research findings into draft journeys. By combining internal expertise with consumer insight, we map out initial pathway hypotheses grounded in real behavior.
3. Refine and size the pathways.
Quantitative research validates which decision pathways matter most. Using survey data and advanced analytics like MaxDiff and cluster analysis—we identify patterns, segment types, and high-value opportunities across shopper journeys.
4. Bring the pathways to life.
Real-world stories and consumer voices make the data resonate. Through videos, one-pagers, or virtual interviews, we humanize the research and help stakeholders understand who these consumers are and what drives their decisions.
5. Embed and activate the insights.
The final activation phase brings it all together. Our facilitators work with your team to prioritize touchpoints, craft communication strategies, and align departments around a shared view of the customer—ensuring the insights stick.
Taking time to explore the insights delivers real impact for your brand.
The Decision Pathways framework helps organizations move beyond assumptions and legacy personas to a more dynamic, behavior-led understanding of their customers. This method ensures marketing, product, and brand teams are aligned around the key decision points that influence conversion and loyalty—maximizing return on every interaction.
Want to turn customer insights into a competitive advantage?
