Setting: Colombo, Sri Lanka
Protagonist profile: Ayesha, a 22 year old final year Japura university student, part-time content creator, and environmentally conscious Gen Z consumer. This story illustrates that for Gen Z, the customer journey is nonlinear, highly social, values driven, and extends far beyond the point of purchase into an ongoing relationship.
1. Need – The Latent Trigger
Ayesha’s two-year old smartphone has been slowing down—buffering during online lectures, struggling with editing apps, and with a battery that barely lasts half a day. She hasn’t actively thought, “I need a new phone,” but she feels frustrated often. This is a latent need. The need becomes concrete when her phone suddenly dies during a crucial group project meeting on Zoom. She now knows: she must buy a new phone.
Marketing Insight: At this stage, brands that have built top of mind awareness through past content or values alignment are already at an advantage. Ayesha recalls a brand that sponsors her favorite local podcast talking about “long lasting phones.”
2. Orientation – The Digital Deep Dive
Ayesha doesn’t walk into a store. She opens her laptop. Her orientation is fully digital, social, and visual.
Search: She starts with concrete keyword se
arches: “best smartphone for students Sri Lanka 2025,” “good camera phone under LKR 150,000.”
Social Proof: She immediately checks TikTok and YouTube for “phone review Sri Lanka.” She watches comparisons filmed by local tech influencers she follows.
Inspiration & Aesthetics: She browses Instagram and Pinterest for Phone Photography examples. She cares about how the phone looks, but also about the quality of the photos and videos it can produce for her own content.
Community Opinion: She posts a poll in her university WhatsApp group: “Brand A vs. Brand B for battery life?”
Marketing Insight: Visibility during orientation is critical. Brands must be present on search engines and, crucially, on the social platforms where Gen Z researches. Authentic influencer content and user generated content are key.
3. Consideration – The Value Weigh In
Ayesha narrows her list to three models. Her decision criteria are a mix of pragmatism and principle:
1. Price & Value: Must fit her budget. EMI options are a big plus.
2. Camera Quality: Nonnegotiable for her content creation.
3. Battery Life: Must last a full day of classes, apps, and commuting.
4. Brand Ethics: She spends time reading about brands’ sustainability initiatives (e.g., recycled materials, e-waste programs). This is a strong emotional filter.
5. Reviews: She meticulously reads 3star and 4star reviews on Daraz and brand websites, looking for consistent pros and cons.
Marketing Insight: Communication here must provide detailed, comparable information that addresses these specific criteria. Spec sheets, camera samples, battery test videos, and clear sustainability reports influence this stage.
4. Decision – The Click to Commit
After a week of consideration, Ayesha chooses “Brand X.” The final push came from:
A Limited Time Offer: Brand X’s website offered free wireless earbuds with preorders.
Seamless Digital Experience: The brand’s website had a clear comparison tool against her other options.
Positive FOMO: Seeing a friendly influencer she trusts unbox the same model on Instagram Reels.
Smooth Payment: The checkout process was easy, with multiple payment options (card, online banking, and a pay in three plan). She clicks “Buy.”
Marketing Insight: Reducing friction at the decision point is vital. Offers, social proof at the point of sale (like live unboxings), and a flawless payment process seal the deal.
5. Delivery – The First Touchpoint of Truth
Ayesha receives order confirmation and real time tracking updates via WhatsApp. The phone arrives a day earlier than promised, in minimalist, recyclable packaging. The phone is in perfect condition. Her first evaluation is positive: “They kept their promise.”
Marketing Insight: The delivery experience is the first tangible brand promise. Reliability, communication, and packaging (which reflects brand values like sustainability) set the tone for the relationship.
6. Use – The Experience Economy
Ayesha unboxes the phone. The setup is intuitive. She appreciates the included quick start tutorial videos linked via QR code. Brand X’s app sends her tips on maximizing battery life and using pro camera features. After a week, she receives a friendly aftersales email checking if she needs help. She is delighted with the camera’s night mode. The added value is clear.
Marketing Insight: Post purchase communication educates and engages. It ensures the customer realizes the product’s full value, turning satisfaction into delight and reducing buyer’s remorse.
7. Loyalty & Advocacy – From Customer to Ambassador
Ayesha’s positive experience fosters loyalty.
Transactional/Social Loyalty: She uses a student discount offer from Brand X to buy a protective case. She follows them on social media and engages with their posts.
Emotional Loyalty: She feels good supporting a brand that aligns with her values on sustainability. She feels part of their “eco conscious community.”
Advocacy Loyalty (The Ultimate Goal): A month later, when her friend asks for phone advice, Ayesha passionately recommends Brand X. She even creates a “3 Months With My Phone” TikTok review, tagging the brand. Brand X reposts her video, thanking her. Ayesha feels valued and becomes an unofficial brand ambassador.
Marketing Insight: Loyalty is multilayered for Gen Z. It’s not just about repeat purchases; it’s about creating emotional connection and fostering advocacy through recognition and community building. Retaining Ayesha is far cheaper than acquiring a new customer, and her organic word of mouth is the most powerful marketing of all.
Discussion Points
1. How did digitalization fundamentally reshape Ayesha’s Orientation and Consideration phases compared to older generations?
2. Which of Ayesha’s decision criteria are uniquely amplified by Gen Z values ?
3. Analyze the communication tools used by the brand at each stage. Which were most effective and why?
4. The story ends with advocacy. How can a company systematically encourage and measure this Advocacy Loyalty among Gen Z consumers?
5. Critique: Where could this journey have broken down? What if the delivery was late, or the sustainability claims were found to be shallow (“greenwashing”)?