{"id":20997,"date":"2026-10-29T17:17:49","date_gmt":"2026-10-29T16:17:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.effinity.fr\/blog\/the-5s-understanding-new-customer-journeys-and-adapting-your-strategy\/"},"modified":"2026-10-29T17:19:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-29T16:19:23","slug":"the-5s-understanding-new-customer-journeys-and-adapting-your-strategy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.effinity.fr\/en\/blog\/the-5s-understanding-new-customer-journeys-and-adapting-your-strategy\/","title":{"rendered":"The 5S: Understanding New Customer Journeys and Adapting Your Strategy"},"content":{"rendered":"

A consumer discovers a product in a video. A few days later, they read reviews, ask an AI assistant for help, return to a social media platform, and then make a purchase using a promotional offer. In your attribution report, only one line appears: the last click. <\/p>\n

This disconnect between what consumers actually do and what brands measure is at the heart of the 5S<\/strong> framework : Streaming, Scrolling, Searching, Solving, and Shopping<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

These five behaviors provide a better understanding of new purchasing journeys and the various stages at which a brand can influence a decision. They also encourage us to rethink the role of partners, from the initial intention through to conversion. <\/p>\n

Why the Traditional Funnel Is No Longer Enough<\/h2>\n

Historically, digital marketing has been based on a funnel: discover, consider, compare, convert. This framework has shaped strategies, budgets, and measurement models. It remains useful for organizing certain marketing objectives. But it increasingly fails to reflect the reality of the buyer\u2019s journey, which involves a growing number of touchpoints, back-and-forth interactions, and moments of influence. <\/p>\n

The “Messy Middle”: Exploration and Evaluation<\/strong><\/h3>\n

In 2020, Google popularized the concept of the \u201cmessy middle\u201d<\/em> to describe the space between the emergence of a need and the purchase. In its study Decoding Decisions<\/a><\/em>, Google identifies two intertwined behaviors: exploration, which broadens possibilities, and evaluation, which gradually leads to a decision. <\/p>\n

Consumers move forward, go back, discover a new option, and reconsider a brand they initially ruled out. This process can involve a wide range of content and intermediaries: search engines, creators, specialized media, comparison sites, reviews, and communities. The visible purchase is merely the culmination of a process involving multiple touchpoints, some of which do not result in a single click to the brand\u2019s website. <\/p>\n

Why the Last Click Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story of the Decision<\/h3>\n

The last click remains a useful operational metric. It helps identify an observable interaction that precedes the conversion and evaluate certain acquisition strategies. But it does not necessarily reveal what sparked the desire, built trust, or led to a preference for a particular brand. <\/p>\n

This limitation becomes more significant as interactions become more diverse. Search engines can provide an answer directly within their interface. Videos and social media posts can include shopping features. AI assistants can help users make decisions by offering recommendations, with or without linking to an external website. <\/p>\n

This does not mean that clicks are disappearing, nor that all user journeys are becoming click-free. Traditional search and visits to e-commerce sites remain essential. However, some of the influence may now be exerted in environments that traditional attribution models only partially capture. <\/p>\n

It is therefore no longer just a matter of determining which channel generated the conversion, but also which touchpoints contributed to the decision-making process. This distinction between attribution and contribution is central to discussions about Marketing Mix Modeling as applied to affiliate marketing<\/a>. <\/p>\n

What are the 5Ss of the new customer journeys?<\/h2>\n

In January 2025, the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) proposed a new framework for understanding the customer journey based on four behaviors: Streaming, Scrolling, Searching, and Shopping. This model, presented in the study *It’s Time for Marketers to Move Beyond the Linear Funnel*<\/a><\/em>, was subsequently adopted and popularized by Google. <\/p>\n

To incorporate uses related to generative AI assistants, Effinity proposes expanding this framework to include a fifth behavior: Solving.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The 5Ss do not describe five successive steps or five distinct channels. They represent five ways of acting: consuming content, discovering, searching, delegating the fulfillment of a need, and purchasing. These behaviors can occur in any order, repeat themselves, or be combined during the same customer journey. <\/p>\n

Streaming and Scrolling: Discovering and Shaping Preferences<\/h3>\n

Streaming<\/strong> refers to an immersive way of consuming content: long-form videos, podcasts, live streams, or on-demand programs.<\/p>\n

These formats make it possible to develop a narrative, showcase a product in a real-world setting, and gradually build trust. A product review on YouTube or a recommendation in a podcast can influence a decision long before a consumer even begins searching online. <\/p>\n

Scrolling<\/strong> is more like digital window shopping. On Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, or other platforms, consumers browse a stream of content without necessarily looking for a specific product. <\/p>\n

Attention is more fragmented, but opportunities for discovery are multiplying. A short demonstration, an inspiring post, or a recommendation from a creator can spark interest or prompt action. <\/p>\n

Streaming and scrolling thus play a role in shaping purchase intent. Their contribution can be decisive, even when no immediate conversion is recorded. <\/p>\n

Searching: Search, Compare, and Confirm<\/h3>\n

Through ” Searching<\/strong>,” consumers actively seek information to answer a question, explore options, or make a decision.<\/p>\n

They can use a search engine, a price comparison site, read reviews, consult buying guides, watch demonstration videos, or ask an AI assistant.<\/p>\n

Research often formalizes an intention that has already been partially developed. It allows us to compare characteristics, verify a brand’s credibility, or choose between several solutions. <\/p>\n

For brands, the challenge is to establish a presence in the environments where this decision-making process takes place\u2014either directly through their own channels or through relevant third-party sources.<\/p>\n

Solving: Having AI Generate an Answer or a Solution<\/h3>\n

” Solving<\/strong> ” refers to a behavior in which the consumer delegates part of the analysis, problem-solving, or decision-making process to an AI assistant.<\/p>\n

Rather than conducting numerous searches and comparing different pieces of content on his own, he articulates a broader need and expects a well-thought-out response that takes several constraints into account.<\/p>\n

The assistant can summarize information, compare solutions, make a recommendation, or assist with planning an action.<\/p>\n

For a brand, the challenge is therefore no longer just about appearing in a list of results. It\u2019s also about being accurately represented in the information that AI systems can draw upon to generate their responses. <\/p>\n

Brand content, specialized media, guides, comparison reviews, and industry experts can all contribute to this information environment. However, their presence does not guarantee that they will be selected as a source or cited in a generated response. <\/p>\n

Shopping: Making Decisions and Purchases Easier<\/h3>\n

Shopping<\/strong> refers to the act of making a purchase and the interactions that facilitate the transaction.<\/p>\n

Visible offers, reassurance, promotions, cashback, customer reviews, product availability, or payment options can help eliminate the remaining barriers to purchase.<\/p>\n

This behavior does not necessarily represent the final step in a long journey. In social commerce, a video or a post can spark discovery and lead to an almost immediate purchase. <\/p>\n

The ability to convert must therefore be considered across different environments, not just at the end of a traditional funnel.<\/p>\n

Searching and Solving: What Are the Practical Differences?<\/h3>\n

The distinction depends less on the tool used than on what the consumer expects from the interaction<\/strong>. Take, for example, someone planning a hiking trip. <\/p>\n

In the Search section, she can search for \u201cbest backpack for a three-day hike,\u201d check out comparisons, read reviews, and look up the specifications of various products.<\/p>\n

In Solving, she can ask an AI assistant: \u201cI\u2019m going on a three-day hike in the mountains, on a limited budget, and there\u2019s a chance of rain. Help me pack my gear, identify the important factors, and choose a suitable backpack.\u201d<\/p>\n

In the first case, the consumer seeks information to help make a decision. In the second, the consumer delegates part of the analysis and expects a proposal tailored to their specific situation. <\/p>\n

These two types of behavior can overlap. An AI assistant can be used to perform a simple search, while a search engine with generative capabilities can help solve a complex problem. <\/p>\n

Solving, therefore, does not replace Searching. It helps distinguish a shift in behavior: moving from searching for information to the guided development of a solution.<\/strong> <\/p>\n

How the 5S Approach Is Changing Brand Strategy<\/h2>\n

The main contribution of the 5S framework is that it shifts the focus of the question. We no longer ask only where the prospect is in the funnel, but what they are doing, what need they are trying to fulfill, and who might be influencing their decision at that moment. <\/p>\n

Moving from channel-based reach to behavioral coverage<\/h3>\n

For brands, this shift means rethinking their digital presence. In practice, this calls for: <\/p>\n

    \n
  • be present before the search begins, at the stage where attention and preference are formed;<\/li>\n
  • develop relevant content and partnerships in the environments where consumers seek information, compare options, and use AI;<\/li>\n
  • facilitate access to products and conversions, including in social commerce environments;<\/li>\n
  • identify behaviors that are not adequately addressed by their systems;<\/li>\n
  • rebalance, where appropriate, investments between creating demand and capturing existing demand.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

    No single channel covers all of these behaviors on its own. The challenge is no longer simply a matter of choosing between SEO, advertising, influencer marketing, or affiliate marketing, but rather of coordinating how they complement each other and understanding the roles of the various stakeholders involved in the decision-making process. <\/p>\n

    Tailor the measure to the various contributions<\/h3>\n

    Not all behaviors generate the same signals. A long video can build brand awareness without generating an immediate click. A price comparison site can drive a measurable visit. A cashback partner may come into play just before the transaction. <\/p>\n

    In AI environments, a brand may appear in a response, be mentioned without a link, be associated with a cited source, or receive a referral visit. These situations represent different observations, none of which, on their own, demonstrate commercial influence. <\/p>\n

    Tracking clicks and conversions therefore remains useful, but\u2014depending on the objectives and available data\u2014it is best supplemented by analyzing assisted conversions, conducting incrementality tests, using marketing mix modeling, or examining presence metrics in AI responses.<\/p>\n

    The challenge is not to artificially assign a value to each contact, but to distinguish between what is directly observable, what can be estimated, and what remains uncertain.<\/p>\n

    How Partners Implement the 5S Method<\/h3>\n

    Creators, influencers, specialized media outlets, comparison sites, buying guides, communities, newsletters, cashback providers, and marketplaces all play a role at different stages.<\/p>\n

    A designer can create appeal. A specialized media outlet provides information and credibility. A comparison site makes it easier to choose. A cashback provider can help reduce the final hurdles before a purchase. <\/p>\n

    But a single partner can also cover multiple types of engagement. A video creator can engage users through streaming with in-depth content, scrolling with short-form content, and even shopping via a tracked link or an integrated purchase feature. <\/p>\n

    So the right question is no longer \u201cWhich category does this partner belong to?\u201d but \u201cWhat behaviors does it cover, and what is its contribution?\u201d<\/p>\n

    Which partner profiles correspond to which behaviors?<\/h3>\n\n
    \n \n\n \n \n \n \n \n \n
    \n Comportement <\/td>\n \n Partenaires pouvant intervenir <\/td>\n \n Contribution possible <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
    \n Streaming <\/td>\n \n YouTubeurs,\n podcasteurs, streamers <\/td>\n \n Expliquer,\n d\u00e9montrer, construire la confiance <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
    \n Scrolling <\/td>\n \n Influenceurs,\n cr\u00e9ateurs sociaux, communaut\u00e9s <\/td>\n \n Inspirer,\n faire d\u00e9couvrir, susciter l'int\u00e9r\u00eat <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
    \n Searching <\/td>\n \n Comparateurs,\n m\u00e9dias sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9s, guides d'achat <\/td>\n \n Informer,\n comparer, rassurer <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
    \n Solving <\/td>\n \n M\u00e9dias experts,\n guides sp\u00e9cialis\u00e9s, \u00e9diteurs de contenus de r\u00e9f\u00e9rence <\/td>\n \n Fournir\n des informations pertinentes susceptibles d'\u00eatre mobilis\u00e9es par les IA <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n
    \n Shopping <\/td>\n \n Cashback,\n sites de codes promotionnels, marketplaces, partenaires de social commerce <\/td>\n \n Faciliter\n la transaction et lever les freins <\/td>\n <\/tr>\n <\/table>\n<\/div>