customer journey mapping

Definition

Creating elaborate diagrams showing every touchpoint a customer encounters with your brand, from blissful ignorance to purchase and beyond. It's like stalking, but with Post-it notes and the pretense of empathy.

Example Usage

Our customer journey mapping revealed that users encounter 73 touchpoints before purchase, which explains why our attribution model looks like spaghetti.

Origin

Adapted from user experience design in the 2000s, formalized as a marketing practice in the 2010s

Fun Fact

The average B2B customer journey involves 27 touchpoints across multiple channels, making attribution a mathematical nightmare and educated guessing game.

Source: Customer experience and marketing strategy

Related Terms

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storyteller

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marketing mix

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📣 Marketing / Advertising

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call-out

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Advanced

cookie stuffing

A fraudulent affiliate marketing practice where cookies are placed on users' browsers without genuine clicks, stealing credit for conversions. The digital equivalent of pickpocketing commission checks.

📣 Marketing / Advertising

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opt-out

The merciful button that lets you escape marketing emails, data collection, or programs you never wanted to join in the first place—usually hidden in 8-point font at the bottom of a page. This mechanism allows individuals to withdraw from services or agreements, though companies make it about as easy as canceling a gym membership. The corporate world's version of 'you can leave, but we're going to make you work for it.'

📣 Marketing / Advertising

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private marketplace

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