A recent article in Marketing Week explores how younger audiences increasingly bypass traditional search engines in favour of social platforms, visual discovery, and AI-driven recommendations.
For retailers and brands, this signals a clear shift:
Intent is no longer expressed only through typed queries. It’s shaped through inspiration, discovery, and context.
From an ELMA perspective, this evolution reinforces something we see consistently across retail campaigns:
Intent often starts locally and physically, not just digitally.
When consumers browse local leaflets and offers delivered directly to their homes, they are not simply responding to demand — they are forming it. The moment of discovery happens earlier in the journey, often while planning the week ahead.
In fact, the behaviours highlighted in the article mirror what we observe in offline channels:
• Consumers explore before they search
• Visual inspiration drives shopping decisions
• Local relevance increases engagement
• Timing matters (weekend planning moments are key)
That’s why synchronising physical and digital discovery is becoming increasingly important for retailers and FMCG brands.
When geo-targeted print campaigns, retail media, and digital retargeting work together, brands capture both intent creation and intent capture.
The future of marketing isn’t online vs offline.
It’s about connecting the discovery moments across both.
How are you adapting your marketing strategies to these evolving discovery behaviours?