So when it comes to brands harnessing these need states in acquiring new business, the opportunity sits in aligning relevant messaging with the particular need state (or states) at play. By issuing this messaging in a timely and complimentary advertising format to prospects in their particular need state, it allows for a brand to build immediate credibility with the buyer.

When looking at big-ticket item purchases we can see how multiple, if not all need states are activated during the customer journey. According to Gartner buyers spend 50% of their time seeking information from third-party sources prior to making a purchase, allowing marketers to uncover prospect movement and prioritise outreach based on those intent indicators. This level of  pre-purchase discovery by the individual emphasises the importance of the need states prior to transacting.

What this means for marketers in execution terms is that by adopting intent orientated channels like Google’s Ad Discovery campaigns, we are able to find out where buyers are, and where they are likely to be heading to next, based on the state they have fulfilled previously. From this we have the ability to issue the right timely message to successfully conclude the individuals current need, facilitating ongoing fulfillment along their continual  journey and further down your sales funnel.