Still, not every purchase is immediate. Alicia Criner, VP and global head of marketing and digital at Galderma, emphasized the importance of the consideration phase. “We often forget the middle of the funnel. Awareness, typically, isn’t really the issue. It’s about consideration.” That’s where the brand has to educate and earn trust.

That sparked some debate, as Silverberg shared a differing opinion. “We found that inspiration can be the antidote to waiting, which is another word for consideration. Consideration is ‘I’m going to think about it,’” Silverberg explained. “But there needs to be a balance, and for some brands—not all—with enough inspiration, the action happens.” 

Others agreed that the type of product, platform, and price point all impact how much “consideration” really matters.

Addressing context 

Evan Moore, SVP of commerce partnerships at NBCUniversal, pointed out that context also plays a role in purchasing decisions. “If I’m watching a show and I see something on a character I relate to, and I have a big emotional reaction, I want that exact thing—right now. Emotion plays a bigger role than logic.” It’s not just the “what.” It’s the “when” and “where.”

That context is evolving. Carrie Sweeney, VP and sales lead at Pinterest, shared that the lines between content and commerce are blurring fast. ” We routinely hear it doesn’t matter if it’s an ad or not because of the mindset. And we’re lucky, our Pinners come with the mindset of wanting to be inspired and wanting to shop.”