Social Media, Content Strategy & Campaign Planning

Customer Clock Model

A way to think about the customer relationship beyond acquisition.

What it is:

The Customer Clock Model, credited to Scott Galloway, is a visual framework that reminds marketers to think across the entire customer lifecycle—not just at the point of acquisition.

The clock is broken into three phases:

**12 to 4 (Pre-Purchase):** Advertising, awareness campaigns, promotions
**4 to 8 (During Purchase):** Customer experience, packaging, in-store signage, delivery systems
**8 to 12 (Post-Purchase):** Loyalty programs, email follow-ups, reviews, referrals, and retention efforts

Mapping engagement across the full lifecycle

The Customer Clock Model can help you visualize the entire customer life cycle and be efficient with marketing spend

Most marketing budgets are over-invested in the 12–4 quadrant because it’s where attention is loudest—but this comes at a cost. The Customer Clock shows how deeper brand loyalty and ROI can be built by balancing efforts across all phases, especially post-purchase, where many brands go silent.

Use it when:

Designing customer journeys
Planning campaigns or offers
Launching a new product

Why it works:

Uncovers contextual relevance
Improves marketing timing
Surfaces unmet needs

Want to map your customer’s clock?

Let’s Talk.