Having established a need, i.e. the problem is recognized, the customer gathers information. We need to understand how customers gather information - online and offline. Online the web is increasingly used for searching. Remember there is a difference between searching and surfing. Think about the timing and frequency of when online customers seek information. Get the timing and the targeting right and you create , which allows the information through the customer ‘s perceptual filters. Get it wrong and your information gets screened out by an uninterested audience.