The End of Search: When Desire Comes Before Intention

Remember when you saw a product in a store, decided to research it, and only then made the purchase? Well, that world is disappearing.

Today, the buying journey no longer starts with a need. It starts with a TikTok video, an Instagram ad, or a post on your feed whispering, ‘Hey, you need this!’

Welcome to scrollrooming — a term I created to define the phenomenon where desire is sparked while you’re mindlessly scrolling, long before you even think about buying.

How Scrollrooming Is Hacking Consumer Behavior

We used to talk about showrooming (browsing in a physical store and buying online) and webrooming (researching online and buying in-store). In both cases, the consumer was still in control. They decided to search.

Now, that logic is flipped. You’re not searching for products anymore. Products are finding you — right in the middle of your endless scrolling.

• TikTok and Instagram turn trends into instant desires. You never thought you needed an oversized lilac hoodie — until it danced onto your screen.
• Hyper-personalized ads show up before you even realize you want something.
• Marketplaces and social media suggest products with almost creepy accuracy. It feels like they read your mind — but no, it’s just the algorithm doing its job.

Why This Changes Everything

✔ Desire comes before intention — Consumers don’t decide they “want” something; they’re convinced they do. Impulse kicks in before rational thought.

✔ Search marketing is losing ground — If algorithms already deliver the perfect product straight into the feed, who needs Google? Brands relying only on SEO will soon fade into irrelevance.

✔ Impulse buying 3.0 — The buying journey used to start with “I need this.” Now, it starts with “This popped up in my feed, and I want it NOW.”

If the Algorithm Sells, Where Does Branding Fit In?

If consumers are being captured before they even look for a product, what’s left for brands?

Relying solely on algorithms is like building a house on shifting sand. Your reach can vanish overnight with a single update to TikTok’s or Instagram’s algorithm.

So here’s the real question: Is your brand creating desire, or is it just another pawn in the scroll game?

If your product disappears from someone’s feed tomorrow, will they remember you? Or will they just buy from the next brand the algorithm throws their way?

If your strategy depends 100% on scrollrooming, be careful: you don’t have an audience — you just have traffic.

So, what’s your move? Will you let the algorithm decide everything for you?

If it make you think, make it happen!
Caio Camargo