AIDA: Attention to Action
In the world of marketing, the AIDA (Attention-Interest-Desire-Action) formula is still at work. It dates back to almost 125 years ago. From Wikipedia: “The term, AIDA and the overall approach are commonly attributed to American advertising and sales pioneer, E. St. Elmo Lewis. In one of his publications on advertising, Lewis postulated at least three principles to which an advertisement should conform: The mission of an advertisement is to attract a reader, so that he will look at the advertisement and start to read it; then to interest him, so that he will continue to read it; then to convince him, so that when he has read it he will believe it. If an advertisement contains these three qualities of success, it is a successful advertisement.”
An explaination from Vizion:
AIDA is a hierarchy of effects model of the marketing funnel. Each consumer must pass through one stage to proceed to the next. For example, if you don’t first attract consumer attention, you have no hope of inspiring interest in your product or service, and certainly can’t expect them to take action and purchase an item that hasn’t inspired interest.
In this way, the hierarchy of effects mirrors the crucial marketing funnel – with each step, fewer consumers proceed toward final action for your product. Let’s say you capture the attention of 80% of your total audience with your initial advertisement, to the point where they desire to learn more about your offerings or your company as a whole. Then, only a portion of those with the desire will actually reach the tipping point and make the commitment to make a purchase. In this way, the AIDA formula narrows the number of consumers involved with your campaign until the final few convert into customers.
More from Ryte:
The AIDA model is based on four individual stages that attract interested parties who are deciding on a product or service.
- Attract attention: The product must attract the consumer’s attention. This is done via the advertising materials. It is a type of “eyecatcher.”
Examples: a window designed in a striking way, a sensational YouTube clip, or a themed newsletter, or a graphic on a landing page.
- Maintain interest: In the first phase, the attention of the potential customer is piqued; their interest in the product or service should be aroused.
Example: detailed information on the product is presented, for example, the product description on a website, a product brochure or flyer, photos, or video clip of the product.
- Create desire: If interest in the product is aroused, it is the seller’s task to persuade the customer that they want to own this product. In the best-case scenario, the advertisement or the product itself creates the desire to purchase.
Example: the seller provides clear examples of the advantages of the product or service, taking into account the daily lives of the target group. In the online shop, a bullet point list can generate the desire to buy. This desire to buy can also be awakened by an advertising medium that specifically addresses the emotions of the customer.
- Take action: As soon as the desire to buy is aroused, this must be transferred into an action, that is, the purchase.
Example: In the case of online shops, this would ultimately be the shopping cart process, in which a customer is lead to a conversion. The customer can be encouraged to buy the product with a call-to-action.
AIDA starts with attention and ends with action. Once brands initiate a relationship with us as consumers, then starts the process of engagement via email, SMS, WhatsApp or push notifications. And yet we choose to ignore the majority of such messages – even from the brands we like. 85% of promotional emails aren’t even opened. A majority of push notifications cannot be delivered because app users have blocked them. So, how does a brand get through? The buzzword now is experience: brands have to create or offer awesome experiences for us to pay attention. This “pay attention” triggered a thought: while brands have loyalty programs that reward transactions, what if brands could actually move up the funnel and pay for attention and action? Today’s digital world can easily enable such microtransactions. Yet, it hasn’t happened. Will it work? How can it be done?
