Douglas MacKellar

For those that don’t know the AIDA model is a simplistic rendition of the mental stages marketing communicators attempt to move a consumer through in an effort to gain a purchase. The AIDA model comprises of four stages, Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action (as the acronym suggests), for which marketers strive for the “think, feel, do” response from customers. This “think, feel, do” response isn’t necessarily so concrete, for instance, an individual may sense the sudden urge for an ice cream on a hot summers day causing them to make a purchase, therefore they feel and do before they think. Some may argue this sporadic style of purchase is confined to low cost, fast-moving, perishable goods, and they might be right with average incomes and needs in mind, but what of infrequently purchased, luxury goods that demand a higher price, well, this is where the model comes into full-effect.

With advancements technology and trends as well as the complexity of the products being sold today the AIDA model has evolved and been refined to better communicate elements of a product to consumers. Focusing on the stage of Awareness that has now become a utopia for graphic designers and artists to attempt to attract audiences in new and creative ways, however, through all of this a few basic concepts that lay the foundation of product recognition emerge; strong imagery, and strong typography. Clear and strong imagery isn’t new to the process, however through the revolution of photoshop marketeers can produce images that are more striking and beautiful to look at. Apple is no stranger to this. The Apple website presents viewers with a large image of their new iPad on a white back drop in such a way that can’t be missed, it is also displayed along side the previous version to give viewers an understanding of it’s relative size (a selling point for this new model). The use of typography is such a strong tool in creating awareness it is often used in the logo that defines the company or product. Bright headings, coloured fonts and incorporated textures help the company emphasise key selling points or slogans surrounding the product. UBC does this in the majority of their advertisements in an effort to attract new students.

This blog post is the first in a series detailing the AIDA model, please check back soon for more posts!

Sources:

http://www.sweettoothrewards.com/blog/2013/01/22/aida-using-this-marketing-model-to-improve-your-loyalty-program-part-2-of-6/

http://www.noupe.com/design/the-aida-marketing-model-in-web-design.html