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ATTENTION,
INTEREST,
DESIRE, ACTION
THE AIDA MODEL
T
he AIDA model is the
foundation of modern
marketing and advertising
practice. It outlines the four basic
steps that can be used to persuade
potential customers to make a
purchase. The first three steps lie
in creating attention (A), developing
interest (I), and building desire (D)
for the product, before the fourth
step—the “call to action” (A)—tells
them exactly how and where to buy.
AIDA is often expressed as
a funnel, because it channels the
customer’s feelings through each
stage of the communication process
toward reaching a sale.AIDA in practice
Attracting the customer’s attention
is the first challenge, and this may
be achieved by using an arresting
catchphrase, offering a discount or
something for free, or demonstrating
how a problem can be solved. Once
someone’s attention has been
seized, it must be turned into
genuine interest. This is best done
by providing a succinct assessment
of the product’s benefits to the
consumer, rather than simply
listing the product’s main features.
Problem-solving claims, results-
based advice, or testimonials canbe used to create desire, before
finally laying out a simple way for
that desire to be met—the means
to buy. On website advertising, this
might be a direct link; on TV, print,
or billboards it may be a website,
store name, or telephone number.Commercial potential
In the movie industry, the stages of
AIDA are used to great effect. Movie
studios often begin their marketing
campaigns months in advance with
giant billboard posters to attract
attention to the new movie. Short
“teaser” trailers follow, which provoke
interest by offering a tantalizing
glimpse of the movie without
giving too much away. Desire is
instilled by the release of the full
trailer, which is carefully crafted to
show the highlights of the movie,
from big explosions and special
effects to witty lines of dialogue.
On the opening weekend,
advertisements in newspapers and
on television spotlight the movie’s
release, provoking action by
inviting the consumer to go and
buy a ticket.
One of the movie hits of 1999,
The Blair Witch Project, had an
innovative approach to AIDA that
made use of new viral marketingIN CONTEXT
FOCUS
Marketing modelsKEY DATES
1898 E. St. Elmo Lewis
describes the principle that
would become AIDA.1925 US psychologist Edward
Kellogg Strong Jr. refers to
AIDA in The Psychology of
Selling and Advertising.1949 US marketing executive
Arthur F. Peterson expresses
AIDA as a sales funnel, in
Pharmaceutical Selling,
Detailing and Sales Training.1967 US professors Charles
Sanclage and Vernon
Fryburger propose the EPIA
model: Exposure, Perception,
Integration, Action.1979 US academics Robert
L. Anderson and Thomas
E. Barry propose adding
brand loyalty to the various
hierarchy of effects models
based on AIDA.