Basic Marketing: A Global Managerial Approach

Perreault−McCarthy: Basic
Marketing: A
Global−Managerial
Approach, 14/e

14. Promotion −
    Introduction to Integrated
    Marketing
    Communications

Text © The McGraw−Hill

Companies, 2002

Promotion_Introduction to Integrated Marketing Communications 411

The AIDA and adoption processes look at individuals. This emphasis on indi-

viduals helps us understand how promotion affects the way that people behave. But

it’s also useful to look at markets as a whole. Different segments of customers within

a market may behave differently—with some taking the lead in trying new prod-

ucts and, in turn, influencing others.

Research on how markets accept new ideas has led to the adoption curve model.

The adoption curveshows when different groups accept ideas. It shows the need to

change the promotion effort as time passes. It also emphasizes the relations among groups

and shows that individuals in some groups act as leaders in accepting a new idea.

Exhibit 14-9 shows the adoption curve for a typical successful product. Some of

the important characteristics of each of these customer groups are discussed below.

Which one are you?

The innovatorsare the first to adopt. They are eager to try a new idea and willing

to take risks. Innovators tend to be young and well educated. They are likely to be

mobile and have many contacts outside their local social group and community. Busi-

ness firms in the innovator group are often aggressive small companies with an

entrepreneurial view and willingness to take the risk of doing something new and dif-

ferent. However, large firms, especially specialized ones, may be in the innovator group.

An important characteristic of innovators is that they rely on impersonal and

scientific information sources, or other innovators, rather than salespeople. They

often search for information. For example, they might do a search on the Internet,

read articles in technical publications, or look for informative ads in special-interest

magazines.

Percent adoption

90

50

20

0

5

Time

Innovators

(3–5%)

Early

adopters

(10–15%)

Early

majority

(34%)

Late

majority

(34%)

Laggards or

nonadopters

(5–16%)

Exhibit 14-9

The Adoption Curve

Adoption Processes Can Guide Promotion Planning

Promotion must vary

for different adopter

groups

Innovators don’t mind

taking some risks

blend, you should be careful not to slip into a shotgun approach when what you

really need is a rifle approach—with a more careful aim.