What does the first A in AIDA stand for?

The AIDA model, tracing the customer journey through Awareness, Interest, Desire and Action, is perhaps the best-known marketing model amongst all the classic marketing models.

Many marketers find AIDA useful since we apply this model daily, whether consciously or subconsciously, when we're planning our marketing communications strategy.

Particularly during this period of inflation, nurturing potential customers during their decision-making process is more important than ever. Find out more.

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What is the AIDA model?

The AIDA Model identifies cognitive stages an individual goes through during the buying process for a product or service. It's a purchasing funnel where buyers go to and fro at each stage, to support them in making the final purchase.

It's no longer a relationship purely between the buyer and the company since social media has extended it to achieving the different goals of AIDA via information added by other customers via social networks and communities.

Essential marketing models

In our free, illustrated guide to 16 classic planning models diagrams we explain what they are and give examples of why and how to apply them in business.

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What does AIDA stand for?

• Awareness: creating brand awareness or affiliation with your product or service.
• Interest: generating interest in the benefits of your product or service, and sufficient interest to encourage the buyer to start to research further.
• Desire: for your product or service through an 'emotional connection', showing your brand personality. Move the consumer from 'liking' it to 'wanting it'.
• Action: CTA - Move the buyer to interact with your company and taking the next step ie. downloading a brochure, making the phone call, joining your newsletter, or engaging in live chat, etc.
• Retention: We all know that this is key to upsell, cross-sell, referrals, Advocacy and the list goes on.. as companies are also focussing on LTV.

The additional "R" is sometimes added by some Marketers to show the importance of ongoing relationship-building to give the AIDAR model.

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How to use the AIDA model

So how can this be applied to marketing planning?

It could be referred to as a communications model rather than a decision-making model, as it's identifying to companies, how and when to communicate during each of the stages as consumers will be using different platforms, engaging at different touchpoints and requiring different information throughout the stages from various sources.

So using this to help plan your tailored and targeted communication campaign may be a start.

Ask yourself some key questions throughout the stages:

• Awareness: How do we make buyers aware of our products or services? What is our outreach strategy? What is our brand awareness campaign? Which tools or platforms do we use? What should the messages be?
• Interest: How will we gain their interest? What is our content strategy? Social proof available to back up our reputation? How do we make this information available and where ? ie. on website, via videos, customer ratings,
• Desire: What makes our product or service desirable? How do we interact personally to make an emotional connection? Online chat? Immediate response to Twitter feed? Share tips and advice?
• Action: What are the call to actions and where do we place them? Is it easy for consumers to connect and where would they expect to find it? Think about which marketing channel/platform you are using and how to engage ie. across emails, website, landing pages, inbound phone calls etc.
• Retention: What is the proposition to retain loyalty? At what stage do we encourage this on-line and off-line, and how?

An example of the AIDA model

Here is a case study from our Marketing Models Guide showing how an award-winning hairdressing company, Francesco Group used the model to launch their new salon.

• 1. Awareness: Ran a PR campaign four months prior to launch, promoting award, stylists, qualifications etc. and was reinforced through a DM campaign to targeted customer groups.
• 2. Interest:  Executed a direct mail campaign to offer a free consultation or hair cut and finish. They used research to support that this would work, as females are loyal if the offer is compelling.
• 3. Desire: Close to the opening of the new salon, they ran exclusive local launch events which was advertised through local press and social media. This created a local buzz for 'people wanting an invite' and excited to see the new salon.
• 4. Action: Clear CTAS were positioned on the Facebook site (call to reserve), the website (call to book) and local advertising (call in to receive discount or the offer.

Essential marketing models

In our free, illustrated guide to 16 classic planning models diagrams we explain what they are and give examples of why and how to apply them in business.

Access the Essential marketing models for business growth

The case study didn't highlight Retention, though there are many ways to increase loyalty around sign up to mailing lists or social platforms which offer news about offers and events, discounts on product ranges, discounts according to the frequency of visit,  etc.

Download our 10 growth insights to create a RACE digital marketing strategy during inflation

The Original Reference Source

Some say the AIDA model has been used for over three centuries. More details on the AIDA model history are available on Wikipedia.

Lewis, E. St. Elmo. (1899) Side Talks about Advertising. The Western Druggist. (21 February). p. 66. Lewis, E. St. Elmo.

(1903) Advertising Department. The Book-Keeper. (15 February).

p. 124. Lewis, E. St. Elmo. (1908) Financial Advertising, Indianapolis: Levey Bros. & Company.

AIDA is an acronym developed in 1898 by advertising pioneer E. St. Elmo Lewis. It describes the steps that a prospective customer goes through before deciding to buy a product or service. The acronym stands for Attention, Interest, Desire, and Action. The AIDA model is widely used in marketing and advertising to describe the steps or stages that occur from the very first moment a consumer is aware of a product or brand to the actual moment the purchase is made.

Given that many consumers become aware of brands through advertising or marketing communications, the AIDA model helps to explain how an advertising or marketing communications message engages and involves consumers in brand choices. In essence, the AIDA model proposes that advertising messages need to accomplish a number of tasks in order to move the consumer through a series of sequential steps from brand awareness through to action (i.e., purchase and consumption). The AIDA model is one of the longest serving models used in advertising in large part because while the world of advertising has changed, human nature hasn't. 

The first stage of the buying process is making the consumer aware of the product. A salesperson's job is to catch the prospect's attention well enough so that they can keep the prospect engaged long enough to whet their interest. Some versions of AIDA refer to the first stage as "Awareness," meaning that the prospect becomes aware of options. This is the stage you'll find most prospects involved in if you cold call them.

To bump prospects up to the second stage, you must develop the potential buyer's Interest in the product or service. This is usually where benefit phrases come heavily into play. Many marketers successfully use storytelling in their direct mail approaches in order to get their prospects interested. If you can raise enough interest then usually you can get the prospect to commit to an appointment, at which time you can move the prospect further along in the sales process.

In the third stage of AIDA, prospects realize that the product or service is a good fit and will help them in some way. Salespeople can bring prospects to this point by going from general benefits to specific benefits. Often this includes using information culled during the earlier stages which allow you to fine-tune the sales pitch. Keep in mind that there are different levels of desire. If a prospect just feels a mild need for a product (or perceives it as a want rather than a need) he or she may decide not to buy right away, if at all.

The fourth and last stage of AIDA occurs when the prospect decides to take the action necessary to become a customer. If you carried the prospect through the first three stages (and responded appropriately to any objections), this stage often occurs naturally. If not, you may need to prompt a prospect to act by using closing techniques.