Marketing Model Interpretation——AIDMA Consumer Behavior Analysis Model

Marketing workers and academics have conducted a lot of research on consumer behavior and psychology, and proposed many related models. In this article, we will share the AIDMA model of consumer decision-making, which has a profound influence on marketing theory research and practical work.

Human decision-making is a complex and delicate process in which emotion and reason interact and pull against each other. Psychologist Jonathan Haidt used the metaphor of "the rider and the elephant" in his book "The Righteous Mind: Why People Are Good and Bad".

Haidt compares the human psyche to a system consisting of two parts: one is the "rider", which is our rational, conscious thinking and control center, which tries to plan, make decisions, and guide our behavior to be moral and logical; the other is the "elephant", which represents our emotions, intuition, impulses and most unconscious psychological activities. It is powerful and difficult to tame, often driving behavior based on instinct and feelings, and sometimes ignoring the guidance of the rider. Haidt pointed out that although we often think that we (the rider) are the masters of our behavior, in fact, it is often the "elephant" that dominates our choices, especially when faced with strong emotions or temptations. The rider may know what is right, but the elephant may be deviated from the track by external stimuli or internal desires, causing rational judgment to fail. Therefore, understanding and influencing the elephant (that is, our emotions and intuition) is crucial to changing behavior, not just relying on the efforts of the rider (rational thinking).

The interaction between rationality and sensibility plays a vital role in marketing, and together they drive consumer behavior decisions. By combining rational information such as product features and cost-effectiveness to strengthen logical judgment, and using emotional brand stories, emotional connections and other strategies to touch the heartstrings, marketers can build a customer experience that is both in-depth and attractive. This comprehensive approach not only enhances the persuasiveness of information and promotes the formation of purchasing decisions, but also deepens the emotional bond between brands and consumers, giving rise to higher loyalty. In an increasingly personalized and rapidly changing market environment, balancing and skillfully using these two forces has become a core strategy for companies to communicate effectively, adapt to changing needs and maintain competitive advantages.

Therefore, marketing workers and research circles have conducted a lot of research on consumer behavior and psychology, and proposed many related models, such as AIDMA model, AISAS model, Hawkins consumer decision process model, TRA (theory of reasoning behavior), TPB (theory of planned behavior), 5A model, HEART model, JTBD (Jobs-to-be-done) theory, etc.

Today I will share with you a consumer decision-making psychological model AIDMA that has a profound influence in marketing theory research and practical work.

01 What is the AIDMA model?

At the end of the 19th century, with the development of industrialization and the advertising industry, American advertising expert ES Lewis first proposed the AIDMA model to describe the psychological process of consumers from exposure to advertisements to making purchase decisions. The introduction of this model marked the beginning of scientific analysis of consumer psychology and behavior.

AIDMA is the initials of five English words: Attention, Interest, Desire, Memory, and Action. It describes the psychological process of consumers from the initial attention to a product or information to the final purchase action.

• Attention: This is the stage where consumers first come into contact with a product or advertisement. The main goal is to attract the attention of potential customers through creativity, uniqueness or emotional resonance. For example, an eye-catching outdoor billboard uses bright colors, interesting visual elements or a catchy slogan to attract the eyes of passers-by.
• Interest: Once the consumer's attention is captured, the next step is to stimulate their interest and make them willing to learn more about the product. This is usually achieved by showing the product's unique selling points or information that solves the consumer's pain points. For example, in digital marketing, posting valuable content that is highly relevant to the interests of the target group through social media, such as educational articles, fun tests, or interactive Q&A, can effectively arouse users' interest.
• Desire: Based on interest, marketers need to use emotional marketing or show product usage scenarios to make consumers have a strong desire to own or experience the product. For example, using storytelling ads to show how the product improves the user's life, or using KOLs (opinion leaders) to share their experience, to stimulate the user's desire to buy.
• Memory: In order to motivate consumers to take action in the future, brand information must be left in the consumer's mind. Repeated exposure, brand storytelling, and a strong visual identity system (such as an iconic logo or color) help strengthen memory. In digital marketing, retargeting ads can be used to repeatedly show products to users who have already expressed interest, which can deepen the impression.
• Action: The last stage is to encourage consumers to take purchasing actions. This requires lowering the purchase threshold, such as simplifying the shopping process, providing incentives such as coupons or limited-time discounts. In event marketing, setting up interactive experience areas on site, such as trial areas, photo check-in points, and combining on-site discounts to promote transactions is a good application example.

In the 20th century, as marketing theory and practice continued to mature, the AIDMA model was widely used in advertising design, sales strategy and brand building. Many companies and advertisers use this model to design eye-catching advertisements, stimulate consumer interest, cultivate purchasing desire, strengthen brand memory, and ultimately promote purchasing actions. At the same time, it has become a basic content that must be included in marketing courses of various teaching structures.

02 How to apply the AIDMA model in marketing work?

The AIDMA model reveals the psychological evolution path of consumers from their first exposure to product information to making a purchase decision. Each stage is an important node in the consumer decision-making process, and marketing strategies need to be targeted and linked to maximize marketing effects.

The following uses a fictitious ready-to-drink coffee brand as an example to illustrate the application of the AIDMA model in marketing work.

Marketing Background:

In the fast-paced modern life, consumers are increasingly pursuing convenience and quality. An international coffee brand has seen through this trend and decided to perfectly integrate the brand's professional coffee skills with the convenience of instant drinking, launching a ready-to-drink coffee series, aiming to provide consumers with high-quality coffee enjoyment anytime and anywhere.

In terms of marketing strategy, the brand decided to rely on the AIDMA model and carefully design each marketing action to ensure that the brand information is effectively reached and deeply rooted in the hearts of consumers.

Strategy and Execution:

1. Attention

The first thing is to catch the consumer's attention and make them notice your brand or product among the numerous messages.

The brand deployed creative outdoor advertising at high-traffic public transportation stations and commercial districts, using unique art installations and engaging visual designs, such as interactive exhibitions that simulate the growth of coffee beans, to attract the attention of passers-by, while launching topic challenges on social media to quickly expand brand exposure through creative content.

2. Interest

After attracting consumers’ attention, content marketing is needed to stimulate their interest in learning more.

The brand has teamed up with well-known baristas and lifestyle bloggers to share the production process of ready-to-drink coffee, the stories behind it, and a variety of drinking pairing suggestions through live broadcasts and short videos, sparking the audience's curiosity and desire to explore, thereby converting it into interest in the brand and its products.

3. Desire

Cultivate consumers' desire for products or services, transforming them from "interested" to "want to own".

The brand launches seasonal limited packaging and flavors, such as the Spring Sakura series, combining limited-time online sales with exclusive sales in offline experience stores to create a sense of product scarcity. At the same time, it stimulates consumers' desire to buy and enthusiasm for collection through points redemption, member-exclusive discounts and other methods.

4. Memory

Leave a deep impression in the minds of consumers and ensure that the brand is remembered at critical moments.

The brand has opened brand experience pop-up stores in major cities, designed in a classic cafe style, allowing consumers to experience the brand's unique coffee culture and atmosphere while experiencing ready-to-drink coffee. The brand's iconic visual elements and slogans are used to strengthen the brand's memory points.

5. Action

Simplify the purchasing process and provide sufficient motivation for consumers to complete the purchase.

The brand optimizes the online shopping platform, provides one-click purchase and fast delivery services, and pushes nearby purchase point information in combination with geographic location services to simplify the purchase process. At the same time, through intelligent recommendation algorithms, it provides personalized product recommendations based on consumers' purchase records and preferences, promotes repeat purchases, and ensures a seamless transition from desire to action.

Through the systematic application of the AIDMA model, the brand is expected to build a bridge from cognition to loyalty in the minds of consumers. The careful design of each link not only deepens consumers' cognition and emotional connection with the brand, but also effectively promotes the increase of product sales and market share.

03 AIDMA model must also keep pace with the times

We see that the AIDMA model can help marketers systematically plan and implement strategies to guide consumers through the entire process from awareness to purchase, especially in traditional marketing environments.

Entering the 21st century, especially with the popularization of Internet technology and the rise of social media, consumer behavior patterns have changed significantly, but the basic principles of the AIDMA model still provide an important basic framework for modern marketing strategies and have been given new life, deriving new consumer behavior models such as AISAS (Attention-Interest-Search-Action-Share) and SICAS (Sense-Interest-Connect-Act-Share), which better reflect the characteristics of the digital age.

In addition, the integration of the AIDMA model with other theoretical models (such as TRA, TPB, Jobs-to-be-Done, etc.) has become a trend, and marketers try to use a variety of theories to more comprehensively understand the complex and ever-changing consumer decision-making process. At the same time, with the application of technologies such as big data and artificial intelligence, the empirical research on the AIDMA model has become more refined, and it can more accurately track and analyze consumer behavior and psychological changes at various stages.

In the digital age, the AIDMA model needs to be adjusted and supplemented in combination with new technologies, new platforms and changes in consumer behavior. Marketers should also develop marketing strategies that are more in line with modern consumer habits based on actual conditions.

Author: Chen Hao