The AIDA model is a marketing model used to describe the stages an individual goes through
from first being aware of the product right through to purchasing it.
AIDA is an important framework as it provides a model to help marketers
plan out their marketing campaigns. If applied correctly the number of customers
purchasing your product should increase due to you applying the AIDA model effectively.
Later we will look at how GymShark have successfully used AIDA in their marketing,
but first it is important to know exactly what AIDA is.
AIDA is an acronym that stands for Attention, Interest, Desire and Action
and is often displayed as a funnel leading the customer from grabbing their attention
right through to the bottom of the funnel where some of these customers will make a purchase.
The fist A stands for attention. This is the first step in marketing or advertising your business.
This is the part where you make people stop scrolling through their news feed
and you get them to take notice and become aware of your business.
Basically you are trying to get as many people as possible to see your brand and to make
them aware of your existence. Businesses gain this attention through advertising,
whether online, in a shop window or via traditional media such as newspaper, radio and TV.
The next step is interest. Now you have their attention you need to get them interested in
the product or service you have to offer. Not all people whose attention you have gained will move
to the next stage and be interested in your product. That is why the funnel becomes narrower,
as some will not engage any further with what you are marketing. You need to deploy strategies that
build interest in the customer by providing more information on what the product can do for them.
To do this effectively you need to understand the wants and needs of your target market and
focus their attention on how your product meets their wants and needs. For example if you know
your target market is overworked and looking for a better work life balance then you can use this in
your ads to get their attention and then show them how your product can solve this issue for them.
At this stage if the customer is still interested then you will move them down the funnel to desire.
What can your business do now to move them from being interested in the product
to desiring it. Purchasing decisions are often made on emotion
and being able to stir up an emotion in people increases the likelihood of them taking action.
Emotions such as excitement, love and nostalgia are often used by brands such as Disney and Coca
Cola in the hopes that you feel this way towards their brand. The emotion a business creates in a
customer does not always have to be positive to be effective. Fear is also an emotional
response used by brands to get people to desire their product. Corsodyl, the mouthwash brand
has many adverts where people spit blood into the sink because they didn’t use their mouthwash. This
stirs up fear in the customer making them desire Corsodyl to prevent this happening to them. Desire
can also be encouraged by using social proof such as reviews, testimonials and online influencers.
Humans place trust in collective the opinions of others, which can make them desire something
in order to not feel left out. This is why positive reviews are such a useful tool.
Finally if the customer is still in the marketing funnel, then the last part of
AIDA is to get them to take Action. Now they desire your product what do you want them to do?
The most common action businesses want is for a purchase to be made.
But the action desired may also be for them to follow your brand on social media,
sign up to your email newsletter or start a free trial. Free trails, limited time offers
and incentives are all designed to increase the likelihood of someone taking action.
If a customer is led to believe that by waiting they will miss out on a cheaper price or better
deal, then they are more likely to take action immediately to reap these benefits,
in turn increasing the number of people purchasing the product.
As you can see AIDA is about taking customers on a journey with your marketing. Right from first
grabbing their attention, through to getting them to purchase your product or service. One business
that does this spectacularly well is GymShark. Whether they use AIDA consciously or
subconsciously here is a breakdown of how their marketing campaigns fit the AIDA model.
Attention - Gymshark grabs people’s attention online via targeted ads often being shown in
peoples Instagram feeds and stories where the majority of their target market are likely to
see them. Using online ads combined with having a huge following on social media
has meant that Gymshark has the attention of many potential customers
where they can advertise new clothing lines very effectively.
Once they have this attention. They peak customers interest in their products by
utilising social media to send out marketing messages about their new product lines.
They use well known influencers in their marketing materials as these people are recognisable
and people are interested to hear what they have to say.
At this stage Gymshark promote how innovative and stylish their new gym wear is.
Desire is created by not only using influencers but by calling these influencers
Gymshark athletes. These Gymshark athletes are all over social media wearing and endorsing the
Gymshark brand to their combined millions of fans. Using influencers is a very powerful tool
when getting people to desire a product, as these influencers are trusted
and often admired by the people that are following them. Because of this people
will buy Gymshark clothing in the hopes of being like someone that they admire.
It is a very powerful and clever strategy to get customers to desire Gymshark clothing.
Finally action is another part of AIDA where Gymshark athletes are heavily involved and
have a huge influence on their audience. Gymshark athletes encourage their followers to purchase the
Gymshark clothing they are seen wearing but having offer codes and links to Gynmshark cloththing
in the description of their YouTube videos. Often influencers will say in their videos
‘don’t forget to use code Louis to get 20% of Gymshark clothing’.
This is encouraging their audience to take action and purchase the products that their favourite
influencers are wearing at a discounted price. Such an example from Gymshark is a version
of how AIDA is used by businesses to bring people from simply being aware of your brand
right through to purchasing your product or service.
Although AIDA is a well-established marketing model, it is still
very much used today and if executed well, can boost sales for the business.
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