Advertising works in an environment
with many other distracting stimuli. In order to ensure that a product has
impact, the manager who deals with advertising must have a sense of how
consumers process information, make decisions and evaluate alternatives.[i]
It’s been long established that a
consumer’s decision about a product service or idea is not instantaneous act; he
goes through a series of mental and physical evaluations before the final
purchasing decision.
In 1962 Everette Rogers in his work
diffusion of innovations propounded in his work “Diffusion of Innovations” a
model which was later developed by Krugman in 1977 and became known as the
AIETA model. This article discuses the AIETA model as presented by Rogers in
his book Diffusion of innovations.
In his work Everette defined the
innovation diffusion process as the process
through which an individual (or a decision making unit) passes from first knowledge
of an innovation to a decision to adopt or reject, to implementation of a new
idea, and to confirmation of this decision. He discusses five stages the
individual goes through before adopting an innovation. These conceptualized five
stages are:
Knowledge- this stage occurs when an
individual is exposed to the innovations existence, and gains some knowledge on
how it functions. As to whether an individual may actually have need for the
product, Rogers describes it as a “chicken or egg situation” i.e. While some needs may precede innovations such
as the cure to a deadly disease, in many cases innovations create the need e.g.
fashion.
Persuasion – Rogers’ definition of persuasion
stems from the “attitude formation and change on the part of an individual”
rather than the normal meaning: intent to induce attitude change. Here from his
own accord, the consumer develops favorable or unfavorable attitudes towards
the innovation.
Decision- this is the stage where an
individual engages in activities that to a choice to accept or reject the
innovation. Rogers discusses the events that lead to this process as trial by
the of the innovation by the individual on a partial basis, or reliance on a on
peer/opinion leaders testimony of the innovation.
Implementation- where an individual
decides to put the innovation to use. According to Rogers until this stage ,
the innovation diffusion exercise has been a mental exercise, this stage
involves a behavioral change. The individual adjusts to making the innovation a
part of him. When this happens successfully, then reaches the last and final
stage of the innovation diffusion process:
Confirmation- here the individual seeks
constant reinforcements for the decision already made. This process continues
for an indefinite period of time, if he receives messages confirming the
decision already made, Rogers calls it continues adoption. However, should he receive
conflicting messages of the innovation he may reject it, and this is what
Rogers terms discontinuance.
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The diffusion of innovations model by Everette Rogers |
[i] Advertising,
Michael Rothschild 1987
Diffusion of Innovations, Everette Rogers 1962