THE AIETA MODEL AS PRESENTED BY EVERETTE ROGERS IN HIS WORK DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS

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