5 Stages of Consumer Adoption Process

Companies put a lot of effort into developing a product, but in order to survive and thrive in the market, businesses must also develop a procedure that successfully guides consumers through the stages of consumer adoption.

Consumer Adoption Process

Consumer Adoption Process is a process by which new product is adopted or accepted by target market.

Adoption is defined as “the decision by an individual to become a regular user of the product,” with the adoption process being “the mental process via which an individual passes from first learning about an innovation to final adoption.”

Through this process consumers will decide whether to reject or adopt the new product offering. The product is rejected if it doesn’t meet consumer’s demand.

5 Stages of Consumer Adoption Process

Five stages of product adoption are experienced by consumers:

1- Product Awareness: The consumer becomes aware of the new product but lacks information about it.

2- Product Interest: Consumers are looking for information on new products.

3- Product Evaluation: The consumer considers whether trying the new product makes sense.

4- Product Trail: To increase his or her perception of the product’s worth, the consumer tests the new item on a small scale.

5- Product Adoption / Rejection: The customer decides to use the new product completely and frequently or reject it .

1- Product Awareness

Companies make people aware of their product. They don’t reveal the whole story but they convince people that their product is worth watching.

The first stage of the consumer adoption process involves releasing a product onto the market and raising awareness for it. Businesses make significant investments in developing a channel for educating customers and consumers. Building brand or product awareness is crucial for the overall success of the company.

The company’s continued existence is ensured by making customers aware of the product’s existence. The businesses employ a variety of marketing strategies and tools, including teasers, videos, banners, and images. In this stage of product marketing, businesses engage customers in a variety of interesting  ways. More customers can be drawn in by giving the newly launched product a powerful, attractive presence.

Although the new product is made known to the consumer, they are not well-informed. The new product must first be made known to the consumer. The customer requests information about the new product after becoming interested as a result of awareness.

People are first unaware of innovations, whether they are continuous or not, or they are just slightly aware of them.
Therefore, the innovator must tell the adopters of the innovation. In the awareness stage, people become aware that the product exists, but they know very little about it and are not bothered with learning more. Through publicity, advertising, or any other marketing strategy, adopters may be informed.

Social media can be used for product awareness.

Example: TV commercials, Movie Teasers

For instance, movie teasers are made to alert viewers and buyers that a film is about to be released, but they don’t give them detailed information about the film.

Tesla’s Model D is yet another excellent illustration. Elon Musk posted the image below on his Twitter before the product was released in order to generate interest in it and raise awareness of its impending launch. Amazingly, this image has been carefully crafted to draw consumers’ attention to the goods without giving away too much about it. The viewer is left curious about what happens next.

2- Product Interest

In this stage of the adoption process, the consumer learns more about the product, the value it offers, its distinguishing characteristics, and the company that made it. For businesses, capturing and keeping the customer’s interest is crucial. This is why the marketers employ those promotional channels that the target market may simply access.

Organizations must help customers move past the interest stage by giving them access to clearly understandable information about their products. A website detailing the product, blog posts, tutorial or instructional videos, white papers, and other information sources that the potential customer can find and study are some of the techniques used in today’s business environment.

After creating buzz and curiosity the consumer will show interest by gathering information by reading its features.

• Learn more about the product

• Companies can make blogs tutorials video’s etc.

• Smartphone companies can provide information and insight of its latest product.

Example:

Apple uses the product launch to share details and insights about its newest offering. Apple successfully conveys information to a wide spectrum of clients using well-planned and ordered speech, scripted presentations, and a balanced blend of technical and non-technical vocabulary.

Apple increases the interest of their potential consumers and creates a strong momentum of interested purchasers thanks to the material being readily accessible in a variety of media and being understandable by both technical and non-technical people.

3- Product Evaluation

Consumers look for information about the brands and product possibilities that are offered in the marketplace. Consumers examine, compare, and assess products before making a purchase. When an item is more expensive, sophisticated and complex, or crucial, this behaviour becomes more intense and necessary.

Nowadays, searching online to find out about a new product on the market is fairly usual. To learn about and explore the products, the customer makes use of social media platforms, online retailers, and other media outlets. Before making selections about purchases, consumers consult recommendations, online reviews, and suggestions from online organizations.

Before purchasing consumer compare and evaluate the product.

• Search information online

• Read reviews, feedbacks about the product

• checks the pros and negatives of the product, the market’s alternatives, and the product’s worth during this phase.

• Evaluate benefits of a product whether its feature will be able to satisfy wants and needs

Utilizing marketing methods gives firms a platform from which to engage with current and potential customers and promote a product’s distinctive features.

Example:

A well-known website for comparing electronics and computers is PCMag. They are renowned for their accurate reporting, in-depth editorial evaluations, and classification of various devices according to their features.

For instance, to ensure fairness, PCMag classifies laptops differently (such as work laptops, ultra-notebooks,…etc) in order to offer a more logical assessment that suits the needs of the consumer. Consumers can evaluate products using PCMag to a considerable extent. Manufacturers of goods can get in touch with PCMag and ask to have their products included in the publication.

4- Product Trail

Before actually buying a product consumer will gonna purchase a little product or sample of a product or go for free sample that is available in the market.

The consumer uses the product for a trial period during this stage of the consumer adoption process. The consumer can get an understanding of the product and its advantages by using the actual product. The trial phase is the most crucial one because it determines whether the product will be accepted or rejected overall.

As part of the marketing strategy, the corporation may offer free samples and trial versions of its products. Free samples are crucial because they help set consumer expectations for the product.

Example:

The free samples offered by Costco are well known.  some customers can assemble a complete lunch just bouncing around  the free sample tables while they’re at a Costco location. This “free sample” strategy is quite clever. This tactic has increased sales of a product by over 1000 percent in some circumstances, according to Costco. This has further psychological implications, such as increased customer loyalty and reciprocity. Customers believe they should give something back if they obtain something for nothing.

5- Product Adoption / Rejection

Based on trail the consumer is going to accept or reject the product. The consumer is prepared to use the product, which indicates that he is prepared to really pay for it. The most crucial part of the process is the adoption phase since businesses require consumers to embrace and fully adopt their products. The business must guarantee that the product is readily available, of high quality, and simple for the consumer to use.

Conclusion

When a new product is adopted, the consumer initially learns about it but knows little else about it. The customer expresses interest in the new product and looks up information about it. The consumer evaluates if trying the new product is worthwhile in the third stage.

The consumer then makes a small-scale test purchase of the new item to let them decide how valuable it is. The consumer finally agrees to utilizes the new product fully and consistently.