The consumer adoption process describes the steps of a consumer’s purchasing behavior.
Adoption Process. It starts from first finding out about the product or service and hopefully ending at that person making an actual purchase.
Consumer go through five stages in the process of adopting new product.
Awareness : The consumer becomes aware of the product but lacks information about it.
Interest : The consumer seeks information about the new product.
Evaluation : Consumer consider whether trying the new product makes sense.
Trial : The consumer tries the new product on a small scale to improve his or her estimate of its value.
Adoption : Consumer decides to makes full and regular use of the new product.
Internalization: The product becomes internalized and an integral part of the consumer’s life. *Technology – consumers must be willing to learn complex devices/software, etc. for product to be a success. i.e. learning to use computers.
This model suggests that the new products marketer should think about how to help consumer move through these stages. The most difficult stage that last one because this stage will ensure repeat consumers and loyalty. These consumers interrelate with your brand and representation.
The concept of diffusion of innovations is different in that it relates to the processes the innovation goes through. It travels through channels over time among a population.
Innovators are the first to adopt and display behaviour that demonstrates that they likely to want to be ahead, and to be the first to own new products, well before the average consumer. They are often not taken seriously by their peers. The often buy products that do not make it through the early stages of the Product Life Cycle (PLC).
Early adoptors are also quick to buy new products and services, and so are key opinion leaders with their neighbours and friends as they tend to be amongst the first to get hold of items or services.
The early majority look to the innovators and early majority to see if a new product or idea works and begins to stand the test of time. They stand back and watch the experiences of others. Then there is a surge of mass purchases.
The late majority tends to purchase the product later than the average person. They are slower to catch on to the popularity of new products, services, ideas, or solutions. There is still mass consumption, but it begins to end.
Finally, laggards tend to very late to take on board new products and include those that never actually adopt at all. Here there is little to be made from these consumers.
There are a number of examples of products that have gone through the adoption process. They include Ipods or DVD players (or even video players and digital watches). Initially only a small group of younger or informed, well off people bought into these products. Opinion leaders, or the early adoptors then buy the product and tend to be a target for marketing companies wishing to gain an early foot hold. The early majority are slightly ahead of the average, and follow. Then the late majority buy into the product, followed by any laggards. New adoption process or curves begin all the time. Who knows what will happen with solid state technology or Internet purchases of media?
Pervasive computing is the notion that an individual is connected to a multitude of technology connected to the environment. It is trend that we are now hitting the “wireless” age. These devices are in our cars, cell phones, ipods, etc. – interconnected networks. This is the future of our environment and technological advances. It changes everything. For example Speedpass by Exon Mobil – ease and speed of payment. We have EZ-Pass in NYC. Did you know we have wireless parking meters in Las Vegas? No more coins are needed, use your cell phone. Soon we will have micro chips embedded in our skin and currency will be history.
The strategic drivers of wireless technology:
Context – giving customers the information they need when and where they want. Customers have upper hand not marketers.
Localization – The location of the user can be known and specific information will also be found wherever you travel.
Personalization – Consumer can choose type and frequency of information. i.e. stocks and prices.
Time Sensitive: Info must be given to customer’s timeframe, not marketer. Ie. Giving a person a coupon to use for future use.
One-click payment mechanisms – credit cards can be scary to store online…ie. Amazon one click paymt. More secure and encrypted.
Voice activation – solution to many situations ie. Car headsets, GPS, alarm systems.