What are the 5 stages of adoption process

A well-known strategy that may assist you to turn potential leads into paying customers is known as the product or marketing adoption process, and in this article, we are going to take a comprehensive look at what it entails.

What is the marketing adoption process?

Like the famous AIDA model and other similar concepts, the marketing adoption process is based around the idea that consumers go through several key stages on their way to ultimately choosing to buy a product or service.

Whether we realize it or not, it is widely accepted that as consumers, we look at things from several different angles before deciding whether a purchase is right for us. It is believed that businesses can benefit from recognizing this, primarily as they can create marketing and promotions which are targeted at guiding individuals through the consumer adoption process, facilitating it and thus making it more likely that the purchase will be completed. 

Simple to set up. Easy to use. Powerful integtations.

What are the key stages of the marketing adoption process?

As sources including BusinessDictionary.com explain, it is widely regarded that there are five different product adoption stages that consumers go through before ultimately choosing to proceed with a purchase. These are:

  • Awareness
  • Interest
  • Evaluation
  • Trial 
  • Adoption

Now, we will take a look at each in turn to explain just why they could affect the marketing efforts of your business.

1. Awareness

This is simply the step where consumers discover that a product or service exists and is being offered by your business or organization.

2. Interest

Once people know about your offering, they may then look to gather more information on it and develop their interest further.

3. Evaluation

Next up, consumers will take all of the detail they have acquired and make a judgment on whether the product or service suits them. 

4. Trial

This is where consumers may then seek to sample a product or service in order to get a feel for whether it is suitable. The trial might come in the form of a literal free trial or it may simply involve the first purchase of the product in question.

5. Adoption

Adoption is arguably the most critical of the product adoption stages. This is when a consumer chooses to “adopt” or stick with a product or service, while alternatively they may simply reject it and look elsewhere

How does the marketing adoption process relate to sales?

Having an understanding of the marketing or consumer adoption process could prove invaluable as you look to develop and design campaigns for reaching out to potential clients.

Each of the stages detailed above may prove to be key touchpoints to your strategy and you could base your marketing and sales activity around satisfying each element. 

For example, the following steps would correspond to each product adoption stage:

  • Hook clients in with an eye-catching ad
  • Provide a link to a website for them to get more information
  • Display detail which compares what you offer to other brands
  • Offer a trial period or a product in sample format
  • Finally, encourage clients to take on your service/product

Examples of this approach can be found across the business world, but it is fun to consider how the model emerges when a major new video game launches. 

For instance, with EA’s upcoming FIFA 21 game, a trailer was launched to raise awareness of it and was then followed by an official website featuring more information. The detail on the latter might prove important as people go through the evaluation process, while a demo may well follow after that. Finally, it will be up to players to then decide whether it is a title they intend to buy

Adopt a new outlook

The marketing adoption process is a fairly straightforward five-stage concept that could make a genuine difference in how businesses think about their promotions.

Hopefully, the information above has given you an idea about how your own organization could benefit from embracing such a strategy.

Liked reading this article? spread the word

Product adoption is the process by which consumers accept the new products and purchase it. Once a consumer buy and use a product, then the product has been adopted. The product adoption process is typically broken down into the following five stages: awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption.

The product adoption process are involves much more than getting a new customer to purchase your product, but the product adoption also involves to an existing customer satisfaction and help existing customers realize new features of an existing product.

The marketers who understand consumer behaviour in adopting new products, how their new products are will be adopted, and how their product spread across the markets will have a better chance of successfully release a new product to the market.

Key Points

  • Product adoption is the process of users aware of a new product, understanding its, purchase and become your customer.
  • The product adoption process include the following 5 stages: awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption.
  • The maketers who understand consumer behaviour in adopting new products will have a higher chance to successfully release a new product to the market.

What is Product Adoption Process

The new product adoption process is usually broken down into the following five stages no matter what kind of product it is: awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption.

What are the 5 stages of adoption process
5 stages of new product adoption process in marketing.

Awareness

In the first stage of the new product adoption process, the potential consumer has been exposed to the product and knows that it is available on the market. In this stage, they don’t know enough about the product yet (or don’t even know your product exists). So, the company needs to create brand awareness and inform them about how this product solves their problem.

To get people to know your product you can drive awareness of your product by using any of the promotion mix such as content marketing, email marketing, online ads, influencer review, or any marketing campaigns that’s fit to the product.

Interest

Interest occurs when the potential customer gets attracted to your product and he or she begins to learn about your products or services. In this stage, the potential customer will do research on the product and substitute product. It’s necessary for the company to make your product’s detail easy to found.

Having online information about the product like blog posts, infographics, videos, tutorials, and product landing pages are very helpful to your brand.

Evaluation

In the third stage, the potential customer will highly analyze your product compared to your competitors and whether to try it out. This stage of the new product adoption process is where the potential customer decides which product best satisfies his or her needs and wants.

Thus, the company should focus on communicating about how the product is different or better from the existing products in the market.

Trial

In the trial stage the potential customer tests or uses the product to try out if it meet requirements. This stage is the most critical stage of the product adoption process, if the customer determine your product has the value as they expect, they will adopt and stick with your product. If not, they will simply reject it and look at alternative products.

Trials include things like test driving a car, borrowing from friend, signing up to Netflix trial period, money-back guarantee, or initial reduced cost.

Adoption

In the final stage of the product adoption process, the consumer buys and uses the product.

If the trial stage is successful and the potential customer determined your product has the value they want, then they will adopt and purchase, invest, or subscribe and stick with your product. If not, they will reject it and look for other products.

Types of Adopters

Types of adopters in marketing is a different type of product adopters at different times in a product lifecycle stages, depending on the type of adopter which is categorized by how fast the consumer adopt a new product.

Since a consumer buys and uses a new product at different times although it is the same “new product”, the marketer categorized a group of consumers that adopt a product at various times into five categories: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards.

  • Innovators (about 2.5% of the market) is a consumer that adopts a product or service immediately after the new product launched.
  • Early adopters (about 13.5% of the market) is a people who buy and use a new product soon after it has been it has been launched, but not as fast as innovators.
  • Early majority (about 34% of the market) is a type of adopter who gathers more informaton to make a purchase than innovations and early adopters.
  • Late majority (about 34% of the market) is type of consumer who relies on others for information, this type of adopter tend to buy a new product because others have already done so.
  • Laggards (about 16% of the market) is a type of adopter that does not like change and they tend to stick with a comfortable product until it is no longer available (or if it necessary).
What are the 5 stages of adoption process
Types of consumers in the new product adoption process

Innovators

Innovators are those who adopt a product almost immediately after the new product is launched. They are the first group of customers who try out your new product. However, they have a small percentage, but they are important for the new product because they share information about the new product with others remaining types of adopters.

Normally, the innovators tend to be very knowledgeable of this product, have an upper income than average, and have confidence.

Early Adopters

The early adopters are type of adopter who buy and use a new product soon after it has been introduced, but not as fast as the innovators. This is because they are concerned about the product’s reputation and something like issues, so they wait until see some initial results before buy it. Compared with the innovators who don’t care much about the new product’s reputation.

Early adopters typically help marketeers spread the reviews to help the other remaining group of consumers.

Early Majority

The early majority is careful in their approach, they wait until the innovators and early adopters tried out the new product and give some reviews. The early majority only adopts a new product once they are comfortable with it.

Normally, when the time that the early majority purchase your new product, more competitors have entered your market. Luckily, the early majority love to stick with a comfortable product for a long time.

Late Majority

The late majority is a group of customers who are cautious about new things and rely on other information when buying something. They tend to buy a product or service because their friends around him or her have already bought it.

Normally, the late majority have average income and have average knowledge about the new product. Additionally, this group of customers is intolerant to the issues of a product.

Laggards

Laggards is the last type of adopter, they are conservative and don’t like change and tend to stick with a comfortable product until it is no longer available (or if it is necessary).

Opposite to the innovators, they are typically older and have less knowledge about the new product.

FAQs about the Product Adoption Process

What is product adoption in marketing?

Product adoption is the process of users aware of a new product, understanding its, purchase and become your customer.

What is the product adoption process?

The product adoption process include the following 5 stages: awareness, interest, evaluation, trial, and adoption.

What are the types of adopters in marketing?

Types of adopters in marketing is a different types of product adopters at different times in a product lifecycle stages, categorized by how fast they adopt a new product.