BASICS OF ADVERTISING
CHAPTER: 2
Models of Advertising
Introductions
There were many models of advertising, some of them inspired and taken from the
communication models to fit in the advertising scenario. Since advertising in a form of
communication, many basic communication and mass communication models fit in the
advertising aspect. In said models, the sender of message is advertiser or the advertising
company, while the receiver is the given target audience. The medium of the message
varies through different mass media.
In this chapter, the models covered are the AIDA model, the DAGMAR model, and
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) Model
Marketing communication especially advertising is meant for a group of users of products
called the target audience. After identifying the target audience we must determine the
response desire. The ultimate response desire is of course the buying of the product or
service. We must know the decision making process that leads the target audience from its
present position to a higher state of readiness to buy. The effectiveness of advertising
depends upon to what extent the advertising message is received and accepted by the target
audience. The research has identified that advertising is to be effective has to attract attention,
secure interest, build desire for the product and finally obtain action.
All advertising, obviously do not succeed on these counts. This is one sole reason behind the
great divergence between the no. of people exposed to the advertising and those who
ultimately purchased the product. Advertising would be effective only if the media audience
accepts the message and is motivate to take the required action.
ATTRACTING ATTENTION: The layout is the most important factor that directs
attention to advertising. Typography and colours used in the layout can attract us. The size of
the advertisement also compel us to get attracted to it, contrast by white space is a good
attention getter. Movement is a vital element of getting attention; it can be physical or
emotional. The position of the advertisement also adds to its attention value. Celebrities in the
advertisement, dramatization, models selection, illustration etc. all these contribute to attract
attention.
AROUSING INTEREST: Ad seen does not mean Ad read. Mostly people see Ads but so
not read them. Only attractive illustrations can arouse interest in the readers. The copy of the
Ad must satisfy maximum number of people and so he has to search for a common
, denominator of interest. The interest stage and the desire stage are the affective stage which
affect the attitudes and bring about an intention to buy.
BUILDING DESIRE: The basic purpose of Advertising is to create a desire for the product
or service being advertised. Appeals are used for the motivation of people. Buying motives,
physiological as well as psychological make people purchase the products. The advertisement
copy must kindle these motives. There are certain barriers or reservations in the minds of the
customers. We must overcome them. We have to convince by giving evidence, testimonials,
endorsements, facts and figures. On arousal, people become prone to but the product.
OBTAINING ACTION: The logical end of the desire aroused is to buy the products:
1. Products are associated with the company.
2. The message is repeated.
3. Certain immediate action appeals are used.
The attention stage is a cognitive stage. In this stage the target audience is exposed to the
message which, when received by them causes a cognitive response awareness. The interest
and desire stage are the effective stages which affect the attitude and bring about an intention
to buy. The final action stage is the behaviour stage. In practice all the ad copies do not lead
the consumer through awareness to purchase. AIDA Model suggests only the desirable
qualities in an advertising copy as a communication tool.
DAGMAR (Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results)
Model
DAGMAR (Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results) is much more
than a model for designing an advert, it is used to monitor and evaluate promotion
campaigns. There are three parts to the DAGMAR advertising model.
STEP ONE: DEFINING ADVERTISING GOALS
It is important to understand that DAGMAR is aimed at setting advertising goals and not
more general marketing goals. Elements of a good advertising goal include being a written,
measurable task involving a starting point, a defined audience, and a time limit. To measure
the effectiveness of advertising a business, one must know the current state before advertising
starts and then the new state after the campaign has finished. This means surveying the target
audience to measure current awareness, comprehension and conviction. This helps to
establish realistic goals for the campaign.
STEP TWO: AWARENESS COMPREHENSION CONVICTION AND ACTION
The second part of the DAGMAR model attempts to explain the process customers go
through before they buy a product. The process is as follows:
1. The first step in advertising is to raise awareness of the product. If customers do not
know the product exists then they will not buy it. To ensure that an advertising
CHAPTER: 2
Models of Advertising
Introductions
There were many models of advertising, some of them inspired and taken from the
communication models to fit in the advertising scenario. Since advertising in a form of
communication, many basic communication and mass communication models fit in the
advertising aspect. In said models, the sender of message is advertiser or the advertising
company, while the receiver is the given target audience. The medium of the message
varies through different mass media.
In this chapter, the models covered are the AIDA model, the DAGMAR model, and
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs.
AIDA (Attention, Interest, Desire and Action) Model
Marketing communication especially advertising is meant for a group of users of products
called the target audience. After identifying the target audience we must determine the
response desire. The ultimate response desire is of course the buying of the product or
service. We must know the decision making process that leads the target audience from its
present position to a higher state of readiness to buy. The effectiveness of advertising
depends upon to what extent the advertising message is received and accepted by the target
audience. The research has identified that advertising is to be effective has to attract attention,
secure interest, build desire for the product and finally obtain action.
All advertising, obviously do not succeed on these counts. This is one sole reason behind the
great divergence between the no. of people exposed to the advertising and those who
ultimately purchased the product. Advertising would be effective only if the media audience
accepts the message and is motivate to take the required action.
ATTRACTING ATTENTION: The layout is the most important factor that directs
attention to advertising. Typography and colours used in the layout can attract us. The size of
the advertisement also compel us to get attracted to it, contrast by white space is a good
attention getter. Movement is a vital element of getting attention; it can be physical or
emotional. The position of the advertisement also adds to its attention value. Celebrities in the
advertisement, dramatization, models selection, illustration etc. all these contribute to attract
attention.
AROUSING INTEREST: Ad seen does not mean Ad read. Mostly people see Ads but so
not read them. Only attractive illustrations can arouse interest in the readers. The copy of the
Ad must satisfy maximum number of people and so he has to search for a common
, denominator of interest. The interest stage and the desire stage are the affective stage which
affect the attitudes and bring about an intention to buy.
BUILDING DESIRE: The basic purpose of Advertising is to create a desire for the product
or service being advertised. Appeals are used for the motivation of people. Buying motives,
physiological as well as psychological make people purchase the products. The advertisement
copy must kindle these motives. There are certain barriers or reservations in the minds of the
customers. We must overcome them. We have to convince by giving evidence, testimonials,
endorsements, facts and figures. On arousal, people become prone to but the product.
OBTAINING ACTION: The logical end of the desire aroused is to buy the products:
1. Products are associated with the company.
2. The message is repeated.
3. Certain immediate action appeals are used.
The attention stage is a cognitive stage. In this stage the target audience is exposed to the
message which, when received by them causes a cognitive response awareness. The interest
and desire stage are the effective stages which affect the attitude and bring about an intention
to buy. The final action stage is the behaviour stage. In practice all the ad copies do not lead
the consumer through awareness to purchase. AIDA Model suggests only the desirable
qualities in an advertising copy as a communication tool.
DAGMAR (Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results)
Model
DAGMAR (Defining Advertising Goals for Measured Advertising Results) is much more
than a model for designing an advert, it is used to monitor and evaluate promotion
campaigns. There are three parts to the DAGMAR advertising model.
STEP ONE: DEFINING ADVERTISING GOALS
It is important to understand that DAGMAR is aimed at setting advertising goals and not
more general marketing goals. Elements of a good advertising goal include being a written,
measurable task involving a starting point, a defined audience, and a time limit. To measure
the effectiveness of advertising a business, one must know the current state before advertising
starts and then the new state after the campaign has finished. This means surveying the target
audience to measure current awareness, comprehension and conviction. This helps to
establish realistic goals for the campaign.
STEP TWO: AWARENESS COMPREHENSION CONVICTION AND ACTION
The second part of the DAGMAR model attempts to explain the process customers go
through before they buy a product. The process is as follows:
1. The first step in advertising is to raise awareness of the product. If customers do not
know the product exists then they will not buy it. To ensure that an advertising
