Stages in the Adoption procedure

Consumers go through five stages in the procedure of adopting a new product:

• Awareness: Consumer becomes alert of the new product, but lacks information regarding it.
• Interest: The consumer seeks information regarding the new product.
• Evaluation: The consumer considers whether attempting the new product makes sense.
• Trial: The consumer tries new product on a small scale to get better his or her estimate of its value.
• Adoption: The consumer decides to make complete and regular use of new product.

This model suggests that new-product marketer should think regarding how to help consumers move through these stages. Manufacturer of large-screen televisions can discover that various consumers in the interest stage do not move to trial stage because of uncertainty and the big investment. If these similar consumers were willing to use a large-screen television on a trial basis for small fee, the manufacturer would consider offering a trial-use plan having an option to buy.