The Stages of Awareness

Product marketing managers are often asked to create or increase the awareness of a product in the market. The belief is that awareness equates to leads.

Buyers are complex beings and go through stages of awareness as I’ve outlined below. An awareness of these stages (pun intended) helps to understand why the trade show you did last month didn’t result in a gazillion leads.

No Recognition

The buyer has no idea that your company or product is an answer to their problems. You are wearing the Cloak of Invisibility.

Aided Recognition

Provided with clues, buyers can recall your company or product, and that it might be an answer to their problems. You still have work to do.

Unaided Recognition

Buyers recognize your company or product without help. They understand it’s an answer to a problem they are experiencing. The door is open to dialog.

Preference

Given multiple choices of vendors/products, buyers will prefer to buy your product as an answer to their problems. You are the ‘go to’ vendor. Congratulations.

Loyalty

Buyers will consistently choose your company or product over others, even when they have had a less than ideal experience. This is nirvana.

Rejection

Rejection is the opposite of Loyalty. Buyers will go out of their way to avoid your product. For whatever reason, real or otherwise, they think your product sucks. You need to fix this perception.