Consumer Adoption Process In Marketing 1c2v

CONSUMER ADOPTION PROCESS : Adoption is an individual’s decision to become a regular of a product. Sequence of events beginning with consumer awareness of a new product leading to trial usage and culminating in full and regular use of the new product. Over time the adoption process resembles a bell curve formed by innovators, early adopters, the majority of consumers, late adopters, and laggards. An innovation is any good, service, or idea that is perceived by someone as new. The idea may have a long history, but it is an innovation to the person who sees it as new. Innovations take time to spread through the social system. Rogers defines the innovation diffusion process as “the spread of a new idea from its source of invention or creation to its ultimate s or adopters.” The consumer-adoption process focuses on the mental process through which an individual es from first hearing about an innovation to final adoption. Adopters of new products have been observed to move through five stages: 1. Awareness -The consumer becomes aware of the innovation but lacks information about it. 2. Interest-The consumer is stimulated to seek information about the innovation. 3. Evaluation -The consumer considers whether to try the innovation. 4. Trial-The consumer tries the innovation to improve his or her estimate of its value. 5. Adoption -The consumer decides to make full and regular use of the innovation. The new-product marketer should facilitate movement through these stages. A portable electric dishwasher manufacturer might discover that many consumers are stuck in the interest stage; they do not buy because of their uncertainty and the large investment cost. But these same consumers would be willing to use an electric dishwasher on a trial basis for a small monthly fee.The manufacturer should consider offering a trial-use plan with option to buy. PERSONAL INFLUENCE PLAY A KEY ROLE In case of some of the products, depending to which category they belong to , personal influence and selling is very important. Demonstrations, experimentation, and even free use is given to influence the change in product or its innovation. Cosmetic items, food items and items in use of household are subject to personal selling. CHARACTERISTICS OF THE INNOVATION AFFECTS THE RATE OF ADOPTION Some products are quick in innovation, such as fashion items or the ones that bring a direct change in our status etc. Some product take long to adoption. Such as technical products or automobiles etc. The following things are considered 1 Relative advantage 2 Compatibility 3 Complexity

4 Divisibility Other things, which influence adoption, are: social acceptability, scientific acceptability, cost and certainty Diffusion of Innovations is a theory that seeks to explain how, why, and at what rate new ideas and technology spread through cultures. Everett Rogers, a professor of communication studies, popularized the theory in his book Diffusion of Innovations; the book was first published in 1962, and is now in its fifth edition (2003).[1] The book says that diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the of a social system. The origins of the diffusion of innovations theory are varied and span multiple disciplines. The book espouses the theory that there are four main elements that influence the spread of a new idea: the innovation, communication channels, time, and a social system. This process relies heavily on human capital. The innovation must be widely adopted in order to self-sustain. Within the rate of adoption, there is a point at which an innovation reaches critical mass. The categories of adopters are: innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards (Rogers 1962, p. 150). Diffusion of Innovations manifests itself in different ways in various cultures and fields and is highly subject to the type of adopters and innovation-decision process. Adopter category Innovators Innovators are the first individuals to adopt an innovation. Innovators are willing to take risks, youngest in age, have the highest social class, have great financial liquidity, are very social and have closest to scientific sources and interaction with other innovators. Risk tolerance has them adopting technologies which may ultimately fail. Financial resources help absorb these failures. (Rogers 1962 5th ed, p. 282) Early adopters This is the second fastest category of individuals who adopt an innovation. These individuals have the highest degree of opinion leadership among the other adopter categories. Early adopters are typically younger in age, have a higher social status, have more financial liquidity, advanced education, and are more socially forward than late adopters. More discrete in adoption choices than innovators. Realize judicious choice of adoption will help them maintain central communication position (Rogers 1962 5th ed, p. 283). Early Majority Individuals in this category adopt an innovation after a varying degree of time. This time of adoption is significantly longer than the innovators and early adopters. Early Majority tend to be slower in the adoption process, have above average social status, with early adopters, and seldom hold positions of opinion leadership in a system (Rogers 1962 5th ed, p. 283) Late Majority Individuals in this category will adopt an innovation after the average member of the society. These individuals approach an innovation with a high degree of skepticism and after the majority of society has adopted the innovation. Late Majority are typically skeptical about an innovation, have below average social status, very little financial liquidity, in with others in late majority and early majority, very little opinion leadership. Laggards Individuals in this category are the last to adopt an innovation. Unlike some of the previous categories, individuals in this category show little to no opinion leadership. These individuals typically have an aversion to change-agents and tend to be advanced in age. Laggards typically tend to be focused on "traditions", likely to have lowest social status, lowest financial liquidity, be oldest of all other adopters, in with only family and close friends.