We live in a world of distraction with so many things in our environment actively seeking our attention. Product marketings in a consumer-driven society like the US are especially aware that marketing, catching and keeping an audience’s attention is harder than ever. The AIDA framework (Awareness, Interest, Desire, Action) remains one of the most durable and practical marketing frameworks for structuring messaging that moves an audience from discovering your brand/product towards your goal such as a purchase, brand engagement or product usage. I think project managers benefit from understanding these marketing frameworks especially if their projects and teams touch on product development and/or marketing. This blog post gives a general overview of the AIDA framework.
What is AIDA?
AIDA is a sequential model that describes the cognitive stages a consumer goes through before making a purchase or other action-oriented decision:
Awareness – Make the audience aware of your brand or product.
Interest – Engage them with relevant information or emotional appeal.
Desire – Strengthen the feeling that they want what you're offering.
Action – Steer them to take a specific, trackable next step (buy, sign up, click).
Each stage has specific psychological triggers and tactical approaches as highlighted below
1. Awareness: Grabbing attention in a world full of distraction
Goal: Capture attention.
This is the entry point. No one can buy from you if they do not know you exist. In a world oversaturated with content, attention is the currency and attention spans are short.
Tactics:
Eye-catching headlines and visuals
Bold opening statements in copy
Targeted social ads
Influencer partnerships
SEO/SEM visibility for websites
Guerilla or ambient marketing in physical spaces
Example: A YouTube pre-roll ad that opens with, “Stop wasting money on skincare that doesn’t work.”
2. Interest: Turning Awareness into Engagement
Goal: Maintain attention by building relevance and curiosity.
Now that you have their attention, you need to give them a reason to stay interested in your product or brand. This is where you educate or emotionally connect. The focus shifts to the consumer’s needs and pain points.
Tactics:
Storytelling that mirrors user problems
Informative blog content
Video explainers
Engaging product demos
Personalization (email, content feeds, dynamic landing pages)
Psychology: This stage aligns with System 1 and System 2 thinking (highly recommend reading Daniel Kahneman's book Thinking, Fast and Slow on this topic) start with an emotional hook (System 1) then reinforce it with logic (System 2).
Example: A skincare brand showcases before-and-after photos (visually captivating for emotional appeal to beauty enhancement), then explains the science behind its formulation (appeals to logic and reason to believe).
3. Desire: Moving from “I Like It” to “I Want It”
Goal: Create emotional and rational conviction.
Interest alone doesn’t convert a potential user or customer to action. Desire is about moving beyond, “this is interesting” to “this solves my problem” or “this is what I need” Your building preference and attachment.
Tactics:
Social proof (reviews, testimonials, endorsements)
Scarcity and urgency (limited-time offers, countdown timers)
Benefit-driven copy (not just features)
Comparisons that position you as the better option
Example: “9 out of 10 dermatologists recommend this skin care product for oily skin types — and we only have 100 kits left in stock.”
4. Action: Make It Easy to take the action you are hoping for
Goal: Drive a specific, measurable outcome.
You’ve built desire. Now, minimize all friction by making it as easy as possible for the potential user to take the action step. Make the next step obvious and urgent. This is where clarity, simplicity, and a strong CTA (Call to Action) matter most.
Tactics:
Direct CTAs (“Buy Now,” “Get Your Free Trial”, "One-click")
Simplified checkout or sign-up processes
Guarantees or risk-reversals (free returns, money-back)
Mobile optimization
Exit-intent popups with offers
Example: A clean product page with “Buy Now” as the only CTA, paired with “30-day money-back guarantee” messaging and Apple Pay one-click purchase.
Applying AIDA Across Media Channels
The AIDA model can be applied to a single ad, a full-page sales letter, or a multi-stage marketing funnel. Here is an example of how it can map across channels:
| Channel | Awareness | Interest | Desire | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Facebook Ads | Visual + headline | Body copy with benefits | Social proof + scarcity | CTA button |
| Email Campaign | Subject line | Hook & value prop | Reviews/testimonials | Click-through link |
| Landing Page | Hero image + headline | Problem-agitate-solution | Offer comparison | Sign-up/buy CTA |
| In-store signage | Large visuals | Product info | In-store promos | Purchase zone |
NOTE: AIDA is simple to understand, but not easy to master
The AIDA model is a strategic marketing scaffold that clarifies thinking about how to move a potential user or customer from passive observer to active customer. Its power lies in it's sequencing because jumping from awareness to “buy now” before building interest or desire almost always fails.
In marketing, AIDA also serves as a diagnostic tool when a campaign is underperforming:
Did we capture attention?
Did we nurture interest?
Did we create genuine desire?
Did we make it easy to act?
If the answer to any of these is no, the fix is usually within the AIDA flow.
TL;DR
AIDA = Attention → Interest → Desire → Action.
It’s a behavioral funnel that mirrors how real people make decisions. Marketers use it to build better campaigns, test smarter, and convert more. Project managers, particularly those working on teams building or marketing products, should understand this framework.
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