Traditionally, the the process that the consumer would complete in their head went from step to step starting with awareness and ending with brand advocacy. However, with all the conveniences of a modern day society like the availability of the internet as a shopping hub, consumers no longer have to start at one particular stage over another in order to purchase a product.
For example, over this past summer I was browsing the internet looking for a new TV for my dorm room. After checking a few sites, I finally found a brand I've never heard of for a really low price. Being a college student, I am naturally broke, so having a low price is an important quality to me, so I decide to purchase this no-name brand. This puts my involvement stage, active consideration stage, and purchase stage all before my awareness stage because I had never heard of the brand. Being a naive college student, I didn't even think to look into the brand to see if they are a reputable company. Naturally, the TV was poor quality, my parents got mad at me, I returned it and thus ended the brief relationship stage I had with this company, which means the odds of me becoming a brand advocate for this company are slim to none.
As a marketer, you cannot always assume people will follow the traditional model properly. In order to combat this, marketers need to be proactive in the way they engage their consumers. You may think you have a big idea that is going to make your company millions, but if it is not made readily available for all consumers to access in their own methods, you may find yourself unsuccessful. Customers buy products for various different reasons including emotional attachment, functionality, and even price. If your brand media strategy does not adhere to your target market's motivation for purchase, they will not be your customers for much longer!
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