What Are the AIDMA Model and AISAS Model? A Clear Explanation of the Differences and How to Use Them in Marketing

The AIDMA model and AISAS model are frameworks that systematize the consumer purchase decision process. By understanding the differences between these models and incorporating them into your marketing strategy, you can develop effective initiatives tailored to customer psychology and behavior.

In particular, comparing the two models is indispensable for grasping the changes in consumer behavior brought about by the spread of the internet and social media.

What Is the AIDMA Model? The 5 Stages of the Purchase Behavior Process Explained

The AIDMA model is one of the traditional consumer behavior models that divides the psychological process from a consumer becoming aware of a product to making a purchase into 5 stages.

Each letter of AIDMA represents the initial of each stage: Attention, Interest, Desire, Memory, and Action, and it was proposed primarily in an era when mass media advertising was central.

Attention: The Stage of Becoming Aware of a Product or Service

Attention is the “awareness” stage where a consumer first learns of the existence of a product or service. At this point, the consumer does not yet have any special knowledge or feelings about the product.

Companies need to first make their products known by delivering information to a wide audience. As concrete approaches, advertising through mass media such as television commercials, newspaper and magazine advertisements, and radio commercials, as well as transit advertising and outdoor signage, are effective.

These methods aim primarily to create opportunities for unspecified consumers to come into contact with the product and to increase awareness of the product and brand name.

First and foremost, “being known” is the first step in the purchase process.

Interest: The Stage of Developing Interest and Curiosity

Interest is the stage where a consumer develops a personal interest or curiosity about a product or service they have become aware of — thinking “this might be relevant to me” or “I’m a bit intrigued.”

Rather than simply knowing something exists, a personal interest in the product’s characteristics and the value it provides begins to emerge. At this stage, consumers begin to seek more detailed information.

Companies are required to implement initiatives that specifically communicate the appeal and benefits of the product and further capture the consumer’s interest.

For example, using attention-grabbing copy in advertising, or presenting detailed product information and usage scenarios on a website, is effective.

Responding to the consumer’s desire to “know more” is the key to progressing to the next step.

Desire: The Stage of Wanting the Product

Desire is the stage where interest and curiosity intensify and transform into a concrete desire to “want” the product.

Consumers imagine the future they will enjoy by owning or using the product, and their desire to purchase grows. At this stage, comparison with other companies’ products also becomes more frequent.

For companies, it is important to clearly appeal to advantages over competing products and the uniqueness that only their own products offer. Approaches such as introducing customer testimonials and implementation examples to increase credibility, or presenting limited-time campaigns and incentives to encourage purchase, are effective.

It is necessary to convert the consumer’s “I want it” feeling into conviction and powerfully motivate them to purchase.

Memory: The Stage of Keeping It in Mind

Memory is the stage where a consumer wants the product but, for some reason, does not proceed to purchase on the spot and instead keeps it in mind.

This applies, for example, when an item is expensive and a decision cannot be made immediately, or when the timing for purchase is not yet right. For consumers at this stage, continuous provision of information is indispensable to prevent them from forgetting. By repeatedly communicating the brand name and product characteristics, the aim is to entrench the product in memory.

Approaches such as re-engaging via retargeting advertisements and regularly providing information through email newsletters are effective.

This is an important process for ensuring that, when a consumer does consider making a purchase, they recall your company’s product as their first choice.

Action: The Stage of Moving to Purchase Behavior

Action is the stage where a consumer ultimately purchases the product.

The purchase desire heightened through the preceding processes comes to fruition as actual purchase behavior. Consumers visit a store or complete an order on an e-commerce site. To prevent consumers from dropping off at this final stage, companies are required to create an environment where purchasing is easy.

For example, in a store setting, an accessible location and courteous service are important; for an e-commerce site, a clear and intuitive purchase flow and a variety of payment options are key.

By lowering the barriers to purchase as much as possible and supporting consumers to smoothly complete the action, sales can be achieved.

What Is the AISAS Model? The Purchase Behavior Process of the Internet Age Explained

The AISAS model is a purchase behavior model that reflects the consumer behavior of the modern era in which the internet has become widespread.

Like the AIDMA model, it is composed of 5 processes, but its greatest distinguishing feature is the incorporation of behaviors unique to the internet age — consumers proactively “searching” for information themselves, and “sharing” their experience after purchase.

This model is indispensable for understanding modern marketing, in which information sharing between consumers has a major influence on purchase decisions.

Attention: The Stage of Noticing a Product or Service

Attention is the first stage where a consumer notices the existence of a product or service, and this is shared with the AIDMA model.

However, in today’s world where the internet has become widespread, the means of achieving this have diversified. In addition to traditional television commercials and magazine advertisements, online touchpoints are extremely important — including banner advertisements on websites, advertisements displayed in social media timelines, posts by influencers, and listing advertisements displayed in search engines.

Since consumers are exposed to an enormous amount of information every day, what is required is not merely sending out information, but devising ways to catch the target’s eye and attract their attention.

Companies need to identify the media and platforms used by their targets and approach them effectively.

Interest: The Stage of Becoming Interested

Interest is the stage where a consumer who has become aware of a product develops interest — thinking “that looks interesting” or “that seems relevant to me.” This point is also shared with the AIDMA model, but the triggers for developing interest have changed significantly.

Creative expressions in web advertising, attractive photos and videos seen on social media, or useful content provided on a company’s owned media captures consumers’ interest. Consumers click on information they find intriguing on the spot and seek to learn more.

For this reason, it becomes important for companies to take approaches that deepen consumer interest — such as designing a smooth pathway from advertisements to the website, or providing specialist information through content marketing.

Search: The Stage of Searching for Information on the Internet

Search is an important process that defines the AISAS model.

For products they are interested in, consumers proactively gather information using search engines such as Google and Yahoo!, and social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.

Specifically, rather than only checking specifications on the official product website, there is a strong tendency to place importance on third-party evaluations — such as reviews on review sites, individual blog articles, and comparison sites.

If information that consumers are seeking at this stage cannot be provided, or if there is a lot of negative information, the product may be eliminated from the list of purchase candidates. For this reason, it is indispensable for companies to aim for top rankings in search results through SEO measures, and to implement initiatives that increase positive reviews and UGC (user-generated content).

Action: The Stage of Purchasing the Product

Action is the stage where a consumer who has scrutinized information through searching and reached a satisfactory conclusion actually purchases the product. While the same as the action in the AIDMA model, in the modern era online purchases through e-commerce sites and smartphone apps are common in addition to purchases at physical stores.

Particularly for online purchases, factors such as the clarity of the purchase process, UI/UX, the variety of payment methods, and the trustworthiness of security have a significant influence on the consumer’s final decision.

If the input form is complicated or a desired payment method is unavailable, there is also the risk of “cart abandonment” — where the consumer drops off just before completing the purchase.

It is important for companies to provide an environment in which consumers can complete their purchase without stress.

Share: The Stage of Sharing Information via Social Media and Word of Mouth

Share is the behavior of sharing the experience and impressions after purchasing a product with others through social media, review sites, personal blogs, and similar channels.

This is another major characteristic of the AISAS model, and it creates a cycle where purchase behavior does not conclude as a standalone event but instead influences the “Attention,” “Interest,” and “Search” stages of the next consumer.

The sharing of positive evaluations becomes powerful advertising that attracts new customers, while negative evaluations can also become a factor that impedes purchases.

Companies are required to actively support the sharing of positive information (the creation of UGC) — for example, by running campaigns that encourage purchasers to post reviews, or by recommending hashtag posts on social media.

☆Also recommended reading 13 Frameworks Consultants Should Know! What Are the Benefits of Using Them? [Complete List]

The Decisive Difference Between AIDMA and AISAS Lies in 2 Consumer Behaviors

The decisive difference between AIDMA and AISAS lies in changes in consumer behavior against the backdrop of the spread of the internet.

Specifically, the AISAS model includes two behaviors: “Search” — proactively gathering information in the process of considering a purchase — and “Share” — sharing the experience with others after purchase.

This difference clearly indicates the shift from an era centered on one-way information transmission from companies to consumers, to the modern age where consumers have become the main drivers of information exploration and dissemination.

Difference 1: The “Search” Behavior When Considering a Purchase

The first major difference between AIDMA and AISAS is the presence or absence of “Search” behavior in the purchase consideration process.

In the era when the AIDMA model was dominant, the information consumers received was primarily what was sent by companies — through television commercials and magazine advertisements. However, in today’s world where the internet is widespread, when consumers become interested in a product, they immediately search on a smartphone or PC and gather information on their own.

Rather than just the information on the official site, they compare and consider third-party reviews, word-of-mouth opinions, and social media reputations, and judge whether to purchase from multifaceted information.

This active information-gathering behavior forms the core of the AISAS model, and the importance of SEO measures, MEO measures, and word-of-mouth management for companies — in order to be “found” by consumers — has increased dramatically.

Difference 2: The “Share” Behavior After Purchasing a Product

The second difference is the “Share” behavior after purchasing a product.

In the AIDMA model, purchase was considered the final goal. In the AISAS model, on the other hand, “sharing” — posting about the post-purchase experience on social media or review sites — is included in the process.

This shared information (UGC: user-generated content) becomes a highly credible source of information for other potential customers, and becomes the subject of new customers’ “awareness,” “interest,” and even “search.”

In other words, a cycle is created where one customer’s purchase behavior directly influences the next customer’s purchase process. For this reason, in modern marketing, raising customer satisfaction and having positive word of mouth spread is considered extremely important.

[Practical Edition] How to Apply Purchase Behavior Models in Marketing

Purchase behavior models demonstrate their true value not only by being understood theoretically, but by being translated into practical marketing strategies. By using these models to create a “customer journey map” that concretely depicts the customer’s behavioral process, it becomes possible to visualize what customers are thinking at each stage and what touchpoints they are seeking.

For example, by referring to actual success stories and analyzing the process your target customers follow, it is possible to design the optimal approach.

Effective Approaches at Each Stage of the AIDMA Model

At each stage of the AIDMA model, companies need to develop approaches that are suited to the customer’s psychological state.

First, at the “Attention (Awareness)” stage, mass advertising — such as television commercials, newspaper advertisements, and transit advertising — is used to broadly communicate the existence of the brand or product. At “Interest,” the appeal of the product is communicated concretely through special articles on the website or brochures to deepen interest.

To heighten “Desire,” introducing implementation examples, providing free samples, and running limited-time campaigns are effective. Then at the “Memory” stage, regular contact through retargeting advertisements and email newsletters creates opportunities for consumers to recall the brand.

Finally, to encourage “Action,” efforts to lower the barriers to purchase are required — such as live product demonstrations in stores and optimization of the purchase button on e-commerce sites.

Effective Approaches at Each Stage of the AISAS Model

In the AISAS model, approaches that make full use of digital channels are central.

At the “Attention” and “Interest” stages, social media advertising, influencer marketing, and content SEO are effective.
Content that captures consumers’ interest is provided to guide them to the company’s website or social media account.

To address the most important “Search” stage, in addition to aiming for top rankings in search results through SEO measures, managing reputation on review sites and ensuring information is listed on comparison sites are indispensable. And to encourage “Action,” the UI/UX of the e-commerce site is improved and a simple and secure payment process is provided.

To activate the final “Share” stage, hashtag campaigns on social media and providing incentives to those who post reviews are effective initiatives.

3 Benefits of Using the AIDMA Model

Even in today’s era where the internet has become widespread and the AISAS model is attracting attention, there are significant benefits to utilizing the classic AIDMA model.

In particular, for high-priced products, or products and services where the consideration period before purchase is long, the AIDMA approach of capturing the customer’s psychological changes step by step works effectively.

By using this model as a framework, it is possible to deepen customer understanding and improve the precision of marketing activities.

Benefit 1: Enables Initiatives Tailored to the Customer’s Psychological State

The greatest benefit of using the AIDMA model is the ability to visualize the customer’s psychological state and the stage they are at in the purchase process.

By grasping whether a customer is currently at the “Attention,” “Interest,” “Desire,” “Memory,” or “Action” stage, marketing initiatives optimized for each phase can be deployed.

For example, strongly encouraging a customer who has only just become aware of a product to purchase is unlikely to be effective; what is appropriate first is providing information to get them interested.

In this way, by taking an approach that moves in step with the customer’s psychological changes, the quality of communication improves and it becomes possible to lead them more smoothly toward purchase.

Benefit 2: Clarifies Your Company’s Marketing Challenges

By organizing and analyzing your company’s marketing activities in line with each stage of the AIDMA model, it becomes possible to identify clearly where the challenges lie.

For example, in a situation where “we have placed a large volume of advertising so awareness (Attention) should be high, yet website access is not increasing (Interest is not progressing),” there is a possibility that there is a problem with the advertising creative or message.

Alternatively, if “website access is high but the purchase rate (Action) is low,” there may be a challenge in how the product’s appeal is communicated (Desire), or in the complexity of the purchase process.

In this way, by measuring the transition rate at each stage, it is possible to identify bottleneck areas and efficiently consider improvement measures.

Benefit 3: Useful for Setting Specific Targets (Personas)

The AIDMA model is also useful when designing a “persona” — a specific target customer profile.

By concretely simulating what information a persona is looking for at each stage, what media they are exposed to, and what they feel, the resolution of the persona can be significantly increased.

For example, by thinking in detail about “what triggers the persona to become aware of the product (Attention), and what information they encounter that makes them become interested (Interest)?” and “what kind of anxieties do they hold while keeping the purchase in mind (Memory)?”, a deep understanding of the persona’s behavior and psychology can be gained.

As a result, this leads to planning messages and content that resonate more strongly with the target.

Good to Know! Consumer Behavior Models Beyond AIDMA and AISAS

Consumer behavior models used in marketing are not limited to AIDMA and AISAS. With changes in the times and the evolution of technology, diverse models have been proposed to capture the latest consumer behavior.

For example, various frameworks exist — such as AMTUL, which emphasizes building long-term relationships with customers, and AIDA, which represents a simpler purchase process.

It is important to understand these models and use them appropriately depending on your company’s products and target customers.

A Model That Emerged After the Spread of the Internet: AISCEAS

The AISCEAS model is a consumer behavior model that further develops AISAS.

Its distinguishing feature is the addition of two stages — “Comparison” and “Examination” — after the “Search” in AISAS. This more precisely captures modern consumer behavior, in which it has become easy to compare and consider information on multiple products and reviews online.

Rather than simply searching for information, consumers have an increasingly strong tendency to line up multiple options and carefully examine specifications, prices, and reputations before making a purchase decision.

The AISCEAS model is particularly effective when formulating a marketing strategy for products where purchase decisions are made carefully — such as high-priced items or specialized services.

A Model Suited to the Social Media Age: SIPS

The SIPS model is a consumer behavior model proposed against the backdrop of the spread of social media, where empathy is the starting point. SIPS is composed of the initials of “Sympathize,” “Identify,” “Participate,” and “Share & Spread.”

In this model, “empathy” — for example toward posts by individuals on social media — rather than information sent by companies becomes the starting point of purchase behavior. Consumers who have empathized “identify” whether that information is trustworthy, then “participate” (by purchasing, following, etc.). And ultimately, by “sharing and spreading” their own experience, they widen the circle of new empathy.

SIPS is an important framework for thinking about communication strategies in the social media age, including viral marketing and influencer marketing.

• What Is PEST Analysis? A Clear Explanation of Its Purpose, Benefits, and How to Use It
• What Is Five Forces Analysis? A Clear Explanation of the Concept and How to Use It

Points to Keep in Mind When Applying Purchase Behavior Models to Marketing

When applying purchase behavior models to marketing, it is important to recognize that they are not absolute laws, but rather one framework for understanding customer behavior. Not all customers will behave exactly as the model predicts, and the purchase process differs significantly depending on the characteristics of the product, the price range, and the target audience.

For example, for low-involvement products like daily necessities, consumers often reach a purchase decision without deep deliberation, and a complex model may not apply well.

Conversely, for high-priced specialized products, consumers may move back and forth through the model’s stages multiple times.

For this reason, rather than rigidly adhering to a single model, a flexible perspective is required — combining multiple models to suit your own business, or designing a unique customer journey.

Conclusion

The AIDMA model depicts the consumer purchase process of the mass media era, while the AISAS model depicts that of the internet age. The major difference between the two lies in the presence or absence of the behaviors of consumers proactively “searching” for information and “sharing” their experience after purchase.

These models are effective frameworks for understanding customer psychology and behavior and formulating appropriate marketing initiatives at each stage.

However, models are not all-powerful, and since they change according to the product and target, they must be applied flexibly rather than rigidly.

Taking reference from newer models such as AISCEAS and SIPS, building the optimal approach tailored to your own company’s circumstances is indispensable in today’s marketing activities.