A – Attract attention
Attention, please! – for an advertising message to be displayed to a potential customer, the advertiser must first attract the target group’s attention. The first phase of the AIDA model is to initiate the activation, perception, and emotional process. To this end, advertising works with various strategies that relate to the content of an advertising message, presentation, or placement.
As a rule, content that attracts attention usually contains new, contradictory, or provocative information:
Only at Walmart: square melons!
Trader Joe’s apples: $1 per kilo!
Which supermarket has the most exciting offer? The reader’s curiosity plays a decisive role here. This can also be fueled by the omission of information.
An attractive layout should ensure that your advertisement has a positive effect on potential customers e.g. by using graphic design elements. An example is a festival poster where the main headliner is emphasized in bold to make it eye catching. The lesser known artists are written in a smaller font underneath. Display advertising gets your attention when it changes, moves, or flashes. You must not overdo it, though, as this can lead to the target group becoming overwhelmed and annoyed by your advertising.
Advertisers make use of auditory elements on TV, radio, or online and are quite subtle with how they achieve it. In almost all ad-supported audiovisual media, short advertisements are played much louder than the actual show. This is to ensure that it catches the viewer’s attention. These ads are often accompanied by catchy jingles or current pop songs.
Some advertisers also revert to old-fashioned methods to lure customers in, for example by using smells so their business is associated with a positive memory. This doesn’t work all the time, but bakeries and confectioners can definitely benefit.
Key stimulus has a specific function in advertising. Certain stimulus patterns are particularly good at catching a person’s attention and awakening their senses. These include, for example, eyes, faces, cute things, and eroticism (hence the phrase 'sex sells'). For example, a potential customer might just click on an ad banner for Bluetooth headphones because they find the model attractive.