Hierarchy of effects

On the world of marketing, hierarchy of effects plays an important role in to promote and make the products reach to the customers. Hierarchy of effects, it was developed Robert J Lavidge and Gary A Steiner in the year 1961. Hierarchy of effects model is in the pyramid style where the lower level objective set is the awareness, Knowledge and the comprehension. Moving on with the pyramid is the desired responses of the customs such as associated feelings with the brand, trial or regular use etc. At the bottom of the pyramid it is easier to achieve than at the top of the pyramid as it is more action oriented. According to the hierarchy of effects, it goes down in the 6 steps in order to achieve the ultimate aim in the marketing. They are: 1.Awareness 2.Knowledge 3.Liking 4.Preference 5.Conviction 6.Purchase According to this pyramid the upper objectives sets are easier to achieve and when it becomes more action oriented the level to gain the objectives become tougher. Definitions on the six steps of hierarchy of effects: 1. Awareness: The role of the awareness in the hierarchy of effects model is too aware the consumer about the product that the marketers are trying to make the consumer buy it. It just makes aware the consumers. 2. Knowledge: Now the consumer is aware about the product but they may not know about the product. There comes the second stage that is knowledge. It gives the answer of what, why and who about the brand. Its speciality, benefits, features and why it is different from others? 3. Liking: In it the main things is to notice the product and with it comes the consumer favourable towards the product. 4. Preference: It is the process in which the consumer prefers which product. Consumer prefer by promoting quality value, performance and other features of the product. 5. Convince: In this process the main thing is to convince the consumer to make them desire to purchase the product. 6. Purchase: The final step of the process. It is to purchase the product and make it theirs. This is the hierarchy of effects in the marketing world. Similar to hierarchy of effect is the FCB Grid. It is suggested by Dave Berger and Richard Vaughn. This model combines the high and low involvement, and feeling and thinking approach. In high involvement consumer makes a very important decision, the decision required is very high and if made any wrong decision and choose wrong brand than there is very much to lose. In low involvement the decision made is unimportant, decision is made by little thought and if they choose the wrong brand than there is less to lose. In feeling and emotional approach, decisions are not made by feelings and it expresses the personality. In think or rational approach decision are not manly logical or objective, It is not based on functional facts. Even though this model provides the guideline to marketing. But the fact should not be under looked that it has some shortcomings and the consequences too. Shortcoming This model provides the marketers a guideline to know about their actual progress in making their brand known to the consumer and make them purchase it. But still there lacks something in it. If things are not followed and done adequately than they cannot achieve what they had set for. Some of the shortcomings in the hierarchy of effects are that if the message intended for the consumers is not get properly than they may have to lose their targeted consumer. And if they are not successful in each and every steps than they may have to adopt an another way in promoting their brand. There should be back up for each and every steps of it. And the communicator should be all prepared to make the brand known to the consumers as they are the main things in all these process. First and foremost things that should be look is the sampling of the brand. And if the sampling is not done properly than the steps carried out will not be successful. When the steps or objective goes than it is more action oriented and in that case a single mistake cost a lot. So, in that they had to make the customer prefer and make them to purchase it. It all depends on the communicator to make the brand purchase. Consequences When any model is carry out than it has an ultimate result. This result or consequences defines the success of it. In hierarchy of effects model when the steps are carried out than the result will come sometime favouring the brand or sometimes not. It all depends on the consumer to purchase the brand they are actually selling to the customers. If the customers are satisfied with the brand than they seem to choose the brand and use it again. Or there may be some consumer just trying the brand for once and not use it later. So the ultimate result that comes forth is that at the first they seem to be interest as in terms of purchase of the product the result is out and from then one can analyse the type of customer in preferring the brand. This is the consequence of the Hierarchy of effects model. Conclusion Hierarchy of effects model is a guideline for ever marketers to promote a brand and how to set their goals in order to make their brand purchased by the customer. This in fact had made easier for marketers, advertisers. With the help of this model they can know their efficiency and their targeted audiences when they launch any brand or product. Thus, it is an effective model in marketing. 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