A Professor of Marketing Communication at the Babcock University Ogun State, Adesago Adefulu, has developed a research model to help understand consumer behaviour and enhance effective marketing.

Speaking during the 54th inaugural lecture of the school titled, ‘Integrated marketing communication transformative power: The Adefulu Model,’ he identified five important A’s that can help understanding customer behaviour.

To him, the five A’s are connected in a way that each stage consolidate the previous one, creating a seamless customer journey. These include attention, attraction, appreciation, action and advocacy.

Concerning attention, the don said this is the first stage where potential consumers become aware of a product or service. For attraction, he described it as a stage where consumers are drawn to the product or service due to its unique features, benefits, or value proposition.

At the state of appreciation, Adefulu added consumers develop positive image of the product or service, often due to effective communication and branding.

During the fourth stage, which is action, he noted consumers take specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service. In the final stage, which is advocacy, he said satisfied customers become advocates for the product or service, there recommending it to others.

Speaking further, he added, “by understanding these touch points and leveraging them effectively, businesses can create a loyal customer base and achieve long-term success.”

In his recommendations, he shared insights for business success. To achieve brand success, he advised business owners to develop sustainable Integrated Marketing Communication (IMC) strategies, restructure marketing and public relations units, and adopt short-run tools to enhance customer incentives.

The don advocated importance of internal communication, sales promotion, and effective deployment of IMC to secure brand identity. Adefulu urged regulatory bodies to enforce ethical standards, and governments adopt deliberate IMC strategies to communicate policies and programmes effectively. He further stressed the need for organisations to highlight their achievements to build credibility and goodwill.

In conclusion, he noted, “by implementing these strategies, businesses can achieve consistency of information, counter misinformation, and protect their brand integrity.”