Behaviour change stages

The behaviour change stages are:

UnawarenessèAwarenessèInterestèEvaluationèTrialèUsageèRepeat usage

Lidstone (1989) explains of the stages how different promotional methods may be used to move doctors from one stage to the next:

Unawareness è Awareness
"This is the stage during which a doctor/buyer moves from no knowledge of a product or situation, towards a position where he knows about it. The doctor's attitude is nearly passive and his major need is to be informed.

Promotion is targeted at:

• Telling the doctor that your product exists.
• Creating an automatic association between the therapeutic area and your product.

Awareness è Interest
This is a movement from a passive stage to an active stage of attention. The doctor will have his curiosity aroused by the product's newness, appearance or concept. His response, however, can be conscious or subconscious.

Promotional objectives are:

• To gain his attention through the 'message'. To create interest (motivations).
• To provide a succinct summary of the product (information).

Interest è Evaluation
The doctor will consider first the effect of the product upon his personal motivations (life-style, image, etc.). Then he will look at the effect on external factors. He will pass through a process of reasoning, analysing the arguments and looking for advantages. Depending upon his need, he will look for improved efficacy, more economy, uniqueness, reassurance and safety.

Through promotion, you attempt to:

• Create a situation which encourages the doctor to start his phase of reasoning. Discover the relevant needs of doctors.
• Segment and target the doctors according to the 'needs' requirements.

Evaluation è Trial
This is a key movement from a mental state of evaluation to a positive action of trial. The doctor's basic requirement is for a suitable opportunity to use the product.

Promotional objectives are to:

• Clearly identify usage opportunities.
• Suggest usage when these opportunities occur.

Trial è Usage
The doctor will take this step if his trial has been successful.

The objectives of your promotion are to:

• Provide reminders of key elements such as brand, therapy areas, advantages, and so on.
• Emphasise the success and satisfaction.
• Remind the doctor of usage opportunities and provide supporting proof of fellow doctors' usage and success.

Usage è Repeat usage
This is the final objective for marketing. When a doctor moves from occasional usage to constant usage, the doctor will have moved into a state where his selection of your product is automatic.

Your objectives are now simpler:

• To maintain the climate that has led to satisfaction.
• Maintain an acceptable image.
• Always keep confirming the key qualities of the product."

Matching the media to the behaviour change stage

The following table adapted from Lidstone (1989, figure 9.5) shows which promotional media are very effective at moving people to different behaviour change stages:

Lidstone J with Collier T. Marketing planning for the pharmaceutical industry. Aldershot UK. Gower 1987