By Adejuwon Temitope,
A Professor of Marketing Communication at Babcock University, Ilishan-Remo, Ogun State, Prof. Adesago Adefulu, has developed a research model to help businesses achieve success through effective marketing.
Delivering the 54th Babcock University’s inaugural lecture: “Integrated Marketing Communication Transformative Power: The Adefulu Model,” Adefulu said the five A’s of marketing were crucial in understanding customer behaviour and developing effective marketing.
According to him, the five A’s are connected in a way that each stage builds on the previous one, creating a seamless customer journey.
“For instance, Attention, the first stage of the five A’s, is where potential customers become aware of a product or service; Attraction, the second stage, is where customers are drawn to the product or service due to its unique features, benefits, or value proposition; Appreciation, the third stage, is where customers develop a positive perception of the product or service, often due to effective communication and branding; Action, the fourth stage, is where customers take a specific action, such as making a purchase or signing up for a service, and Advocacy, the final stage where satisfied customers become advocates for the product or service, recommending it to others and driving word-of-mouth marketing,” he said
The Adefulu Model takes the five A’s a step further by identifying specific touch points that businesses can use to connect with customers and drive business success.
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“By understanding these touch points and leveraging them effectively, businesses can create a loyal customer base and achieve long-term success,” he added.
The don also shared valuable insights and recommendations for business success.
To achieve business success, he advised managers to develop a robust integrated marketing communication (IMC) strategy, restructure marketing and public relations units, and adopt short-run tools to enhance customer incentives.
He also emphasised the importance of internal communication, sales promotion, and effective deployment of IMC to secure brand identity.
Adefulu recommended that regulatory bodies enforce ethical standards, and governments adopt deliberate IMC strategies to communicate policies and programs effectively.
He also suggested that organisations highlight their achievements to build credibility and goodwill.
“By implementing these strategies, businesses can achieve consistency of information, counter misinformation, and protect their brand integrity,” he added.