Strategic Implementation of the AIDA Model into Military Marketing Strategies: An Army National Guard Study
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Authors
David, Charles
Issue Date
2026-03
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Military Marketing , AIDA Model , Marketing Effectiveness
Alternative Title
Abstract
This qualitative study examined how military marketing messages capture attention, generate interest and desire, and motivate action among the military’s target market in the digital age. The research problem addressed in this study was that military marketing efforts often struggle to resonate with their target market, individuals aged 17 to 34, limiting engagement and reducing behavioral response among potential recruits. The purpose of this qualitative descriptive study was to explore how Army National Guard marketing messages influence audience progression through the AIDA model. The study was guided by this framework, which conceptualizes marketing effectiveness as a sequential process moving audiences from awareness to behavioral intent. A qualitative research design using qualitative content analysis was employed to examine participant perceptions of military marketing advertisements. The study included 20 participants aged 18 to 34 with no prior military service. Participants viewed 20 digital advertisements and responded to structured open-ended survey questions. Data were analyzed using directed qualitative content analysis aligned with the four stages of the model and interpreted in terms of cognitive, affective, and conative response patterns, which informed recommendations for improving the effectiveness of military marketing messaging. The findings indicated that advertisements were effective at capturing cognitive attention but less successful at sustaining affective engagement or producing conative behavioral intent. The study concludes that military marketing campaigns may benefit from more emotionally resonant and personally relevant messaging to strengthen audience progression toward action. Future research may examine repeated exposure to messages and additional communication formats to further evaluate marketing effectiveness.