Consumer Motivation

Concept of Motivation

• Motivation refers to the internal and external factors that stimulate a desire or drive to do something. It plays a crucial role in influencing consumer behavior and decision-making processes.

Implications for Marketing (Consumer Motivation)

• Understanding consumer motivation helps marketers tailor their strategies to meet consumer needs, enhance product appeal, and promote brand loyalty.

Need vs. Opportunity Recognition

• Need Recognition: Identifying a deficit or requirement (e.g., hunger).

• Opportunity Recognition: Realizing a situation that can be enhanced (e.g., a sale on favorite snacks). Example: A consumer might recognize the need for food when hungry but may also see an opportunity in a sale for snacks.

Difference Between Wants and Needs

• Needs: Essential requirements for survival (e.g., food, water).

• Wants: Specific items or services that fulfill those needs (e.g., a specific brand of food). Implications for marketing include creating advertising that highlights how a product meets both needs and wants.

Primary vs. Secondary Needs

• Primary Needs: Basic biological necessities (e.g., food, water).

• Secondary Needs: Psychosocial requirements (e.g., love, esteem). Marketers often target secondary needs to create brand loyalty.

Drive Theory

• Drive Theory posits that physiological disruptions create a drive that motivates behavior to restore balance, or homeostasis. Examples include hunger leading to food consumption.

Homeostasis

• Homeostasis is the body's tendency to maintain a balanced internal state. My position on its existence validates that it is essential for survival but may vary in importance for different individuals.

Utilitarian vs. Hedonic Motivations

• Utilitarian Motivation: Practical and functional reasons for purchasing (e.g., getting a reliable car).

• Hedonic Motivation: Emotional, fun, or pleasure-seeking reasons (e.g., buying a luxury sports car for joy). Marketers can leverage both by highlighting product practicality or pleasure.

Role of Affect in Consumer Motivation

• Affect refers to the emotional responses that drive consumer behavior. Marketers can use emotional branding to create connections with consumers.

Three Main Theories of Motivation

1. Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs: Ranges from physiological needs to self-actualization. Marketing example: A luxury brand targeting status as part of esteem needs.

2. McClelland's Needs Theory: Focuses on achievement, affiliation, and power needs. Marketing example: A fitness brand appealing to achievement through fitness milestones.

3. Herzberg's Two-Factor Theory: Distinguishes between hygiene factors and motivators influencing job satisfaction and consumer satisfaction.

Maslow’s 5 Needs Illustrated with Marketing Examples

1. Physiological Needs: Marketing basic nutrition products.

2. Safety Needs: Insurance companies promoting security services.

3. Love and Belongingness Needs: Brands creating community-focused marketing.

4. Esteem Needs: Luxury brands boosting self-image through exclusivity.

5. Self-Actualization Needs: Brands promoting self-improvement courses.

McClelland’s 4 Needs Illustrated with Marketing Examples

1. Need for Achievement: Brands promoting achievement through goal-oriented services.

2. Need for Affiliation: Social media platforms enhancing community connections.

3. Need for Power: Brands targeting consumers seeking control or influence.

4. Need for Independence: Brands highlighting individuality and uniqueness.

Festinger’s Theory of Cognitive Dissonance

• Suggests that conflict arises when attitudes do not match behaviors, leading to discomfort. Example: A consumer buying a luxury item may struggle with their budgetary constraints.

Types of Conflict Illustrated with Marketing Examples

1. Approach-Approach Conflict: Choosing between two desirable products, like two vacation destinations.

2. Avoidance-Avoidance Conflict: Choosing between two undesirable options, like a car repair or public transport.

3. Approach-Avoidance Conflict: Feeling conflicted about purchasing an expensive item that also brings joy.

Means-End Chain/Laddering Technique

• A research method that connects product attributes with consumer values, illustrating how products' features fulfill consumer needs.

Projective Technique in Consumer Motivation Research

• This involves indirect questioning techniques and exercises that reveal consumer motivations based on their subconscious thoughts.

Personality

Definition of Personality

• Personality refers to the combination of characteristics or qualities that form an individual's distinctive character and influence their behaviors.

Three Personality Theories Discussed in Class

1. Psychoanalytical (Freudian) Theory: Suggests that unconscious processes shape behavior.

2. Trait Theory: Focuses on measurable personality characteristics.

3. Humanistic Theory: Emphasizes personal growth and self-actualization.

Psychoanalytical (Freudian) Theory of Personality

• Comprises the id (instinctual desires), ego (realistic self), and superego (moral constraints). Each part mediates motivations influencing consumer choices (e.g., impulse buys affected by the id).

Consumer Research Techniques from Psychoanalytic Theory

1. Projective Techniques: Uncovering subconscious motivations through indirect questioning.

2. Thematic Apperception Test: Assessing how individuals interpret ambiguous images relating to self-concept.

3. Dream Analysis: Exploring unconscious motivations through dream interpretation.

Self-Concept Definition and Impact on Motivation

• Self-concept is how individuals perceive themselves, influencing their desires and consumption habits. Brands often align with consumer self-concepts to foster loyalty.

Concept of Multiple Selves

• Individuals possess various identities dependent on context (e.g., professional vs. personal). Marketers can appeal to specific contexts.

Self/Product Congruence

• Refers to the alignment between a consumer's self-concept and product attributes influencing purchase decisions, impacting brand positioning strategy.

Trait Theory of Personality

• Examines identifiable traits that influence behavior, impacting how different consumers respond to marketing strategies.

Need for Cognition and Impact on Consumer Behavior

• Individuals with a high need for cognition engage in extensive information processing, often favoring brands that showcase informative marketing.

Tolerance for Ambiguity and Impact on Consumer Behavior

• Consumers with a high tolerance for ambiguity are more comfortable making purchasing decisions in uncertain conditions, while those with low tolerance may prefer clear information and guarantees.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs is a psychological theory proposed by Abraham Maslow in 1943, illustrating human motivation based on a series of needs arranged in a hierarchy. The five levels of needs are:

1. Physiological Needs: Basic survival needs such as food, water, warmth, and rest.

2. Safety Needs: Protection from harm, security, and stability in an individual's life.

3. Love and Belongingness Needs: Emotional relationships, including friendships, family, and intimacy.

4. Esteem Needs: The need for self-esteem, recognition, and respect from others to achieve a sense of accomplishment.

5. Self-Actualization Needs: The desire to achieve one's full potential, including personal growth and self-improvement.

Implications for Marketing

Marketers use Maslow's hierarchy to position products and strategies effectively:

• Basic goods target physiological needs.

• Services like insurance address safety needs.

• Community-oriented brands appeal to love and belongingness.

• Luxury brands connect with esteem needs, enhancing self-image.

• Educational businesses target self-actualization through growth opportunities.