Consumer Motivation

1
Chapter 8

• Consumer Motivation

2
Definitions

• Motivation
• Driving force within individuals that impels them
  to action
• Consumer Motivation
• The drive to satisfy both physiological and
  psychological needs through product purchase and
  consumption

3
Types of Consumer Needs

• Physiological Needs
• Safety and Health Needs
• Need for Love and Companionship
• Need for Financial Resources and Security
• Need for Pleasure
• Social Image Needs
• Need to Possess

4
Physiological Needs

• Basic human needs, including food, water, and
  sleep

5
Safety and Health Needs

• Need to be protected from harm
• Home security systems, firearms, strong vehicles,
  etc.
• Need to maintain or improve our health
• Health clubs, vitamins, hospitals, etc.
• Health needs become more important as people age

6
Need for Love and Companionship

• Need for friends and partners
• Personal hygiene products, perfume, clothing
• Symbols of our love for another
• Flowers, chocolate candy, jewelry, greeting cards
• Pets as social companions
• Dogs, cats

7
Need for Financial Resources and Security

• Retirement plans
• Security in old age
• Insurance
• Financial resources for our loved ones

8
Need for Pleasure

• All work and no play makes Johnny a dull boy
• Fun and excitement
• Products that make you feel good when you use
  them
• All aspects of the entertainment industry

9
Social Image Needs

• Companies reinforce the notion that products
  enable users to communicate social image
• Conspicuous consumption purchases motivated to
  some extent by the desire to show other people
  how successful you are

10
Need to Posses

• Materialism more stuff is better
• Leads to needs for larger living spaces and
  storage facilities
• Collectibles
• Need for things that are exclusively yours
• People identify themselves based on what they own

11
Need to Give

• Altruism for its own sake
• Volunteer work and giving to charity, tithes
• Charity can be a way to display wealth or to
  create an image
• Self-gifts let us motivate, reward, and console
  ourselves

12
Need for Information

• Desire to be up to date
• Newspapers, television news casts
• Need to be more knowledgeable in general
• College, Discovery Channel, Books, the Internet

13
Need for Variety

• Variety is the spice of life
• Marketers may introduce different versions of
  original brand
• Variety may become focus of product positioning

14
Motivational Conflict

• Satisfying a need often comes at the expense of
  another need - these trade-offs cause
  motivational conflict
• Approach-approach deciding between two or more
  desirable options
• Avoidance-avoidance deciding between two or more
  undesirable options
• Approach-avoidance behavior has both positive
  and negative consequences

15
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

• Based on 4 premises
• All humans acquire a similar set of motives
  through genetic endowment and social interaction.
• Some motives are more basic or critical than
  others.
• The more basic motives must be satisfied to a
  minimum level before other motives are activated.
• As the basic motives become satisfied, more
  advanced motives come into play.

16
Maslows Hierarchy of Needs

• Physiological
• Food, water, air, shelter, sex
• Safety Needs
• Protection, order, stability
• Social Needs
• Affection, friendship, belonging
• Esteem Needs
• Prestige, status, self-esteem
• Self-actualization
• Self-fulfillment, enriching experiences

17
Terms to Know

• Benefit segmentation dividing consumers into
  different market segments based the benefits they
  seek from purchase and consumption
• Motivational intensity how strongly consumers
  are motivated to satisfy a particular need
• Involvement degree to which an object or
  behavior is personally relevant

18
Researching Consumer Motivation

• Reasons underlying consumer motivation are not
  always obvious
• Research is necessary to discover real
  motivations behind behaviors
• People dont always want to disclose real reasons
  for their actions
• People dont always know why they do what they do
  - unconscious motivation
• Motivations change over time

19
Motivating Consumers

• Overcoming Price Barriers
• Consumers have some needs they can not afford to
  satisfy
• Price cuts, specials, rebates, and coupons
  motivate purchase
• Resulting sales may increase, but profits may not
• Attract consumers less likely to repeat
• Price reductions may increase price sensitivity

20
Motivating Consumers

• Provide Other Incentives
• Premiums, free products, contests, sweepstakes,
  frequent flier miles, etc. are designed to
  motivate consumers to purchase.

21
Motivating Consumers

• Arouse Consumers Curiosity
• For new products, educating potential customers
  is crucial
• Curiosity often leads to an enhanced need for
  information
• May advertise a benefit that is not normally
  associated with the product