CONSUMER BEHAVIOUR – 2 : MOTIVATION

INDUVIDUAL DETERMINATS OF BEHAVIUOR

INTRODUCTION
To understand the buyer and to make a customer out of him is the main
purpose of thestudy of consumer behaviour. Though this problem has
been analysed from different viewpoints under different premises, it still
remains a complex one. On the other hand the buyeris a riddle. He is a
highly complex entity. His needs & desires are innumerable. Some
arelatent, some manifest and some others are highly dominant. These
have different priorities inthe his scheme of things. The buyer has his
own ideas & plans about realising these needs &desires. The first &
foremost task of the marketer is to get close to the buyer and
understandhis need-structure & priorities.
 There are four major factors which influence the behaviour of the
consumers. They are :
1.Psychological factors influencing Customer Behaviour
2.Social Psychological factors influencing Customer Behaviour
3.Sociological factors influencing Customer Behaviour
4.Economic factors influencing Customer Behaviour
PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
These are the factors which are the personal attributes of an individual.
We shall study Five
of them : Attitude, Motivation, Perception, Personality and Learning.
Motivation
Introduction :
Human needs – consumer needs – are the basis of all modern marketing.
Needs are theessence of the marketing concept. The key to a company’s
survival, profitability & growth in ahighly competitive market place is
its ability to identify & satisfy unfulfilled consumer needsbetter &
sooner than the competition.
Definition of Motivation –
Motivation is the driving force within individuals that impels them to
action. It is defined asthe stimulation of any emotion or desire operating
upon one’s will and prompting or driving itto action. The study of
Motivation refers to all the processes that initiate the drive in a personto
perceive a need and pursue a definite course of action to fulfil that need.
1.Needs : every individual has needs that are to be fulfilled. They are :
a.Primary, Innate, Physiological, Biogenic types are the basic needs of
food. Air, water,
clothing & shelter.
b.Secondary, Acquired, Psychological, Psychogenic types are the needs
which we learnin response to the interaction with our immediate
surrounding, like culture,environment, society, etc.
2.Wants : needs are basic, but wants are something more in addition to
the needs – that
will have a desirable effect. Food is a need & the type of food is a want.
 3.Goals : Goals are objectives of desire that ought to be fulfilled. They
are :
a.Generic goals – are the desires of a general nature, where as :

b.Product-specific goals – are the desires of a specific nature with the

particular object
specified.
4.The process of motivation : It starts when the consumer comes to know of
a particularneed. If this need is not satisfied it creates a state of tension
within the minds of theconsumer. This state will drive the consumer to
adopt a behaviour that will help reducethe tension. The type & nature of
the behaviour people adopt depends on their learning,knowledge,
perception, belief, way of thinking, reasoning, etc.
Dynamic Nature of Motivation :
Needs & their fulfilment are the basis of motivation. Needs change, so
also motivation. Bothinternal & external factors are responsible for
change. The fact is that not all needs aresatisfied fully. When some are
satisfied, some others arise. Sometimes because of personal,financial,
social & cultural limitations, people can’t fulfil some of their needs,
wants & goals.Failure of need fulfilment may give rise to the following
states :
1.Rationalisation – trying to justify the situation & excusing oneself,
2.Aggression – getting angry & frustrated, and resorting to unsocial
actions,
3.Regression – trying to settle without that particular need & try
something else,
4.Withdrawal – trying to disassociate oneself from the very thought of it.
Types of Motives –
 This is already described to some extent in the context of “Buying
Motives” in Chapter-3Buying Decision Making. We can add a few terms
& concepts : The role of motives ininfluencing behaviour :
1.Physiological arousal – when a consumer become aware of his needs
due to changes in
his physiological state, it will give rise to physiological motives,
2.Emotional arousal – at times the mundane nature of routine life leads a
person to
fantasise or day dream, and this stimulates his latent needs to satisfy his
emotion.
3.Cognitive arousal – this occurs when we come across some
information incidentally &
this triggers our thought process & arouses a need in us.
4.Environmental arousal – the various signals that we come across in our
environment in
the form of the sights smell & sound surrounding us also prompt many
needs.
THEORIES OF MOTIVATION :
Maslow’s Theory of Need Hierarchy :
Dr Abraham Maslow, a clinical psychologist formulated a widely
accepted theory of humanmotivation based on the notion of a universal
hierarchy of human needs. This identifies fivebasic levels of human need
which rank in order of importance from lower level needs(biogenic) to
higher level needs (psychogenic). The theory says that individuals need
to satisfythe lower level needs before higher level needs arise. The
lowest level of unsatisfied need thatthe individual experiences serves to
motivate its behaviour. Only when it is satisfied fairlywell then he can
think of the next level & so on. According to this theory it’s
the“dissatisfaction” which motivates and not the “satisfaction”.
Marketers need to know how tosatisfy a need at what level, by studying
the need hierarchy.
1.Physiological needs – food, water, air, clothing, shelter. These are the
lowest or the firstlevel needs. They are also called basic, frugal, primary,
biological, biogenic, physiological,innate etc.
2.Safety or Security needs – physical safety, protection, stability, security,
mental piece.Once the first level needs are satisfied, the individuals go
for the next level where theyneed an uninterrupted fulfilment of the
above needs, like regular income, permanent shelter, etc.
3.Social needs – affiliation, friendship, and belonging. Once the second
level is more or lesssatisfied, this level comes. In social needs they need
to maintain themselves in a societyand try to be accepted in that so that
they can interact with other members of the society.
4.Egoistic needs – prestige, status, self-esteem, fame. Then comes the
egoistic needs of aperson that must be satisfied. He wants to rise above
the general level/status of othermembers so that he gets some mental
satisfaction.
5.Self-Actualisation – self fulfilment. This is extreme or highest end of the
hierarchy, wherethe individuals try to excel in any field attaining very
high order of achievement. Thesepeople are called “self-actualisers”.
The Trio of Needs :
Psychologists point out that sometimes it is not necessary that the
individuals go thro’ thesame systematic process of going from one level
of needs to the next while fulfilling them. Orhow much a level must be
satisfied to move to the next level, for no needs are absolutelysatisfied
and there is no way to measure precisely. Also some intermediate levels
may beskipped. This has given rise to another concept of Trio of needs
where it is envisaged thathuman behaviour is influenced by the needs of
power, affiliation & achievement. They aregiven below :
1.Need of Power – the power need relates to individuals’ desire to control
their environmentincluding other persons & objects around them. The
need appears to be closely related tothe ego need, in that many
individuals experience increased self esteem when theyexercise power
over objects or people.
2.Need of Affiliation – affiliation is a well known & well researched social
motive that has farreaching influence on consumer behaviour. This
suggests that behaviour is stronglyinfluenced by the desire for
 friendship, acceptance and belonging. People with highaffiliation needs
tend to be socially dependent on others.
3.Need of Achievement – individuals with a strong need for achievement
often regardpersonal accomplishment as an end in itself. This is closely
related to both the egoisticneed & the self-actualisation need.
The above two theories of motivation gives a clear picture of the way
individuals aremotivated by specific needs. The marketers need to study
& understand each one of themseparately and try to cater to their needs
specifically.
Motivational theory & Marketing strategy :
Marketers who understand the motives of their potential customers enjoy
good sales & brandloyalty of their customers. Often it is also important
to understand the motivational conflictthe consumers face. A buyer has
several motives and each change with cognitive, emotionaland
environmental elements. In such cases the marketers can readily help
their customersby changing their marketing strategy so that the conflict
is resolved. This can happen by re-adjustment of the marketing mix. The
following three major conflicts may arise :
1.Approach – approach conflict – happens when the consumer has two
different choices ofsimilar or dissimilar category of product or services
which he gives equal importance, butunable to choose one over the
other. The marketer can come in to make his offer moreattractive &
important in any sense & help the customer to decide in its favour.
 The image concept: Its place in consumer psychology
Theo B.C. Poiesz*, **, a
a
Tilburg University, The Netherlands
Received 2 September 1988;  
accepted 1 September 1989.  
Available online 19 March 2002. 

Abstract
One of the recent developments in consumer psychology is the growing emphasis on
low involvement consumer behavior. Under a variety of circumstances, consumers are
neither capable nor motivated to elaborate product information. It is assumed that,
under these circumstances, they are likely to make use of product or brand images.
This concept is frequently referred to in the marketing and marketing research literature.
However, image is not an unequivocal concept. There is lack of agreement on what
constitutes an image, on the possible psychological functions of images, on the
conditions under which these psychological functions are addressed, and on how an
image should be operationalized. In this paper a review will be provided of the literature
on brand images. An attempt is made to propose a conceptualization and
operationalization that is based on an integration of the literature. Also, a specification
will be provided of the psychological functions that images may have under particular
(advertising) conditions
Consumer Motivation
At present, understanding consumer motivation is very important to
marketers in modern marketing. However, the key to consumer motivation,
understanding the consumer needs is the first factor that marketers should
know at first. “Human needs or, in this case, consumer needs are the basis
of all modern marketing. Needs are the essence of the marketing
concept.”(Schiffman, 2008). Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a well-known
theory in psychology which can help marketers understanding the
consumer needs better. So, what is Maslow’s hierarchy of needs? It was
suggested by Abraham Maslow in his 1943 paper A Theory of human
Motivation, which was described in a triangular diagram. Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs is often divided five levels: “At the bottom are the basic
needs for food, water and air. Then, above them is the need for safety,
security and protection. After theses needs have been met, an individual
has a need for love, affection and friendship. When these have been
satisfied an individual may seek status and self-respect and, finally, at the
top of the pyramid is the need for self-actualization or self-fulfillment.”
(Shaw e9t.al, 2002). Though this explanation we can see that only the
lowest needs (physiological needs) are satisfied, people will focus on the
higher needs.(Chinadaily BBS,2007) That is the basic concept of Maslow’s
hierarchy of needs. However, based on the Maslow’s hierarchy of needs,
each level needs have some limitations, not each need can completely
satisfy. Therefore, “if a lower set of needs is continually unmet for an
extended period of time, the individual will temporarily re-prioritize those
needs - dropping down to that level until those lower needs are reasonably
satisfied again.”(Chinadaily BBs, 2007). It is clear to see that differences in
need priorities can influence human behavior.

Differences in need priorities can influence consumer behavior in

difference ways. Though Maslow’s hierarchy of needs we can see that When
one level is.
Research Paper: Consumer Motivation
While customers have different motivations for consuming the things they do, all
consumers have motivations that guide them to want, and purchase certain goods or services.
Some motivations for consumption could include the need for status, social acceptance, security
or individuality while other motivations are unconscious and can be utilized by marketers to
hook consumers into buying a product they never knew they always wanted.
The Viennese psychoanalyst, Ernest Dichter, was a leader in the field of qualitative
marketing research in the early to mid 1900’s. Dichter suggested that consumer motives were
oftentimes triggered by suppressed unconscious needs (as cited in Ziems, 2004, p. 210).
Unfortunately, many of Dichter’s theories that have proven to be effective marketing strategies
have been mostly forgotten in modern advertising (as cited in Ziems, 2004, p. 210). Marketing
campaigns that have used Dichter’s theories on consumer motives to market products such as
cars, furs, cell phones and even paper towels have shown success by increased sales.
Ditcher understood that individuals in different age groups or demographics cared about
different things, and had varied unconscious motives and needs. In an extensive study completed
on the car market in 1939, Dichter discovered that young people in their 20’s want “new
beginning’s and liberation” when they purchase a car in order to nurture their need to feel free to
escape life, or just get-up-and-go whenever they please (as cited in Ziems, 2004, p. 211). Older
people age 35 and up, however are looking for features like “practicality and safety” when
purchasing a new car as they have families to care for and feel the need to act responsibly (as
cited in Ziems, 2004, p. 211). While this might sound like common sense, Dichter also
discovered some not so obvious consumer motives when it comes to buying cars. For example,
Dichter suggested that older men age 35 and beyond that purchased a convertible were actually
suppressing the desire to keep a mistress (as cited in Ziems, 2004, p. 211). That explains a lot!
Consumer Motivation 3
Is there more to motivating consumers than unconscious desires? Sure. According to
Alex Michaels, the founder of Prelude2Cinema, the only real way to hook a consumer into
buying a product is to touch them emotionally (as cited in Hein, 2006, para. 42). But, beyond
mere emotional appeals there is the very real and tangible model of needs proposed by Abraham
Maslow in his Hierarchy of Needs pyramid. Maslow’s theory indicates that most consumer
motivations can be attributed to where they fall on the pyramid of needs he developed. The
lowest level on Maslow’s pyramid begins with basic “physiological needs” (dinking fluids,
eating, sleeping, etc.), and climbs all the way to the highest level on the pyramid to the “need for
beauty” (as cited in Lindquist & Sirgy, 2003, p. 250-251). Maslow believed that a person moved
through each level of need sequentially. In other words, once the needs in one category were
met completely, a person would move up to the next most immediate category, and his or her
purchasing motivations would change as a result of the new category to which he or she would
become a part of (as cited in Lindquist & Sirgy, 2003, p. 250-251).
So what does all of this information about consumer motivation really mean? The
answer to this question can be found by applying the information above to a specific business
situation. Women-Love-Us is a fictitious women’s cosmetic company that boasts the highest
sales revenues in the cosmetic industry. Entering the marketplace with a bang, their newest
product, Timeless, is an anti-aging serum that targets women in their early to late 30’s. Women-
Love-Us accepts the significance of consumer motivation to product marketing success and uses
the theories of respected psychologists to create their marketing campaigns. The marketing
concept Women-Love-Us used to hook their target audience into trying their new product
included a combination of both unconscious and functional marketing tactics to motivate women
to buy their product.
First, Women-Love-Us acknowledged that the women in the segment they were targeting
want to be viewed as young and attractive. They decided not to use a traditional model as the
Consumer Motivation 4
face for their product and instead used the viewing lens of a camera to capture others responses,
which made the potential consumer the model in the advertisement. By using a camera to secure
the reactions of others, this company was able to put the potential consumer in the staring role
where they were attention-getter, not some 20-something supermodel. This created an
opportunity for women who were the potential consumers of Timeless to experience what using
the product might be like from a purely egotistical point of view. While “staring” as the lead
role in the advertisement, these women got to experience glances from attractive men in their late
20’s to mid 30’s, and even enjoyed smiles and looks from young attractive women.
Women-Love-Us was able to create the illusion that the unconscious desire their target
segment harbors—to be noticed—would be fulfilled by using the new Timeless product. They
realized that their customer base had an unspoken fear of becoming old and invisible, and their
new Timeless product promised to conquer that fear. By pledging to turn back the clock and
create the illusion of youth and beauty that will attract the attention of others, Women-Love-Us
developed a marketing concept that motivated their consumers to purchase, and become loyal
customers of the Timeless product.
In essence, the consumers who purchased Timeless weren’t really purchasing an antiaging
serum, but rather the concept of youth and beauty that the product’s marketing campaign
produced. By not using a model in the traditional sense, the potential consumer became the
model in the advertisement. The consumer was the face of the product.
By combining the great theories of past psychologists with the wants and desires of
today’s consumers, marketers can move beyond basic advertising into a world of unconscious
and conscious desires, fears, and needs to successfully market their products. It is not enough to
promote a product as filling a functional need (Use make-up? We sell some.), it has to touch the
consumer on a deeper level that evokes identification with the product. The consumer needs to
feel that they are somehow linked to the product, and that it produces a favorable image of them
and who they want to be. This will motivate the consumer to buy, and keep buying a product.
At least until something better comes along!
Consumer Motivation 5