Consumer Behaviour
Motivation
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Needs, Goals and Motivation
Motivation can also be described as the driving force within
individuals that impels them to action.
This driving force is the result of tension, which in turn is because
of unfulfilled needs.
To reduce tension, every individual strives to fulfill their needs.
Consumer Needs and Wants
Needs: a state of felt deprivation, desires that arise when a
consumer’s actual state does not meet his or her desired state.
Physiological (biogenic) Needs—innate or primary.
Psychological Needs—secondary needs; Learned in
response to culture or environment, generally
psychological in nature.
Do Marketers Create Needs?
Marketers can never create needs, Needs pre-exist a marketer.
However they may make consumers more keenly aware of unfelt
needs.
Usually human needs are dormant and lie at a latent state, and
they get aroused suddenly by internal or external stimuli which
may be physiological, emotional or cognitive in nature
Consumer Wants
Wants—learned manifestation of needs, a desire for a specific
satisfier , Product-specific needs or need satisfiers.
Consumer Demand
Demand – Wants for specific products backed by an ability to
pay.
Most people want a luxury car, but does it constitute market
demand? Only a few are willing and able to buy one.
Usually human needs are dormant and lie at a latent state, and they get aroused suddenly
by internal or external stimuli which may be physiological, emotional or cognitive in nature
As consumers begin to identify that a need exists, there occurs an inner urge or a drive
towards taking action to fulfil the need. In other words, aroused needs create tension or
drives.
Drives motivate consumers to return to a preferred or desired state, called the goal.
This inner urge to put in efforts to attain the goal and thereby attempt satisfaction is
referred to as motivation.
Motivation is a goal-directed activity, and it is directed towards the attainment of one’s
goals.
Consumer motivation is the urge or drive to satisfy consumer needs and wants through
product purchase and its consumption (the goal).
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Motivation Process
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Goals
The sought-after results of motivated behavior
Generic goals are general categories of goals that consumers see as a way to
fulfill their needs.
Product-specific goals are specifically branded products or services that
consumers select as their goals.
Motivations and Goals
Positive Motivation Negative Motivation
A driving force toward some object or A driving force away from some object or
condition (Promotion focused) condition (Prevention focused)
Approach Goal Avoidance Goal
A positive goal toward which behavior is A negative goal from which behavior is
directed directed away
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Regulatory Focus Theory
Posits two separate and independent self-regulatory orientations, both
fundamentally related to achieving desired end-states (goals). It examines the
relationship between the motivation of a person and the way in which they go about
achieving their goal.
Prevention focus
Orients consumers toward avoiding negative consequences
Promotion focus
Orients consumers toward the pursuit of their aspirations or ideals
Goal
structure
o Multiplicity and selection of goals
➢ Needs and wants may be fulfilled through attainment of various goals.
o Conflicting needs and goals
➢ A consumer may often face conflicting needs and goals at the same
time or at various times, and this leads to what is referred to as an
intra-individual conflict.
➢ Kurt Lewin proposed three kinds of conflict situations and termed
these as approach–avoidance, approach–approach, and avoidance–
avoidance conflict.
Conflicting Goals
Approach–approach Approach –avoidance
Conflict: Conflict:
Avoidance–avoidance
Two desirable brands, One brand that has Conflict:
each equally attractive both attractive and
Two undesirable brands
and the person can just unattractive features,
and the person has to
buy one and the person is
buy one of them.
driven towards as well
as against it
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Rational versus Emotional Motives
Rationality implies that consumers select goals based on totally objective
criteria such as size, weight, price, or miles per gallon
Emotional motives imply the selection of goals according to personal or
subjective criteria like appearance, aesthetics, pride, status, love etc.
Arousal of Motives
Physiological arousal
Hunger
Emotional arousal
Daydreaming
Cognitive arousal
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Environmental /situational arousal
Frustration in the need–drive–satisfaction chain
➢ When a person is unable to achieve the desired end-goal state, it
leads to frustration.
➢ While facing a situation of anxiety and in an attempt to deal with
frustration, individuals may act variedly.
➢ As individuals, each one of us strives for a state of equilibrium, and
our body is equipped to deal with frustration through what is known
as the ‘defence mechanism’.
Need–drive–satisfaction chain
The Dynamics of Motivation
Needs are never fully satisfied
New needs emerge as old are fulfilled
Success or failure influence goals
Substitute goals
Frustration
Defense mechanism (ex: aggression, rationalization (or compromise), regression, withdrawal, denial etc)
This gives various advertising appeals
Multiplicity of needs & variation of goals
Motivational Theories and their Implications
for Marketers
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Theory
A theory proposed by
Abraham Maslow in his 1943
paper "A Theory of Human
Motivation"
The five-need classification
clearly spells out the
various reasons for which
people get motivated
towards purchase and
consumption of
good/service offerings.
Maslow suggests that five levels of needs are arranged in accordance with the
importance.
Starting from the bottom of the hierarchy, an individual is motivated first and
foremost to physiological needs.
When the need are satisfied then he is motivated and moves up the hierarchy
to satisfy security need.
This moving up and process continue till the end-user reaches the self-
actualization.
Physiological Needs Security Needs
Most basic needs or immediate needs – These needs include a safe and secure physical and
necessary for the body to stay emotional environment and freedom from
functional. threats—that is, for freedom from violence and for
an orderly society.
It is the bottom and most important
needs.
Example:
1. Financial security, Heath and wellness, a desire
Example: for adequate housing.
1. It includes food, clothes, shelter, air,
water etc. 2. Bisleri, LIC policies, Havell’s Wires – “Aag se
2. Amul, Britannia Bachaye”, Ambuja cement/TMT Steel Rods
(Strength & protection)
Social Needs Esteem Needs
Arise as humans are social beings. These needs relate to the desire for a positive self-
image as well as to receive attention, recognition,
They include the need for friendship, the and appreciation from others.
desire to be accepted by one’s peers, be part
of a group, love and affection, having a series Thus Esteem needs are concerned with respect,
of connections with others self-esteem, status, recognition.
For most people, these needs are satisfied by a Example:
combination of family and community 1. Feeling respected, regarded and worthy in one’s
relationships and friendships on the job. own eyes as well as by others.
Ex: Dove’s ‘Real Beauty’ Campaign ( promotes self
Example:
esteem)
1. Social acceptance, need to belong, to relate
Rolex, Mercedes, Old Ad by Onida “Neighbour’s
to others.
Envy, Owner’s Pride” (Esteem by Others)
2. Social Media Platforms like Facebook,
Instagram, Watsapp
Self-Actualization
These needs include the need for self-
fulfillment, which is the highest need
category.
They concern developing one’s full potential,
increasing one’s competence, and becoming a
better person.
Example:
1. Obtaining our full potential, becoming
confident, eager to express our beliefs, and
willing to reach out to others to help them.
2 Ex: Coursera, Unacademy etc.
Hierarchy of Needs Theory: Implications
Maslow proposed that human beings are motivated by several needs at the
same time, but the strongest source of motivation is the lowest unsatisfied
need.
As the person satisfies a lower-level need, the next higher need in the
hierarchy becomes the strongest motivator and remains so even if never
satisfied.
The exception to this need fulfillment process is self-actualization. People
have an ongoing need for self-actualization; it is never really fulfilled.
Thus, while the bottom four groups are deficiency needs because they
become activated when unfulfilled, self-actualization is known as a growth
need because it continues to develop even when temporarily satiated.
Hierarchy of Needs Theory: Criticism
The main problem with needs hierarchy models is that people have different
needs hierarchies.
Some people place social status at the top of their personal hierarchy; others
view personal development and growth above social relations or status.
Individual needs are strongly influenced by self-concept, personal values, and
personality.
People have different hierarchies of values.
David McClelland’s Trio of Needs Theory
▪ Intrinsic Motivation—pursuing an activity for it’s own sake.
▪ Extrinsic Motivation—pursuing an activity in order to receive a reward.
Research notes that personal goals that focus on extrinsic benefits are associated with
higher degrees of compulsive buying behavior than goals that stress intrinsic benefits
(Roberts and Pirog 2004)
What is the Implication of this Understanding?
Understand the motivation of the consumer and that will give you the
positioning and the theme for designing marketing campaigns 29
Emotions, moods, and consumer behaviour
Strong emotions and moods, either positive or negative, can influence
a person to purchase certain products and/or brands and perform
certain acts of behaviour.
In the context of a marketplace, this means that purchase and
consumption behaviour is strongly influenced and often controlled by
our emotions and mood states.
