CONSUMER NEEDS

&
MOTIVATION

Meaning, classification and

theories of motivation.
Motives & measurement of
motives
Motivation
 Motivation is the reason for a behavior.

 It is the driving force within individuals that impels

to action.

 A motive is a construct representing an

unobservable inner force that stimulate and
compels a behavioral response and provides
specific direction to that response.
Needs
 Innate needs are physiological (air, water,
clothing, shelter and sex).
 They are considered as primary needs or
motives.
 Acquired needs: what we learn in response to
our culture or environment. (self esteem,
prestige, power & learning).
 They are considered as secondary needs or
motives.
Goals
 Goals are the sought after results of motivated
behavior.
 Generic goals: general classes or categories of
goals that consumers see as a way to fulfill their
needs. (student telling his parents he wants a
two wheeler to commute to college).
 Product Specific Goals: If the student says he
wants a Motor bike (Bajaj Pulsar) he is
expressing product (Brand) specific goal.
The Dynamics of Motivation

 Needs are never fully satisfied.

 New needs emerge as old needs are satisfied.
 Success and failure influence goals (as the person
succeeds he raises levels of aspiration).
 Substitute Goals (when intended goals cannot be
satisfied)
 Frustration & Defense Mechanisms
 Model of the Motivation Process

Learning

Unfulfilled Goal or
needs, wants Tension Drive Behavior Need
& desires Fulfillment

Cognitive
Processes

Tension
reduction
Types of Motives
 Positive & Negative Motivation:
 Positive motivations make consumers feel a
driving force toward some object. It is referred to
as approach object.
 Negative when there is a driving force away from
the object. Referred as avoidance object.
 Rational Vs. Emotional Motives
 Rationality implies that consumers select goals
based on totally objective criteria.
 Emotional criteria is about selection of goals
based on personal or subjective criteria.
 Arousal Of Motives
 Physiological Arousal:
 A drop in blood sugar levels or stomach muscle
contractions will trigger hunger pangs.
 A decrease in body temperature will induce
shivering (will bring in the need for a sweater).
 Most physiological cues are involuntary.
 However they arouse uncomfortable tensions
till they are satiated.
Arousal Of Motives
 Emotional Arousal
 People who are bored or frustrated in trying to
achieve their goals often engage in day dreaming
– imagining themselves in desirable conditions.
 These thoughts drive dormant needs, which may
produce uncomfortable tensions that drive them to
goal oriented behavior.
 They will enroll in writing workshops (novelist),
singing classes (singer), internet chat rooms.
Arousal Of Motives
 Cognitive Arousal:
 Triggered through marketing communication
activities.
 An advertisement that provide reminders of
home will trigger yearning to speak to one’s
parents, wife, children etc. which will benefit
the telephone company.
 Ads, direct marketing messages, jingles all
can act as cues.
 Arousal Of Motives
 Environmental arousal:
 Set of needs activated by specific cues in the
environment. Without these cues the needs might
remain dormant.
 9’ o clock news, sight or smell of bakery goods, all
may arouse the need for food.
 Most potential form of situational cue is the object
itself.
 Window display of products, Shelf display in a
supermarket etc.
Substitute Goals
 When individual cannot attain a specific goal
(to satisfy certain needs) then behavior may
be directed to a substitute goal.

 Continued deprivation of a primary goal can

lead to making a substitute goal as primary
goal.
 Defense mechanisms
 Frustration
Motivational Conflicts
 As a purchase decision can involve more than
one source of motivation, -----------------
 consumers often find themselves in situations
in which different motives, both positive and
negative conflict with one another.
 3 general types of conflicts

 Approach – approach conflict

 Approach – avoidance conflict
 Avoidance – avoidance conflict
 Approach – approach conflict: a student staying in
hostel facing the conflict of wanting to go home for the
week end and also join friends for a week end tour.

 Approach - avoidance conflict: a diabetic patient

who enjoys eating sweets. Adorable jewelry vs. cost.

 Avoidance – avoidance conflict: spending more

money on the maintenance of old car or buying a new car.
Physical ailment but dislike being in hospital (injections).
 Hierarchy Of Needs
 Physiological needs: For a person who is extremely and
dangerously hungry, no other interest exists but food. He
dreams food ----
 Safety Needs: Insurance, Medicare, education, savings
and investments oriented products
 Social needs: All most all personal care and grooming
products (cosmetics, mouthwash etc) and family leisure and
entertainment products, furniture, white goods etc
 Egoistic Needs: High tech products such as lap tops, Wi-
Fi equipments, home theater, luxury cars etc.
 Need For Self Actualization: Athlete trying to win
Olympic medal. Scientist working for a cure for aids – Hobby
related products, precision products, professional sports
gear etc.
 Hierarchy Of Needs
 As lower order needs are satisfied, higher level
needs becomes the driving force behind human
behavior.
 In effect it is dissatisfaction that become the driving
force behind human behavior.
 Need hierarchy as wide acceptance as it reflect the
assumed or inferred motivations of many people in
our society.
 Draw back: it cannot be tested empirically; there is
no way to assess at what level of satisfaction of
one level will make a person search for the next
level.
Hierarchy Of Needs
 Readily adaptable to market segmentation
and for developing ad appeals as there are
consumer goods designed to satisfy each
need levels and most needs are shared by
large segments.
 Individuals buy –food provisions, medicines, basic
clothing products to satisfy physiological needs.
 They buy home, start bank accounts, rely on PF
and pension schemes to meet their safety needs.
 They buy insurance, medical-care services and home
security systems, education to satisfy safety needs.
 Individuals buy – health foods, low fat –diet products etc
to satisfy social needs.
 All buying of fashion clothes, personal care and
grooming products (cosmetics / after shave /shampoo
etc) are to satisfy social needs
 Hi-Tech products like home theatre, LCD TV, Blue-tooth
equipments, big cars are for meeting ego/esteem needs.

 High end education, hobby related products, challenging

adventure are sold for getting self fulfillment.
 Hierarchy Of Needs
 Advertising appeals directed to one or more
need levels.
 Volvo targets more traditional buyers and its ad
stresses on the safety appeal.
 Ford Fiesta, Honda City, Innova are advertised
as family car (social appeal).
 Camry, Accord, Swift, (M-Esteem) stress on
power (Ego needs)
 Tata Safari, Ford Endeavour, Ferrari sports car
etc are for self actualization.
 A Trio Of Needs
 Some psychologists believe in existence of a trio of
basic needs. These needs can be considered
derived from Maslow’s need hierarchy.
 Power
 Affiliation &
 Achievement.

 Power: relates to an individual’s desire to control

his or her environment.
 Closely related to ego needs.
 A Trio Of Needs
 Affiliation:
 this need suggests that behavior is strongly
influenced by the desire for friendship, for
acceptance, belonging.
 Appeal to social need – people with high affiliation
needs tend to be socially dependent.
 Achievement:
 Individuals with this need often regard personal
accomplishment as an end itself.
 The achievement need is closely associated with
ego and self actualization needs.
 Latent and manifest Motives in a
Purchase Situation
A large car
Is more
comfortable It will demonstrate
That I’m successful

It’s a high
Quality car that Purchase
Performs well A
Chevrolet

Its, a powerful sexy car

And it’ll help to make
A number of my
Me powerful and sexy.
Friends drive
A Chevrolet

Manifest Motives Latent Motives

 Goal Hierarchy
(Richard Bagozzi & Dholakia)

Super- Be fit Look smart

Live
ordinate & self- (impress
longer
goals confident Others)

Goal : Lose
Focal Goal weight

Sub-ordinate Exercising Dieting

goals
 Communication
Effects & Motivations
1. Five Communication Effects and
2. Basic Motivations that is to be
generated by communications

Ref: Advertising & Promotion Management; John Rossiter &

Larry Percy
The Five Communication Effects
 (John Rossiter & Larry Percy)
 When you are exposed to an Ad “This is what
that would have to happen in your head”
before you buy a brand.

 1. Category Need
 2. Brand Awareness
 3. Brand Attitude
 4. Brand Intention
 5. Purchase Facilitation
 Category Need
 Buyers perception of requiring something
(product / service) to remove a perceived
discrepency between the current motivational
state and desired.

 A car Ad can remind you that your present

car is getting old.
 A light weight lap-top will remind your long
felt need for such product.
 Brand Awareness
 Buyers ability to identify the brand within the
product category in sufficient detail to make a
purchase.
 Brand has to be first linked to category.

 Two sub divisions

 1. Brand Recognition
 2. Brand Recall

 Marketer do not want you to buy just any

brand … but want you to buy a Chevy Cruze.
 Brand Attitude
 Buyers overall evaluation of the brand w.r.to its
perceived ability to meet a currently relevant
motivation.

 For products which are extremely inexpensive

(low risk), brand awareness is enough to
induce sales.
 For all other types, prospective buyers have to
develop a favourable attitude.
 Brand Purchase Intention
 Buyers self instruction to take the purchase
related action.
 Relevance of such communication come when
most people have a highly favourable attitude
towards the brand but very few seriously intend
to buy one.
 Promotion oriented at ‘Trial’ in particular play a
leading role in stimulating brand purchase
intention.
 Purchase Facilitation
 Buyer’s perception of other marketing mix related
factors, that can hinder or stimulate purchase.
 Some options are:
 Advertising only believable and deliverable
attributes (Testimonials, Brand comparisons).
 Addressing a price problem with promotions
 Creating a strong positive attitude by Ads
 Indicating where distribution points are
 Ads that bring better customer response to sales
force activities.
Brand Attitude
 Brand attitude is the complex communication
effect with logical and emotional components.
 All potential buyers experience these effects in
“their head” prior to purchase decisions.

 Brand attitude consists of a cognitive

component (logical – belief) which guides
behavior ---
 And an associated Affective Component which
then energizes the behavior.
Brand Attitude

Cognitive component

Brand Motivation

Affective
component
 Cognitive (Belief) component can be made of a
number of basic benefit beliefs. These are not
the attitude, but rather the reasons for the brand
attitude.
 It represents the “perceived ability” of the brand
to meet the currently relevant motivation.
 The Emotional (Affect) Component is generated
by the motivation itself.
 Since it is currently relevant the motivation is felt
by the buyer as a deprivation,
 Eight Basic Motivations
 Negative Origin
 1. Problem Removal
 2. Problem Avoidance
 3. Incomplete satisfaction
 4. Mixed Approach Avoidance
 Mildly Negative Origin
 5. Normal Depletion
 Positive origin
 6. Sensory Gratification
 7. Intellectual Stimulation
 8. Social Approval
 Problem Removal
 Buyer experiences a current problem and seeks
products that will remedy the situation.
 Saridon, Moov, Iodex, V-guard pumps, Itch
Guard.

 Problem Avoidance
 Buyer anticipates a future problem and seeks
products that will prevent occurrence of it.
 LIC, Finolex, Havells, Anchor switches
 Incomplete Satisfaction
 Buyer is not satisfied with the current product and
searches for a better product.
 Hyundai i10, Toyota Prius, Hero Honda Splendor

 Mixed Approach Avoidance

 Buyer likes many things about the product, but
dislikes, certain others.
 Looks for a product that will resolve the conflict.
 Good Morning Whiskey (no hangovers), Allen-Solley
Friday Dressing), Santro car (tall boy class).
 Normal Depletion
 Buyer is out of stock or stock is low and seeks
to maintain regular supply.
 Most grocery items, stationary etc


 Sensory Gratification
 Buyer seeks extra stimulation (physiological –
sensory) to enjoy the product.
 Mirinda, Cadburys Dairy Milk, Taj Mahal Tea,
Alpinelibel
 Intellectual Stimulation
 Buyer seeks extra (psychological) stimulation
to explore / master the new product.
 CNN, BBC, Rubik's Cube

 Social Approval
 Buyers seeks opportunities for social rewards
or social recognition by buying and using the
product.
 Mercedes, Louis Philippe, Cross, Ray Ban
 Attributes vs. Benefits Vs. Motivations

 Attributes: Sugar (in food product)

 Benefits: a) Taste
 b) Extra Energy
 c) Bad for Health

 Motivations: a) Sensory Gratification

 b) Problem Removal (lack of energy)
 c) Problem Avoidance (Diabetes)
 Attributes vs. Benefits Vs. Motivations
 Attributes: Heavy duty (washing machine)

 Benefits: a) Handles extra quanta of clothes

 b) Fewer break downs
 c) Neighbor's envy

 Motivations: a) Problem Removal

 b) Problem Avoidance
 c) Social Acceptance
 Key Motivators
 Negative Origin
 1. Problem Removal
 2. Problem Avoidance
 3. Incomplete satisfaction
 4. Mixed Approach Avoidance
 Positive origin
 5. Sensory Gratification
 6. Intellectual Stimulation
 7. Social Approval
 8. Achievement Orientation
 9. Affiliation Orientation
 10. Self Actualization