Page 40 - DMGT506_CONSUMER_BEHAVIOUR

Unit 3: Consumer Motivation

Notes
Example: Many ads of ego intensive products emphasize ego appeals such as
expensive watches, jewellery and designer dresses etc.
5. Self-actualisation Need: Maslow believed that most people are unable to satisfy their ego
needs sufficiently and as a result of this are unable to move to the fifth and last level. Self-
actualisation refers to a person's desire to achieve or become what one is capable of.
People express this need in different ways. The only common thing is that they all seem to
be striving for excellence in whatever they are doing. They work single-mindedly for
years to achieve what they want.

Evaluation of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs

The theory has received wide recognition among practicing managers and in social disciplines
as it appears to reflect the inferred human motivations. This can be attributed to the theory's
intuitive logic and ease of understanding. The five need-levels are generic enough to cover most
human needs. The major problem with need hierarchy theory is that research does not generally
validate the theory. It is not at all possible to measure accurately how satisfied one need is
before the next higher-level need becomes active.
Despite criticisms, Maslow's theory is widely used by marketers to understand how various
products or services fit into the plans, goals and lives of potential consumers. It is used to
develop suitable advertising appeals, enabling marketers to focus on a need level that is shared
by large number of audience in the target market.

Example: Soft drink commercials directed at the younger generation stress on social
appeal by showing a group of young people sharing good times and the advertised soft drink.
It also facilitates developing product positioning so that the product is perceived in a manner
desired by the marketer.

Freudian Theory

Freud's psychoanalytic theory had a strong influence on the development of modern psychology
and on explanations of motivation and personality and has been used to study consumer
motivations. He proposed that the real psychological forces shaping consumers' purchase
behaviour are often complex and unconscious and it is not possible for a casual observer or the
consumers themselves to fully understand their own motivations.
Motivation researchers conduct "in-depth" interviews with a few dozen consumers to explore
unconscious motives. They also use "projective techniques" such as word association tests, sentence
completion tests and picture interpretation etc. More recent research points out that each product
has the potential of arousing a unique set of motives in consumers.

Example: Whisky can draw someone who is seeking social relaxation, or status, or fun
and we often see ads of different brands using one of these appeals.

McGuire's Comprehensive Scheme of Psychological Motives

As we have seen, Abraham Maslow presented basic motives in a hierarchy of five levels. Other
researchers have proposed hundreds of additional specific motives. William J. McGuire ("Some
Internal Psychological Factors Influencing Consumer Choice," Journal of Consumer Research,

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