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Unit 3: Consumer Motivation

Observation: Observation of consumers can help in developing hypotheses about human motives. Notes
It is easier to observe consumers in buying situations than in their homes and can be accomplished
in-person or by using video cameras. Video cameras are less intrusive than a person as an
observer. However, observation by human eye or video cameras cannot answer every question.
Generally, observation needs to be supplemented by focus group or depth interviews to fully
understand why consumers are behaving the way they do.
Focus Group: In the hands of a skilled moderator, focus group can be quite a valuable research
technique. The group interview is largely non-directive in style and the group must develop
spontaneous interaction. It is the group excitement and spontaneity that exhibit the behaviours
that reveal underlying motives.
Depth Interview: The heart and soul of motivational research is the depth interview. It is a
lengthy, one-on-one personal interview conducted by a professionally trained motivational
researcher.
The researcher relies heavily upon non-directive interviewing techniques. The goal of the
researcher is to get the respondent to talk, and keep talking. The researcher begins the interview
by introducing general topics, rather than asking direct questions. She/he probes by raising
eyebrows, by giving a questioning look, by paraphrasing what the respondent has said, or by
repeating the respondent's own words in a questioning manner. These techniques are non-
threatening to the respondent.
During the interview, the researcher watches for clues that might indicate that a "sensitive
nerve" has been touched. Some of the clues that the researcher watches for include long pauses
by the respondent, slips of tongue, fidgeting, strong emotions, variations in voice pitch, facial
expressions, eye movements, avoidance of question, fixation on an issue, and other body language
indicators. These "sensitive" topics and issues are then the focus of additional probing and
exploration later in the interview.
Each respondent interview is tape-recorded and transcribed. During the interview, the researcher
makes notes about respondent's behaviour, mannerisms, physical appearance, personality
characteristics, and non-verbal communication. These notes help the researcher to understand
and interpret the verbatim transcript of the interview.
The researcher can also use projective techniques to evoke additional feelings, imagery, and
comment from the respondent later in the interview. She/he asks the respondent to tell a story,
play a role, draw a picture, complete a sentence, or associate words with a stimulus. The researcher
can also use photographs, product samples, packages, and advertisements as stimuli.
To analyse the interview, the researcher reads and reads hundreds of pages of verbatim respondent
dialogue and looks for systematic response patterns. The researcher identifies logical
inconsistencies or apparent contradictions, compares direct responses against projective
responses, and notes consistent use of unusual words or phrases. She/he studies the explicit
content of the interview and thoughtfully considers its meaning in relation to the implicit
content.

Caution The researcher searches for what is not said as much diligently as what is said.
She/he sifts through the clues and the evidence to deduce the forces and motives influencing
consumer behaviour.
The analysis begins at cultural level. What we wear, the way we eat, how we dress, what we
think and feel, and the language we speak are dimensions of culture. The culture is the context
that must be understood before the behaviour of individuals within the context can be understood.
Every product or service has cultural values and rules that influence its perception and its usage
or consumption.

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