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Consumer Behavior
Roger D. Blackwell
Paul W. Miniard
James F. Engel
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CHAPTER 8
Consumer Motivation
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Consumer Motivation
Represents the drive to satisfy
both physiological and
psychological needs through
product purchase and
consumption
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Consumer Motivation
Represents the drive to satisfy
both physiological and
psychological needs through
product purchase and
consumption
Gives insights into why people
buy certain products
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Consumer Motivation
Represents the drive to satisfy
both physiological and
psychological needs through
product purchase and
consumption
Gives insights into why people
buy certain products
Stems from consumer needs:
industries have been built around
basic human needs
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Types of Consumer Needs
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Types of Consumer Needs
Physiological Needs
Fundamental human needs,
including food, water, and sleep
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Types of Consumer Needs
Safety and Health Needs
Threats to our safety and health
motivate purchases for personal
security and protection
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Types of Consumer Needs
Safety and Health Needs
Protecting our personal
information and computers
represents new types of safety
needs
Businesses provide a variety of
products and services to appeal
to safety and health conscious
consumers
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Safety and Health Needs
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Types of Consumer Needs
Need for Love and Companionship
Humans are social creatures
who need to experience and
express love and
companionship
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Types of Consumer Needs
Need for Love and Companionship
Services and products help
individuals find and attract
others
Products are often used as
symbols of love and caring
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Love and Companionship
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Types of Consumer Needs
Need for Financial Resources and
Security
A need that includes others
important to the individual
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Types of Consumer Needs
Social Image Needs
Conspicuous consumption:
purchases motivated to some
extent by the desire to show other
people how successful they are
Companies reinforce the notion
that products enable users to
communicate their social image
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Social Image Needs
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Types of Consumer Needs
Need for Pleasure
Products, services, and
consumption activities provide
fun and excitement
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© SETH WENIG/Reuters/Landow
Consumers’ Need for Pleasure
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Types of Consumer Needs
Need to Possess
Consumers often acquire products
simply because of their need to own
such products— e.g., collectors
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Consumers’ Need to Possess
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Types of Consumer Needs
Need to Possess
Consumers often acquire products
simply because of their need to own
such products— e.g., collectors
Plays a role in impulse buying:
where consumers unexpectedly
experience a sudden and powerful
urge to buy something immediately
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Types of Consumer Needs
Need to Give
Give something back to others
or reward ourselves
Self-gifts let us motivate, reward,
and console ourselves
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Types of Consumer Needs
Need for Information
One reason we read or watch TV
Fuels Internet usage
Plays an important role in
persuasion—if an ad appears
when consumers need
information, they are more likely
to pay attention than when they
don’t need the information
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Types of Consumer Needs
Need for Variety
Marketers may introduce
different versions of original
brand
Variety may become focus of
product positioning
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Motivational Conflict and
Need Priorities
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Motivational Conflict and
Need Priorities
Satisfying a need often comes at the
expense of another need—these
trade-offs cause motivational conflict
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Types of Motivational Conflict
Approach-approach: deciding between
two or more desirable options
Avoidance-avoidance: deciding between
two or more undesirable options
Approach-avoidance: behavior has both
positive and negative consequences
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Motivational Conflict and
Need Priorities
Resolving motivational conflicts
requires prioritizing needs
Maslow’s hierarchy
Some needs take precedence over
other needs—physiological needs take
top priority
Differences in the importance attached
to various needs affects how
consumers evaluate products
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Motivational Conflict and
Need Priorities
Because of consumers’ different
motivational priorities, companies
use benefit segmentation: dividing
consumers into different market
segments based on benefits they
seek from purchase and
consumption
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Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
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Motivational Intensity
Motivational intensity: how strongly
consumers are motivated to satisfy
a particular need
Depends on need’s importance
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Motivational Intensity
Motivational intensity: how strongly
consumers are motivated to satisfy
a particular need
Depends on need’s importance
Involvement: degree to which an
object or behavior is personally
relevant
Motivational intensity and involvement determine amount of effort
consumers exert in satisfying needs
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The Challenge of Understanding
Consumer Motivation
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The Challenge of Understanding
Consumer Motivation
Reasons underlying consumer
motivation are not always “obvious”
Research is necessary to discover real
motivations behind behaviors
People don’t always want to disclose
real reasons for their actions
People don’t always know why they do
what they do—unconscious motivation
Motivations change over time
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Unconscious Motivation
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Motivating Consumers
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Motivating Consumers
Motivating with Money
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Motivating Consumers
Motivating with Money
Price cuts, specials, rebates, and
coupons motivate purchase
Resulting sales may increase, but
profits may not
Attracts consumers less likely to
repeat
Price reductions may increase price
sensitivity
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Motivating with Money
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Motivating Consumers
Provide Other Incentives
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Motivating Consumers
Provide Other Incentives
Premiums, free products,
contests, and sweepstakes are
designed to motivate consumers
to purchase
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Motivating with Other Incentives
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Motivating Consumers
Provide Other Incentives
Premiums, free products,
contests, and sweepstakes are
designed to motivate consumers
to purchase
There are limitations and
shortcomings for this strategy in
addition to the products offered as
a premium being valued less
(value-discounting hypothesis)
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Motivating Consumers
Implement a Loyalty Program
Motivate repeat buying by providing
rewards to customers based on how
much business they do with the
company
Tracks consumer purchases and
provides estimates of Customer
Lifetime Value
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Participation in Loyalty Programs
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Motivating Consumers
Enhance Perceived Risk
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Motivating Consumers
Enhance Perceived Risk
Perceived risk: consumers’
apprehensions about the
consequences of their behavior
(buying and consuming the product)
Greater perceived risk increases
search
Educating consumers about risks
may motivate them to make more
informed choices that reduce
exposure to risk
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Informing Consumers of Their Risks
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Motivating Consumers
Arouse Consumers’ Curiosity
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Motivating Consumers
Arouse Consumers’ Curiosity
For new products, educating
potential customers is crucial
Curiosity often leads to an enhanced
need for information
May advertise a benefit that is not
normally associated with the product
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Arousing Curiosity
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