Consumer Behavior
Motivations
O Ideas, activities and/or people who have the
power to “get us off the couch” and into a
consumer purchase decision-making
process
O Tools to understand consumer motivations
O Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
O Personality traits, attitudes & beliefs
O Cultural influences (family, subcultures)
O VALS – take the quiz!
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
As needs at
lower levels are
satisfied, needs
at higher levels
‘take over’ and
become the
motivations for
purchase
decisions.
Nike sells self-actualization
(not shoes)
Nike's "Just Do It" campaign challenges people to exceed their physical
limitations. Dove's "Campaign for Real Beauty" encourages women to shake
off the self-doubt and anxiety imposed by traditional concepts of beauty.
This ad for Nike appeals
to Maslow’s fifth and
highest category, selfactualization. The ad
implies that by using
Nike equipment
consumers will be able
to improve performance
and achieve their goals.
Dove sells self actualization (not toiletteries)
Personality Traits
O Personality describes a person’s disposition, helps
show why people are different, and encompasses a
person’s unique traits. The “Big Five” personality
traits that psychologists discuss frequently include
openness or how open you are to new experiences,
conscientiousness or how diligent you are,
extraversion or how outgoing or shy you are,
agreeableness or how easy you are to get along
with, and neuroticism or how prone you are to
negative mental states.
Personality Traits
O Many traits are learned; some are innate.
O Traits are bundled. You find trait
combinations in most people.
O Achievement (test one’s skills)
O Independence (be autonomous)
O Exhibition (show off)
O Recognition (in high regard)
O Dominance (power)
O Affiliation (association with opinion leaders)
More Personality Traits
◦ Nuturance (protect and provide care)
◦ Succorance (be comforted)
◦ Sexuality (be sexually attractive)
◦ Stimulation (engage the mind and body)
◦ Diversion (relax and have fun)
◦ Novelty (alter routine)
◦ Understanding (teach and learn)
◦ Consistency (order and cleanliness)
◦ Security (free from fear)
VALS
 “VALS™ segments U.S. adults into eight distinct
types—or mindsets—using a specific set of
psychological traits and key demographics that
drive consumer behavior.”
 Eight VALS types
◦
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◦
◦
◦
◦
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Innovators
Thinkers
Believers
Achievers
Experiencers
Makers
Survivors
Family Influences
 Family Life Cycle
◦ Consumers purchase different products and services
at each stage of their lives.
Young single
Young married no kids
Young married with kids
Middle-aged with kids
Middle-aged without dependent children (“Empty
Nesters”)
 Older married
 Older unmarried





◦ In some families, consumer decision-making involves
many people across several generations.
Culture and Subculture
O Different ethnic groups tend to exhibit
similar purchasing habits. Why?
O They value the same things. Those values
motivate their purchase decisions.
O They hold the same beliefs. Those beliefs
influence their preferences.
O If they live near each other, their purchase
behaviors are likely to be even more similar!
(Claritas)
The Purchase Decision Process
Let’s think and write
O Why do people in different cultures buy different products?
O What is your opinion of companies like Google that gather
information about your browsing patterns? What advantages
and drawbacks does this pose for consumers? If you were a
business owner, what kinds of information would you gather on
your customers and how would you use it?
O What purchasing decisions have you been able to influence in
your family and why? Is marketing to children a good idea?
O Name some products that have led to a negative postpurchase
experience on your part.
O Why is understanding consumer behavior so important for
companies? Think of examples where you do not think
companies understood their consumers
In pairs
O Using Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, identify a list of
popular advertising slogans that appeal to each of
the five levels.
O Identify how McDonald’s targets both users
(primarily children) and buyers (parents,
grandparents, etc.). Provide specific examples of
strategies used by the fast-food marketer to target
both groups. Make it a point to incorporate Happy
Meals and Mighty Kids Meals into your discussion.