Understanding Consumer Behavior: Needs, Wants, and Motivation

MARK 4100 Notes January 11 We are Consumers 24/7 - We are always consuming something (ex. The clothes we are wearing) - We are sometimes planning future consumption - We are sometimes enjoying memory of past consumption What is Consumer Behavior? Consumer behavior: the mental and physical activities undertaken to acquire and consume the products and services so as to fulfill needs and wants. - Physical activity: buying a product, preparing for consumption, etc. - Mental activity: evaluating a product in your mind Need and Want Need: a discomforting human condition Want: a desire for a specific product so as to alleviate that condition 3 Essentials of Consumer Behavior 1. Exchange: an interchange between two parties where each receives value (example: exchanging things at Burning Man festival) 2. Resources: Something that others value - Five resources: money, time, physical energy, knowledge and skills, social capital 3. Value: sum total of all benefits we receive from a product - USER: utilitaria, social, ego-identity, recreation/hedonic Purpose of Business and Marketing To create satisfied customers. The Age of the Empowered Consumer - The age of co-creation and personalization - The age of authentic experience - The age of collaborative consumption - The age of the consumer in the driver's seat Source Diciplines for Consumer Behavior 1. Anthropology 2. Sociology 3. Economics 4. Psychology Who Should Study Consumer Behavior 1. Marketers 2. Social organizations 3. Public policy makers 4. Consumers Tattoo: A Metaphor for Desire Purpose of Marketing: to help the consumer experience the proverbial tattoo that is already within him/her. - To satisfy the consumer you have to bring that tattoo out

1/23 Chaper 2 Terms - Motivation: human drive to attain a goal or object - Drive: energy that impels us to act - Goal Object: something we seek, that which we judge will bring us comfort/value - Purposive Behavior: expenditure of energy towards a goal object A Model of Consumer Motivation Origins of Needs - Innate - Learned - Biogenic - Psychogenic Maslow's Model of Hierarchy of Needs Remember just because you can create an ad message does not mean consumers will accept it. This is an exercise in understanding the concept. Whether an ad message will stick will depend on what the brand actually delivers—tangibly and intangibly alike!!! From Chapter 1, you already know consumers seek authenticity, not slick (insincere) brand promises. Murray's List of Psychological Needs 1. Autonomy 2. Dominance 3. Nurturance

4. Exhibition 5. Cognizance 6. Exposition Dichter's List of Subconscious Motives 1. Mastery over environment 2. Masculinity 3. Individuality 4. Status 5. Love and affection Researching Consumer Motives 1. Undisguised questioning 2. Distinguished questioning (conscious projection) - Third person - Mason Haire technique 3. Disguised, Unguarded (Natural) response (unconcious projection) - Word association - Sentence completion - Story completion - Mason Haire Technique Consumer Emotions Emotions: sudden surge of feelings - This sudden surge produces a strong drive to approach the source of that feeling...thus, emotions serve as motivation Consumer Moods Moods: mild emotions - Transient - Background and foreground - Moods can arise internally - Moods from external stimulus - Produce consumer activity - Moods by situation: retail atmosphere Consumer Response: Linger or Leave Hedonic Motive More pleasure seeking, happiness, recreation - Seeking recreation - Seeking pleasure Intrinsic Enjoyment