Basic Consumer Motivations - Case Study Example

Marketing, Case Study    Topic:  Case Study 2 -Describe basic consumer motivations and what initiates human behavior.  Motivation is an internal drive which encourages a person to act in a certain way. This encouragement to act is directed towards a particular goal. Consumer motivation is an internal drive which is goal directed and most commonly portrays a desire for a product or service. This behavior results in the satisfaction of customers` needs and wants. These needs and wants could be psychological and physiological and are satisfied through either the purchase of goods and services or through the use of these products. If the internal drive forces a customer towards the product then it is positive motivation but if it drives a customer away from a product then it is negative motivation. These positive and negative drives are what initiates and directs consumer behavior. Basic consumer motivation can either be rational or motivational. Rational consumption is when a consumer`s behavior is based upon an objective criteria for example price or the size and weight of the product being purchased. Emotional motivation, however, is when a customer purchases a product based on subjective criteria or personal likes and dislikes for example, status, fear etc. All the needs and wants of customers are either in born or are acquired through the behavior of other consumers. Human behavior is initiated through personal needs, wants and goals which are to be fulfilled. These characteristics are dependent upon the personal preferences and experiences of the consumers. There are two kinds of goals: generic or product specific goals. Generic goals are those which state the general needs and wants of consumers for example, the need to buy car. On the other hand, product specific goals are those which state the specific needs and wants of people for example, the kind and the model of the car the consumer wants to buy. These needs, wants and goals together initiate and drive human behavior. According to a clinical psychologist, Dr. Abraham Maslow, human behavior as well as consumer motivation is directed by five basic needs of human beings. These needs include physiological needs, safety and security needs, social needs, ego needs as well as the needs for self actualization. All of these needs, together, motivate and direct human consumer motivation which in turn initiates human behavior. In today`s world of rapid globalization and increased technology, corporations and firms have realized that it is extremely important to study what drives and motivates human behavior. This is because products keep on changing and with rapid change new products keep on replacing obsolete ones but the basic consumer motivations and needs remain constant. Therefore, companies focusing on these needs and wants are more likely to gain a competitive advantage and will benefit in terms of a larger market share in the long run. Companies need to develop products which satisfy consumer needs and wants so that the internal drives of consumers motivate them to buy these products. (Lans Perner, n.d.). -Explain how to measure consumer emotions and how emotions help shape value.  One of the key components directing consumer behavior is emotions. Companies often underestimate the extent of the relationship between emotions and consumer behavior. In order for a product to be successful in the market, it must satisfy consumer needs and wants. Even if a company develops a product which is sure to satisfy consumer needs, how would a company know if the consumers are actually satisfied or not? Measuring consumer emotions is complex and there is no simple way to measure these emotions. There are two reasons for this complexity for measuring consumer emotions. One is that most firms lack the true understanding of consumer emotions and second is that unlike behaviors, and profits, emotions are difficult to quantify or measure. But, at the same time, it is extremely important to know if your product is satisfying consumer needs or wants. Some traditional ways of measuring emotions include the price and quantity demanded of the products which show whether consumers are demanding the product or not. If customers are satisfied with the product and if it fulfills their needs and wants then they would be demand it in higher quantities. However, if the product fails to satisfy their needs the sales and demand of this product would be low. Other measure include he response of consumers on social media including websites, newspapers etc where consumers can their feelings and expressions freely. Another innovative way to measure emotions in this century is emotional signature through which firms can study the subconscious as well as the emotional elements of a consumer`s behavior. -Define the concept of schema value.  The concept of schema helps in differentiating between different tags which are created by various users. Without, all tags would be similar and there would be no point of differentiation between the users of these tags. In simple words, it is a unique title for a specific element. Consumer behavior can also be related to this concept of schema value. The point of differentiation between different producers and firms can be represented by a scheme value. This value is what makes a product more attractive for a customer and is the reason why consumers purchase this particular product in comparison to its competitors. Difference in schema values between competitors has the ability to affect consumer behavior, their purchase decisions as well as the value that they associate to these products and services. The degree of deviation between an ideal expected schema and the actual schema can affect a consumer`s purchasing pattern. For example, the difference between various attributes of products can affect the value or the image of products in consumers` minds. -Define personality and traits as applied to consumer behavior.  Personality is defined a unique set of traits which define an individual as a person. These traits also determine an individual`s response to certain physiological as well as physical environmental stimuli. There are a number of theories which explain the relationship between personality traits and consumer behavior. In order to remain competitive, corporations invest in research and development and this research has shown that the subconscious needs of consumers direct their behavior of purchasing goods and services. Firms use these important pieces of information to attract consumers in order to earn a higher market share than its competitors. These consumer behavior patterns are then used for market segmentation and targeting by the firms. This way the companies can plan better marketing strategies and then, relate it well to their target market. This would result in more efficient and productive outcomes for the firm. This also makes the firms strategies more attractive for the consumers and results in a better relationship between consumers and firms. The traits and personality of consumers can be related to choices made by consumers or their preferences between comparable goods and services. All the theories of personality including humanistic, trait, cognitive and psychodynamics explain how personality affects consumer behavior and their preferences. It is extremely important for the company to study consumer behavior patterns and plan their strategies based on these findings. Without a successful relationship with consumers, it is nearly impossible for firms to survive in the market in long term. Consumer behavior is dependent on consumer personality which is made up of different traits and these define and direct the choices and preferences of consumers. (Jose Vicente Ortega, Jan 2013). -Explain the role of the self-concept and the concept of self-congruence in consume behavior issues. Self concept is how a person perceives himself and thinks about himself. There are two parts of the self concept including existential and categorical. The existential self is the realization of being separate different from other human beings and having a different set of personality traits than other individuals. The categorical self, on the other hand, is realizing that human beings are sent as an object in this world. Self concept is further divided into self image, self esteem and ideal self. Self congruence is when the actual self of an individual is consistent with the ideal image the person has of his self. In relation to consumer behavior, research has shown that the purchases that consumers make are in direct relation with the image that they have of themselves. The formation of self concept entails a number of qualities and traits of the individual. Marketers need to study the formation as well as the resulting self image of the consumers in order to plan their marketing programmes and future strategies. Self congruence is also important for the establishment of relationship between a person`s self image and final consumer decisions regarding the purchase of goods and services. Consumers` preference for goods and services also depends on how they perceive the image of the product to be in consistent with their own self image. Consumers also form certain images of products in their mind and then relate it to their own self image and this affects their consumption patterns (Sree Rama Rao, July 2010). Works Cited: Babin, B. J., & Harris, E. (2011). CB3. Mason, Ohio: South-Western. Consumer behavior and self concept / product image Congruence. (n.d.).Citeman Network — Online Business Community Knowledgebase. Retrieved March 21, 2013, from http://www.citeman.com/9806-consumer-behavior-and-self-concept-product-image-congruence.html How to Measure Customer Emotions: Introducing Beyond Philosophy’s Paper on Emotional Signature ® I Kalina Janevska and Steven Walden. (n.d.).Beyond Philosophy | Customer Experience Consultancy | CEM Consultants. Retrieved March 21, 2013, from http://www.beyondphilosophy.com/blogs/how-to-measure-customer-emotions-introducing-beyond-philosophys-paper-on-emotional-signature Personality Traits and Consumer Behavior | Random Thoughts. (n.d.).Sekiur Blog. Retrieved March 21, 2013, from http://blog.sekiur.com/2013/01/personality-traits-and-consumer-behavior/ Changes, a. p., & Direction, w. c. (n.d.). Consumer Behavior: The Psychology of Marketing. Consumer Behavior: The Psychology of Marketing. Retrieved March 21, 2013, from http://www.consumerpsychologist.com/ Read More