Abraham Maslow (1954) developed the hierarchy of needs model which can

help us understand the basis of human motivation. The hierarchy can be

divided into basic (or deficiency) needs (e.g. physiological, safety, love, and
end growth needs (cognitive, aesthetics and self-actualization).

Human needs are categorised in five major groups in hierarchical order:

The first level contains physiological needs (water, sleep, food). After these
needs are satisfied, the individual is able to focus on satisfying the safety
needs (shelter, security, and protection) and belongingness needs on the
third level such as: love, friendship, and acceptance. Satisfaction of these
needs allows the individual to advance to the ego needs. Inwardly-directed
ego needs include: self-esteem, achievement, uniqueness, and
independence. Whereas status, prestige, reputation and social recognition
come under the category of outwardly-directed ego needs. At the top is the
need for self-actualisation: striving to realise your full potential through
education, travel, hobbies, engagement with environmental/social causes,
etc.

In order to progress to the higher growth needs the lower level basic needs
must first be satisfied. Maslow said that everyone is capable of moving up
the hierarchy and everyone strives to do so. Unfortunately, progress is often
disrupted by failure to meet lower level needs; life changing events such as
divorce and loss of job may cause an individual to fluctuate between levels
of the hierarchy. Maslow noted only one in a hundred people become fully
self-actualized because our society rewards motivation primarily based on
esteem, love and other social needs.

Maslow's hierarchy is one way of defining human needs but it has strengths
and flaws as a theory, click the link to see the Pros and Cons of Maslow’s
Hierarchy.

Marketers frequently use Maslow's heirarchy to target their ads towards

needs at different levels of the hierarchy, to see examples of those ads
click here