Chapter 10: Motivation, Personality, and Emotion

L02: Articulate motivation’s role in consumer behavior and marketing strategy

Summary:
Consumers are often aware of and will admit to the motives causing their behavior. These are
manifest motives. They can be discovered by standard marketing research techniques such as
direct questioning. Direct advertising appeals can be made to these motives. At other times,
consumers are unable or unwilling to admit to the motives that are influencing them. These are
latent motives. They can be determined by motivation research techniques such as word
association, sentence completion, and picture response . Although direct advertising appeals can
be used, indirect appeals are often necessary. Both manifest and latent motives are operative in
many purchase situations.
Involvement is a motivational state caused by consumer perceptions that a product, brand, or
advertisement is relevant or interesting. Consumer needs play a strong role in shaping
involvement, and marketers must adapt their strategies depending on the level (high versus low)
and type (enduring versus situational) of involvement exhibited by their target audience.
Because of the large number of motives and the many different situations that consumers face,
motivational conflict can occur. In an approach–approach conflict, the consumer faces a choice
between two attractive alternatives. In an approach-avoidance conflict, the consumer faces both
positive and negative consequences in the purchase of a particular product. And finally, in an
avoidance–avoidance conflict, the consumer faces two undesirable alternatives.
Regulatory focus theory suggests that consumers react differently depending on whether
promotion-focused or prevention-focused motives are most salient. When promotion-focused
motives are more salient, consumers seek to gain positive outcomes, think in more abstract terms,
make decisions based more on affect and emotion, and prefer speed versus accuracy in their
decision making. When prevention-focused motives are more salient, consumers seek to avoid
negative outcomes, think in more concrete terms, make decisions based more on factual
substantive information, and prefer accuracy over speed in their decision making. Which motive
set is more salient can depend on individual and situational factors and has numerous marketing
implications.
Presentation:

MOTIVATION THEORY AND MARKETING STRATEGY

1. Marketing Strategies Based on Multiple Motives

- Consumers are often aware of and will admit to the motives causing their behavior.

- These are manifest motives.  

- They can be discovered by standard marketing research techniques such as direct questioning.
- Direct advertising appeals can be made to these motives.
- At other times, consumers are unable or unwilling to admit to the motives that are influencing
them.
- These are latent motives.
- They can be determined by motivation research techniques such as word association, sentence
completion, and picture response .
- Although direct advertising appeals can be used, indirect appeals are often necessary.
- Both manifest and latent motives are operative in many purchase situations.
Example:
1. Manifest Motives:

 All of their collection are stylish and come in a variety of sizes and colors
 Their shoes are high quality, durable and comfortable

2. Latent Motives

 It will show I’m trendy and fashion

 It is Preferred brand with celebrities so will be special

Motivation and Consumer Involvement

- Involvement is a motivational state caused by consumer perceptions that a product, brand, or
advertisement is relevant or interesting.
- Consumer needs play a strong role in shaping involvement, and marketers must adapt their
strategies depending on the level (high versus low) and type (enduring versus situational) of
involvement exhibited by their target audience.

Marketing Strategies Based on Motivation Conflict

- Because of the large number of motives and the many different situations that consumers face,
motivational conflict can occur.
- In an approach–approach conflict, the consumer faces a choice between two attractive
alternatives.
- In an approach-avoidance conflict, the consumer faces both positive and negative
consequences in the purchase of a particular product.
- And finally, in an avoidance–avoidance conflict, the consumer faces two undesirable
alternatives.

Marketing Strategies Based on Regulatory Focus

- Regulatory focus theory suggests that consumers react differently depending on whether
promotion-focused or prevention-focused motives are most salient.
- When promotion-focused motives are more salient, consumers seek to gain positive outcomes,
think in more abstract terms, make decisions based more on affect and emotion, and prefer speed
versus accuracy in their decision making.
- When prevention-focused motives are more salient, consumers seek to avoid negative
outcomes, think in more concrete terms, make decisions based more on factual substantive
information, and prefer accuracy over speed in their decision making.

- Some are obvious: seat belts and home security systems are essentially about avoiding loss
(prevention focus), while vacation homes, lottery tickets, and facelifts are about potential gains
(promotion focus).

- Which motive set is more salient can depend on individual and situational factors and has
numerous marketing implications.