Motivation and Values

Chapter 4

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• What are Paula’s motivations for being a vegetarian?

• How is vegetarianism being promoted and who is promoting it?

• How is the beef industry responding to this movement toward a meatless diet?

• How are values influencing individuals’ choices in consumption?

Opening Vignette: Paula

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Motivation & Values

• The forces that drive us to buy/use products…– Are usually straightforward– Can be related to wide-spread beliefs– Are emotional & create deep commitment– Are sometimes not immediately recognizable

to us

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The Motivation Process

• Motivation:– The processes that lead people to behave as

they do. It occurs when a need arises that a consumer wishes to satisfy.

• Utilitarian need: Provides a functional or practical benefit

• Hedonic need: An experiential need involving emotional responses or fantasies

• Goal:– The end state that is desired by the consumer.

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The Motivation Process• Drive:

– The degree of arousal present due to a discrepancy between the consumer’s present state and some ideal state

• Want:– A manifestation of a need created by personal and

cultural factors.• Motivation can be described in terms of:

– Strength: The pull it exerts on the consumer– Direction: The particular way the consumer attempts to

reduce motivational tension

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Ads Reinforce Desired States

• This ad for exercise shows men a desired state (as dictated by contemporary Western culture), and suggests a solution (purchase of equipment) to attain it.

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Motivational Strength• Biological vs. Learned Needs:

– Instinct: Innate patterns of behavior universal in a species– Tautology: Circular explanation (e.g. instinct is inferred

from the behavior it is supposed to explain)• Drive Theory:

– Biological needs produce unpleasant states of arousal. We are motivated to reduce tension caused by this arousal.

• Expectancy Theory:– Behavior is pulled by expectations of achieving desirable

outcomes – positive incentives – rather than pushed from within

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Motivational Direction• Needs Versus Wants:

– Want: The particular form of consumption used to satisfy a need.

• Types of Needs– Biogenic needs: Needs necessary to maintain life– Psychogenic needs: Culture-related needs (e.g. need

for status, power, affiliation, etc.)– Utilitarian needs: Implies that consumers will

emphasize the objective, tangible aspects of products– Hedonic needs: Subjective and experiential needs

(e.g. excitement, self-confidence, fantasy, etc.)

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Motivational Direction

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Instant Gratification of Needs

• We expect today’s technical products to satisfy our needs – instantly.

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Motivational Conflicts• Goal valence

– Positively-valued goal: approach

– Negatively-valued goal: avoid

• Deodorants & mouthwash

• Positive and negative motives often conflict with one another

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Motivational Conflicts (Cont’d)• Approach-Approach

– Two desirable alternatives– Cognitive dissonance

• Approach-Avoidance– Positive & negative aspects

of desired product– Guilt of desire occurs

• Avoidance-Avoidance– Facing a choice with two

undesirable alternatives

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Classifying Consumer Needs: Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

Figure 4.2

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Dutch Conception of Paradise

• A Dutch respondent’s collage emphasizes this person’s conception of paradise as a place where there is interpersonal harmony and concern for the environment.

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Criticisms of Maslow’s Hierarchy• The application is too simplistic:

– It is possible for the same product or activity to satisfy every need.

• It is too culture-bound:– The assumptions of the hierarchy may be restricted to

Western culture• It emphasizes individual needs over group

needs– Individuals in some cultures place more value on the

welfare of the group (belongingness needs) than the needs of the individual (esteem needs)

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Discussion

• Devise separate promotional strategies for an article of clothing, each of which stresses one of the levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs.

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Consumer Involvement

• Involvement:– A person’s perceived relevance of the object

based on his/her inherent needs, values, and interests.

• Object: A product or brand

• Levels of Involvement: Inertia to Passion– Type of information processing depends on the

consumer’s level of involvement• Simple processing: Only the basic features of the

message are considered• Elaboration: Incoming information is linked to

preexisting knowledge

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Conceptualizing Involvement

Figure 4.3

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Increasing Involvement through Ads

• The Swiss Potato Board is trying to increase involvement with its product. The ad reads, “Recipes against boredom.”

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Consumer Involvement (cont.)

• Involvement as a Continuum:– Ranges from disinterest to obsession

• Inertia (Low involvement consumption):– Consumer lacks the motivation to consider alternatives

• Flow State (High involvement consumption):– Consumer is truly involved with the product, ad or web

site• Cult Products:

– Command fierce consumer loyalty and perhaps worship by consumers who are highly involved in the product

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Cult Products

• Command fierce consumer loyalty, devotion, and worship– High involvement in a brand– E.g., Apple computers, Harley-Davidson

CLICK ON LOGO TO SEE VIDEO ABOUT

CONSUMERS’ DEVOTION TO HARLEY DAVIDSON

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The Many Faces of Involvement

• Product Involvement:– Related to a consumer’s level of interest in a

particular product• Message-Response Involvement:

– (a.k.a. advertising involvement) Refers to a consumer’s interest in processing marketing communications

• Purchase Situation Involvement:– Refers to the differences that may occur when

buying the same product for different contexts

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Customizing for Product Involvement

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Purchase Situation Involvement

• Differences that may occur when buying the same object for different contexts– Social risk is a consideration– Gift as symbol of

involvement

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Measuring Involvement

• Teasing out the Dimensions of Involvement:– Involvement Profile:

• Personal interest in a product category• Risk importance• Probability of making a bad purchase• Pleasure value of the product category• How closely the product is related to the self

– Zaichkowsky’s Personal Involvement Inventory Scale• Segmenting by Involvement Levels:

– Involvement is a useful basis for market segmentation

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Table 4.1: Involvement ScaleTo Me (Object to be Judged) Is

1. important _:_:_:_:_:_:_ unimportant2. boring _:_:_:_:_:_:_ interesting3. relevant _:_:_:_:_:_:_ irrelevant4. exciting _:_:_:_:_:_:_ unexciting5. means nothing _:_:_:_:_:_:_ means a lot6. appealing _:_:_:_:_:_:_ unappealing7. fascinating _:_:_:_:_:_:_ mundane8. worthless _:_:_:_:_:_:_ valuable9. involving _:_:_:_:_:_:_ uninvolving

10. not needed _:_:_:_:_:_:_ needed

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Strategies to Increase Involvement• Appeal to hedonistic

needs• Use novel stimuli in

commercials• Use prominent stimuli in

commercials• Include celebrity endorsers

in commercials• Build consumer bonds via

ongoing consumer relationships

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Values• Value:

– A belief that some condition is preferable to its opposite (e.g. freedom is better than slavery)

• Core Values:– General set of values that uniquely define a

culture• Value system: A culture’s unique set of

rankings of the relative importance of universal values.

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Core Values

• Every culture has its own set of values– E.g., individualism vs. collectivism

• Value system• Enculturation vs. acculturation

– Socialization agents: parents, friends, teachers– Media as agent

• Discussion: Core values evolve over time. What do you think are the 3–5 core values that best describe Americans today?

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Using Values to ExplainConsumer Behavior (Cont’d)

• List of Values (LOV)– Nine consumer segments/endorsed values– Values by consumer behaviors– E.g., those who endorse sense of belonging

read Reader’s Digest & TV Guide, drink & entertain more, and prefer group activities

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Means-end Chain Model

Florist Beauty Love True Friendship

ProductImportant Product Attributes

InstrumentalValues(flexible)

TerminalValues

Cheerful Happiness

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Materialism

• Materialism:– The importance people attach to worldly

possessions– Tends to emphasize the well-being of the

individual versus the group– People with highly material values tend to be less

happy– America is a highly materialistic society– There are a number of anti-materialism

movements

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Values of Materialists

• Materialists value visible symbols of success such as expensive watches.

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• Materialists are more likely to consume for status. Can you think of products and brands that convey status?

• There is a movement away from materialism in our culture. Can you think of products, ads, or brands that are anti-materialistic?

Discussion Question

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Consumer Behavior in the Aftermath of 9/11

• Need for balance…– 9/11 & consumer

values• Redirecting focus

from luxury goods to community/family

• Terror Management Theory

• Consumer privacy vs. security