What Is the Relationship
between Consumer
Behavior and Motivation?
Erin J. Hill
Last Modified Date: January 06, 2023
Consumer behavior and motivation are connected in various ways, the most
obvious of which is the fact that consumer behavior is primarily dictated by
motivation. When consumers spend money on goods or services, there is
something that motivates them to do so. This could be an already existing want or
need, or it could be due to effective advertising.
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No matter what the purchase, consumer behavior and motivation are always linked,
as there is always a motivation for buying something. Even with items or services a
customer doesn't necessarily want, there is still a motivation for buying.
Consumers pay their power bills to avoid sitting in the dark. Consumers likewise
purchase clothing, cosmetics, new cars, or homes because they are motivated to do
so in some way.
Advertisin
g sets up certain items like fancy cars as status symbols.
Sometimes consumer behavior and motivation are practical. There are some things
people buy no matter what because they are a basic necessity. Food, water, power,
gas, and clothing are needed for normal everyday life. In these cases, the
motivation to purchase stems from the human desire to live and be comfortable.
They are purchased without much thought and consideration because there is no
other choice.
Price can
be a strong motivator for consumer spending.
At other times consumer behavior and motivation are much more complicated and
personal. While many people will want to purchase a car at some point, the type of
car is decided upon by more personal motivations. A parent with three kids may
want to buy a minivan because they are practical, safe, and get good gas mileage.
A teenager may want a shiny red sports car.
Sociologic
al factors like age and gender factor into consumer motivations.
These motivations are typically about more than just finding a good deal or finding
something that will do the job adequately enough. Advertising is designed to make
consumers crave a product. It sets up certain items as status symbols and elicits
certain feelings in the minds of consumers to influence them when making a
decision. Corporate branding comes into play as well, as various companies
attempt to establish themselves as the go-to brand for specific feelings, needs, or
services.
A focus on
self-image may drive the consumer to buy a car loaded with the latest
features.
An example of this is the sports car mentioned above. The young teen may want to
purchase the car not only because he likes the color or because the price is right,
but because it positions him with a certain status. Teen boys who drive a sports car
may be portrayed in advertising and in the media as hip, popular, and attractive.
The powerful engine of most sports cars also acts to exhibit the boy's own sense of
power and growing independence as an emerging adult.
In some
cases, consumers may buy things because they provide pleasure or meaning
instead of fulfilling a need.
These ideas are not just developed spontaneously in the minds of consumers, but
are placed there over time through effective advertising and through movies and
other media outlets. Marketing and advertising companies are experts at playing
into consumer behavior and motivation, and they use this to their advantage when
positioning a brand in the marketplace. It is their jobs to create want in consumers
so that they will be motivated to buy.
https://www.smartcapitalmind.com/what-is-the-relationship-between-consumer-
behavior-and-motivation.htm
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