CONSUMER MOTIVATION – FEATURES, NEED AND IMPORTANCE
Consumer Motivation is the driving force within individuals that impels them to action. Consumer motivation is what that stimulates all human behaviour. The process of motivation is initiated by the tension an unsatisfied want creates. An individual makes all possible efforts to reduce that tension. The needs or motives which are at the root of the motivation process are of different types. Physiological needs or primary needs include the need for air, water, food, clothing, shelter and sex, while psychological or secondary needs include the need for affection, status, security, etc.
Consumer Motivation is
- The biological, emotional, rational and/or social force that activates and directs behavior
- An inner drive that reflects goal-directed arousal
- A desire for a product, service, or experience.
- Drive to satisfy needs and wants, both physiological and psychological, through the purchase and use of products and services
- Reason for behavior
- An unobservable inner force that stimulates and compels a behavioural response and provides specific direction to that response.
- Once a need is aroused, a state of tension exists that drives the consumer to attempt to reduce or eliminate the need.
So, we can say consumer motivation is concern with
| Needs | Basic human requirements |
| Drives | Tells how these needs translate into behavior |
| Goal | What behavior aim to achieve |
FEATURES OF CONSUMER MOTIVATION
Consumer motivation has following characteristics which are as discussed below:
Motivation is a continuous process: Motivation is continuous process. It starts with unfulfilled needs or wants or desire which creates tension. Tension forces/drives behavior which leads to fulfilment of goal/needs. Satisfaction of one needs/desire create or give birth to new want. So, it is continuous in nature.
Motivation can be positive or negative: Basically, motivation is of two type i.e. positive motivation and negative motivation. Positive Motivation is a driving force toward some object or condition but on the other hand Negative Motivation is a driving force away from some object or condition.
| POSITIVE MOTIVATION | NEGATIVE MOTIVATION |
| It is a driving force toward some object or condition.Approaches goal is a positive goal towards which behavior is directed. | It is driving force away from some object or condition.Avoidance goal is a negative goals from which behavior is directed. |
Motivation is goal oriented: It is goal-oriented activity as it motivate person toward achievement of goal or fulfilment of needs
Motivation is complex in nature: The motivation is continuous process start with tension which forces the person to fulfil their need. Satisfaction of particular need will give birth to other needs/desire. It is difficult to satisfy the customer in full. So it is complex in nature to understand the consumer action in particular situation.
Motivation is an art: Motivation is the art of marketer to motivate the consumer to buy the particular product or performed the particular activity.
Motivation is system-oriented: Motivation is the result of interplay among three groups of factors:
- Influences operating within an individual e.g., his goals, needs and values,
- Influences operating within the organization e.g., organization structure, technology, physical facilities and nature of the job, etc. and
- Forces operating in the external environment, e.g., culture, customs, norms, etc., of the society.
NEED AND IMPORTANCE OF CONSUMER MOTIVATION
Consumer Motivation offers several benefits to the organization as well as other parties:
TO THE ORGANISATION
Increase Sales: Consumer motivation makes the consumer to buy certain product or behave in particular manner. If the marketer become successful to motivate consumer, he definitely increase sales of Business.
Increase Profit: A marketer can motivate the consumer by understanding the consumer behaviour toward a particular (company) product/service. An increase in sale of such products or services leads to an increase in profits.
Brand Loyalty: Once the consumer use the product which provides satisfactory performance, he becomes brand loyal. For example, a satisfied consumer of Samsung Television, going to purchase cell phone in market, would prefer the cell phone of same brand i.e. Samsung.
Organization loyalty: Discounts, sales/offers, timely orders, after-sale services, etc. develop a sense of loyalty towards the company.
Satisfaction: It is not a easy task to persuade the individual for your company’s product. Consumer motivation toward your company’s products/ services create sense of satisfaction. If effective product will choose/use by individual, it will lead to consumer retention.
Good relations: Satisfactory products/services develop the good relations with the consumer and the customer company. It will help the company to retain them for a long time.
Expansion/growth of Business: Profit, earned from increased sales, used as ploughing back in investment or used for productive activities such as expansions, growth, development, mergers, takeover etc.
Mass Product: Satisfactory consumers provide a source of information or advertisement for another individual in the target market. It will create a demand for the same product in the market. Heavy demand leads to mass production.
Low cost of production: If the company is involved in Mass production techniques, it will be blessed with the advantages or benefits like low cost of production, reduced prices, less wastage, increased efficiency etc.
Increase Efficiency: Mass production technique of production gives birth to repetition of work/activities/operations. It increase efficiency because it is popularly said “Practice makes the man perfect”.
TO THE SALESMAN
Market goodwill: Efforts of the salesman to attach the target individuals with the company, which provides benefits/satisfaction at both ends, generate their goodwill/ reputation in the market.
Handsome Salary: The salesmen are paid for any individual added to the list of consumers of the company. They are awarded for their efforts. In many companies, the targets are given to the salesmen to attract more customers.
Other incentives: Sometimes the salesman is awarded with incentives, bonuses, extra salaries etc. by the companies for their extra efforts.
TO THE CONSUMER
Satisfaction: The marketer should motivate the consumer product/services, which in turn provides satisfaction to the consumer. A satisfactory consumer is automatically motivated for the same product next time.
Availability of Product/Services: When the marketer motivates the person toward a product or service according to their needs and requirements, the consumer will realize the availability of the product according to their needs and requirements.
Understanding: Consumer motivation leads to customer satisfaction, consumer retention, availability of products, the close relation between consumer and company etc. There all the benefits develop the understanding between each other.
Offers or Discounts: Increased sales, raises in profits, and understanding consumer behavior encourage the company to offer, samples, discounts, sales with coupons.
Reasonable Price: The company offers reasonable prices to consumers because of mass production, low cost of products, less wastage etc.
Others: Some other benefits are timely delivery etc.