Assignment Topic

Explain Maslow’s Theory of motivation. Give examples and describe how it can be
useful to the marketer.

Instructions
The assignment must be submitted in an essay type form (typewritten) and
approximately contain 1000 words. References and quotations must be used where
necessary.
Deadline: 31st of March 2009.
 Behavioural Studies Assignment Report

Introduction

Motivation is a key word not only in marketing, but in every day life. For example,
when I want my children to achieve a goal, for example a good mark in a test, or to
finish his homework in a time limit, I’m trying to motivate them by offering them
something they want very much, playing at the Luna Park or buying them something
they want etc. So, we are passing this process since we are small children.

Definitions

Motivation can be defined as the control of behaviour which is activated and directed
towards attaining a definable goal.

A motive is a need or wants that is sufficiently pressing to direct a person to seek

satisfaction. Motives can be learned1 or unlearned2. Motives can be positive3 or
negative4 as well.

The stages of motivation

The states that motivate behaviour, such as hunger or cold, referred to as motives,
drives or needs. Secondly, behaviour motivated by these needs or drives, which is
called instrumental behaviour. The third stage is the attainment of an objective or
goal.

Motive Instrumental Behavior Goal

(Hunger) (Visit the supermarket) (Food)

1
Arise through learning. Social motives are the most important learned motives.
2
It includes the basic physiological drives.
3
Positive goals that a person strives to attain
4
Negative motives that a person tries to avoid such as difficulty or unpleasant situation

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Theories of Motivation

A lot of psychologists studied and developed theories on motivation, such as Douglas

McGregor (Theory X and Y), Frederick Herzberg (The Two-Factor Theory), David
McClelland’s Theory of Needs etc.

The most famous content theory is Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of human needs.

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and the marketer

Self-actualization
Personal growth and fulfillment

Esteem needs
Achievement, status, responsibility, reputation

Belongingness and Love needs

Family, affection, relationships, work group, etc.

Safety needs
Protection, security, order, law, limits, stability, etc.

Biological and Physiological needs

Basic life needs - air, food, drink, shelter, warmth, sex, sleep, etc.

Maslow categorized human needs into five levels which are arranged in a hierarchy of
importance. As soon as a need on a lower level of hierarchy has been fulfilled, those
on the next level will emerge and demand satisfaction. Therefore, people in poor
societies tend to be concerned with the satisfaction of physiological needs and safety
needs and will not be interested in the higher levels. For example, if a marketer tries

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to sell a rolex in a poor country in Africa, he will fail, because people in these
countries difficult met their physiological needs and rarely their safety needs. How
these people will emerge this higher level of need?

This is of a great importance for the firm and the marketer, because if he can
understand how people think and which their needs are, only then he can segment the
market effectively and make the right positioning of their products. Because, when we
attempt to make a sale, we are not only selling the product, but we are selling the idea
of the product, the image of the product and the result of the product. We are
essentially promising to fulfil one or more needs in the hierarchy. This can be built
loyalty of our customers, if they could associate their need with our products.

Obviously, a marketing campaign will be more successful the more it appeals to the
lower level of unfulfilled need in a person’s life. What this means for the marketer, is
that knowing your audience’s needs is key. Because, if company’s product
positioning is promises to fulfil an esteem need, this will be useless for a customer
whose safety needs are not met yet.

The four first levels of Maslow’s hierarchy of needs are more or less the same for the
most of us. The last level is a bit different. Maslow has used a variety of terms to
refer to this level: He has called it growth motivation (in contrast to deficit
motivation), being needs (or B-needs, in contrast to D-needs), and self-actualization.
These are needs that do not involve balance or homeostasis. Once engaged, they
continue to be felt. In fact, they are likely to become stronger as we “feed” them.
They involve the continuous desire to fulfil potentials, to “be all that you can be.”
They are a matter of becoming the most complete, the fullest, “you” hence the term,
self-actualization.

Now, in keeping with his theory up to this point, if you want to be truly self-
actualizing, you need to have your lower needs taken care of, at least to a considerable
extent. This makes sense: If you are hungry, you are scrambling to get food; if you
are unsafe, you have to be continuously on guard; if you are isolated and unloved, you
have to satisfy that need; if you have a low sense of self-esteem, you have to be
defensive or compensate. When lower needs are unmet, you can’t fully devote
yourself to fulfilling your potentials. It isn’t surprising, then, the world being as

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difficult as it is, that only a small percentage of the world’s population is truly,
predominantly, self-actualizing. Maslow at one point suggested only about two
percent.

Some of the characteristics that self actualized persons have are:

• Superior perception of reality.

• Increased acceptance of self, others and nature.

• Increased spontaneity.

• Improved task-orientation and problem solving skills.

• Increased desire for privacy and solitude.

• Independence.

• Greater richness and range of emotional reaction.

• Spirituality.

• Democratic values.

• Feelings of intimacy with loved ones.

• Increased creativity.

• Philosophical humor.

As you can understand from the bulleted list above, is very difficult for the marketer
to differentiate his products in order to satisfy people who have these characteristics.
The most of marketers, in Cyprus at least, they are focused on how to sell their
products and not to satisfy their customers needs. They are interested only in sale
itself and no to what this sale means to the consumer and how it satisfies consumer’s
need.

Another one example for satisfying the lower levels in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs
is when a food or drink manufacturer marketing a luxury product may however find
that, rather than appeal to the physiological need for food or drink, it is preferable to
identify his product with the satisfaction of one of Maslow’s higher needs. He may for
instance appeal to belonging needs and display his product in a social context.

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Alternatively, he could appeal to esteem needs and suggest that by serving the product
to friends, the social status of the consumer will be enhanced.

Conclusion

One of the most important things that a marketer must have into consideration, is the
hierarchy of needs ladder by Maslow, analyse these needs to be able for effective
decision making concerning the product positioning, market segmentation and the
target market.

References

- http://webspace.ship.edu/cgboer/maslow.html
- http://searchwarp.com/swa290987.htm
- http://www.maximumbalance.com/community/node/786
- Behavioural Studies, CIM, p. 13-15

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