HUMAN NEEDS (MASLOW’S HIERARCHY)

If you were selling a sweater to a customer, what might you say to motivate them to buy it?

Don’t write

Think of the last product or service you paid for. What motivated you to buy it?

Don’t write

ABRAHAM MASLOW

• Psychologist

• “A Theory of Human Motivation” (1943)

• Developed a hierarchy of needs

• Once lower needs are met, people move onto the next needs

• Needs = motivators

MASLOW’S HIERARCHY OF NEEDS

Think-pair-share: What do you think of this pyramid? Do you agree? Disagree?

MASLOW AND BUSINESS?

Why Do Businesses Care About Maslow?

• Maslow’s theory of motivation helps us understand consumer buying behaviour.

• It helps in understanding the psychological factors that determine human behaviour, and thus consumers buying behaviour ($$$).

Why Do Businesses Care About Maslow?

• Companies develop products to help satisfy particular needs, then market the product to show its consumers WHY they need it.

• They can focus on one need, or multiple needs at a time.

• Example: a clothing company can focus on physiological needs (need to be protected from the environment and to be warm). They can also focus on esteem and self-actualization needs (clothes improve a person’s self-esteem or self-perception and give them the confidence to pursue their self-actualization needs).

Activity: Name that need!

• In groups, decide what level of Maslow’s hierarchy your advertisement appeals to

• Does it appeal to multiple needs?

• How successful do you think this advertisement would be/is? Why? (ie. Consider the target market)