Marketers try to get insights into what drives human motivation but the primary framework for understanding human motivation remains the one built during WWII, more than half a century old.
These are not aspersions to Maslow's work. I am sure that it continues to be useful to anyone who wants to develop a greater understanding of human motivation.
This is a case for a more accurate and predictive model of human motivation. Here's the thing, Maslow's model operates on a "first-this-then-that" progression model but it's usually several motivations occurring simultaneously that lead to that "first purchase".
Let's talk about this in terms of a framework. There are inner-directed motivators and there are outer-directed motivators. They "activate" based on "influences" that we derive from our environment or any external stimuli.
– Inner-directed motivators: (IM)
• they drive us from within,
• makes us do things when no one is watching,
• we are transparent with these motivations.
These would be:
• Good sense • Self-love • Hedonism • Joy of ownership • Personal reinvention • Value-added experiences • Private legacy etc.
– Outer-directed motivators: (OM)
• they drive who we are when we are with others,
• when we want something from others
• when we're pretending in society
• when we create a projected "image" of ourselves around others.
These would be:
• One-upmanship •FOMO •Attention •Connection •Vanity •Social Credit •Public Legacy etc.
Thus the new model looks at human motivation from a perspective of "simultaneous multiplicity" resting on the conviction that most, if not all, motivations spring up within us are concurrently active.
• These motivators are not ranked.
• Motivations overlap or remain intertwined in tandem.
Example: Look at motorcyclists. Attention (OM) combined with the joy of ownership (IM). This would lead one person to buy a Harley Davidson. The same motivator, attention (OM) + good sense (IM) would take another person to buy a Bajaj Pulsar. Both brands fulfill the attention need, with the second motivator pulling each person towards a different brand choice.
What's essential to understand is these motivations are fluid and merge harmoniously with each other. There can be pairs or even trios of such motivations. Vanity + Hedonism = Sabyasachi outfit for an occasion but some days vanity + good sense = H&M or Zara.
This article cherry-picks narratives on the consumer engagement model mentioned by @bharatbambawale in his latest book, 9 Timeless Nuggets – Essential Marketing For The Young & Ambitious.
Thank you for your attention and reading this far.
–C.