Marketing Information

Maslows Marketing Filter


One of the basics of all marketing and advertising training is a teaching of "Maslow's needs pyramid". This pyramid shows the different motivators and needs in a person's life and how they are built one upon the other. Supposedly this is presented to help the marketing student understand consumer motivation and thinking. The problem is I've never seen it applied, in the text books. It's presented as the foundation of human motivation and then it's dropped.

I'd like to present to you a way to use Maslow's needs pyramid so that you can get inside the consumer's mind and develop an understanding of what's truly motivating them as they consider purchasing your product or service.

Maslow's needs pyramid present human needs such that each need is pursued and met before the next level of needs can be considered; they build upon one another. The needs from most basic to most complex are:

- physiological needs: food, shelter, sex
- safety needs: clothing, weapons, defense of self
- social needs: social acceptance
- esteem needs: acceptance of self by self
- fulfillment needs: a feeling of having and fulfilling a purpose

So the question is, "How do we use this paradigm to get inside the consumer's head?"

Let's consider a personal fitness training service. Here's how it works at the most basic level. Place yourself in the position of the consumer and think as if you are considering hiring a personal fitness trainer.

1. How will personal fitness training impact my acquisition and use of food? Of shelter? Of sexual behavior? (Now you see why sex is used in marketing so many products - we react to it instinctually)

2. How will personal fitness training impact my personal safety? - you'll be in better shape and can run faster from a mugger, perhaps.

3. How will personal fitness training positively impact my standing in society? In my social circle? Access to different social circles?

4. How will personal fitness training positively impact how I think about myself?

5. Will personal fitness training have an impact on my personal sense of fulfillment?

I understand that most consumers, will ask themselves these types of questions without really thinking about them. The answers you develop as you purposely ask yourselves these types of questions will give you insight in the processes a consumer may consider or be susceptible to as they are considering purchasing personal fitness training services.

This process will also help you define ways to market that will get consumers to consider your personal fitness training service if they are not. Using Maslow's needs pyramid helps you target your marketing. It is the foundation of:

Getting Attention
Developing Interest
Creating Desire
Facilitating Commitment
Motivating to Action

If you can use Maslow's needs pyramid to get inside the head of the consumer by running it through a filter of questions like the one's I've presented above you'll have a tangible marketing advantage because you now can respond to your consumer's internal dialogue.

Using this type of filtering process can also help you create need in those that have not yet developed an interest in your product or service. Simply put yourself in the consumer's place and present you're marketing to them in such a way as to answer or resolve each need in the hierarchy.

Maslow's needs pyramid is a powerful tool that is taught to every marketing and advertising student in the world but it must be understood and applied if it's to actually be useful. Try using Maslow's marketing filter the next time you are considering a marketing campaign. It'll help you get a better grip on what the consumer is thinking and feeling.

Darrin F. Coe holds a masters degree in professional psychology specializing in consumer thinking. He operates Consumer Thinking.com at http://www.consumer-thinking.com.

Subscribe to The Darrin Coe Ezine at http://www.consumer-thinking.com/dcezine.html


MORE RESOURCES:

Fortune

Chrysler marketing chief denies Super Bowl ad was political
Detroit Free Press
Olivier François, Chrysler's marketing chief, denies that its Super Bowl ad aimed to endorse President Barack Obama. By Brent Snavely Chrysler Chief Marketing Officer Olivier François insisted that the "Halftime in America" Super Bowl ad was not ...
Chrysler's Super Bowl Ad: Debated, Like It or NotHuffington Post (blog)

all 163 news articles »


TSN

Andretti group plans IndyCar race to Milwaukee
Boston Herald
Andretti Sports Marketing, founded last fall, will bring the IZOD IndyCar Series back to the historic State Fair Park oval June 16 — the Saturday of Father's Day weekend — the group announced Friday. Milwaukee returned to the IndyCar schedule in 2011 ...
Milwaukee Mile back on IndyCar schedule, Andretti-led group to promote June 16 ...Washington Post
IndyCar returns to Milwaukee for June 16 raceSan Francisco Chronicle

all 138 news articles »


7 Marketing Lessons From RIM's Failures
Mashable
And, mostly, really bad marketing. On this, RIM is in good company in the consumer electronics industry, where so many manufacturers market poorly. But few have made so many marketing mistakes so quickly. Here are seven marketing lessons from RIM's ...

and more »


BILMBA Marketing & Associates Launches 1SwingThought.com to Aid Golfers in ...
Sacramento Bee
By BILMBA Marketing & Associates LOS ANGELES, Feb. 10, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- BILMBA Marketing & Associates has launched a new website http://www.1SwingThought.com with a simple yet revolutionary product for golf equipment designed to help the 20+ ...
BILMBA Marketing & Associates Launches 1SwingThoughtcom to Aid Golfers in ...Review seeker (press release)

all 12 news articles »


SEO Services Alert: Internet Marketing Blueprint Unveiled at 2012 AAJ Winter ...
Sacramento Bee
10, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- When you design your house you need an architect; when you design your lawyer Internet marketing campaign, you need an SEO architect who understands the online legal marketing industry. Cepac lawyer marketing consultants ...

and more »


Nan Richardson Named Director of Marketing & Business Development for JG ...
MarketWatch (press release)
based commercial/retail contracting firm JG Construction as director of marketing and business development. In her new position, Ms. Richardson will be responsible for all marketing activities both internal and external, including client relations, ...

and more »


5 Ways to Market Your Brand on LinkedIn
Mashable
Linda Coles is the author of the book Learn Marketing with Social Media in 7 Days (Wiley) and is a social media speaker and consultant at Blue Banana. LinkedIn provides plenty of marketing opportunities, but lets take a look at some of the lesser-known ...

and more »


BancorpSouth Insurance Hires Texas Region Marketing Manager
Sacramento Bee
10, 2012 -- /PRNewswire/ -- BancorpSouth Insurance Services, Inc. hired Larry D. Batie II as marketing manager for the Texas region. He previously served as account executive and assistant vice president at Marsh & McLennan Companies.

and more »


Deadline.com

NBC Layoffs Hit Marketing and Publicity Departments
Hollywood Reporter
Somewhere in the neighborhood of 10 marketing employees were let go Friday, with publicity layoffs expected next week. The pink slips are being doled out across NBC's marketing and publicity ranks. The news of structural changes comes as entertainment ...
NBC cuts 10 jobs in marketing unit: 26-year veteran ousted; more layoffs expectedChicago Tribune
EVP Jim Vescera Departs In NBC Marketing Department DownsizingDeadline.com
NBC entertainment chief spending big bucks as pink slips loom for marketing ...New York Post
mediabistro.com -O'Dwyer's PR News
all 7 news articles »


Daily Gossip

PepsiCo to Cut 8700 Jobs, Spend More on Marketing Brands
BusinessWeek
9 (Bloomberg) -- PepsiCo Inc. plans to cut 8700 jobs and boost marketing spending for its brands by as much as $600 million as Chief Executive Officer Indra Nooyi works to speed up profit growth at the world's largest snack-food maker.
PepsiCo To Cut Jobs, Boost Marketing; Lowers 2012 ViewWall Street Journal
PepsiCo Cuts Jobs To Boost Marketing ExpensesDaily Gossip
PepsiCo to boost marketing spend, consolidate agenciesDM News
Patch.com
all 590 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2006