The Psychological Effects of Advertising
Have you ever wondered why people buy the things that they do? Do you think that psychology plays a major role in our purchasing behaviors?
Lets take a brief look at the psychological stages of life, also known as Abraham Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. (Abraham Maslow was a psychologist that studied successful people.) According to Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, we all have five major types of needs or stages of life that are listed below:
Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs
Stage One – Physiological needs are the basic parts of life such as food, water, shelter, air, and sleep.
Stage Two – Safety needs are feeling safe and secure inside your home, feeling financially secure, and having safe relationships with friends and family members.
Stage Three – Love and belonging needs are the ways you are accepted into the groups you want to be in, and the relationships you have with your friends and family. It is also the desire we have to be needed.
Stage Four – Esteem needs are self esteem, giving and receiving respect, wanting power and control, as well as the need to feel valuable.
Stage Five – Self-Actualization – In this stage, one feels that they have become everything that they possibly can. If you reach this stage you will have extreme amounts of peace, knowledge, and self fulfillment.
Maslow said that once you have met the needs of stage 1 you can go on to stage 2 then to stage 3, and so on. Maslows studies also showed us that people in the lower levels will do violent things (steal, lie, cheat) in order to fulfill these needs and move on to the next level.
Translating Maslows Hierarchy of Needs into advertising techniques and consumer buying habits
In order to sell a product or service, you must make consumers want your product. Contrary to belief, consumers dont have to need your product or service in order to purchase it. Research has shown that people usually buy products that they want before they buy products that they actually need. In order for consumers to want your product you must understand their needs and lifestyles. Heres a look at Maslows Hierarchy of Needs from an advertisers point of view.
Stage One – Physiological needs
People that are in Stage One probably do not have a lot of money. Food, shelter and transportation should be their main priorities. So they will buy cheaper things even if the quality is not very good because they cant afford better quality items. These people are attracted to anything that will save them money.
A good example of people in Stage One is the popular reality series, Survivor. In this television show, 16 people are put on a remote island and must provide their own shelter, food and water. If you have watched this television show, you will see that the people look for food and water as soon as they get to this desert island. Shelter is usually the next thing the survivors search for. Other things (luxuries) seem minor to these people because they know they need food and water in order to survive. If you are unfamiliar with the show check it out. The survivor show.
How does this show continue to fit into this hierarchy? Can you identify how the survivor game and its contestants fit into stages Stage Two through Stage 5? What happens with the contestants at each of these stages?
