UNIT III- BUYING MOTIVES NOTES

DYNAMIC NATURE OF MOTIVATION

1. Aggression (attracting) may react with anger towards his/her boss for not
getting enough money for one trip so frustrated consumers have boycotted
manufacturers in an effort to improve product quality and have boycotted
retailers in an effort to have price lowered.
2. Rationalization (Convince themselves)They may decide that goal is not really
worth (reasoning for being unable to attain their goals)
3. Regression—People react to frustrating situations by regressing behaviour
which is childish or immature behavior
4. Withdrawal—withdrawing from the situation.Ex..Person who has difficulty
achieving officer status in an organisation may simply quit the organisation or
he may decide he can use his time more constructively in other activities.
5. Projection—An individual may projecting blame for his/her own failure and
inabilities on other objects or persons. Ex.. The driver who has an automobile
accident may blame the other driver or the condition of the road Ex. cricket
player blame the ground / climate.
6. Autism or Autism thinking Day dream that enables the Individual to attain
unfulfilled needs ( dreaming / thinking emotionally / romantically).
7. Identification- Sometime people feel frustration by subconsciously identifying
with other persons or situation that they consider relevant. Ex.. Mouth wash,
shampoo, soap..to attract opposite sex
8. Repression– Another way that individuals avoid the tension arising from
frustration is by repressing the unsatisfied need Ex..A couple who cannot
have children may surround themselves with plants or pets .

BUYING MOTIVES MEANING AND DEFINITION

A buying motive is the reason why the customer purchases the goods. So, motive
refers to thought, urge, feeling, emotion and drive which make the buyer to react in
the form of a decision. Motivation explains the behavior of why they are going to buy
the goods. They buy the goods due to several motives such as economic, social,
psychological, etc.
For example: In winter seasons we are motivated to purchase the woolen clothes to
protect from the cold. Likewise, we are motivated to purchase the fans in summer
season to get relief from the hot. Knowledge of buying motives of the customers is
important for the producers and suppliers. The needs and desires of customers and
their buying behavior should be properly discussed. This will help to take proper step
for drawing the attention and sale of goods.
So, buying motive is concerned with the reasons that impulse the buyer to take the
decision for the action. It motivates or induces the customers that may be affected

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due to several reasons such as pride, fashion, fear, safety, love, affection, comfort,
convenience and economy. After analyzing and evaluating it, the producers as well
as suppliers can effort to develop the product and advertisement creativity.

WHY DO CONSUMERS BUY ?

People have six motives for buying any product or service :

1. DESIRE FOR GAIN: Most of our prospects are going to have this as their
primary motive whether they measure the financial gain directly or indirectly.if
investing in advertising, as noted, then the expectations is to generate more
prospects and, ultimately, profitable new customers. If buying a new truck for
a fleet a motive for gain may be the increased fuel effiency of the truck to a
reduced operating cost , lower maintainence cost or greater hauling capacity
that allows for productivity in use. On a personal level an investment in real
state, mutual funds or other forms of direct payback for personal gain or
business profit can be a dominant reason as a buying motive. TRUCK

2. FEAR OF LOSS: While buying insurance is an obvious example of spending

to avoid a loss, there are other examples. In business, a prospect who feels
they are losing their market share or losing out on new opportunities may be
motivated by fear of loss. This can lead to spending to better compete. For
example, a company may open a new distribution center or increase training
for customer service or staff to defend market share. INSURANCE

3. COMFORT AND CONVIENCE: A few examples of personal comfort and

convenience in business would be having a comfortable office chair or a
reserved parking space by the front door of the office. At the organisational
level, the convenience of dealing with your can be seen as having you being a
responsive representative. As the prospect works with your company, though,
the view can expand to include dealing with other parts of your company with
whom the client interacts: delivery, billing, your assistant or any employee of
the company.

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4. SECURITY AND PROTECTION: Smoke alarms or a security fence are
good examples of purchasing for security. In business, keep in mind security
in choosing the source of a source of a purchase is important. There is, of
course, the old famous saying in technology that no purchasing agent ever
got fired for choosing to buy from IBM. Because of previous experience,
recommendation by others or brand reputation, your product or service needs
to ideally, be established as the superior overall value for purchase. At least ,
as sales guru Brain Tracy notes in his training, you need to be viewed as the
safest and best choice or the least risk decision. Fear of criticism by others for
choosing you can be seen as an unsafe choice. In the early years of USA
Today, where I worked earlier in my earlier career, the company had to battle
the ‘McPaper’ tag that kept prospective advertisers from spending their
market budgets with us. We had to battle the perception that the content was
not credible and, thus, not creating a quality readership. Even though the
research validated the demographic characteristics of the readers, there was
still the perception that greater editorial creditability was needed before certain
clients would work with us a greater share of their budgets. It may have
seemed fair from our prospective, but it was a reality to the prospect and it
had to be overcome. Fortunately that view became virtually nonexistent and
USA Today is now a well-established news and information source.

5. PRIDE AND OWNERSHIP: The pride factor may be overt or subtle. I had a
former boss who was compelled to tell everyone about his Mercedes, corvette
and boat. He was a bit extreme but he got personal satisfaction in talking
about his possessions. For others pride may be very internal through a sense
of accomplishment.

6. SATISFACTION OF EMOTION: This can be in any ways. Using the example

of advertising again, you may not naturally associate advertising with
satisfaction of emotion. Still, many businesses see themselves as up and
comers, market leaders or innovators (ex: Apple). Advertising reinforces their
market position to the broader public. Think about the premium paid by a
company to be an Olympic sponsor. The total value of association cannot be

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 measured in just dollars and cents. Advertising is also used to support the
morale of staff by validating the quality of their employer.

TYPES OF BUYING MOTIVES

Buying motives can be categorized as follows:
1) Product Buying Motives
2) Patronage Buying Motives

Product Buying Motives

Product buying motives are the factors or characteristics of a product that persuade
a person to purchase only that product instead of other products available in the
market. The factors can be physical appearance like design, size, color, price, shape
etc. or can be psychological features like status, desire to reduce danger etc.
Product buying motives is divided into two categories: Emotional and Rational.

A. EMOTIONAL PRODUCT BUYING MOTIVES:

When a buyer decides to purchase a product without thinking over the matter
logically and carefully (i.e., without much reasoning), she is said to have been
influenced by emotional product buying motives. Emotional product buying motives
include the following:

1. Pride or Prestige:
Pride is the most common and strongest emotional buying motive. Many buyers are
proud of possessing some product (i.e., they feel that the possession of the product
increases their social prestige or status). In fact, many products are sold by the
sellers by appealing to the pride prestige of the buyers. For instance, diamond
merchants sell their products by suggesting to the buyers that the possession of
diamonds increases their prestige or social status.

2. Emulation or Imitation:
Emulation, i.e., the desire to imitate others, is one of the important emotional buying
motives. For instance, a housewife may like to have a silk saree for the simple
reason that all the neighbouring housewives have silk sarees.

3. Affection:
Affection or love for others is one of the stronger emotional buying motives
influencing the purchasing decisions of the buyers. Many goods are purchased by

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the buyers because of their affection or love for others. For instance, a husband may
buy a costly silk saree for his wife or a father buy a costly watch for his son or
daughter out of his affection and love.

4. Comfort or desire for comfort:

Desire for comfort (i.e., comfortable living) is one of the important emotional buying
motives. In fact, many products are bought comfort. For instance, fans, refrigerators,
washing machines, cushion beds, etc. are bought by people because of their desire
for comfort.

5. Sex appeal or sexual attractions:

Sex appeal is one of the important emotional buying motives of the buyers. Buyers
buy and use certain things, as they want to be attractive to the members of the
opposite sex. Men and women buy cosmetics, costly dresses, etc., because of this
emotional motive, i.e., sex appeal.

6. Ambition:
Ambition is one of the emotional buying motives. Ambition refers to the desire to
achieve a definite goal. It is because of this buying motive that, sometimes,
customers buy certain things. For instance, it is the ambition that makes many
people, who do not have the facilities to pursue their college education through
regular colleges, pursue their education through correspondence courses.

7. Desire for distinctiveness or individuality:

Desire for distinctiveness, i.e., desire to be distinct from others, is one of the
important emotional buying motives. Sometimes, customers buy certain things,
because they want to be in possession of things, which are not possessed by others.
Purchasing and wearing a particular type of dress by some people is because of
their desire for distinctiveness or individuality.

8. Desire for recreation or pleasure:

Desire for recreation or pleasure is also one of the emotional buying motives. For
instance, radios, musical instruments, etc. are bought by people because of their
desire for recreation or pleasure.

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9. Hunger and thirst:
Hunger and thirst are also one of the important emotional buying motives.
Foodstuffs, drinks, etc. are bought by the people because of this motive.

10. Habit:
Habit is one of the emotional considerations influencing the purchasing decision of
the customers. Many customers buy a particular thing because of habit, (i.e.
because they are used to the consumption of the product). For instance, many
people purchase cigarettes, liquors, etc. because of sheer habit.

B. RATIONAL PRODUCT BUYING MOTIVES:

When a buyer decides to buy a certain thing after careful consideration (i.e. after
thinking over the matter consciously and logically), s/he is said to have been
influenced by rational product buying motives. Rational product buying motives
include the following:

1. Safety or Security:
Desire for safety or security is an important rational buying motive influencing many
purchases. For instance, iron safes or safety lockers are bought by the people
because they want to safeguard their cash, jewelries etc., against theft. Similarly,
vitamin tablets, tonics, medicines, etc., are bought by the people because of this
motive, i.e. they want to safeguard their health and protect themselves against
diseases.

2. Economy:
Economy, i.e. saving in operating costs, is one of the important rational buying
motives. For instance, Hero Honda bikes are preferred by the people because of the
economy or saving in the operating cost, i.e. petrol costs.

3. Relatively low price:

Relatively low price is one of the rational buying motives. Most of the buyers
compare the prices of competing products and buy things, which are relatively
cheaper.

4. Suitability:

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Suitability of the products for the needs is one of the rational buying motives.
Intelligent buyers consider the suitability of the products before buying them. For
instance, a buyer, who has a small dining room, naturally, goes in for a small dining
table that is suitable, i.e. that fits in well in the small dining room.

5. Utility or versatility:
Versatility or the utility of a product refers to that quality of the product, which makes
it suitable for a variety of uses. Utility of the product is one of the important rational
buying motives. People, often, purchase things that have utility, i.e. that can be put to
varied uses.

6. Durability of the product:

Durability of the product is one of the most important rational buying motives. Many
products are bought by the people only on the basis of their durability. For instance,
buyers of wooden furniture go in for teak or rosewood table, though they are costlier,
as they are more durable than ordinary wooden furniture.

7. Convenience of the product:

The convenience of the product (i.e. the convenience the product offers to the
buyers) is one of the important rational product buying motives. Many products are
bought by the people because they are more convenient to them. For instance,
automatic watches, gas stoves, etc., are bought by the people because of the
convenience provided by them.

Patronage Buying Motives:

Patronage buying motives refer to those considerations or reasons, which prompt a
buyer to buy the product wanted by him from a particular shop in preference to other
shops. In other words, they are those considerations or reasons, which make a
buyer, patronise a particular shop in preference to other shops while buying a
product.

Patronage buying motives also may be sub-divided into two groups viz. a) Emotional
patronage buying motives and b) Rational patronage buying motives.

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A. EMOTIONAL PATRONAGE BUYING MOTIVES:
When a buyer patronises a shop (i.e. purchases the things required by him from a
particular shop) without applying his mind or without reasoning, he is said to have
been influenced by emotional patronage buying motives. Emotional patronage
buying motives include the following:

1. Appearance of the shop:

Appearance of the shop is one of the important emotional patronage buying motives.
Some people make their purchases from a particular shop because of good or
attractive appearance of the shop,

2. Display of goods in the shop:

Attractive display of goods in the shop also makes the buyers patronise a particular
shop.

3. Recommendation of others:
Recommendation of others also constitutes one of the important emotional
patronage buying motives. Some people purchase their requirements from a
particular shop because that shop has been recommended to them by others, i.e., by
their friends and relatives.

4. Imitation:
Imitation also is one of the emotional patronage buying motives influencing the
purchases of buyers. Some people make their purchases from a particular shop just
because other people make their purchases from that shop.

5. Prestige:
Prestige is one of the emotional patronage buying motives of the buyers. For
instance, some people consider it a prestige to take coffee from a five-star hotel.

6. Habit:
Habit is also one of the important emotional patronage buying motives. Some people
make their purchases from a particular shop for the simple reason that they have
been habitually making their purchases from that shop.

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B. RATIONAL PATRONAGE BUYING MOTIVES:
When a buyer patronises a shop after careful consideration (i.e. after much logical
reasoning and careful thinking) he is said to have been influenced by rational
patronage buying motives. Rational patronage buying motives include the following:

1. Convenience:
Convenient location proximity of a shop is one of the considerations influencing the
purchases of many buyers from a particular shop. Many buyers, usually, buy their
requirements from a near-by shop, as it is convenient to them to make their
purchases.

Similarly, convenient working hours of the shop also influence the purchases of good
many buyers. For instance, if a shop works for a longer period of time every day and
even on Sundays, it will be very convenient to the buyers. As such, many buyers
may make their purchases from such a shop.

2. Low price charged by the shop:

Price charged by the shop also influences the buyers to patronise a particular shop.
If the price charged by a shop for a particular product is relatively cheaper, naturally,
many people will make their purchases from that shop.

3. Credit facilities offered:

The credit facilities offered by a store also influence the buying of some people from
a particular shop. People who do not have enough money to make cash purchases
every time prefer to make their purchases from a shop which offers credit facilities.

4. Services offered:
The various sales and after-sale services, such as acceptance of orders through
phone, home delivery of goods, repair service, etc., offered by a shop also induce
the buyers to buy their requirements from that shop. Rational buyers are, often,
influenced by the various services or facilities offered by the shop.

5. Efficiency of salesmen:
The efficiency of the salesmen employed by a shop also influences the people in
patronising a particular shop. If the employees are efficient and are capable of

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helping the buyers in making their purchases, people naturally would flock to such a
shop.

6. Wide choice:
Wide choice of goods offered by a shop is one of the rational considerations making
the buyers patronise a particular shop. People generally prefer to make their
purchases from a shop, which offers wide choice (i.e. wide varieties of goods).

7. Treatment:
The treatment meted out by a shop to the customers is one of the rational
considerations influencing the buyers to patronise a particular shop. Usually, people
would like to purchase their requirements from a shop where they get courteous
treatment.

8. Reputation of the shop:

Reputation of the shop for honest dealings is also one of the rational patronage
buying motives. Usually, people would like to make their purchases from a store
having reputation for fair dealings.

PARTICIPANTS IN BUYING MOTIVES

There are the following different roles that persons can play in a buying decision:

1. Initiator: The initiator is a person who first suggests or thinks of the idea of buying
the particular product. For example, publisher of a book initiates the professor to ask
the students of his class to purchase the book. Here publisher is the initiator, the first
person to initiate the buying process.

2. Influencer: Influencer is a person who explicitly or implicitly has some influence on

the final buying decision of others. Students are influenced by the advice of the
professor while taking a decision to purchase a book. Here professor is the
influencer.

3. Decider: The decider is a person who ultimately determines any part or whole of
the buying decision, i.e., whether to buy, what to buy, how to buy, when to buy or
where to buy. Children are the deciders for buying the toys, house lady for kitchen
provisions, and head of the family for durable or luxury items.

4. Buyer: The buyer is the person who actually purchase. Buyer may be the decider
or he may be some other person. Children (deciders) are the deciders for purchasing
the toys, but purchases are made by the parents.

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5. User: User is the person who actually uses or consumes the services or products.
The marketer's task is to study the buying process and its main participants and their
role in the buying process. He should initiate all of them to make the purchases of his
product at different stages and through different strategies

STAGES OF BUYING MOTIVES

Generally, the purchaser passes through five distinct stages in taking a decision for
purchasing a particular commodity.

These stages are: (i) need arousal, (ii) information search, (iii) evaluation behavior,
(iv) purchase decision, and (v) post purchase feelings.

Stage 1 Need arousal: The buying process starts with need arousal. A need can be
activated through internal or external stimuli. A need can also be aroused by an
external stimulus such as sight of a new thing in a shop while purchasing other
things. There is two-fold significance of need arousal stage to a marketing man.

1. First the marketer must identify the drive that might actually or potentially connect
to the product class or brand and make the buyer feel that the product can satisfy the
drive, he feels, and

2. It also helps recognize that the need levels for the product fluctuate over time and
are triggered by different cues. The marketer can arrange cues to conform better to
the natural rhythms and timing of need arousal.

Stage 2 Information search: After need arousal, the consumer tries to solve it and
gathers the sources and information about the product. Depending upon the intensity
of need, it produces two states of individual. The first state is called heightened
attention when the consumer becomes more receptive to the information regarding
the item he needs. If a consumer needs to purchase a television, he will pay mere
attention to TV ads and the remarks made by friends and associates about TVs. If
need is more intense, the individual enters a state of active information search and
he tries to collect more information about the product, its key attributes, qualities of
various brands and about the outlets where they are available. There are four
consumer information sources.

(i) Personal sources (family, friends, neighbors etc.)

(ii) Commercial sources (advertisements, salesmen, dealers).
(iii) Public sources (mass media, consumer-rating organizations).

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 (iv) Experiential sources (handling, examining, using the product). Identifying
the information sources and their respective roles and importance calls for
interviewing consumers about the sources of information and can use the
findings to plan its advertisements.

Stage 3 Evaluation of Choices: Having collected the information, the consumer

clarify and evaluate the alternatives. There is, unfortunately no simple and single
evaluation process used by all consumers or even by one consumer in all buying
situations. The most current process of evaluation is to judge the product largely on
a conscious and rational basis. Various considerations form the part of judgment
such as product attributes, importance, weights, brand image, utility function for each
attribute, and attitude etc. After evaluation of various alternatives, he takes the
decision to buy.

Stage 4 Purchase decision: Purchase-Once the consumer has narrowed down the
possible alternatives to just a few, he/she may make a decision to purchase. The
consumer would decide whether to buy, and if so, then what, where, and when to
buy. Consumers may also postpone or forgo purchase decision, if none of the short-
listed alternatives meets his/her needs.

Evaluation behavior leads the consumer to form a ranked set of preferences.

Normally a consumer buys the article, he or she likes most but there are three more
important consideration for taking the buying decision:

(a) attitude of other such as of wife, relatives, and friends,

(b) anticipated situational factors as expected family income, expected total cost
of the product and the expected benefits of the product;

(c) unanticipated situational factors as looks or manner of the salesman or the

way business is carried on. The marketer must consider these factors and should
try to provoke the feeling of risk in the consumer and attempt to provide
information and support that will help him.

Stage 5 Post purchase feelings: After buying and trying the product, the consumer
will feel some level of satisfaction or dissatisfaction and level of satisfaction depends
very much on the expectation and the product's perceived performance.

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