Consider Consumer Psychology
By Darrin Coe
Posted Wednesday, January 19, 2005
In your marketing efforts, be they on or offline, it’s wise to consider the psychology of the consumer you are targeting. If you’ve done your homework you’ve developed a profile of your ideal customer and how your unique selling point speaks to them. Now, as you begin to develop a marketing strategy, writing ad copy, developing radio copy, and creating web copy, it is an understanding of consumer psychology that will help you speak to the consumer.
What is the true need your consumer is attempting to gratify? This is the question you must answer before writing copy or launching advertising. Maslow, would tell us that there are five needs: 1) basic needs; 2) safety needs; 3) social needs; 4) self esteem needs; and 5) self-fulfillment needs.
Along with this information consider that in “The Ramsey Report” published recently by eMarketer.com, we are told that consumer “empowerment” is one of the factors driving the continuing boom of online commerce. Consumers perceive themselves to be in the consumer driver’s seat when they are online. They can block popups, can spam, and surf away from site that they dislike. They feel as if they are no longer at the whim of the marketing magicians.
This does not surprise me given that recent research would also indicate that online users tend to suffer from depression, low self-esteem, and loneliness. The internet addresses these issue through empowering them and giving them a perception of control.
Now, as a marketer it is up to you to use this information to speak to the needs of your consumer. Consider someone marketing heart-rate monitors. Whether in a retail sporting goods store on online, what need are you really fulfilling by selling heart-rate monitors? You can assume your client has some athletic training; perhaps they are detrained and attempting to recover their fitness? Perhaps they are an average athlete attempting to go to the next level of athleticism? Or maybe they are recovering from an illness or injury and are working with a personal trainer?
This consumer is dissatisfied with their current state of existence. They want to perceive themselves in a more positive light. This consumer perhaps has low self-esteem and is depressed because of their poor level of fitness or perhaps they are dissatisfied with their level of athleticism because they know they can excel beyond where they are currently. The bottom line is they are dissatisfied with themselves, with their social image, and with their level of achievement.
With this in mind you’re not selling heart-rate monitors, you’re selling positive, and encouraging feedback. The heart-rate monitors tell the consumer that they are achieving and meeting their goals. The heart-rate monitor gives positive feedback and brings pleasure to painful exercise. The heart-rate monitor brings satisfaction to a dissatisfied outlook. What you’re really selling is pleasure in the midst of pain.
This is what I mean by understanding your consumer’s psychology before you begin marketing and advertising. With the above analysis, someone selling heart-rate monitors can develop a marketing campaign that speaks directly to the heart of the consumer and hopeful turns more prospects into purchasing customers.
Take the time to analyze the true needs of your consumer and how your product meets that need before you begin writing your and developing your marketing and you’ll be at a distinct advantage over your competition.
About the Author
Darrin F. Coe, MA holds a master’s degree in psychology and works as a mental health professional, wealth building advocate, weekly columnist, and author. His latest information product is “Consumer Thinking Exposed” available at (http://www.consumer-thinking.com).
Contact him at coe@ris.net or subscribe to the Darrin Coe Ezine at (http://www.consumer-thinking.com/exposed1).
