Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory explains that consumers progress through a set of motivation systems from basic physiological needs to achieving self-actualization. There are five key steps in the consumer decision making process: need recognition, information search, evaluation of alternatives, purchase decision, and post-purchase evaluation. Personal, social, and cultural factors influence consumers' decisions, along with reference groups. The decision making unit involves various roles like gatekeepers, influencers, users, deciders, and buyers that must be considered when marketing and selling products.

1. Understanding Consumer Behaviour
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2. Human Motivation
Maslow’sTheory of Human Motivation (1943)
• Maslow believed people had a set of motivation
systems from basic needs to self actualisation
• According to this theory, everyone needs
to go through all of the needs to reach
self-actualisation, from the bottom to the
top of the pyramid
Maslow, 1943

3. Maslow’s theory of motivation
Motivation Definition Product examples
Physiological
Biological & physiological needs
Air, water, food, drink, shelter, sex, sleep, warmth
Water, food, house, bed
Functional/practical
Safety needs
Protection from the elements
Security, stability
Freedom from fear
Helmet, house & health insurance,
internet security
Emotional/social/cultural
Love & belongingness
Friendship, intimacy, affection
Love from work, friends, family, romantic relations
Flowers, organ donorship,
chocolates, cards, birthday
presents
Self-esteem/luxury
Esteem needs
Achievements, status, independence, self-respect from
others
Car, lottery, marathon
Self actualisation
Realising personal potential
Self fulfilment
Seeking personal growth
University course, training

4. The Consumer Buying Process

5. Need/Problem recognition
Step one: Need and problem recognition.This arises when the consumer
recognises that there is a need for an item
• Assortment depletion - when the stock of goods has been used up or
worn out
• Assortment extension - when there’s the need to add some new items

6. Information Search
Step two: Information search. Once someone has become motivated to
buy/need something they engage in two forms of information search:
1. Internal Search - remembering previous experiences and what
they already know about the product/service
2. External Search - shopping around, reading literature, looking at
advertisements and talking to friends

7. Identification and evaluation of alternatives
Step three: identification and evaluation. After the information search the
consumer will evaluate the alternatives they have open to them
The consumer will use cut offs - which are the minimum and maximum
acceptance values for the product
Signals - price tags, brand names, price, etc

8. Purchase decision and post-purchase
evaluation
Step four: purchase. Next comes the actual purchase, where the consumer
will pick an appropriate method of payment
Step five: post-purchase evaluation. Post-purchase evaluation involves the
consumer deciding on whether the purchase has been a success or not
(Blythe, 2013)
This involves comparing what the consumer was expecting to get and what
they actually have
Post-purchase dissonance - where the product has not lives up to
expectations

9. The consumer decision making
process

10. Influences on the decision making unit
Reference Groups Personal Factors Psychological factors Social Factors
Primary groups – people we
most often see
Secondary groups – people we
see occasionally
Situational factors – changes in
circumstances e.g. pay rise
Perception –The way people
build up a view of the world
Informational influence – the
need to seek information from a
group
Aspirational groups – groups
wish we belong
Demographic factors –
individual characteristics
Motives – the internal force that
encourages someone towards a
particular course of action
Normative compliance –
pressure exerted on someone
Dissociative groups – group an
individual does not want to
belong to
Level of involvement – the
degree of importance or that
emotional attachment
Attitude – cognition (conscious),
affect (emotional attachment)
and contagion (planned course
of action)
Value -expressive influence –
need to physiologically associate
with a particular group
Automatic groups – belong to
virtue e.g. age
Formal/informal groups –
membership based on friendship

11. Influences on the decision making process
Cultural - subcultures, ethnicity, country and origin
Social - social groups, family, virtual groups,
Personal influences - personal values & ethics
People and personalities who influence decisions

12. The decision making unit
The decision making unit is a group of people who participate in or influence the
purchase decision at any stage in the buying process (CIM, 2012)
This may involve a number or roles:
• Gatekeepers - controls the flow of information to the decision makers. Barrier to sales
people
• Influencers - Individuals who ‘have the ear’ of the decision makers
• Users - who will actually use the product
• Deciders - who will make the actual decision, usually the hardest to influence
• Buyers - who will actually buy the product

13. B2B vs B2C buyer behaviour
B2B B2C
• Experts
• Professional buyers
• Well trained, rational decisions
• Non-professional buyers
• Knowledge gap
• No formal training, emotional
• Large quantities
• Higher risk - more money
• Smaller quantities
• Sales people are important • Sales people less important
• Group/multiple people in decision making
process
• Single decision maker

14. Summary
• Maslow’sTheory of Human Motivation (1943) determines the set of motivation systems a
consumer goes through
• There are 5 key steps in the consumer decision making process
1. Need/problem recognition
2. Information search
3. Identification and evaluation of options and alternatives
4. Purchase decision
5. Post-purchase evaluation
• When making the decision to buy a product/service personal, physiological and social factors
play a key part. Reference groups can also have an impact on the decision.
• The decision making unit consist of; gatekeepers, influencers, users, deciders and buyers.
When marketing your product or service it is important to know which one of these you need
to target.

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