What is Maslow’s Hierarchy in Marketing?
Applied to marketing theory, Maslow’s hierarchy of needs is a framework that allows marketers to target consumers based on their motivational drivers.
This hierarchy includes five levels of psychological needs, from basic necessities to more abstract ones. Each level is associated with a specific need that motivates consumer behaviour.
Physiological Needs
In marketing, the term Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs can mean a lot of things. One, it is a motivational model that helps brands understand how they can target the various needs of their consumers and also motivates them to come up with creative ideas for promotional campaigns.
Another, it is a way of understanding consumer behaviour and how they behave in specific situations. This theory has been in use since the 1940’s and is a great tool for marketers to understand what drives a customer’s behaviour.
The first level of the hierarchy is physiological needs, which refer to the basic requirements that humans need to survive. These needs include air, food, drink, shelter and a safe environment. Physiological needs are important to human life and they must be met before other needs can be fulfilled.
Once these basic needs are met, people can move on to the next level of the hierarchy. At this stage, people can meet their safety and security needs by obtaining a job, finding health insurance, contributing money to a savings account, or living in a safer area.
At this point, they can start thinking about their other needs like love and belongingness, esteem, and self-actualization. They can fulfill these needs by having close friends and family, getting involved in social activities, and even participating in spiritual activities.
These needs are the basis of human behavior and motivation, but they are not always fully satisfied. For example, some people may still be motivated by their security and safety needs even when they have already met their love and belongingness needs.
Safety
In marketing, you should be able to understand how to meet the needs of customers and prospects. You may be familiar with Maslow’s Hierarchy, which has five primary levels: Physiological Needs, Safety Needs, Love & Belonging, Esteem, and Self-Actualization.
Generally, humans must satisfy their lower level needs before they can work on the higher level needs. For example, a person must first satisfy his or her physical need before they can focus on the need for security.
Once these needs are satisfied, people have a better understanding of their own emotional and psychological well-being. They also recognize that they have the freedom to make choices for themselves.
This means that marketers can appeal to these needs with various tactics and strategies. For example, they can provide information and incentives to encourage employees to take extra precautions when working with dangerous materials.
They can also create a safety culture that promotes employee involvement and accountability, so they will be more likely to take pride in their work and care about the health of others.
The most important aspect of any successful safety marketing campaign is the ability to create a bond with your customer or prospect. It’s not enough to simply say “Be Safe,” or “Safety First.” You need to be able to connect with them at the front-desk receptionist, IT guy, or salesperson level and help them feel comfortable and proud of how you treat their safety.
Companies that achieve notable safety records and have effective safety programs often like to highlight these elements in their marketing. This sends a strong message to potential clients and customers that they have the organizational focus and attention to detail to produce high-quality products and services.
Love & Belonging
The love & belonging needs of a person on Maslow’s hierarchy relate to social human interaction, friendships, family bonds, and emotional intimacy. Establishing and maintaining these relationships are a natural part of a healthy person’s life. If you are struggling with mental health issues, you may be more prone to feel isolated and alone when your loved ones or other social relationships are broken.
These need are also a necessary component for the progression of self-actualization on the pyramid. A person who has mastered these levels is capable of reaching higher goals, such as finding and keeping a job or becoming self-sufficient in their own right.
When these levels are met, a person can be more motivated to take risks and work harder in their life. They can even develop a desire to help others or give back to the community.
A person’s ability to meet these needs can be disrupted by life circumstances, such as a loss of employment or a divorce. If this happens, it is likely that the person will shift from one level of the pyramid to another.
If a person fails to meet these lower level needs, they will likely have a hard time moving to the next higher level of the pyramid. This can lead to poor performance in the workplace and decreased morale among coworkers.
Physiological needs are the base of the pyramid and include things like food, water, shelter, air, warmth, and sex. They are the biological components of survival and must be satisfied before the more complex needs in the next level of the pyramid can be achieved.
Esteem
The esteem need is the fourth psychological need in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. It involves the desire to be recognized, rewarded, or praised for something you have accomplished.
Having a good level of esteem can lead to feeling happy, secure, and self-confident in life. However, a lack of esteem can result in depression and inferiority complexes.
It also plays a role in people’s job satisfaction and performance in the workplace. Employees want to be recognized and rewarded by their supervisors or management for their work, and they are willing to go the extra mile to earn that recognition.
This need also relates to the desire for a sense of personal accomplishment and mastery. Individuals who struggle with a low level of esteem may find that they need external validation from others in order to build their confidence, and this can be achieved by seeking the attention and praise of peers or leaders.
Marketers should use Maslow’s hierarchy of needs to understand their target customers and to better position their products to satisfy each of their needs. Understanding what needs your target customers are trying to meet will help you to better understand their persona and their lifestyle.
For example, a car buyer might consider safety and security to be important, but they might also consider having a thrill ride (the need for self-actualization). A Mercedes AMG ad in a magazine features a car with wings, which appeals to this need of excitement.
The hierarchy of needs is a powerful tool for marketers, and it can be a great starting point for developing buyer personas. By using it to better understand your target audience, you can make your product more responsive and able to adapt to changing trends.
Self-Actualization
Self-actualization, one of Maslow’s top psychological needs, is the desire to reach your full potential as a human being. This may take many forms and will vary from person to person, but it usually includes the achievement of sound psychological health and a strong sense of fulfillment.
People who have reached this level often possess a wide variety of skills, talents, and capacities, and they are committed to maximizing their capabilities. They can find great joy in pursuing creative pursuits such as music, athletics, or design, and also in caring for others.
They are often highly empathic and able to understand other people’s feelings and perspectives. They often work to improve their lives by solving problems and making positive changes in the world around them.
A key characteristic of self-actualizers is a spontaneous and natural approach to life, and they are often true to themselves rather than following the expectations of others. They also have an ongoing appreciation for the beauty of nature and the simple things in life, like a sunset or a flower.
In addition, self-actualizers often develop a non-hostile sense of humor and an appreciation for the imperfections of other people. They also feel comfortable with their own shortcomings and the contradictions of the human condition.
Self-actualizers also tend to be very efficient in judging situations and people. They are very sensitive to the superficial and dishonest, and they have an accurate self- and world-view.
Once you have understood your customers’ needs and desires, it is easier to design products that are compatible with them and help them meet their goals. This will allow your business to grow and thrive, while also making your customers happy!
