The reason why consumers shop is often to satisfy a need or because they see something they like and cannot defy the urge to buy it. The brain triggers are the reason why they choose a particular product as opposed to another similar one. These triggers are physical attributes of a product like size, color, taste, feel or smell. Price is a determinant but in the most cases, the brain makes choices based on acknowledgment of recognizable brand names.
A brand is a name with an emotional promise of potential benefits to consumers, which appeal straight to their brain (Padua, 2012). For example, Coca Cola tagline like “Refreshing” is an emotional promise of an enjoyable quality soft drink. The triggers for somebody to make a buy never work in isolation. Abraham Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs list a set of needs and explains how the human brain seeks to satisfy them. The first need is physiological need. This is the need for basic physical survival and satisfaction. The second need is safety is the need to offer safe haven and protection for the body and overall calm existence. The third need –love and belongingness involves the need for relationship, friendliness and acceptability. The next need is esteem needs the hunger for acknowledgment, stature and enhance self respect. The other need is self-actualization that highlight the need realize the prospective to become all one is capable of becoming. Enticing ads or slogans that trigger these needs are used by businesses to sway and convince the human brain to go for their products (Padua, 2012).
In Maslow’s Physiological need, the Snicker’s candy bar tries to fit in. The strategy of the advertisement is to tell the candy bar will fulfill your hunger issue not just for the mean time before you find a complete meal but fully. In a sense saying it will remove all the hunger from your body. The firm used this strategy because they thought their offering falls in the basic need category and to appeal to the physiological need as food is the most basic need. This strategy is inaccurate because the item is just a snack and not a full meal (Snickers Chocolate, 2014).
When it comes to another need of Maslow’s ladder –safety, ADT commercial discloses an advanced housebreaking type that could be used to steal from every home. The strategy of the advertisement is that when used, ADT security systems using its entirety of bright and experienced people and computers will be able to neutralize even the smart thief’s and so you can rest assured of your financial and physical security. The company uses this tactic since they are in the business of security and they understand how people are very conscious about their personal safety and that of their belongings which they work hard for. According to me, the ad is quite capturing and agreeable (ADT Corporation, 2011).
The ad “Fate and Cupid” produced for Match.Com –dating website falls under Maslow’s love and belonging. The ad relays the message that you will discover love in the site within 6 months and asks why waits for love when you can go to their site and personally realize it. That line addresses the want to belong and have companionship and intimacy. The firm used this strategy to suggest that you will find love in their site with the only other alternative being to wait. The website targets this particular need because it coincides with its core purpose to help people find love by joining them (Match.com, 2008). However, in reality there exists alternatives to finding love so in that sense misleading thereby I don’t agree with the ad per say.
The advertisement that appeals to Maslow’s esteem need is Pearl Izumi’s exercise shoes advert –we are not joggers. In the ad, strategically show runners are a special few and can’t compare to the ordinary weak seasoned joggers. This gives the reader a sense of important and a feeling of being a step above the others if they are runners. The brand tries to fit in by saying they are runners too. A sense of importance goes with high esteem The Pearl brand used that strategy to try to associate it with professional athletes who show great self-confidence. The strategy is quite clever and I agree with it (Pearl Izumi Run, 2008).
United States Army Reserves offers fulfillment of self-actualization need. The strategy employed is that if you join the army reserves, you will accomplish a lot by emerging as a strong, prominent and an improved human being and also become an all-rounded and a complete individual. This strategy was used because to an extent, the training and discipline army offers to an individual, amount to self growth, realization of one’s potential and self fulfillment brought about by serving one’s country. I totally agree with the strategy (Keyword Pictures, 2000).
References
ADT Corporation. (2011, 14). ADT-WhatMattersMost.mov [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uzi6n1P7A0U
Keyword Pictures. (2000, March 21). US Army Ad [Advertisement Photograph]. Retrieved from http://www.keywordpicture.com/keyword/us%20army%20ad/
Match.com. (2008, January 15). Retrieved from (www.adland.tv/content/matchcom-says-dont-wait-cupid-and-fate
Padua, D. (2012). Trust, social relations and engagement: Understanding customer behaviour on the Web. Basingstoke, Hampshire: Palgrave Macmillan.
Pearl Izumi Run. (2008, June 2). Pearl Izumi We Are Not Joggers Campaign [Video file]. Retrieved from (www.youtube.com/watch?v=dK9p9_4FfkI
Snickers Chocolate. (2014, June 1). Snickers Commercial -you're not yourself when - YouTube [Video file]. Retrieved from www.youtube.com/watch?v=bG4IdOwaOV4
