Maslow‘s Marketing Pyramid
By: Daiv Russell

Abraham Maslow was a psychologist who developed a hierarchical pyramid to explain and classify universal human needs. If you are a business owner, take a look at Maslow‘s pyramid and try to figure out what people really need out of life. How can you use this to your advantage in marketing your product? Find out what category of the hierarchy your product falls into, and advertising to your target market will be much more effective if you appeal to that need.

The first tier of Maslow‘s hierarchy is that of physical needs. Without these, humans could not survive. These are things like oxygen, water, food, and shelter, and also homeostasis regulating activities like sleep.

If your product or service has to do with a basic need, your main problem is getting the customer to buy from you instead of your competitors. Everybody needs food, so why would potential customers be more inclined to buy lunch at your restaurant instead of the taco shack across the street? Perhaps you have lower prices, better quality, faster service, or a more comfortable environment than they do. It is important to stress that what YOU offer holds certain advantages over the customers‘ other choices.

After that, the next stage of Maslow‘s hierarchy has to do with safety and security. Watch a few minutes of television and you will be inundated with advertisements for security companies, life insurance, and all manner of “safety nets.“ How would your product make your customers feel safer and more secure? Letting them know how your product can make them and their family safer gets to their root emotions and can be a main selling point.

The next level is the need for belongingness and affection. Everyone wants to feel connected to family, friends, or someone special. Certain services appeal to this niche. Let your customers know how much they can connect with others, and use testimonials- this is an effective method of appealing to new customers.

Maslow also makes note in his hierarchy that esteem is another driving human need. Esteem really has two areas. One area is satisfied by receiving recognition, appreciation, rewards, or respect; the other area is self-esteem, which really requires a person to feel good about himself, be independent, and have a healthy sense of self-respect and self-confidence.

I recall a television advertisement in which the female star of the commercial trots into an office building with all eyes firmly planted on her as the workers stare with amazement. She then proceeds to waltz into a boardroom and exclaims that she isnt even an employee of the firm and all the added attention is due to her use of this particular shampoo product.

The crowning level of Maslow‘s pyramid is self-actualization. This is a complicated sounding term, but the concept is really very simple. All people have an innate desire to make the most of themselves, reach their full potential, and be successful and happy as a result. The U.S. Army no doubt realizes this, as evidenced by their popular slogan, “Be all that you can be.“

So long as you don‘t go too far, you can get your customers to notice you by making it clear how you can satisfy their needs. It will be helpful if you know what means of psychological motivation are effective on you and on your target audience.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleJoe.com

Daiv Russell is a marketing and management consultant with Envision Web Marketing. Read more www.EnvisionSoftware.com/Management“>Articles about Small Business Management, learn about www.abraham-maslow.com/“>Maslow and www.abraham-maslow.com/m_motivation/Hierarchy_of_Needs.asp“>the Abraham Maslow theory.

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