Consumer Behaviour Analysis Essay Example

; Rabolt, 2009, as cited in Workman ; Lee, 2010). Consumer needs create a tendency to respond, while motivation requires active reaction (Mahatoo, 1989, as cited in Workman ; Lee, 2010).

The text discusses two types of needs: innate needs and acquired needs. Innate needs, also known as primary needs, are necessary for basic biological life, such as the need for water to satisfy thirst. On the other hand, acquired needs are psychological needs that are learned from our environment and culture. An example of an acquired need is the desire for Christian Louboutin shoes, which symbolize prestige, status, recognition, power, and self-esteem. According to Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, human needs can be categorized into five levels: physiological, safety, social, ego, and self-actualization needs. The purchase of Louboutin shoes helps consumers fulfill their physiological needs for fashionable footwear, social needs for peer approval, belongingness to friends, ego needs for displaying status and self-esteem. In fact, American women spent around $18 billion on shoes alone in 2006. Furthermore, buying expensive Louboutin shoes, which can cost over $500 per pair, can also fulfill the self-actualization needs and indicate a luxurious lifestyle.According to Freeman (2010), investing a substantial amount of money is valuable because it allows one to acquire some of the most fashionable heels seen on top celebrities.

Motivation can be described as a strong emotion or desire within each person that drives them to take action in order to fulfill their unmet needs, which serves as a catalyst for certain behaviors (Fiske & Taylor, 1984, as cited in Pincus, 2004). Motivation reflects the state of tension that arises from these unmet needs, compelling individuals to engage in

specific behaviors that will lead to need satisfaction and ultimately reduce the intensity of the aroused tension (Schiffman et al., 2008), as shown in Appendix, figure 2.

Motivating consumers to buy brand products or services by offering them the highest perceived value is crucial for marketers (Bagozzi & Dholakia, 1999, as cited in Sobh & Martin, 2011), as motivation plays a key role in connecting individual factors with purchasing behavior (Wang, Sun & Song, 2010). Both external and internal motives influence consumers in their decision-making process and product selection. External motives include promotional activities such as sales promotion campaigns and advertising, which appeal to social power.

For instance, many loyal customers of famous Hollywood stars like Jennifer Lopez, Angelina Jolie, Madonna, and Oprah Winfrey wear Christian Louboutin shoes. These customers are considered an aspirational group that inspires others to purchase for a luxurious lifestyle, emotional satisfaction, and entertainment (Betts, 2008; Wang, Sun & Song). Despite having competitors such as Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo, Louboutin's red soles are instantly recognizable and exude sexual appeal. When people see the red soles as someone walks away, it leaves a lasting impression (Freeman, 2010).

Goals are the desired outcomes or results of motivated behavior (Schiffman et al., 2008). They can lead to positive effects one desires or negative goals one wants to avoid (Winell, 1987; Gutman, 1997). Goals serve as the primary motivation for consumer behavior, and as lower-level goals are fulfilled, there is a higher possibility of achieving higher-level goals in the future (Pieters et al., 1995; Reynolds ; Gutman, 1988, as cited in Gutman, 1997).

Generic goals can be either wide-range categories or general views of goals that consumers

tend to satisfy their needs with. For example, if a high-class urban woman tells her friends that she wants to buy a pair of heels for a party, she is stating a generic goal. However, marketers are more interested in product-specific goals because they provide more specific brand choices that consumers make. An example of a product-specific goal would be a consumer's willingness to buy a pair of Christian Louboutin heels to satisfy their need for self-esteem and prestige. This indicates that the main priority for luxury brand consumers is the psychological benefits they gain from the product rather than its functionality.

Consumer's main priority in value-seeking during consumption can vary individually, depending on internal and external factors. Internal influences include psychological and personal factors, such as the economic situation and occupation, including income level.The purchase of luxury brand products is typically more common among individuals with a higher income compared to those with a lower income. This aligns with the concept of rationality, as consumers tend to choose goals based on objective criteria (Schiffman et al.. In the realm of luxury consumption, the power of a strong brand name and symbolism is significant in evoking emotional motives that shape the decision-making process and product selection. The primary focus for consumers in high-end fashion consumption is the visual representation of status, which encompasses perceptions of quality, prestige, self-enhancement, and self-image that can be achieved through branded or labeled products (O’Cass ; McEwen, 2006).

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Despite the high price, consumers are emotionally driven to buy Louboutin's shoes instead of Manolo Blahnik because they see it as one

of the top luxury brands (Betts, 2008) with a strong international presence. This is mainly due to its distinctive design, consistently high quality, exclusivity, and iconic red soles (Constance & Kwok, 2007). The red soles serve as an instant recognition of wearing a pair of Louboutin shoes.

Blahnik shoes are known for their expensive and sexy heels. However, they face the issue of their shoes looking common, leading consumers to choose Louboutins for their unique styles (Jacob, 2005).

There are four main types of arousal of motives: physiological, emotional, cognitive, and environmental arousals. Christian Louboutin's shoes mainly evoke emotional and cognitive arousals. Emotional arousal is the result of an emotional feeling, such as fear, curiosity, nervous tension, or anger, which often leads to unconscious actions (Schiffman et al.). Cognitive arousal stimulates awareness of needs and is referred to as "mental stimulation" (ChangingMinds.org).

Celebrity endorsements have become a prevalent and effective marketing campaign strategy to increase persuasiveness and trustworthiness (Silvera & Austad, 2004). They also help convince consumers of the high quality of the advertised products (Stallen et al., 2010), acting as a means of persuasive communication.

According to Netemeyer et al. (1995), the motivation behind purchase decision making is influenced by internal factors such as vanity and public self-consciousness. Workman ; Lee (2010) further supported this idea. For example, individuals who are concerned about how others perceive them tend to pay attention to fashion trends and their own appearance. This emotional motivation drives them to purchase high-end products like Louboutin exclusive stilettos, which serve to enhance their status and self-image. This idea is also supported by Miller ; Cox (1982, as cited in Workman ; Lee, 2010).

This type

of symbolic aspirational reference group enhances the appeal of advertisements and increases audience attentiveness. The red-soled shoes, with their unique design, always meet consumer expectations (GeekShoes, 2009). Consumers are willing to spend a significant amount of money on these shoes because they offer superior quality, uniqueness, exclusivity, and, most importantly, they make the consumers feel special and excited to be a part of Louboutin's exclusive world (redshoesole, n. d.). The main objective is to make women look sexy and beautiful while elongating their legs with the red soles. In 2009, Jennifer Lopez, one of the sexiest singers at the time, released the Love album, featuring a song titled "Louboutins," which created emotional and cognitive arousal (Gatecrasher, 2010). This global phenomenon generated word-of-mouth publicity and extensive coverage in magazines like Vogue, creating a strong desire for Louboutin shoes (Betts, 2008). Additionally, Louboutin appeared in a video called "Psycho," a remake of Alfred Hitchcock's psychological thriller movie (Phelps, 2009).

The trademark of red sole itself serves as the advertising for Christian Louboutin, setting it apart from other competitors who feel the need to advertise or market their products (Fashionologie, 2010). In conclusion, various researchers and journal articles have shown that consumer needs and motivation play a significant role in purchase decision making, including the selection of a specific brand product by each individual.

Applying positive motivation, particularly in relation to fashion products like female dress shoes, is highly advantageous. It improves the brand image when perceived by consumers. Therefore, it is crucial for fashion retail companies to implement appropriate marketing campaigns to enhance brand awareness and effectively compete with other rivals. This can be achieved through product differentiation and

accomplishing business goals.