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    Psychology of Marketing: Using Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs

    The way we're going to think about psychology of marketing today is rooted in this dude named Abraham Maslow who famously came up with Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

    It's this pyramid-looking chart of basic needs you need to accomplish before moving up the pyramid:

    Abraham Maslow Pyramid

    We're using this pyramid as the basis of how to market to specific groups of people (and figure out their behavior), as they respond to vastly different messages.

    If you want to figure out what piece of society you're trying to market to, just find where Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs your average customer fits:

    Figure out what piece of society you're talking to:

    Poor people respond to certain things.

    Middle Class people respond to certain things.

    Rich people respond to certain things.

    Similarly people on different rungs of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs respond to different things.  

    Since we're greedy little marketers we need to know which stage we should be going after....let's take a look at this Hierarchy of Needs to understand the marketing psychology behind each stage:

    Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Chart

    Your position in this pyramid is fluid through your life.  You might be on the lower rungs now, but in 5 years could be at the top.

    You can also dramatically drop in the pyramid for a variety of reasons.

    For example, let's say someone spent $6,000 to attend a conference on how "To be the best version of your actualized self" (or some high-level hippie crap like that).  They will be super interested to attend every  session, UNLESS all of a sudden they dramatically drop on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.....

    ......maybe they've been holding back a massive poop for 4 hours, and now IT'S EMERGENCY STATUS.  They have effectively been pushed back down to a low level of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs at this moment to the Physical level.

    Nothing at this point will take their mind off the absolutely urgent need to excrete!

    move-down-the-scale

    Yes, I just used a poop joke to teach you about Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs....but you will probably remember that FOREVER ;-)

    That example is a very temporary one.  As soon as the person finds a restroom and takes care of bidnaz, they're back to their normal top-of-the-hierarchy self.

    Similarly, if someone at the top of the pyramid just moved to a new city across the world and they have no family, no friends, no significant other......this might make them very sad, and push this person down the pyramid to the Love/Belonging stage.  It will probably become a big obsession of theirs to make sure they find a new source of love & friendship in this new city:

    Move down maslow's pyramid

    Until this person gets that feeling of love and belonging back into their life, it'll be hard to move beyond that stage for them.

    Also the broader economic climate dictates where most people will be in Maslow's Hierarchy.  If the economy has been booming for five years straight and everyone is still drunk off cheap money, easy employment, and good economic news......then a lot of people will be at the top tiers of Maslow's Hierarchy because the economy is booming, everyone is making great money and everyone in happy.

    However if the economy collapses, people are losing their jobs, losing their savings, and all the news is bad.....then a lot of people will get pushed lower down the Hierarchy:

    Depression and Boom Times Chart

    Now let's see what people at each stage of the Hierarchy need and want (so we can better sell to them)!

     

    --What people at each stage of Maslow's Hierarchy are looking for--

     

    The Physiological (Physical) Stage:

    maslow-physiological1

    WHO IT IS: This is going to be people in 3rd world countries, people in disaster zones, someone lost in the woods.  For the most part, you probably won't be marketing to this crowd as they have bigger problems (such as staying alive) and they probably have little to no money.

    WHAT THESE PEOPLE WANT:

    You probably shouldn't be marketing to these people. You should be helping them.

    These are going to be some of the poorest and most helpless people. So marketing to them would not be lucrative for the most part, and you might be kind of an asshole if you're too predatory on them.

     

    The Safety Stage:

    maslow-safety1

    WHO IT IS: These are people that would be considered "poor" or "lower middle class".  They live extremely paycheck-to-paycheck and have little-to-no support structure if they get kicked out of their dwelling.

    These are people that if they stopped working, would be 2-3 months away from being homeless.

    Most people reside their entire lives here, and until pretty recently in society, most of the world constantly lived at this rung in Maslow's Hierarchy.

    • They fear they'll lose their income.
    • They don't have a backup plan or savings.
    • They don't have skills that secure their income earning potential.
    • They aren't entirely sure they can fund their children's education.
    • They likely work at a pretty crappy or boring job out of necessity.

    A lot of predatory businesses prey on this level of people because they're the easiest to scam, the most hopeful, BUT they they still have enough income to spend money on things.

    If you were to put out a scammy ad that said: "Work at home!  Make $3,000/week! Barely have to work!" You'd most likely get people in this rung of the hierarchy responding the most.

    WHAT THESE PEOPLE WANT:

    • They want to have stable incomes.  They respond well to "Side Income" kind of talk.
    • They want to live in a stable environment.  They probably don't live in the greatest of place (either country with unstable government, or live in a household they share with a lot of people).
    • Affordable access to medical services.
    • A safe place to call their own home.
    • Providing basic needs for children.

     

     

    The Love/Belonging Stage:

    maslow-love1

    WHO IT IS: These are typically people in the middle class or higher.

    They have their basic needs met.  They live in a decent place, have a decent income, have a decent savings.

    Typically these people are relatively educated,  and have a decent amount of money to spend.  This is the level a lot of middle class people in a society will be in.

    They're probably not looking to change the world, but they want to create a small little world around them where they belong.

    They probably have jobs that aren't terrible, but also aren't a bundle of joy.  They typically look outside of their work to find happiness.

    WHAT THESE PEOPLE WANT:

    • They want to join groups and be part of groups.  (Church, sports, classes).
    • They want to have fun with family and friends, and will look (and pay) for novel ways to do it.
    • They want to have a sense of community.

     

     

    The Esteem Stage:

    maslow-esteem1

    These are people in the upper middle-class and higher.

    You know someone is in the "Esteem" stage when they say stuff like "I want to DO something with my life."

    I would like to remind you that this stage in life is a luxury afforded by the advances in our society.  In the past you'd only get very wealthy members of society hitting this level.  Now with all the cool stuff we have, this level can be reached by nearly everyone in a stabilized society and a decent income.

    WHAT THESE PEOPLE WANT:

    • Need to respect themselves.
    • Need for others to have respect for them.
    • Need to feel important.
    • Need to feel accomplished.
    • Want their job to not only provide money, but also be "fulfilling."

     

     

    The Self Actualization Stage:

    maslow-self1

    WHO IT IS: These are people who've accomplished everything they need to.  Often people who've made their "Fuck You Money" and no longer worry about things like income or being able to provide for their families.

    This "Self Actualization" rung is where you get people who have #WhitePeopleProblems and #1stWorldProblems.

    WHAT THESE PEOPLE WANT:

    • To solve hard problems.
    • To be creative and abstract.
    • They want to "make every moment count."
    • They want their lives to be filled with "satisfying" activities.

    This is where upper-middle-class and rich typically are.

    This spot is weird.....because I think once you reach the top (with current human biology) you artificially have to put yourself back down the hierarchy and start over, like this (my opinion):

    The circle of life

    For 99% of human history almost no one ever reached this stage.

    And it's actually interesting to watch as huge portions of our society hit this top stage at a young age.

    But people at this stage will pay for things like:

    • Seeing the world.
    • Figuring out how to be more effective.
    • Figuring out the "meaning" of life.
    • Searching for a "higher purpose."

     

    If I had to sum up what people at each stage would say in one short sentence it’s:

    The Physical Stage:

    The physical Stage

    “I wish I had food and shelter to live.”

     

    The Safety Stage:

    The Safety Stage

    “I wish I had a stable job.”

     

    The Love Stage:

    The Love Stage

    “I wish I belonged to a group of people that love me.”

     

    The Self Esteem Stage:

    The-Self-Esteem-Stage

    "I wish I had a respectful job where I can be in air conditioning all day."

     

    The Self-Actualization Stage:

    The-Self-Actualization-Stage

    "I wish I had a life path that I really love, pays better than my peers, and helps people."

     

     

    If you liked this post, you can download the whole thing as a PDF here:

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    Neville Signature

     

    P.S.  Where do you see yourself on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs?  Let me know in the comments what stage you're at.

    P.P.S. Where do your prospective customers stand in Maslow's Hierarchy?

    P.P.P.S.  If you have any additional thoughts on this stuff lemme know below, I love thinking about these things!


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    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Bahahahha.......I guess he starts the day sitting down then ends it standing up ;)
    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Yeah it's cool to see where your audience is on this pyramid...a very easy framework to tell!
    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Yeesh......the Physical stage is tough if you're forced to constantly be there.

    HOWEVER, if you manage your issues in such a way that you can live through it, it shouldn't hold you back. It seems like your goal of helping others will make you very fulfilled and very happy, so long as you FIRST make sure to take care of yourself (can't help others if you don't care for yourself).

    Best of luck T!

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Well if you're the boss of them, you tell them: HEY YOU BETTER DO THIS. (although perhaps phrase that nicer and try to SELL them on why it's important) :)

    Not sure I understand the last part of your questions, maybe clarify further?

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Why thank you Amber!

    Glad you liked this post, and hope it gives you an additional framework to look at things through.

    Link to comment

    I'd probably put myself as vacillating most between the safety and Love stages... Sometimes self-esteem. Those I market to air in the Love and Self-Esteem rungs of the ladder.

    And now I'm never going to be able to poop without thinking, "Hey, check out my pyramid!"

    Link to comment

    Nev,

    you have me cackling at my desk. seriously.

    your sense of humor gives me a jolt :)

    i love your analogies, metaphors and the way you describe concepts folks cant grasp in high school jokes.

    You are a great story teller!

    Link to comment

    At the end of your post, you sum up what people would say at each of the layers. How would you sum up what people would say if outside of work they are on the same level, but on different levels at work?

    I am the one responsible for telling them things like "STOP CLICKING ON RANDOM CRAP!" I have found that it's not about telling people why it's important (they know why), but about getting them to see their work differently, and to act differently.

    Link to comment
    Guest notanotherstartupblog.com

    Posted

    Never thought of this, but makes sense. Very interesting neville.
    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    One tip: Instead of telling people to "Stop clicking random crap".....why don't you show them what they SHOULD DO.

    Like make a list of 5 YouTube videos they can "waste time with yet still learn" like some Elon Musk interviews or something.

    Don't just tell them "STOP IT!"....actually give them some alternatives. It's far more effective.

    Link to comment

    Thank you for your wonderful post Neville :) This is a fascinating discussion! It has definitely made me think.

    In my own experience I have found that some without a lot of resources can perceive their state as abundant - those who have faith and trust that they will always have enough.

    I have also found that some with loads of resources can perceive their state as vulnerable or precarious - those who are fearful, and feel the need to keep making money to assuage their fears.

    I feel that it actually may be more about how people *perceive* their resource level that determines where they are on the hierarchy of needs.

    So instead of:

    Resource rich = Self actualised

    Resource poor = Survival fears

    consider:

    Faith & trust = Self actualised

    Fear of future = Survival fears

    Or something like that.

    Not sure how this would play into marketing though...

    Link to comment

    Thanks for a great post Neville,

    I find it to be a terrible waste to see that so many rich people spend their lives on the second rung from the top, trying to gain status while they could be solving the world's problems with the capital they've accumulated.

    At the same time, typically younger people strive for self-actualization before they have fulfilled lower levels, looking to discover their place in the world before getting decent savings behind them.

    Perhaps it's a matter of the 'height' of each level, unique to every individual? Some people couldn't possibly commit to marriage until they have bought a house and secured a top job, while others are happy to have *any* roof over their head while they head out to help others?

    Link to comment
    Guest Jess Wagstrom

    Posted

    I think, unfortunately, most of my customers are at the safety stage. Sometimes I wonder if it's because I myself am at the safety stage and I don't know how to authentically market to people beyond that phase of life because I can't relate to it as well, but I think it's also largely because what I sell (hula hoops) currently appeals to mainly younger college students. My personal target market, though, is older women, so I have the opportunity to tap into more affluent markets, I just haven't done it yet.
    Link to comment

    Ha! When I saw the eMail in my inbox I was already writing a strongly worded reply in my mind, asking why you're harassing me with school stuff.

    Then I saw the poop story. I forgive you.

    Sometimes I ask myself what I'm even doing in life, because I have discussed this pyramid from top to bottom (or rather bottom to top), yet I never thought about it in terms of marketing. You're an evil genius.

    I'm probably somewhere in-between stages, which is really fitting as I never.... Fit.

    Some people probably think we're out of our minds because we started a family before being even close to affording a house. I on the other hand think people are crazy to think they need a house to get pregnant. Everybody knows it's the kissing that makes babies.

    I wish I could write a lot about my customers, but my business has been all over the place. I tried to tap into the wrong markets and changed my mind on a weekly basis. Clever, clever - I know.

    But I'm starting to look at it from a more goal-oriented perspective. I could probably address people on several stages. Show the safety stage people how to save money on groceries by cooking at home (would need to be fast meals with cheap ingredients, as they probably don't have much time to cook). Provide a community to the relationshippers, where they can relate to my extra-emotional emotions and also talk to others. And show them how fun it is to share food with friends.

    I'm sure I could find something about the top two tiers as well, but trust me, it's hard to think straight when a 17 month old is trying to climb on top of you. Definitely not a high-pyramid moment of mine.

    I guess I want to make my ideal customers modern, urban families who want to feed their kids well. They're probably mostly on the relationship stage? It's definitely not Pinterest fodder, but then again I don't have crown molding on my kitchen cabinets, so I think I'll be OK.

    Oh final note: I'm definitely going to teach my kid to say she's temporarily on the bottom of Maslow's pyramid, when she, you know... Right now she's wonkily walking around wearing my shoes, I'm guessing that's self-fulfillment?

    Link to comment
    Don't mean to be a part of the Kopy Patrol but ... "Where do your perspective customers stand in Maslow’s Hierarchy?" ... you mean PROSPECTIVE and not PERSPECTIVE, right?
    Link to comment
    Guest John Gonzalez

    Posted

    Hi Neville,

    Great article, I'm currently on the first stage (physiological/physical stage). I'm a solo entrepreneur and I don't have the money to hire extra employees to help me start making money. I have 3 websites but I only have the time to work on one of them. So I am loosing money on having the other 2 websites. I also have several marketing tools but I don't have the time to use them that often and on one of them I have never used before. So I'm also loosing money on those things too. I have felt like a failure many times but something keeps me going and not give up. You're newsletters inspire me though and I look forward to them. I wish I would have a mentor and someone to help me though. I'd like to at least reach the esteem stage at least and sell to everyone else above where I'm currently at, at least up to the ones on the esteem stage.

    Link to comment

    Thanks Nev (too soon?)

    My clients are at the safety stage (they are looking for help with debt / or at least info about debt.)

    It is good to consider.

    Thanks for bringing this to my attention.

    Will continue to slant things towards their basic needs and not climb the pyramid too much :-)

    Zak

     

    PS. since i signed up for your newsletters and emails you are welcome to do the same on my site (www.debtfreedigi.co.za) and read more about managing debt and debt review.

    Link to comment

    Wow, Neville! You've absolutely nailed it with the hammer of truth!

    As I read your post, famous and not so famous marketing campaigns flashed through my mind. At each level, different sales letters I'd read came to mind as I recognized the devastating truth of how they played with their targets' emotions at each vulnerable stage of their life.

    One thing I'd like to add - humanity's aspiring side. Even if John Doe is currently at the safety rung, he might long inside to be at the esteem or self-actualization rung. By combining the two and using the safety rung as a means to the esteem rung- you can achieve even better results. Either by tapping into their spiritual side, or to their jealousy of relatives or friends better off than them.

    For example, when you target a lower class person - by learning these top secret techniques to earning a six figure income without intensive training or a college degree, you will gain the respect and admiration of your friends and family and achieve great things.

    Know who does that really well? AWAI. They target people in the safety stage and not only appeal to their desire to earn more money, they promise that by ordering their course and making those six figures, you'll get everything from the Esteem and Self-Actualization stage as well. And...it works. ;)

    Thanks for a great, insightful post!

    A

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    The HAMMER OF TRUTH! Wow, that sounds awesome :)

    I agree you can definitely ping people on those emotional hotspots, but personally I don't know if I 100% agree with that kind of marketing (although it DOES work...and well).

    Something always rubs me the wrong way when you promise something like a copywriting course will not only make you money, but gain respect, admiration etc..

    I'm sure it does for some people, but it seems like an over-promise. It's a tough conundrum because like you even said, that type of marketing works surprisingly well even nowadays.

    Thanks for chiming in Yove! (cool name)

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Hmmmm.....I actually think helping people get out of debt is a noble thing (SO LONG AS YOU'RE NOT DOING ANY OF THAT PREDATORY SHIT)!

    Having debt (especially for someone with a very low income) can be absolutely crushing, and permanently keep them at a low level of society.

    It's hard to climb out of the first run of Maslow's Hierarchy if you constantly have to service those debts, and take jobs that you may hate, but must do in order to get money to once again....service those debts.

    Link to comment
    Guest Neville

    Posted

    Well your job here is to get ONE of those to work. I'd suggest this:

    1.) See which of your little businesses are working the best.

    2.) Try your best to predict which one will STILL do well in 3-5 years.

    3.) Kill the other two and go with the strongest one.

    I had a lot of success early on when I killed off all my milllliooonss of side projects and dove full-in on ONE businesses.

    I saw a quote somewhere: "Don't half-ass two things, whole-ass one thing"

    Good luck John!

    Link to comment



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