10 Emotional Product Buying Motives of Consumers (2024)

In product buying motives, the customer is drawn towards the product due to some physical or psychological attraction of the product. The product may be cheap, attractively designed, colorful, durable, fashionable, comfortable, etc. For these reasons a customer is inclined to buy it.

The consumer at times, is driven by emotions while buying certain products. In such cases, the consumer does not bother to make intelligent or right decision. He is generally carried away by emotions. Emotionally, the buyer develops a sort of affection towards the product. The following are certain examples.

1. Pride

People always want to be admired and appreciated by the members of the society. They want to be respected by others and feel proud of their social status, activities and achievements. They are always careful about their dignity and status. Therefore, people purchase expensive luxury goods in order to prove a point to themselves and others. In fact, this is one of the strongest buying motives.

For example, people buy imported cars, stereo sets, distinctive furniture, etc., to show the pride of their possessions. While appealing to this motive, salesman can use sentences like “designed with you in mind” or “people of distinction generally go for this product“. In this way, the salesman can sell costly articles.

2. Fashion or Imitation

Fashion or imitation is closely related to the motive of pride. People generally try to copy or imitate others, particularly the movie stars, sportsmen, etc. Imitation takes place when they are impressed by the dress, behavior, hair style and other manners like walking, speaking, etc. Therefore, new companies generally advertise their products featuring popular film stars to appeal to this motive of buyers. Similarly, highly placed persons featured in the advertisem*nts by hotels and restaurants appeal to this motive.

3. Attraction towards opposite sex

This is one of the strongest of all human motives. Men want to be attractive to women and vice versa. The appeal of sex and romance plays a very important role in certain articles. It is, natural that buyers want to love and be loved by the opposite sex. Appeals to this motive are therefore made to sell a number of products like perfumes, deodorants, after shave lotions, hair cream, shampoo, face powder, clothing, sunglasses, shoes and services like beauty parlour, travel, hair dyeing and so on.

4. Comfort

The desire to live in comfort is very strong in some persons. Thus, comfort is a very important motive in connection with sale of luxury articles. These goods include washing machines, cars, etc. These products save labour and time. Factors like noise, space, thirst, hunger etc., affect the concept of comfort. The salesman has to appeal to these factors while selling comfort articles.

5. Affection for family

Human beings have an inborn urge to always care for their family. Affection and love for family, society and motherland often drives consumers to buy certain articles. Affection for children may be responsible for buying things like baby food, chocolates, toys, dresses, biscuits, etc. Affection for parents may lead to buying things like shawls, spectacles, dresses, etc. Love for wife may be responsible for buying things like sarees, jewellery, cosmetics, etc. While love for husband may lead to buying articles like shirts, ties, pens, wallet, etc. Attachment to one’s own country may lead us to buying goods made within the country. Appeals to such motives are made through phrases such as “Do not leave your family defenseless“, “Be Indian, buy Indian“, etc.

6. Habits

Man is a slave of habits. Habits are easy to cultivate but hard to break. Habits once made become the basic need. Habits like smoking cigarettes, drinking tea, coffee, soft drinks, stitching clothes only at a particular shop, buying ready-made garments from a particular shop, very often provide the stimulus for the consumer to buy certain articles or services. These habits rarely change. Therefore, at the introductory stage of a product, persuasion by the salesman and heavy advertisem*nt are necessary. Once consumers become habituated to a certain product or service, no persuasion is required to sell.

7. Vanity

Like pride, vanity plays a decisive role in the life of a person. Though some people do not differentiate between ‘pride‘ and ‘vanity‘, there is a difference. Pride is justified while vanity is not. There is nothing wrong when a scholar is proud of his scholarship or an artist of his talents. Vanity, being unjustified, is dormant in some persons while vibrant in others.

Vanity is making empty showmanship. That is, such customers will buy goods that they really do not need. Thus, a rich man buys a modern art canvas not because he understood it but he wants to show off his wealth. Similarly, a person changing the car models every year as a fashion.

8. Jealous

Jealousy is a strong feeling of showing fear or resentment towards others, because of their superiority in a given field. It may pertain to intelligence, wealth, beauty, health, achievements, etc.

9. Aesthetic Value

Study of art, beauty, aroma, etc., fall under this category. It is highly emotional, differing from one person to another. Thus, the concept of beauty differs from person to person and from time to time. This motive of sensual gratification or aesthetic pleasure has revolutionized the design and the beauty of articles like jewellery, expensive cars, wrist Catches, furniture, decoration of a bungalow, factory, etc. This sensual gratification is not the same for all. If one likes strong aroma, another likes a very light one, if one likes a white car, another likes black. These differences have given rise to a variety of products being produced.

10. Praise

Many people wish to be praised or admired by others. Praising some one on his face costs nothing but yields rich dividends with no investment. Therefore, a person goes on buying those goods and services that make him praise-worthy. Thus, a person may buy an expensive set of furniture or a carpet for his drawing-room with the intent of being admired by others.