Regulatory Focus Theory In Disney

Consumer motivation is “the driving forces behind human actions [which] drive consumers to address real needs” (ppt ch 5). In other words, consumer motivation is consumers trying to satisfy a need or want. There are two types of motives, utilitarian and hedonic. A utilitarian motive is wanting a product that can be used to “accomplish something” (ppt ch 5). For instance, the purchase of a washer machine drives from the utilitarian motive of wanting clean clothes.Thus, the purchase of a washer machine will accomplish this need of clean clothes. A utilitarian motive can also be used to help a person maintain their state of being (ppt ch 5). Moreover, a hedonic motive is purchasing an item for an experience that is “emotionally gratifying” (ppt ch 5). A hedonic motive can be seen when consumers purchase tickets to Disney. These individuals have spent money for the fun and exciting emotional appeal of Disney. Consumer behavior can be broken down into two orientations: homeostasis and self-improvement. …show more content…
The regulatory focus theory states that “consumers orient their behavior either through prevention [maintenance] or promotion [self-improvement] focus” (ppt ch 5). To refer back to the previous example, North Face is a perfect example of the regulatory focus theory. North Face marketer may choose to orient their jackets towards prevention. Thus, the jacket would be promoted as one of the warmest coats on the market. In this case, the North Face brand is communicating how their coats will prevent the negative effects from being cold. On the other hand, the North Face jackets could take a promotional focus. These garments could be oriented towards consumers who aspire to improve their social status. In general, marketers need to be aware of how customers orient their behaviors so they can craft a proper marketing mix which appeals to either the prevention or maintenance oriented