Abstract:

More and more companies talk about the idea that putting people at the heart of their marketing is fundamental to the success of their business. Fewer admit how hard it is to get a grip on what really motivates consumers and on why people behave as they do, never mind the challenges of making meaningful sense of those insights from a marketing perspective. This paper acts as an introduction to a research programme in which we investigated consumer motivations around the world. In doing so we came to recognise that there is a fundamental set of universal needs which exists in all markets, applicable to all categories. Intelligent use of this fundamental set provides an actionable way to understand consumer needs and motivations, specifically by linking them to brands in a meaningful way.