Latent and Manifest Motives

By Atsuko Toda

Introduction

When consumers purchase products or services, they are motivated to behave in a certain way. Motives can be constructed from internal influences, external influences, or both. For example, the internal influences can be individuals' personalities or lifestyles, and the external influences can be cultures or environments. Also, people can be motivated when they feel the need to achieve certain goals. All these factors motivate people to behave certain ways because "motives or basic human needs are at the root of all behavior" (Robinette and Brand, 1999-2000 p. 1).

There are two major kinds of motives: latent motives and manifest motives. Manifest motives are "known to the person and freely admitted", and latent motives are "unknown to the person or the person is reluctant to admit" (Personal selling: Motivation 1). Both types of motive can provide a stimulus to move people to purchase products or services when marketers manipulate those that are appropriate; however, if stimuli are used in the wrong way, it can cause negative motives toward purchasing.

In this tutorial, I will explain

Explanation of the topic

Basic ideas of latent and manifest motives

Manifest motives are can be easily determined in consumers by asking the direct question "why do you purchase a certain product?" because those reasons are obvious and direct purchase motives. However, some believe that "we have reason to doubt full awareness of our motives" (Wolfe 1998 p1). People cannot fully understand what their motives are because it is "in the unconscious mind" (Robinette and Brand, 1999-2000 p2). This perspective holds that people have only latent motives. Latent motives are hard to find because they underlay awareness, and are therefore not available to us. Marketers have to determine latent motives carefully because latent motives have a significant influence why people behave a certain ways just as do manifest motives. Thus, understanding of both manifest and latent motives is important to influence consumers' purchase decisions, and marketers have to determine what trigger a target market's manifest and latent purchase motives for their products. On the other hand, there is disagreement that the motives are the major influence on consumer behavior. According to Robinette and Brand, emotions have stronger influences on consumers' purchase decision than motives, and "emotions actually stimulate the mind 3,000 times faster than regular thought" (Robinette and Brand, 1999-2000 p2). Therefore, when marketers determine consumers' motives, they have to know what kind of emotions and motives their products evoke from customers.

Methods to research motives

There are three major methods to research consumers' motives, especially latent motives. The first method is observation, which is simply accomplished by watching people in person or by video camera. This method is not effective because different consumers have different motives, even if they purchased similar products or services, and hiring observers can be expensive. The next method is the use of focus groups. This method is useful when researching motivational potentials. A group is asked a direct question by moderator, and these questions are discussed within the group. While the group members exchange their opinions, they become excited and expose their latent motives. The final method is the depth interview, which is accomplished by a researcher directly interacting with a person. The researchers do not ask specific questions of the respondent; they just talk about a broad topic. During the conversation, the researcher has to make comfortable environment for the respondent so that he/she can talk freely about his/her opinions. Also the researcher has to watch every single motion or change that the respondent makes, and tape-record the conversation. This method can lead the researcher to understand the overall characteristics and behaviors of customers. However this is costly method and takes much time to interview as many people as needed. Through these methods, marketers can see the consumers' real feelings and opinions, and the results can be used to motivate consumers in more effective ways.

What are manifest motives in marketing?

Identifying the use of manifest motives in marketing is relatively easy - there are obvious reasons why people purchase certain products or services. When you think about why you buy products such as a shirt from Abercrombie and Fitch, you might answer, "it is the latest style," "it is popular among students," or "it matches on my jeans." Those are all manifest motives, and each clearly explains your purchase reasons and you recognize those reasons. Also, consumers can freely talk about the manifest purchase motives with other people. Manifest motives are easily elicited from consumers by using TV commercials, magazine ads or in the store displays. Marketers usually use manifest motives by touting their products or services' benefits to attract consumers with their advertisement. For example, a Dell computer advertisement provides the price, features, and options information intended to make the consumer think, "It has a reasonable price," "I can have free upgrades," or "Dell computers are popular." Those are all direct appeals of product benefits, and "direct appeals are generally effective for manifest motives, since these are motives that consumers are aware of and will discuss" (Hawkins Best Coney 371). Therefore, appeals to manifest motives are easy to implement by marketers.

However, those manifest motives often can be forgotten. Since marketers use manifest motives too often, consumers easily forget the information. According to David B. Wolf, "most of a marketer's message is processed outside a consumer's conscious mind. That is because the conscious mind is not capable of handling all the information the senses pick up" (Wolfe, 1998 p26). Therefore, when marketers use manifest motives in their advertisements, they have to make it outstanding and differentiate it from others so that consumers can recognize and remember it.

What are latent motives in marketing?

Unlike manifest motives, latent motives are hard to determine because people do not admit or do not know of those motives. Think about the previous example of a shirt from Abercrombie and Fitch; you might have hidden reasons for why you purchase it: "Because all my friends wear the brand's shirts," "it shows that I have enough money to afford these products," or "it makes me look like I care about fashion." People do not usually think or talk about their latent motives because it might be embarrassing or hidden "in the unconscious mind" (Robinette and Brand, 1999-2000 p2). Latent motives also can be used in commercials or other advertisements. Marketers have to be careful when using the latent motives in their advertisements because since latent motives are not direct purchase reasons, they can provide misleading information regarding consumers' motives. For example, the latest Volvo commercial introduces their new Volvo S60 by using a yellow car. People know Volvo's cars have high quality and luxury, and consumers want to purchase their cars because it makes them feel rich and highly educated (latent motives). However, there is one factor that can elicit consumers' negative latent motives. The commercial makes the car look a little like a cab because it is yellow. People may not want to drive a car that looks like a cab. Therefore, when an advertisement uses latent motives, it has to be carefully determined whether the ad is leading consumers' positive or negative purchase motives.

Latent motives are often used in store atmospheres. For example, FAO Schwarz is using bright colors and many anime characters in the stores' decorations, and there is always fun music. These store atmospheres provide customers not only with access to the products, but also the excitement of being in the store. When customers feel this atmosphere, they are motivated to purchase products because they want to keep the atmospheres in their house or want to give the same experience to other persons.

Examples of latent and manifest motives

In today's market, consumers are exposed to thousands of TV commercials, magazine or newspaper ads that use either manifest or latent motives (or both) everyday. TV commercials especially often use combinations of both manifest and latent motives to elicit consumers' purchase intentions because it is most effective. There is one example that is using both motives effectively: in a Pepsi One commercial, the manifest motives are used to inform the viewers of the direct benefits of the product. A female came into the Bears' (football team) waiting room, and tasted Coca-Cola, which had too many calories, and then tried diet Coca-Cola, which was too diet and finally the Pepsi One, that was perfect. The images influence consumers' manifest motives because they compare with other products and emphasize the perfect taste of the Pepsi One. When the football players came into the room, and each said, "somebody drinks my Coke," "diet Coke," and finally "somebody finished my Pepsi One." Each product is used by different characters, for example the person who had the Coca-Cola was a huge male, and a slim male was drinking the diet Coca-Cola, and a well-shaped male was drinking the Pepsi One. Those secret characteristics make consumers think that well-shaped people are using Pepsi One, and consumers want to use the product to be like them. Those hidden factors influence consumers' latent motives.

Relationship between motives and emotions

As stated before, emotions have a much stronger influence on consumers' behaviors. However, motives and emotions relate each other. When people try to satisfy their needs, "the subconscious mind perceives an opportunity to meet a basic need or motives, and stimulates emotions" (Robinette and Brand, 1999-2000 p2). Therefore, emotions can be elicited from latent motives, and make consumers realize that they need to satisfy a certain need. The latent motives, which are in the unconscious mind, are the most important factors to motivate people to purchase products or services; they are the basis of the manifest motives and emotions of consumers.

Web Links

Dell Computers http://www.dell4me.com

FAO Swartz http://www.faoswartz.com

Pepsi One http://www.pepsi.com

Volvo http://www.volvo.com

References

Dichter, Ernest. Handbook of Consumer Motivation 1964:363.

Hawkins, Del I. Consumer Behavior 1983:360-362.

"Personal Selling: Motivation". Online: http://www.courses.psu.edu/mktg/mktg220_rso3/sls_motv.htm

Robinette, Scott. Brand, Claire. "The Power of Emotion: Winning the Battle for Customer Loyalty," Journal of Integrated Communications, Northwestern University, 1999-2000.

Thomas, Jerry W. Motivational Research. (2000) Online: http://www.decisionanalyst.com/publ_art/motive.htm

Wolfe, David B. "What Your Customers Can't Say," American Demographics February 1998: 24-29.

Test for Understanding

1.    Manifest motives are
a.    unknown to a person
b.    those a consumer can talk about
c.    in a person's unconscious mind
d.    none of above

2.    ______________ often has a stronger influence on consumer purchase decision than motives.
a.    culture
b.    feelings
c.    personality
d.    emotion

3.    Emotions have been found to stimulate the mind _______ times faster than regular thought.
a.    2000
b.    500
c.    100
d.    3000

4.    Which motive research method is useful to find motivation potential?
a.    depth interview
b.    focus group
c.    survey
d.    observation

5.    The Pepsi One commercial was shown to be using
a.    latent motives
b.    manifest motives
c.    emotion
d.    both a and b

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