In marketing, defining customer needs is one of the most challenging
parts of entering new product markets and/or launching new products.
Although people with a marketing background will try to put customer
needs first, and then argue "back" to the product they should develop
to serve them, this approach seems to be difficult for people with a
non-marketing background. Already having a product in mind, they
struggle to find the "customer needs for this product" - which are
often hard to find.

To help non-marketing people think more in customer needs, I am trying
to show that customer needs are not linked to specific products, but
essentially unchanging, universal underlying needs that may be
fulfilled by different products depending on the circumstances, the
customer's preferences and situation, and the time and geography. In
other words, to bring all customer needs everywhere down to just a
couple of generic needs that are always the same, regardless by which
product they happen to be fulfilled.

Therefore I would like to find out what models and classifications
have been published about general customer needs. So far I have found
Maslow's pyramid of basic psychological needs, which is very important
but maybe not concrete enough for marketing purposes. I've also found
Kotler's distinction between stated and unstated (or explicit and
implicit) needs, and then of course there is the typical MBA school
distinction between "lower cost" benefits and "higher value" benefits
- which may be a bit too vague too.

My question: which models and classification of generic customer needs
can you find - with the ideal model being both comprehensive enough to
explain just about any purchase decision by any customer anywhere, and
simple and illustrative enough for non-marketeers to apply to their
(product) management tasks?

---

Clarification of Question by siros-ga on 29 Jul 2003 00:02 PDT

Re: the reference to Kotler: it is from _Marketing Management, the
Millennium Edition_

1. Stated needs (the customer wants an inexpensive car
2. Real needs (the customer wants a car whose operating cost, not its
initial price, is low)
3. Unstated needs (the customer expects good service from the dealer)
4. Delight needs (the customer would like the dealer to include a gift
of a US road atlas)
5. Secret needs (the customer wants to be seen by friends as a savvy
consumer.

---

Clarification of Question by siros-ga on 29 Jul 2003 00:08 PDT

Re: the reference to Maslow, for clarification an extract from BOONE &
KURTZ, _Contemporary Marketing_

1. Physiological needs. Limited in the developed world. Examples:
generic foods, medicines, special drinks and foods for athletes.
2. Safety needs. Examples: smoke detectors, preventive medicines,
insurance, social security, retirement investments, seat belts,
burglar alarms, tires, safes
3. Social (belonging) needs. Examples: personal grooming, foods,
entertainment, clothing and many others
4. Esteem needs. Examples: clothing, furniture, liquors, hobbies,
stores, cars, and many others
5. Self-actualization needs. Examples: education, hobbies, sports,
some vacations, gourmet foods, museums

---

Request for Question Clarification by czh-ga on 18 Aug 2003 23:38 PDT

Hello siros-ga,

I’m puzzled as to why your question hasn’t been answered. I started
researching it and I’d like you to give me a little bit more
information to make sure I’m on the right track.

he issue of defining theories of consumer needs is frequently
addressed by talking about consumer behavior, consumer motivation and
market segmentation. Would information about these aspects of the
question you asked regarding customer needs meet your requirements? I
think that various models of market segmentation that have been
developed to get a better handle on consumer motivation may be what
you’re looking for.

I’d love to do this research for you and the more you tell me about
the context of your question and how you are planning to use the
search results, the more likely that I can find you the information
you need. I look forward to your clarification.

czh

<In addition to Maslow’s and Kotler’s there are a number of needs
models including:
http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/needs.htm


Hertzberg’s Motivation-Hygiene Theory 
Needs are divided into hygiene factors and motivators.
http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/Hertzberg_needs.htm

Hertzberg’s theory can be used to identify customers needs
http://216.239.51.104/search?q=cache:4greli-aQAgJ:www.fifield.co.uk/viewpoint/08_Excess_Stone.pdf+hertzberg+consumer+marketing+motivation&hl=en&ie=UTF-8


Kano’s Needs 
Customer needs are defined as being basic, performance and excitement
needs.
Basic needs are the needs that we expect. For example when we visit a
restaurant we expect to find a table laid with cutlery and a waiter to
provide a menu. These needs do not lead to satisfaction.

Performance needs are things that we seek. For example someone may
order a steak and request that it is cooked ‘well done’. If the steak
is served rare the person will be unhappy and dissatisfied. If the
steak is served as requested the customer will be satisfied.

Excitement needs are satisfied when unexpected things are received.
For example a product or service has something extra which pleases or
delights us. In a restaurant for example a free aperitif may be given
to the customer which comes as a pleasant surprise. 
http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/Kano_needs.htm

The Kano Model
http://www.triz-journal.com/archives/1999/10/e/

Kano Model Analysis
http://www.ucalgary.ca/~design/engg251/First%20Year%20Files/kano.pdf

Kano Analysis
http://www.isixsigma.com/library/content/c030630a.asp


Alderfer’s ERG Theory
This condenses Maslow’s Hierarchy into three needs of existence,
relatedness and growth. 
http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/erg_theory.htm

McClelland’s Acquired Needs Theory 
This identifies the three needs of achievement, affiliation and power.
http://changingminds.org/explanations/theories/acquired_needs.htm

Murray’s Needs
A long list of needs for details see
http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/Murrays_needs.htm

Mumford’s Needs
These are related to employees and are categorised as knowledge,
psychological, task and moral needs.
http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/Mumford_needs.htm

Glasser’s Five Needs
This is similar to Maslow’s Hierarchy. The needs are categorised as
survival, Love and belonging, power or recognition, freedom, and fun.
http://changingminds.org/explanations/needs/Glasser_five_needs.htm


In addition to the models for needs, there are also a number of models
for the purchasing process including:

AIDA
This splits the buying process into four steps - awareness, interest,
desire, action.
http://www.caryandassociates.com/mkt/memos/mm12.htm
http://www.etechsys.com/Sales-basics/sales-ADIA.htm


Everett Rogers - The adoption process
This describes the buying process of a new product as a number of
steps.
Awareness
Interest/Information
Evaluation
Trial 
Adoption
Post-adoption confirmation.

Awareness can result from marketing or word of mouth. If the product
is of interest the consumer will seek further information. The product
will then be evaluated against other products. The trial stage is
making an initial adoption via a trial sample or purchase. The
adoption stage is when a decision is made to use the product. Post
adoption confirmation is when the product has been adopted and the
buyer seeks reassurance about the wisdom of the purchase.
http://www.da-group.co.uk/geoff/buyerbehaviour.htm

Lavidge and Steiner’s hierarchy of effects.
This model separates the buying process into five stages of awareness,
knowledge, liking, preference and conviction.
http://www.da-group.co.uk/geoff/buyerbehaviour.htm>


<Additional links:>

<Motivation>
<http://www.cultsock.ndirect.co.uk/MUHome/cshtml/index.html>

<Definitions of marketing.>
<http://www.marketingteacher.com/Lessons/lesson_what_is_marketing.htm>

<Buyer behaviour>
<http://www.da-group.co.uk/geoff/buyerbehaviour.htm>


<Search strategy:>

<kano model analysis>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=kano+model+analysis>

<aida marketing>
<://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&q=aida+marketing>

<"consumer behaviour">
<://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22consumer+behaviour%22>

<"consumer motivation">
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22consumer+motivation%22

<"consumer motivation" models>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22consumer+motivation%22+models>

<"needs model" motivation>
<://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=%22needs+model%22+motivation>


<Hope this helps.>

I finally had time to look at your answer. Thanks, I find it quite
good. Even though most of the models you come up with were listed on
two key sites (changingminds.org and the article on buyer behaviour by
Geoff Lancaster), I didn't find either of these sites myself when I
searched before posting this question. So thanks for your help!