Freudian Personality Theory: Understanding Motivation of Consumer to Buying The Bmw

Freudian Theory

Freudian theory is theory developed by Sigmund Freud, which is the psychoanalytic theory of consumer personality development, which argued personality is formed through conflicts. Conflicts in human’s minds are usually formed of 3 components, the ID, ego and superego. Freudian theory is basically the unconscious needs or driving force to push someone towards their final decision-making. In a more relative term applicable to consumer behavior concept, it would practically be like this, inspiration or motivation that push consumer to buy the BMW-i is using the Freudian Theory to appeals to certain market segmentation.

In short, the Freudian theory was applied to their advertisements to create or stimulate the needs for BMW-I series cars, from the wealthy and able individuals of high society. Through countless advertisements and promotions, BMW attracts minimal individuals who harbour desire to showcase prestige through how superior their technologies are, as they attached the tagline of “The Ultimate Driving Machine” to the BMW-I series products lineups. Basically, BMW is utilizing the superego that this group of people had. Just like a code of conducts, it has been established that wealthy people seeks enjoyment and quality in order for them to think that something is worthy of being their possessions. This type of social circle usually had a lot of money and time that they seek to fill the excitement that they had loss about money spending, however this type of people cannot simply fulfill their boredom just by buying complete nonsense unsuited to their status or in other meanings, they cannot afford to buy something without any purpose. Hence, they seek difference, value or quality, which comes with the products. They wanted something which could fill their boredom, excite them, something different which are worthy of their time, money and effort. Simply speaking, they seek excitement and “difference” that comes with money spending. Hence, was the reason why BMW establish a tagline to entice this particular group of people.

ID is primitive or instinctual needs that individual needs to survive hence is irrelevant theory to be utilized as strategy by BMW. Although, nowadays, transportation can indeed be categorized as basic needs but transportation does not necessarily points to cars, especially luxury cars, like BMW-I series. Hence, BMW abandon the needs to appeal that BMW is a basic necessity in relative to ID in their marketing strategy that they had incorporated. Meanwhile, the concept of ego lies by the fact that ego is what stabilizes the demands of ID (basic needs) and demands of society (superego). If superego exists to remind people of their social standards then, ego exist to find harmony between social needs (superego) and basic needs (id). To remind someone of their financial capabilities, of their demands of products and services, of whether there exist choices that complies with the demands and yet does not neglect the basic necessity required for the individual to live, such were the role of ego. Therefore, is the process of how id, ego and superego conjured conflicts within a person’s mind.

Neo-Freudian Theory

Other than that, the psychoanalytic theory of Neo-Freudian was also implemented to BMW-I advertisements. Neo-Freudian theory as in the theory which claims that consumer decision making process or buying behavior are backed by their backgrounds like sociological and cultural influences, or more specifically, their childhood experiences and social circles. By utilizing this, BMW decided to prioritize only the target market with the suitable background or pedigree which are capable of attaining their prided, supremely-invented products. Intensely analyzing poverty line of each country which their valued BMW-I Series cars are about to be promoted to, BMW only specified limited target market of suitable background whose incomes are able to exceed their products’ price. Asides from those, as Neo-Freudian theory put emphasize on the cultural background which forms part of consumer buying decision, BMW unhesitatingly conducts a research on which countries the products are highly valued for, or in other words, BMW scrutinized every details of a country culture, to come to a decisive decisions, such as if the country’s society are unable to accept their products due to the poverty rate there or road conditions, or if the country’s society highly regarded their products as prized possessions.

In BMW-i series case, a highly developed country or geographical areas, which generated much anticipated income, are the best locations to promote their products as it is filled with considerable amount of people with higher income and status, as well as the fact that this group of people are the definitive target market for BMW-I series, as their motives for buying and backgrounds are in allignments with BMW-I series brand positioning. Since according to this Neo-Freudian theory, the consumer buying behavior are highly affected by their surroundings. Financial backings that testify for the consumers’ capability to pays for the products are indeed valuable, however the same is the evaluation and perception that the consumers had, about the products. Even if the consumers have the money to buy the products, however, if the people and peers around the consumers disregards the products as dangerous, not up-to performance, horrendous-looking or such other negative evaluations, surely, such perceptions gives mental influences of consumers about the products and these matters, thus, affected consumers’ decisions to buy the products.