Maslow always wanted to find out what motivates people and to do so he stated a model in 1943 to know what motivates people to achieve certain needs. We always notice that humans need more and more and so we always progress to our next need.
There are five motivational needs often known as hierarchical levels within a pyramid
This model can be divided into basic needs and growth needs. The basic needs motivate people when they are unmet. For example the more a person starves for food, the more hungry he will become. We shall be able to satisfy our basic needs to progress further. If these needs aren’t met we cannot move ahead. One can reach the highest level of satisfaction if the basic needs are fulfilled. We all have the capacity to reach the level of self actualization but there is always a possibility that our growth will be disrupted due to certain reasons. Maslow noted that not all reach the final stage as our society rewards motivation based on esteem, love and other social needs.
The five stages of the model include;
Biological and physiological needs
Physiological needs are the basic needs of human that need to be met. These are the needs without which we cannot sustain. Air, water and food are our basic needs required for our survival. The ad of smart water serves the same purpose. It shows the basic requirement for water a human needs.
Safety needs
We all need security along with us. We all experience stressful and traumatic situations. At such a stage we need an assurance to remain happy and safe. It is always necessary one meets this need as it is a vital part of our life.
Safety and security needs include
Personal security
Financial security
Health security
Safety net against accidents and their adverse impacts.
The ad here shows a falling man but there is nothing to worry as life direct will always be there to support him whenever required.
Love and belonging
This is one emotion we all need for our survival without which no human can live- love. After physiological and safety needs the third level is the belongingness. Ruining this emotion in childhood can cause severe issues in the growth. According to Maslow, a human needs acceptance in whatever surroundings he/she belongs to be it small or large groups. Humans need to love and be loved as well. When there is absence of this emotion there is loneliness, anxiety and depression. So this level of Maslow’s hierarchy is one of the most important needs to be met.
The ad johnson’s baby. As soon as we look at the ad the first thing that comes to our mind is love and hence the message strategy is clear here.
Esteem
We all want to be respected by everyone. Esteem presents a typical human desire to be accepted amongst others. We either have high or low self esteem. People with high self esteem are the ones that are happy with their progress and are respected in their surroundings. People with low self esteem have inferior complex and fear within themselves of not being accepted by others.
Maslow states that he thought the hierarchies are inter related than it being separated. This mean that esteem and the levels are not separated but are related
The ad of dove here shows the message strategy of esteem. The skin of the woman shows the esteem.
Self actualization
This is the last stage of Maslow’s hierarchy. This levels shows the need of a human to acquire everything that one can. Every human perceives this level differently as well have different needs and desires. For example someone may want to be a good parent while someone else would desire to be good in athletics. To showcase this we express ourselves in various manners. Maslow believed that to reach the level of self actualization it is important to understand the level of need one must not only achieve the prior needs but master them.
The ad nike shows stages of rising of the athlete but in the end he finally he achieves his dream. Hence it clearly shows us self actualization.
References- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow’s_hierarchy_of_needs
http://www.simplypsychology.org
http://www.learning-theories.com/maslows-hierarchy-of-needs.html
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