After visiting Axe’s site, the way a product smells may be the chief motivator in purchasing a body wash. They way men evaluate hygiene products after viewing Axe’s website may alter how they shop for those products. The site intends to induce men to purchase the products to acquire a scent desired by women. Upon navigating the site, consumers are able to view commercials by Axe with the common theme of attracting women. This approach and strategy might appeal to men who want a boost in confidence. Very prominently displayed on the homepage is “Take Action. Axe ties in the hedonic needs very well with its website, com. After viewing LG’s website, consumers should leave the site with more information about high definition televisions and should be able to make better comparisons to other manufacturers. This is appealing to consumers shopping for high-quality television sets. Each attribute of its televisions are highlighted and provide detailed explanations. LG seems to understand that its consumers want information and does a great job at providing necessary information. The website feels as if its main objective is to provide detailed information about its products. There aren’t any useless popups, videos, or extra content to distract consumers. When visiting the LG website, it gives a feeling of technicality.
The usage of Axe’s shower gel creates the “Axe Effect” in which, “your new and improved male musk is released into the atmosphere, quickly reaching nearby females” (Axe, 2012). This approach takes the utilitarianism out of the product. Since its inception, Axe has always promoted its products on the basis of men smelling good to attract women. Axe’s shower gel can be seen as a utilitarian product however it is marketed as a hedonic needs product. On the other hand, a hedonic needs products designed to “meet our needs for excitement, self-confidence, or fantasy” (Solomon pg 132). The consumer who purchases this television is concerned sound and picture quality and is looking for a multi-functional set to satisfy their needs. These are all tangible attributes that allow the viewer gain a high level of functionality from the television set.
LG’s 84” Ultra High Definition 3D TV meets the requirements as it boasts attributes such as Ultra HD 4K Resolution, LED Plus, TruMotion 240Hz, and Intelligent Sensor (LG. “When we focus on a utilitarian need, we emphasize the objective, tangible attributes of products” (Solomon, pg 132). Each company has many products to offer consumers however this paper will only look at LG’s televisions as utilitarian need and Axe’s shower gel as a hedonic need. The companies chosen to demonstrate utilitarian needs and hedonic needs are LG and Axe – Men’s Hair, Deodorant, Body Spray, and Shower Gel. An explanation will be given as to why each product falls within its respected category and the overall effectiveness of how the products websites ability to influence shoppers attitudes. This paper will demonstrate how two different companies use their websites to attract buyers of utilitarian products and hedonic needs products.
While it is fair to say we purchase goods because of their functionality and overall usage, we can also say we purchase goods simply because they make us feel good.