7 Emotional buying motives of household care consumers
Our latest blog is here to unveil the fascinating emotional buying motives that drive product preferences in the household care category.
A home is a sacred space, and while it demands a high level of functional care, emotion is a constant factor in the decision-making process for consumers when they shop. As a result, understanding the complex emotional motives that influence consumer behaviour is crucial for brands in the household care category to hold and grow their market share. As we uncover these contextual and sometimes-unseen motivations that drive purchase, products can be connected meaningfully with their target consumers and gain a competitive edge.
Using new consumer verbatim from our latest report, “Beyond the Surface: Unlocking complex consumers in the household care market”, and real-life brand examples, this blog will unveil 7 of these key consumer motivations.
The emotional buying motives for safety and hygiene is strong in the home
“Particularly in the kitchen, you want something that gets rid of the germs as well as the odour”
“Ensuring my home smells fresh indicates cleanliness to me” 25-34
In “Beyond the Surface”, our latest Catalyx-own study conducted on the household care category, we revealed the emotional driver for hygiene was intricately linked to the practical driver for efficiency in the case of disinfectants. Across the two main consumer segments that emerged within our research, “Explorers” and “Utilitarians”, one common need for products that guaranteed cleanliness as well as freshness emerged. Despite both groups of consumers having divergent priorities and preferences, this uniting factor shone through, and may be attributed to our sharp rise in germ-awareness following the Covid-19 pandemic.
You can read more and find out where this driver sits in the hierarchy of consumer needs we synthesised by downloading our free report today.
Seventh Generation offers consumers cleaning for a good cause
Another emotion that drives purchase is the desire to create altruistic benefits by investing in sustainable products. Seventh Generation excels in involving consumers with positive global impacts through the communications promoting their eco-friendly and renewably sourced household products. The brand’s messaging promises to “consider our impact on the next seven generations” in every aspect of their products, to be “a force for good”.
With advertising imagery that includes children at every turn, the brand appeals to consumer conscience and creates a compelling metaphor for the circularity of their recycled packaging and biodegradable ingredients.
From consumer frustration to a one-stop-shop
“It is difficult to find products that “Eliminate Odours” and have a pleasant, long-lasting scent. I would love to have a product that could do both and ease-up my responsibilities in that sense”
“It would save me money from not having to buy multiple products” 35-54
Many consumers within our “Beyond the Surface” study indicated frustration at current market solutions in the home scent category. They perceived a gap in the market and reacted negatively to complicated multi-product solutions that were costing them time or money.
We discovered that it takes time, effort, several scent items and hard work for many to achieve the levels of cleanliness and comfort they wanted. Products that don’t force consumers to choose between benefits are hard to find, but greatly sought after. You can find a granular look at consumers’ frustrations and a roadmap to solution within our free report.
How Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day’s storytelling invites nostalgic investment
Household care is far from a functionality-only category. Consumers are willing to invest in not just the products, but the story of a brand, too. Mrs. Meyer’s Clean Day demonstrates this perfectly with a powerful brand narrative about the foundation of the company; inspired by Mrs. Meyer, an Iowan mother of nine known for excellent housekeeping and throwback sensibilities. The narrative combines old-fashioned elbow grease with the cleaning product scents of a lovingly-kept garden.
Playing on the nostalgia of “mother knows best”, the brand’s story infuses each product with Mrs. Meyer’s personality and invites emotional investment with this feel-good emotional driver for consumers to immerse themselves in.
Consumers seek comfort in this emotionally-charged space
“Turning a stressful situation into a positive” 35-54
“I want something that has the power to affect mood and emotions” 35-54
“This would bring calm and comfort and peace to my home” 35-54
Within our “Beyond the Surface” study, consumer verbatim revealed that the quest for individual wellness extends beyond personal care products and into those used for the home. As a result, consumers expressed that within the home scents category, products with the ability to mask odours only went part of the way to meeting their needs.
Our study’s persona group of “Explorers” revealed an opportunity for home scents to meet needs personalised to consumers from moment-to-moment. Following this, a trend emerged linking control over one’s habitat with the ability to fully relax. Our insights reveal that wellness plays a major role in the ideal offering of a home scent, and should not be underestimated. You can read our full report for free to see the use frequency and occasions for consumers’ favourite de-stressing scents.
How Lysol turns reliability into consumer relief
Another way for brands to take the guesswork out of the path to purchase is to anticipate consumer pain points and reliably solve them. For household challenges that require a high standard of cleaning, Lysol is one of the market-leaders demonstrating the value of no-frills relief in trying moments.
Their plant-based disinfectant wipes earned Good Housekeeping’s 2022 “Dependable Wipes” award, and just last month the company announced the world’s first ever air-sanitiser to kill airborne viruses. Staying firmly within their core offering of killing germs and viruses, Lysol continue to innovate and diversify their portfolio – all while keeping their products easy-to-use and consistently effective.
Simplehuman used a product innovation to create consumer excitement
One consumer emotion guaranteed to motivate purchase is excitement. Simplehuman proved recently that a sure-fire way to generate this driver is innovating to improve product experience. The brand launched a paper towel holder with a first-of-its-kind design, replacing the centre rod with a slender, reusable spray pump, that users can fill with the detergent of their choice; effectively combining two separate functions in one item.
This award-winning upgrade in convenience for household care consumers made a splash with press at time of release and has generated buzz online, with excellent peer reviews and word of mouth continuing to the fuel excitement – and fuel purchase.
The emotional buying motives of consumers are nuanced
From the need for safety and comfort in the control of consumers’ homes, to frustration and excitement about the products that allow them to achieve it, these emotional buying motives are just the tip of the iceberg.
Understanding and tapping into these emotional drivers can help brands in this category be present for the right consumer at the right time. Crucially, solving the right household challenges meaningfully will build loyalty and differentiation in the crowded household care market. By aligning their offerings with consumers’ emotional needs, brands can create a strong emotional connection and enhance their market share.
To explore these emotional buying motives in-depth, download our FREE report “Beyond the Surface: Unlocking complex consumers in the household care market.” Find out how we can deliver mind-opening WOW insights to unlock growth, and gain valuable insights for your brand’s success. Always the insight, not just the data.
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