OUGD601 - Context of Practice 3 Aristotle’s Seven Causes of Human Action

One of the most important aspects of any marketing communication is a strong call to action, but aligning a marketing call to action with one of the seven causes of human action defined by Aristotle thousands of years ago is essential to getting the best results and maximizing return on investment. According to Aristotle, the seven causes of human action are:

1. Chance

The saying, “leave nothing to chance,” applies here. Don’t just hope that consumers understand what you want them to do. Make sure they understand with no room for confusion. After all, confusion is the number one brand killer.

2. Nature

Human nature and environmental nature play important roles in motivating consumers to take action. Make sure the actions you tell them to take align with their natures.

3. Compulsion

We live in a world of instant gratification, and compulsion causes a significant amount of human actions simply because things are so quick and easy today. Make it easy for your customers to take action and act on their impulses, and your marketing results will improve.

4. Habit

Human beings are creatures of habit whether they admit to it or not. In fact, much of our habitual nature is subconscious, but it plays a direct role in how and when we take action. The three steps of brand-building---consistency, persistence, and restraint---play directly to the habitual nature of human beings. Setting and consistently meeting consumer expectations for your brand is critical to developing trust in your brand, which leads to action.

5. Reason

For consumers, reason can be rational or irrational. The former applies to the lower levels of Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs while the latter applies to the higher levels of needs. These higher level needs require marketers to develop perceived reasons for consumers to take action. Appealing to emotions is the most effective way to develop these perceived needs in consumers’ minds.

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6. Passion

Passion also relates to emotions. What is the emotional trigger for each customer that will motivate him or her to take action? When that key message is communicated and that passionate emotion is triggered, it will be nearly impossible for a consumer not to take action.

7. Desire

Creating desire in a consumer is all about understanding the target audience’s wants and needs and massaging consumer perceptions so they desire what you’re selling. It’s not about a product or service. Desire is about a feeling, a lifestyle, a personal benefit, or some other intangible (and often subconscious) goal or want. Listen to your audience and communicate with messages and brand experiences that position your products and services as what consumers want so they can fulfill their desires.