Magazine: Four Cornerstone Drivers

Research conducted in the early 2000s proved that shoppers pick certain products/services based on hidden or revealed expectations that help them satisfy some kind of need.

If we can identify these needs and the objectives which drive consumers, we have great advantage in building our brand’s equity. GfK’s team in the USA developed the Four Cornerstone Drivers model, the process of which lasted several years and made use of three reference points: among consumers, when buying new products and among partners looking for fields of innovation. GfK’s starting point was that in any consumer or shopper situation we make decisions based on our needs. There is no hierarchy between various needs and all of them can be put into one of the following four categories: Security – protects me and gives me peace of mind; Wellbeing – I feel good; Gratification – makes me feel valued; Freedom – free up my time and money. What differentiates this classification system from motivation and need theories used so far is that the new model focuses on benefits and advantages offered by products and services. Since we approach needs from the perspective of product/service characteristics, we have a new and relevant classification system in our hands.