Why Do People Buy Private Number Plates?

If you already have private number plates on your car, do you know the real reasons behind why you bought them? Did you secretly expect admirers to fall at your feet as you drove into the car park in your exclusive, limited edition supercar? Were you hoping that displaying an eye-catching personalised registration would roll back the years for you? Today we are investigating the real reasons why people buy the things that they do.

According to one presenter at a marketing seminar I attended last week, a purchase is the result of satisfying one of three things; a need, a want or a desire.

 

Personally I believe British motorists buy private number plates to satisfy a desire. The marketing expert went on to explain everything in more detail. Have a read of the points below and decide whether you agree with what she had to say.

Desires are the results of emotions. If a person has a strong, burning desire to satisfy, then logic no longer comes into the equation.

The desire contributors are:

To increase your sex appeal
To feel young again
To demonstrate affection or love
To improve your social standing
To gain prestige or to impress your peers
To get one up on the neighbours
To be socially acceptable or more popular

Generally the types of purchases that fall into the desire category are niche products and services; items or experiences that cause people to pay over the odds to get what they really want.

Having read the list of desire contributors, can you think of a purchase that you may have made for one of the above reasons?

If you already own a personalised number plate, did any of the aforementioned factors influence your decision to buy?

I used to think that owning a personalised plate was all about satisfying an ego. Having attended the seminar I now realise we are all just trying to demonstrate affection and love.