Marketing
Beyond Transactions: Why Self-Determination Theory Matters For Brands
By Alice Ngatia
In boardrooms around the world, we endlessly discuss customer experience, digital transformation, and loyalty. But there’ s one truth that’ s harder to measure on a balance sheet: customers stay loyal not because of what we sell to them, but because of how we make them feel.
Consumers are increasingly asking a deeper question: does this brand make me feel seen, empowered, and connected?
This is where Self-Determination Theory( SDT), a foundational idea in psychology, offers sharp insights for business leaders. It tells us that people are motivated by three fundamental needs: autonomy( the desire for control over their actions), competence( the feeling of being capable), and relatedness( the need for connection with others).
When brands meet these needs, they don’ t just win customers; they create advocates. This translates into deeper
relationships, stronger advocacy, and longterm growth.
Unlike older motivation theories such as Maslow’ s hierarchy, which suggest people must climb a pyramid of needs, SDT recognizes that autonomy, competence, and relatedness are universal and simultaneous. Whether in Nairobi, Kampala, Lagos, or Chicago, these needs cut across cultures, demographics, and income levels. And in Africa, a continent with a young, digitalfirst population and rising expectations, understanding these drivers may be the most important leadership skill of the decade.
Autonomy: The Power of Choice
Autonomy is about empowering customers to feel in control. Brands that provide genuine flexibility and freedom in how customers engage are rewarded with loyalty. Customers want to feel they are in control, not being dictated to by rigid systems.
Think of Safaricom’ s M-Pesa. Costs aside, its strength goes beyond the technology to the freedom it affords users: the ability to send money, pay bills, and borrow microloans anytime, anywhere. That sense of empowerment has turned M-Pesa from a product into an ecosystem and from a service into a lifeline.
For executives, the takeaway is simple: every touchpoint that enhances customer choice, whether through digital channels, product customization, or flexible services, cements deeper loyalty.
Competence: Helping Customers Succeed
If autonomy is about choice, competence is about confidence. People want to feel capable, skilled, and effective in navigating their world.
Customers don’ t only want products; they want tools that help them succeed in their daily lives; they want to feel capable using them. Competence is about reinforcing the belief that“ I can do this.”
Executives should recognize that competence is not about overwhelming customers with product features. It is about simplifying, teaching, and enabling. A product that makes people feel smarter, stronger, and more capable will always outlast one that leaves them feeling confused or inadequate.
Equity Bank’ s financial literacy programs( with the latest one around transforming more than 10,000 women SME’ S with an online literacy program) are a powerful example. By teaching customers how to manage credit, savings, and investments, Equity is building confidence, equipping individuals and businesses to thrive. That confidence translates into trust, and trust is the foundation of long-term loyalty.
Executives should recognize that competence is not about overwhelming customers with product features. It is about simplifying,
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