Question

Discuss the statement “marketers don’t create needs; needs preexist marketers.” Can marketing efforts change consumers’ needs? Why or why not? Can they arouse consumer needs? If yes, how?

Answer 1

All individuals have needs, wants, and desires.

Motivation is the driving force within individuals that triggers action to satisfy their needs, wants, and desires. Motivation can be either positive or negative.

There are two types of need in an individual:

● Innate needs - These are the needs an individual is born with and are physiological in nature. Like food, water, clothing, shelter, sex, and safety.

● Acquired needs - Needs that are developed after birth and are psychological in nature. Like, acceptance, esteem, and self-fulfillment. These needs arise based on the relationship of an individual with others.

Therefore, it is stated that needs preexist marketers. Needs are always present in an individual. Marketers may attempt to harness the needs to sell their products or help an individual make a purchase decision to satisfy his need, want or desire.

If, for example, an individual is hungry he needs food. But if he needs a burger from his favorite food joint to satisfy his hunger, it is a want. Marketers may attempt to cater to these wants of an individual but they may not be able to make the individual hungry.

Change of needs

Needs are either biogenic (physiological) in nature aquired through relationships and beliefs. Marketers may not be able to influence the need of customers. But they may attempt to influence the wants of tthe customer.

In the above example, marketers may not be able to make the customer hungry. But they can certainly make the customer want a burger or a pizza through creative and customized advertising.

Once the marketers are able to connect with the customer, they can create customized messege for the target segment and place their products accordingly.

This way wants of the consumer can be influenced but needs cannot be influenced.

Arousing consumer needs is possible through selective, and creative advertising and position of the product. Sometimes, need of an individual is dormant. This means, individual is unaware of his needs. It requires internal stimuli to arouse those needs through emotions, conditions, or by physiological arousal.

Emotional arousal result stimulation of latent need. For example, a female who is bored from her routine may look for some entertainment and get enrolled in a dance class.

Cognitive arousal result from awarness that is gained through an advertisement or information. For example, an advertisement may Tigger the instant urge to buy a life insurance policy.

Physiological arousal result from the needs of one's own body. Fir example, hot summers may arouse thirst and thus may result in the need of water.

These were the few factors that can arouse needs of an individual. Marketers believe that television provide an excellent medium to arouse one's needs. It help make the individual connect instantly to the messege and thus dormant needs can be aroused. It requires creative and customized advertising message to arouse one's needs.