Does marketing create or satisfy needs?
Instructions:
Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customers’ needs and wants. Critics, however, maintain that marketing goes beyond that and creates needs and wants that did not exist before. They feel marketers encourage consumers to spend more money than they should on goods and services they do not really need.
Take a position: Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants versus marketing merely reflects the needs and wants of customers.
Please review the Case Discussion Grading Rubric to understand how you will be evaluated.
The rubric outlines the quantity, quality and frequency of posts/replies expected for effective participation.
The first posting should always be your original contribution to the forum and the postings thereafter should be interactions with your classmates aimed to enrich the online discussion.
Ideally postings should be spread out during the week to better synthesize other perspectives, demonstrate listening, and contribute to an evolving discussion
Customer’s Feedback
ANSWER
Does Marketing Create or Satisfy Needs?
Marketing is an integral part of any business. Marketing is one of the most significant assets of any business, regardless of the industry. The debate, in this case, is whether marketing merely addresses the needs of the consumer or creates the needs. In this case, I will say that marketing does not create needs; it merely enlightens the consumer’s needs. It is upon the marketer to understand the needs of the consumer. Even those the consumer does not know about (Solomon et al., 2019). It is upon the consumer to differentiate between their needs and wants; thus, the marketer’s observation is to meet and satisfy the consumer’s needs. The company’s goal is to ensure that they get the attention of the consumer and attract them to purchase a particular product among all of their competitors. The aim of the marketer is to attain a competitive advantage.
Needs are defined as a state of deprivation. Needs mean that one lacks something necessary according to society’s standards. This means that one is lacking something physical like food, clothing, warmth, and safety. It is thus impossible for marketers to create needs; rather, the needs are created by the consumer (Solomon et al., 2019). For example, when buying products in a store, the marketer points one to the products they think are necessary. It is upon the consumer to identify whether or not the product is a need or a want. For example, if the consumer decides to buy new shoes despite already having a whole wardrobe of shoes, the marketer did not create the need. The need for shoes still remains. It is upon the consumer to realize that for them, that is a want and not a need and passes on adding a new pair of shoes to their wardrobe.
Needs are also created from one’s societal upbringing. For example, if one grew up in a home where three pairs of shoes meant they did not have enough, then adding more shoes is a need and not a want. Wants can be changed into needs depending on one’s upbringing. The expression of needs and wants is also dependent on the individuals and their culture. Consumers’ needs are underlying forces in making purchasing decisions, and thus marketers analyze these needs and categorize them. This helps them to make sales in their target markets. Marketers do not create needs. They merely satisfy the needs of their consumers by analyzing them and understanding their consumer trends and the value of their consumers.
References
Solomon, M. R., Marshall, G. W., Stuart, E. W., Barnes, B. R., Mitchell, V. W., & Tabrizi, W. (2019). Marketing: Real people, real decisions. Pearson UK.
