Can Needs Be Created?
Conventional wisdom says that we in marketing don’t create “needs.” Psychologists pretty much agree that needs are biogenic or psychogenic in nature, and are beyond the realm of marketing influence. We may capture consumers’ attention, and may be able to elevate products to the status of “wants” or “desires,” but needs either exist or they don’t…we can’t manufacture them.
Or can we? Do we really “need” a cell phone? Do we “need” a European luxury car? Do we “need” five servings of fruit and vegetables every day?
In an existential sense, of course not. We can survive without all of them. But rationally, in defining who we are, we may justifiably believe we do need them.
I need that cell phone because I’m a busy executive who always needs to be in touch. I need that BMW because it sends a message to my peers that I’ve arrived. I need five servings of fruits and veggies because I’m a health-conscious consumer.
The products and purchases we surround ourselves with reflect the person we see ourselves as and the way we want to project ourselves to the outside world.
Of course, marketing by itself can’t create a need. But take cell phones, as an example. I can show you how owning one can make you a more connected person, just as you see yourself as being. And when you see others like you who are continually on their cell phones, it gives that point validity. And then, once you make the leap and try it for yourself, you’re hooked. “How could I ever live without my iPhone,” you say.
Even though you wonder why you’re not getting any more done than you did before…
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