What is the difference between a need, a want and a demand?

A need is something you have to do, breath or drink for example.

A want is something you would like to have, a new TV or computer for example.
A demand is something you tell someone else they must do, the US telling ran to stop its nuclear
power !uest for example.
"arketing concepts #
$%%&S are basic 'uman (e!uirements. )ike Air, *ood, +ater, ,lothing, etc.
These needs become +A$TS when they are directed to specific ob-ects that might satisfy these
needs.%.g. for a basic need of food , a person may .want. 'amburgers, /i00as, etc.
&%"A$&S are wants for specific products backed by an ability to pay.
Needs, Wants and Demand What Are the Differences?
/roducts and services typically fall into one of two categories for the consumer, needs and wants.
$eeds are those things that are essential, such as food, water, medicine, etc. +ants are those
things that are not needs, but would be nice to have.1ad2ad#34
,onsumers typically accept the costs associated with filling needs as inescapable, even though they
may complain about high prices, low !uality or poor service. +hen filling their wants, however, they
become more demanding, and tend to shop around, analy0ing the benefits of purchasing from one
supplier versus another. 5randing becomes critical at that -uncture, in order to establish an
advantage over the competition.
*or the marketer, there is a third aspect6 that of demand. Demand is defined as wants, backed up
the desire and ability to purchase. t is more important that the marketer determine if a demand
exists, rather than a need. "any products are offered, to fill a very real need, but if the consumers
don7t want to buy it, then no demand exists, and sales will be flat.
Some marketers attempt to create a demand, by creating the perception of a need. Surprisingly,
many consumers are vulnerable to this tactic. %ven though academically, they reali0e that the
desired item is a want, their desire is so strong, that they begin to see it as a need. The desire,
coupled with the ability to purchase, then establishes a demand.
A successful marketing strategy will succeed in establishing a demand for items or services that are
normally considered as wants, while focusing on branding for those items classified as needs.
As an example, when you are dehydrated, you need something to drink. 5ut if you happen to prefer
lemonade to water, then you would want lemonade. f someone can convince you that their
lemonade is superior to any other, and better for you than water, then they may convert your want
into demand for their product.
Needs wants and demands
$eeds wants and demands are a part of basic marketing principles. Though they are 8 simple
worlds, they hold a very complex meaning behind them along with a huge differentiation factor. n
fact, A product can be differentiated on the basis of whether it satisfies a customers needs, wants or
demands. %ach of them is discussed in detail in this article
Needs #'uman needs are the basic re!uirements and include food clothing and shelter. +ithout
these humans cannot survive. An extended part of needs today has become education and
healthcare. 9enerally, the products which fall under the needs category of products do not re!uire
a push. nstead the customer buys it themselves. 5ut in todays tough and competitive world, so
many brands have come up with the same offering satisfying the needs of the customer, that even
the :needs category product; has to be pushed in the customers mind.
%xample of needs category products < sectors = Agriculture sector, (eal %state >land always
appreciates?, *",9, etc.
Wants = +ants are a step ahead of needs and are largely dependent on the needs of humans
themselves. *or example, you need to take a bath. 5ut i am sure you take baths with the best
soaps. Thus +ants are not mandatory part of life. @ou &A$T need a good smelling soap. 5ut you
will definitely use it because it is your want. n the above image, the baby needs milk but it +A$TS
candy
%xample of wants category products < sectors = 'ospitality industry, %lectronics, ,onsumer
&urables etc, *",9, etc.
Demands = @ou might want a 5"+ or a "ercedes for a car. @ou might want to go for a cruise. 5ut
can you actually buy a 5"+ or go on a cruiseB @ou can provided you have the ability to buy a 5"+
or go on a cruise. Thus a step ahead of wants is demands. +hen an individual wants something
which is premium, but he also has the ability to buy it, then these wants are converted to demands.
The basic difference between wants and demands is desire. A customer may desire something but
he may not be able to fulfill his desire.
%xample of demands = ,ruises, 5"+7s, C star hotels etc.
The needs wants and demands are a very important component of marketing because they help the
marketer decide the products which he needs to offer in the market. Thus the flow is like this.
The difference between wants and demands?
A want is a good or service desired by a consumer that is not re!uired to sustain life. This is as
opposed to a need, which is a good or service required to sustain life. "ost of the goods and
services desired by modern#day consumers are classified as wants, as the only needs of most
consumers are food, water, clothing and shelter.
Demand is the !uantity of a good or service that a consumer>s? is willing and able to buy at a range
of prices. f a consumer is willing and able to purchase a need<want, they are considered to have
demand for that need<want.
Needs and wants
A distinction is fre!uently made between needs and wants. Aur needs make up our survival kit while
our wants are the desires we have for non#essentials such as cars, electronics, holidays and fashion
clothing. "ost people strive for better conditions for themselves, their family, and sometimes also
their community, their nation and the whole world.
Aur wants are infinite. This is -ust as true for the relatively wealthy as it is for the poor. $eeds are
easier to define but vary according to a person.s age, physical environment, health and many other
factors. And what is a only a want in a poor country may be seen as a need in a rich country.
n practice it is impossible to draw the line at which absolute needs are met. &ifferent measures
have been produced at different times to define minimum levels of well#being below which people
can be said to be living in poverty. Such measures produce an absolute standard which can be
called the .poverty line..
Another way of looking at poverty is to regard it in relative rather than absolute terms. A relative
definition relates the living standards of the poor to the standards which dominate the society in
which they live. *or example, the poor might be defined as those whose incomes fall below, say,
half the average income.
(elative poverty is regarded to be a real problem in modern society in which people are all too
aware of the lifestyle en-oyed by others and in which advertising puts on public display a range of
commodities which it associates with .modern lifestyles.. 'owever, relative definitions of poverty are
also riddled with problems. *or example, to adopt a strictly relative definition of poverty is to imply
that the poor in 5angladesh are no worse off than the poor in 5ritain which is clearly absurd.