How Does Marketing Create and Satisfy Consumer Needs?

. Marketing merely reflects the needs and wants of customers. B. Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants. Part A 'Marketing merely reflects the needs and wants of customers.' We all need to eat, drink and sleep and reproduce, this is all part of who we are as human beings. Therefore at the basic level companies will strive to satisfy these functions and keep doing so by once in a while showing advertisements that tells the public that they are around and can provide the products they need. The other aspect is that needs vary depending on what country you live in. "For example a consumer in the United States may need food but may want a hamburger, french fries and a soft drink and a person that lives in Mauritius that needs food may want a mango, rice, lentils and beans. Wants are shaped by our society." The other part is wants, everybody can want something but only a few has the means to acquire it. A good example would be that everyone wants to eat out at expensive restaurants everyday but in reality only very few people can actually afford that lifestyle. This is why various segments have been created to target different groups and classes of people. Marketers must therefore continually be creating and developing attractive products and then in turn devising a brilliant marketing strategy to win the consumer over to buy their product over other competing products. Companies strive to retain their customer base by delivering value and satisfaction from their products and this is formulated in consumers' minds as a combination of service, quality and price. Some consumers would not mind paying a higher price for an item or service if they received very good service. This is all part of what a consumer's expectations on a product are, if these perceived expectations are met time after time then they become a loyal customer to that particular company. We as people like consistency and if a marketer provides consistent service in addition to great products and price then we will keep on going back for years. A good example would be Ben's Chili Bowl located in Washington DC. It is an eatery that has been in business for decades and the fact that it had kept so many loyal customers is because they have offered consistent service and great food over the years and people who used to go there to eat as kids still go there as adults. They even have patrons fly into Washington DC just to experience their food and service. Companies also create brands and these brands have an effect on people's purchasing habits. These brands can mean several aspects of the company combined to form a perception in the consumer's mind such as products, services, information and experiences. The more unique and interesting a brand the better it will perform. One brand that comes to mind is the Coach Company that manufactures accessories in the retail sector. They produce items such as handbags, purses, belts and other items. Coach has built a strong brand name for themselves by being unique in their style and service and this is primarily the reason that customers create a high demand for their products. This has also allowed the company to maintain an

above average price for their products compared with their competitors with the knowledge that consumers would pay that higher price. Segmentation is another way that companies target the consumer to satisfy their needs and companies use this technique to target where they should market their products. There are various criteria that companies use to segment their products and some of them are geographic, demographic, psycho graphic and behavioral. They would use factors such as how populated and area is or how wealthy the population of a specific area is and target products that fit that mold. This has proved to be a very successful tactic for companies in marketing. Marketing channels are also used by companies to reach their consumers. They use three types of marketing channels which are communications, distribution and service channels. Communications is important to get the company's message out to the public and this could be in many forms such as the radio, television, the internet, posters and the like. They also need to distribute their products to the consumer and this means they will need a physical location like a store, or be a wholesaler and have others retail your products for you and also sell your products on the internet. Service channels are needed to effect transactions with the consumers and these could be banks for credit card purchases and transportation companies such as UPS to deliver the products to homes and businesses. Marketing has relied on four marketing skills and tools and they are the sales force, advertising, sales promotion and marketing research, they must also use brand building, customer relations, telemarketing and others to make their product selling become reality. Companies must also function ethically and honestly to serve the consumer in the best possible manner. Marketing in the United States is unique in the world because it has evolved and changed over the years to blend in with the capitalistic society we live in in the US. This also means that some of the marketing we use in this country can only work with the credit system we currently have. This is not so in other parts of the world even in industrialized countries. So I would view marketing in the United States as one of the spokes in the wheel that makes our economy such a giant as it is today. Part B Regarding the second argument 'Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants.' I have to also agree with this statement. My reasons are many and varied. After seeing so many television commercials and advertisements both on the Internet and on newspapers I have concluded that some companies construct their ads to create a need in the consumer's mind even if originally they were not interested in the product. I took some time to research some of the words that advertisements commonly use and I found an interesting mix of words and phrases. The word 'free' is the most common denominator I found in the ads, free is used in combinations such as free home trial, free inspection, buy one get one free, free installation, free estimates, free parking, free demonstration and free consultation. The word free is usually a powerful catalyst that springs the consumer into buying that particular product or idea even though he or she might not need it. I think other terms also kind of bait people into buying things they don't need. Terms such as 'no payments till 2010' or 'money back guarantee' 'no down payment' 'offer good while supplies last' help dissipate any doubts that the consumer may have and spur them on to make the purchase. "Because the goal is to get customers' attention, persuade and create demand, market segmentation has historically been based on variables that correlate to

creating demand: geography, age, gender, income, education, occupation and other traditional demographics, as well as psychographics around personality, lifestyle, values and attitudes. It works because these attributes are helpful for defining how to effectively speak to different groups of people." Some companies do act unethical in their advertising, for example I have seen some ads on the internet especially where companies would advertise a product and make it very appealing to the consumer then at the very bottom is tiny fonts the word 'restrictions apply' they would hide the link that takes you to where the restrictions are listed. So if you happen to buy that product without reading the fine print and something happens that you are not satisfied or want to return the item the company would refuse and make reference to their restriction policy. Other tactics that companies use to shape consumers needs and wants is to use celebrities or other famous people to sell their products. A good example of a company would be Nike. Nike teamed up with Michael Jordan to create marketing giant. One of the themes behind their partnership was to create the desire within consumers that if they wore Michael Jordan's sneakers they could play basketball or jump as high as him. This was directed primarily towards the younger consumers and turned out to be a huge marketing success. Companies also take advantage of world events or changes in the economy to come out with new products. A good example is the ever increasing popularity of hybrid cars. This has been brought about by gas prices going up and the economy slowing down. However the increase in hybrid cars has led to a marked decrease of large SUV vehicles. In the past we used to associate hybrid cars with car companies such as Toyota and Honda, but nowadays companies such as Lincoln, Ford and others are coming out with hybrid vehicles. This has been a necessity of them to compete in today's changed car market.

However advertising is not the only force that drives the consumer. Most companies do a lot of research before releasing an advertisement in getting a feel of what the consumers really desire. There is a constant interaction with the public in studying what is in vogue at the time and also what brands people want to be associated with. I have always wondered at why companies come out with new models or new releases at such a quick pace. This tactic is basically mainly a tweak or an enhancement of the previous model or version in order to create the perception of a totally new product which in turn creates more demand for the product. Good examples of these products would be software, Microsoft is especially good at coming out with new versions of their products. For example with the release of Microsoft Vista operating system it meant that people had to upgrade their computers also because their existing hardware could not support Microsoft Vista's requirements. In conclusion, newer firms tend to lean more towards creating needs because the public does not yet know about their products. Established companies are more interested in fulfilling the existing needs of consumers. These companies are already known and their products have already being deemed essential to their lives so they would continue buying their products even with little or no advertisement.
Marketing Shapes Consumers Needs And Wants MARKETING DEBATE: Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants versus marketing merely reflects the needs and wants of consumers

POSITION: MARKETING SHAPES CONSUMERS NEEDS AND WANTS DEFINITIONS * Marketing is the management process of identifying, anticipating and satisfying consumer needs and wants profitably. CONSUMER * Consumers are the users of any product or service. They are also considered as the starting point of any business and also the survival of every business depends on how well consumers and clients are treated. CONSUMER NEEDS AND WANTS A consumer feels physiologically deprived of basic necessities such as food, clothing and shelter which are his needs and his wants are based on personal knowledge, culture and personality. HOW CONSUMER NEEDS AND WANTS ARE SHAPED * Needs and wants pre-existed marketing and therefore marketing identifies these needs and wants, shapes and satisfies them. * Marketers uses the following to shape consumer needs and wants: * ADVERTISEMENT This is a powerful marketing tool which a firm uses to inform the consumers about the existence of its product. It is done through radio, Internet, newspapers, television commercials, etc. Some ads come with interesting and catchy phrases and words like buy one get one free, free trial, free installation, free packaging etc. These catchy phrases normally attract consumers to buy the product. * MARKETING RESEARCH Marketers conduct research to identify the right product to satisfy a particular existing need of a consumer by employing the marketing tools (interviews). It is through these procedures that consumer needs and wants are shaped. After the introduction, there is constant interaction with publics in studying the responsiveness of consumers to the product to be at par with their changing needs MARKET SEGMENTATION Market segmentation deals with dividing the market into groups based on gender, age, income, life...

Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants

Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants through efficient application of the 4Ps of marketing . The four Ps are price , product , place and promotion (cited in Kotler Keller , 2008 . Marketing managers can make use of the 4 Ps to manipulate consumer needs and wants because consumers are not always aware of their own needs . Therefore it is left to the marketing manager to determine what needs are hidden and then to develop the products that would satisfy those needs . In this manner , the marketing manager creates both fresh needs and wants . For example

computer users did not know that they needed a graphical user interface until Microsoft introduced the concept (cited in Hill Jones , 2007 . In this case the need was user-friendliness in operating computer applications . By identifying this need , Microsoft created Windows which created the consumer want . Consumers wanted Windows to satisfy their need for user-friendly computing experience . This example serves to illustrate that the marketing manager can certainly shape consumer needs and wants . He can do so by collecting information about the market and by forecasting future market demands based on this information Collecting information about the market takes place through market research . This information enables the marketing manager to conduct market segmentation effectively . Market segmentation facilitates target marketing . The marketing manager shapes consumer needs and wants through the process of target marketing . The four Ps serve as the tools with which to conduct target marketing . In Microsoft 's example , the product was given the features of a graphical... Marketing Shapes Consumer Needs and Wants Marketing influences consumers by raising consumer awareness. For example, senior citizens receive mail catalogs full of products with descriptions written to shape their perception of what they may need or want. Demand for the offering must be developed; marketing managers work to educate the consumer thus creating demand for the particular product. Kotler and Keller (2009) stated, Responding only to the stated need may shortchange the customer.(p.13). A product may solve a problem they are experiencing, but of which they are not informed. People like to solve their own problems, especially in the case of senior citizens; engaging seniors as a target market allows a marketing manager the opportunity to specialize the advertising appeal. Example of this is an offering for a bathtub with a door opening for entry while standing up. It is not a necessity, but marketing develops product involvement and it sells because independent living appeals to this demographic. Marketing managers seek to address the 5 types of needs described by Kotler and Keller (2009, pp. 1213). Kotler and Keller describe the selling concept that consumers and businesses, if left alone, wont buy enough of the organizations products. Companies must keep the marketing machine churning, more stuff to more people thus making more money. Marketing needs to address the need of the buyer; a need it does not create but it shapes. Marketing plans need to be developed with vision for long-term and short-term. Short-term marketing example could include a special on a product that is new, overstocked, or just needs to be sold. The longterm benefit may be the resulting increase in sales, and new customers returning to purchase at regular prices. Whole Foods Market operates a brilliant model of this planning by giving prepared samples of products to its customers. The ability to experience the product without paying for it regularly results in immediate purchase. Having the consumer experience the product in this way accomplishes much; the polite manner in which the offering is introduced has a friendly and favorable appeal. WFM celebrates food like it is a theatrical production.(Moore 2005)

They enjoy customer loyalty even though the consumers spend more for the same items than at other stores. The product is top qu... How Marketing Shapes Consumer Needs and Wants Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants by influencing consumers to change their needs to wants. Our text book defines needs as basic human requirements (Kotler & Keller, 2009, p.12) and wants as needs which are directed to specific objects that might satisfy the need (Kotler & Keller, 2009, p.12). Marketers understand that consumers have five types of needs: stated, real, unstated, delight and secret (Kotler & Keller, 2009). By targeting these needs and informing consumers marketers are shaping consumer needs by helping consumers learn what they want (Kotler & Keller, 2009, p.13). It is much easier for companies to use marketing to shape consumer needs and wants versus using marketing to reflect the needs and wants of consumers. For example if consumer needs and wants change quickly and often, manufacturers cant simply change their production lines overnight (Helen 2009). Fast Food Marketing The best examples of effective marketing today can be seen in the fast food industry. Fast food companies are targeting the real human need to eat and influencing consumers to want their products. The fast food industry spent more than 4.2 billion dollars in 2009 to advertise their products to all audiences (Harris 2009). This advertising is so effective that it has convinced 15% of preschoolers that it is ok to eat fast food every day (Harris 2009). Without such strong marketing these preschoolers would likely have resorted to eating food that their parents or schools provided them. Adults ages 18-24 consume even more fast food than children. A recent survey indicated that 95% of American adults ages 18-24 consume fast food at least 3 days a week (Kern 2009). When these adults were interviewed the vast majority attributed marketing to their decision to consume so much fast food. Marketing has often been defined in terms of satisfying customers needs and wants. Critics, however, maintain that marketing does much more than that, marketing creates needs and wants that did not exist before. According to these critics, marketers encourage consumers to spend more money than they should on goods and services they really do not need. Take a position: Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants versus marketing merely reflects the needs and wants of consumers. Suggested Response Pro: With the vast amount of information available to marketers today and the emphasis on relational marketing, marketers are in more of a position to suggest needs and wants to the public.

Certainly, not all consumers have all the needs and wants suggested by society today. However, with the vast amount of exposure to these societal needs and wants via the media, a substantial amount of consumers will, through mere exposure, decide that they have the same needs and wants of others. Marketers by their efforts increase peer pressure, and group thinking, by showing examples of what others may have that they do not. An individuals freedom to choose is substantially weakened by constant and consistent exposure to a range of needs and wants of others. Marketers should understand that when it comes to resisting the pressure to conform, that individuals are and can be weak in their resolve. Marketers must take an ethical position to only market to those consumers able to purchase their products. Con: Marketing merely reflects societal needs and wants. The perception that marketers influence consumers purchasing decisions discounts an individuals freedom of choice and their individual responsibility. With the advent of the Internet, consumers have greater freedom of choice and more evaluative criteria than every before. Consumers can and do make more informed decisions than previous generations. Marketers can be rightly accused of influencing wants, along with societal factors such as power, influence, peer pressure, and social status. These societal factors pre-exist marketing and would continue to exist if there was no marketing efforts expended....