Know-How Exchange : Advertising/PR

Dear Garima,om,

One word: Influence.

Gary Bloomer
The Direct Response Marketing Guy™
Wilmington, DE, USA

People buy because of pain or pleasure. It can satisfy a need-- like replacing a broken water heater. Or a want--which can be something concrete or nebulous, like a buying a car to impress someone. Buying out of boredom or depression. Keeping up with the Jone's stuff.

Do they buy the hammer or the hole? There are many books on the psychology of buying. I think reading some of those would help you answer your own question.

A prospect may see an advertisement which shows a product or service for which they suddenly understand they have a need. "That's exactly what I need! Where can I get it?"

The times I've seen an ad on TV, then come home a few days later to find the product in my home. What's this honey, why'd you get this?" "Oh, I saw it on TV, it's supposed to be really good, so I got one".

Uh huh. This stuff works.

Advertising. It's good for business.

Advertising does not create needs ... not in psychological or economical terms, or any other way.

Advertising doesn't relate to "need creation" at all, because needs are created by internal conflicts, emotional expressions, and cultural phenomena ... and the basic survival and aspirational wiring of humans. (Think about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, for example -- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs)

What advertising can do is let people know that a brand or company can address a need and how it does so. The audience may not recognize it has the need before it sees/hears/reads the advertising, but that doesn't mean the advertising "creates" the need. It simply calls attention to it and offers a solution.

People define ‘need’ in different ways. If we go back to Maslow’s hierarchy then it is clear that we cannot create basic survival needs (food, shelter) nor safety needs although we can offer and make more attractive different ways to achieve them. Social, esteem or status needs are where things can get quite interesting with deriving a personal ‘need’ (really a strong ‘want’ or perceived requirement) for an offering; I feel this is where you are focusing. In psychological terms people can be convinced that something is ‘needed’ by marketing, even though nobody truly requires a ‘status’ item for survival. Good marketing – and I’ll use the ubiquitous Apple/iPod/iPhone/iPad example – convinces society generally however to view people possessed of such items in a particular way. So someone that you see with an iPad now is viewed as hip, forward thinking, wealthy, cool. With this collective perception, which is absolutely created by marketing, in fact the individual is correct in thinking that if they own something they will be perceived in a certain way. This consequently instils a strong psychological desire and indeed economic driver to the individual who feels owning the item will improve their social standing and in turn economic situation.

It’s a subtle distinction strongly coloured by semantic differences of how people define ‘need’ and ‘want.’ Just reading through all the excellent responses here illustrates that.

Advertising influences. That's more like a term than 'creates a need'. But at times, it does create needs.

You are in the 'No How' of a particular problem. You were actively or passively searching for answers. Prophet appears on TV and tells you about a solution for the particular problem. You get influenced; actively or passively. The Stimuli now starts working, like a hidden trojan in your system.

Now you have the 'Knowhow'. You just can't delete it unless the ad is so inferior (not in terms of production quality, nor the wacky creativity, but on pure 'I am good to solve your problem' communication) so it skips your mind, not your eyes. The 'bracketed element' adds on to the communication, so it helps the ad to influence you more. And subliminally reminds you again and again: when you have 'the' problem 'who' do you think will solve it for you?....

Bizarre, but true. Advertising Influences.

ThnQ,

RJ