What is Consumer Needs? Definition of Consumer Needs, Consumer Needs Meaning and Concept
The needs of the consumer are all the shortcomings that a consumer faces and that moves him to look for a product in the market to be able to satisfy them.
Since consumer needs are the source of marketing opportunity, companies try to identify those that are unsatisfied in order to prepare a satisfier that covers said need.
Consequently, the satisfiers that companies design to meet consumer needs are called products, because they are bought and sold on the market.
Undoubtedly, every successful product on the market is the one that best meets the needs of the consumer. For this reason, before designing a product, companies carry out a research process to find out what the unsatisfied needs of the consumer are.
In fact, the winning companies in the market are those that design products that better suit and cover the consumer's need, in relation to the products offered by the competition.
Maslow's pyramid
Types of consumer needs
So, the human being faces many needs and marketing, as a general rule, is always creating and innovating better product options that better cover consumer dissatisfactions.
Consumer needs can be classified as follows:
1. Basic or primary needs
On the one hand, basic needs are all the needs that every human being must solve, because if they are not satisfied, human survival is put at risk.
Breathing
Every person needs to enter air into their lungs, under normal conditions it is a need that is very easy to cover; But when a person has difficulty breathing, marketing generates products such as inhalers, nebulizers, oxygen tanks; as some examples that can be mentioned.
Movement
We need to mobilize the muscles of our body, to facilitate this need, marketing has designed bicycles, treadmills and any exercise machine that favors the function of movement.
Hunger and thirst
People need to consume food and drinks to nourish ourselves, in this case it is easy to find satisfiers prepared by marketing such as pizzas, soft drinks, hamburgers among some of the many options that exist.
Elimination
Our body needs to eliminate solids and liquids such as sweat, urine, tears. And, of course, there are satisfiers like deodorants, toilet paper, disposable tissues and many more.
rest and rest
Everyone needs to rest, for this we find hotels, beds, sofas, and endless products to cover this need.
suitable temperature
The human body needs to maintain an adequate temperature, for which marketing makes fans, heaters, hot and cold drinks, for example, to cover this lack.
2. Secondary or social needs
On the other hand, secondary needs arise due to pressure or group coexistence, they are still deficiencies, but if they are not satisfied, the survival of man is not in danger.
Security and anticipation
Human beings seek to secure their future, marketing prepares solutions so that the consumer feels safe whether buying a house, using the bank to save or paying for insurance.
Affiliation, belonging and love
The human being seeks to live in a community environment, which is why he frequents bars, restaurants, nightclubs, among some of the busiest and designed by marketing to provide a solution.
respect and authority
People need to be recognized, in this case some consider that to achieve this goal they must use branded clothing, exclusive items such as a Rolex watch or a Mont Blanc pen that give them prestige in society.
Self realisation
The man seeks to exploit all his human potential in order to feel good about himself, doing canopy activities, abseiling, studying a university career; and of course marketing has the ideal satisfiers to cover this need.
In conclusion, we can affirm that there are many consumer needs that marketing tries to identify in order to satisfy through the development and marketing of products, which help the consumer find the ideal option to cover them. In addition, companies benefit from focusing on their needs, because it ensures that these products, whether goods or services, are chosen by them when making their purchase choices.
