Some people say marketing can create needs and wants. But how can someone create need, marketing can give direction to need, in the sense it can create wants, but underlying need must has to exist prior to the marketing campaign.....
People who support the idea of creating needs and wants by marketing points at cola brands. But remember that the need of water when I walk on road on a sunny day was present, cola companies just directed the need (thirst) towards there product....
Another example of creating need by marketing is Apple's ipod/ipad products... again the underlying need for a portable music player was present from the time of sony's walkmon, just that Apple directed the need towards ipod, in the sense it created the want but not need.....
A bad example of trying to create wants when there is no need is the low nutritional value food products in India.. Pepsi co and Parle tried to launch low cal foods in India, but the need was still not shaped in consumers mind.. People preferred to eat tasty fried potato chips rather healthy low cal parle backed chips... result is that even though high profile promotion was there from Parle, staring Indian super star Amir Khan, the backed chips were out of shelves in less than 6 months...
