Do Marketers manipulate customers?

We often hear voices that consumers are manipulated by Marketers. Products that are not really needed are sold to them. But the fact contradicts with these allegations. Consumers are not dependent on Marketers rather Marketers are dependent on the consumers. That's why Marketers study the consumer behavior otherwise it would have been the other way around.

Human mind will not accept anything if it doesn't believe in it. We process information only if it supports our world view. If the message contradicts with our world view we would simply ignore it. How many ads can we remember? The ones that we can remember are the ones we liked, the ones which attracted us. What will attract us? The ones, which reflect our beliefs and the ones which fit in to our value systems. So no question of marketers changing our value systems.

The whole aim of Marketing is to find out the needs of the consumers and satisfy it. Satisfying the needs need to be communicated. That's what Marketing is trying to do. True, in certain cases, for instance, products for the Children, Marketing really develops some kind of wants which otherwise would not have been in a Child's mind. But these are very few instances where Marketing might have deviated. But such tactics are not sustainable. We can see how such products miserably fail in the market.

Marketing has gone to such an extent where it adds value, not only to the customers but also to the society, to the country and to the environment, which is evident from the emerging trends like 'Societal Marketing Concept'. Where is manipulation here? If some good product/ idea/service is available, how will it be communicated? Do we have the time to search in this fast moving world? Marketers bring it to our doorsteps. Marketers understand our lifestyles, develop products to suit our lifestyles and communicate the same. A well marketed product must be backed up with expected performance. This leads to better products. It does not stop there. It leads to better lifestyles. For example, Social causes, Blood donations, Organ donations, Environmental causes are all marketed leading the betterment of Humanity.

Do marketers manipulate customers?

Practice- The crucial 'P' of Marketing....

I believe that Marketing is something which has to be learnt while practicing. 4Ps, 7Ps or 8Ps of Marketing mix will not be sufficient for the Success in Marketing if it is not practiced and therefore irrespective of any number of Ps we add on to the Marketing mix, one must focus on this crucial 'P' i.e. 'Practice'. Well, this cannot be taught in any Great University, nor can it be taught by any Marketing Guru. Those who practiced it, became the Masters of their Businesses. Look at Bill Gates who marketed DOS; look at Steve Jobs who marketed Apple Computers; look at Richard Branson who marketed Virgin; look at Kishore Biyani who marketed Future Group and the list can go on. All of them have one thing in common. They are Street smart marketers. They are not pioneers but clear winners. Whether their products were innovated in their company or copied from the Market, they Marketed it like no other did. It is in Practical Marketing we get to travel in to the minds of the Customers. The knowledge acquired from the customer insights is the foundation for a Breakthrough product which leads to success. So, Let's Practice Marketing.