Since the sole purpose of a product is to provide customer satisfaction, every marketing organization is in a very dynamic situation. This is because the needs of customers are constantly changing. Their income, their lifestyles, their habits, their fashion sense, are dynamic and not static. Therefore, our marketing policies must be dynamic, not static, and the products we offer must be constantly reviewed and change frequently.
These are some of the reasons why customers demand new satisfactions.
A. Rising income and expectations
In the developing industrialized Western world in particular, we have been living in a phase of increasing wealth, which in turn has led to an atmosphere in which expectations are constantly changing. A few years ago it was exceptional to have a car; there are now a growing number of households that own two or more cars. Not too long ago, things like televisions, tape recorders, and hi-fi systems were very unusual pieces of equipment to find in a home; now they are almost universal and the others like video games and mobile phones are spreading rapidly. Changes like this are made possible by technology, but stimulated by the fact that once the basic necessities of life are met, increased income makes possible a whole range of other satisfactions.
B. Increased education and sophistication
Universal education at an ever higher level, new social trends such as the widespread custom of going on holiday abroad and the fact that virtually everyone watches a wide range of different lifestyles and activities on television, lead to a greater willingness to accept and demand new things. Along with this demand for new things, there is a growing expectation in the level of performance of existing things. Cars aren’t new, but cars with efficient heating, reclining seats, and many other conveniences and safety features are still relatively new. Universal television viewing has developed an appetite for knowledge, which is satisfied by providing new methods of distribution for well-produced, low-priced paperbacks.
C. Change in social habits and customs
Increased income, more education, and travel abroad have led to a much more fluid social situation, where habits and customs change rapidly. This leads to the early acceptance of new forms of entertainment, new styles of clothing, new eating habits. Instead of formal dinners, family television has led to easy-to-prepare, informal meals. At the same time, a much broader range of tastes and dining experiences has evolved. Baked beans and sardine toast have joined pizza, paella and many other dishes. There has been a phenomenal growth of ‘fast food’ and ‘food to go’. Small towns have a Chinese and/or Indian restaurant. Mexican food is becoming more widely available, and Cajun dishes appear on many menus.
D.Fashion
Traditionally, changes in fashion started at the top end of a fairly well-defined social scale and gradually worked its way down. Nowadays, the social pattern is much more difficult to define and fashion changes happen much faster. This is partly due to the fluid social situation, but even more due to the much greater range of communication systems now available. Radio and television stations, along with an ever-growing variety of trade magazines and books, feed hungry social appetites. All of these influences lead to ever-changing demand for products to meet the evolving needs of consumers. Other factors at the same time make these changes possible and also reinforce the rate of change.
E. Technological change
It is a well documented fact that the pace of technological change is increasing very rapidly. New materials and processes make it possible to satisfy old needs in new and cheaper ways. As more and more simple tasks can be performed more efficiently by computer controlled equipment, robots, etc. The entire pattern of employment is changing (often referred to as deindustrialization) as many of the older industries decline or even disappear. At the same time, many new jobs are appearing in fields such as leisure facilities, information technology and financial services.
F. Commercial factors
Because customers are increasingly receptive to changes, industry and commerce are responding to these changes. This is especially true in retail. Thus, the business situation itself is becoming increasingly dynamic as companies compete with one another to be the first to offer a new or revised product for which demand is anticipated. This in itself leads to marketing management tasks, as many new products die quickly. Unfortunately, many people prefer to think and behave as if we are in a static environment, while a highly dynamic one is reality.
Source: http://en.articlesgratuits.com/reasons-for-changes-in-customers-needs-id1559.php
