What are hidden desires?

Digital marketing and offline marketing is all about what current or potential customers want; this also includes what they do not know they want (their desires). There is no point in trying to sell something that people do not desire. For example, selling ice creams in the North Pole would probably not make for a profitable business.

In fact, the official definition of marketing, as defined by the Chartered Institute of Marketing, is:

Marketing is the management process responsible for identifying, anticipating and satisfying consumer requirements profitably.

If so, selling or marketing something should not be that difficult. It is essentially just about finding the desire of the customers and appealing to it, in order to close the purchase.

Unfortunately, though, identifying the true desires of the public is not always straightforward, and many people are not even aware of their own hidden motivations.

Hidden Desires Are the Keystone

Identifying the hidden desires of your customers and appealing to them is the central principle to building a successful business; this is especially true nowadays that the market is saturated with many products all fulfilling the same needs.

Try to think about why a person chooses to purchase Evian water instead of an unbranded one. He/she will probably say that it is because it has a better flavour, but in reality, it is because by buying “Eau Evian,” he/she will acquire a better status. From that, you can easily understand that a person does not always purchase water because he/she is thirsty.

It is not easy to accept that we are driven by hidden and mysterious desires, but marketeers must be aware of this in order to succeed.

Here is another accredited instance: Why do men like cars? What are they really looking for when they purchase a car?

Thinking that they are simply looking for a means of transportation is unrealistic; studies reveal that when men buy a car, they are actually seeking confidence. The speed of a car epitomizes self-confidence and power; indeed, all the commercials of cars emphasize this aspect.

Thus, failing to single out the real motivation behind a purchase and considering the mere need equates to a less effective marketing strategy.

As Josh Kaufman, bestselling author of The Personal MBA, inarguably suggests, the more you stress in your offer what people want, the more effective you will be.

He also points out that we do not want anything that we do not already desire; once more, the key is in unlocking the hidden motivations and pitching on them to make your offer more appealing.

The trick relies on conveying the message that your product/service will help them to achieve their hidden desires.

Here is another very nice example: Why do women buy high heels?

Do you think that it is just because they want to be fashionable? We are not that masochistic; the truth is that we want to feel sexy and stand out amongst the sea of competition. Now, some women may hate me as there are no proven studies reporting this, but I strongly believe that this is our hidden motivation.

To conclude…

In marketing, the time spent on thinking is worthwhile, try to avoid the attitude: “I know what my customers want”, which only leads to expert biases. Instead, embrace the challenge, do research and try to understand what are the hidden desires of your customers.

Once you identify them, you can easily convince them that your offer/service suits what they want perfectly.