The first objective in marketing is discovering the needs and wants of consumers who are prospective buyers and customers.

A need occurs when a person feels deprived of basic necessities such as food, clothing, and shelter. A want is a need that is shaped by a person’s knowledge, culture, and personality.

The second objective in marketing is satisfying the needs of targeted consumers. Because an organization obviously can’t satisfy all consumer needs, it must concentrate its efforts on certain needs of a specific group of potential consumers or target market—one or more specific groups of potential consumers toward which an organization directs its marketing program. Finally, the organization develops a set of marketing actions in the form of a unique marketing program to reach them.