Twitter says jump, we say “How High?”

I’ve recently been arguing the point that Marketers shape a consumer’s needs and wants – versus – simply reflecting what a consumer needs/wants. Here are my thoughts…

By definition, Marketing means to “identify and meet human and social needs”. The question, then, becomes exactly how are those needs identified. Are consumer needs shaped by marketers, or are the needs voiced first by the masses and then fulfilled by marketers? Arguments can be made for both, but I choose to take the following position:

Marketing shapes consumer needs and wants.

Twitter is a fantastic example of how marketing can shape a consumer’s wants and needs. People often say “I don’t care that Johnny had meatloaf for breakfast”, but the statistics speak quite the opposite and marketers realize this. Twitter has exploded into a cultural icon virtually overnight due to viral marketing efforts and has become the equivalent “water cooler” hot spot for information. But, was Twitter conceived by consumers voicing their need for this product…or, did marketers help shape the consumer’s need by predicting trends? I say the latter.

Twitter has truly become a marketer’s dream for both profit-driven and non-profit organizations. The Haiti Earthquake alone created in excess of 2.3 million tweets reflecting the words “Haiti” or “Red Cross” from Jan 12 to Jan 14, 2010. Almost immediately, word/buzz started spreading about the text-to-give function the Red Cross was utilizing in order to generate monetary support for Haiti relief. By texting “Haiti” to 90999 the Red Cross has gathered more than $2 million in support, simply because people/consumers choose to care about “Johnny’s” breakfast choices whether they admit it or not. With nearly 18 million users expected by the end of 2010, a 50% increase since 2009, the flood of information dissemination is difficult to argue that consumers dislike the product.

Twitter has done a remarkable job observing consumer habits and then relaying that into a product that’s being devoured at lighting speed. Marketers must pay attention to trends because they undoubtedly lead to new opportunities and threats. By engaging in these observations, marketers have the opportunity to identify shifts and possibly shape a consumer’s attitude and behavior surrounding a product. Twitter identified a cultural shift towards informational interest of all levels and produced a product that delivered what most consumers would not have asked for initially. Genius.