Responsible marketing is anchored on a deep sense of responsibility to the people it seeks to serve. In essence, it
represents a philosophy of service to mutual gain. In actual practice, it gives meaning and substance to the thinking that the
consumer is king whose rights must be understood and respected.
Under normal conditions in modern economic society, the consumer''s freedom of choice is nearly unrestricted, as far as any external authority is concerned. He is free to buy or not to buy, as his judgment prescribes and his purse permits. What control may exist, if at all, is control by price, that is, the ability to pay for the goods desired.
But who is the consumer? it may be asked.
The Consumer. Specifically, the consumer is you and me, and all other human beings like us. He is everybody who consumes what is produced on the farm or in the factory. He is everywhere whose wants and needs propel the wheels of industry into frenzied economic activities. Briefly, this is merely the reiteration of the generally accepted principle that behind every economic effort is, or should be, the desire to satisfy as many human wants as it is possible under prevailing circumstances.
It is thus apparent if not self-evident then that the consumer occupies a very important position in our economic society. Businesses and industries cannot thrive without
consumers to buy its goods and services. But more than that, consumers are important for a very fundamental reason: they give direction to our economic system by deciding what shall and shall not be produced. When consumers buy certain products and more of it, they encourage their producers to step up their production and make more of them. Conversely, if consumers show little or no interest in a product through the small purchases they make, this is one way of advising the business enterprises concerned to produce something which consumers want most or go out of business. This is the reason why some economists describe the consumers as "king".
Nature of Consumer Wants
As we recognize the "kingship" or sovereignty of the consumer, it is important to bear in mind two basic factors upon which economics rests. These are: the insatiability of human wants and the niggardliness of nature. Thus, it is evident that the satisfaction of many human wants could be realized only through efficient allocation and wise use of available natural resources.
Nature and Origin of Human Wants
All individuals, regardless of their status in life, have needs and wants. A need may be defined simply as an urgent want, that is, something, the satisfaction of which cannot be postponed indefinitely without in any way causing adverse effects upon the individual. Viewed from a narrow economic sense, needs are necessities which are essential to the maintenance of life itself. As such, these include a minimum of food, clothing, and shelter sufficient to maintain the physical strength necessary to sustain life. Milk is a good example of necessity for the baby.
On the other hand, an economic want may be defined simply as the condition of being without something that is desired. The many things which individuals desire but which are not essential to life itself, although they could be looked upon as necessary for a more satisfying and abundant life, are considered as economic wants.
With reference to their origin, human wants may be said to have arisen from the individual traits, that is, from the inborn tendencies characteristic of all human beings, as well as from preferred desires of society or groups of individuals. When speaking of individual or inborn tendencies, we refer to those which are oftentimes termed instincts, the essential characteristics of which is the invuntary motivation to action. Group wants, however, come about from the dictates of civilized society. Since man is not only a political but also a social animal as pointed out by Aristotle, it follows that many of the individual''s wants must have social approval or tolerance.