20. Marketing I: Provide the solution to a problem

One of the central questions in the literature related to marketing is: What makes people buy products? One of the answers given is that the buyer sees the product as the solution to a problem. Frequently, therefore, advertisements set out to convince potential consumers that there is a problem. The same dynamic, although in a modified form, applies to communication aimed at policy processes. Policy makers will be more likely to take note of and remember pieces of evidence if they are convinced that the evidence is actually addressing a specific problem. If on the other hand they are not aware of the problem, they are less likely to notice or use the information.

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