Final answer:
Peter Drucker suggested that the goal of marketing is to know the consumer so well that products fit their needs and sell themselves, emphasizing the selling of dreams and hopes, not just goods.
Step-by-step explanation:
Management guru Peter Drucker says that the goal of marketing is to make selling superfluous. In more detail, this relates to the idea that effective marketing should understand and know the consumer so well, that the product or service offered fits them and sells itself. Essentially, marketing should aim to understand the needs and wants of customers to the extent that providing them with the right products feels like handing them a key to their dreams, rather than just another commodity. This concept aligns closely with the advice given to marketers outlined in a 1923 convention, which emphasized selling dreams and hope through products.
During the 1920s, culture of consumption became prominent as more goods were produced and needed to be consumed. Marketers focused on manipulating the emotions and desires of potential customers, convincing them that their products were not just items of utility but keys to a desired lifestyle filled with status and satisfaction. This philosophy is captured in the professional goal which integrates business skills with awareness of the arts—a blend of analytical thinking and emotional appeal in marketing strategies.
The store displays mentioned in Figure 5.1.9 are a perfect example of this marketing approach. By creating an image that a product would confer status, they captured the essence of selling a lifestyle or a dream beyond the product's utility. The idea here is that consumers are buying into a dream, a hope for what life could be like with the product, which is why those store displays were designed to evoke emotion and desire in consumers.