Nobody needs your product. They just need a reason to want it.

Nobody needs what you’re selling. Not really.

We didn’t need the fourth keep cup, or the app that tells you your daily horoscope, or the skincare line infused with moon water.

But we bought them anyway.

Because it felt right. Or fun. Or maybe just easier than the alternative.

People don’t buy out of need. They buy because of how something makes them feel. Because the copy was clever. Because the colours matched their vibe. Because it promised to fix a problem they didn’t know they had.

That’s the job of good marketing - not to convince people they need something, but to give them a reason to want it.

The Myth of Utility

We love to pretend people are rational.

That they’ll compare features, weigh cost vs. benefit, and then calmly choose the “best” option.

They won’t.

They’ll buy the one that made them laugh.

The one that came up first.

The one their friend swears by.

Being the most useful product in the category doesn’t mean anything if no one wants to use it.

We’ve seen brands pour money into functionality, then wonder why no one cares. It’s because usefulness is only part of the equation - and honestly, it’s the least interesting part.

People don’t buy the best product. They buy the one that tells the best story.

Need ≠ Decision Driver

There’s a reason your mate who “needs to save” just spent $26 on a salad.

And why half the population has gym memberships they haven’t touched since January.

People don’t act on need. They act on feeling.

You can tell someone your product is useful, that it solves a real problem, but that’s not what moves them. They’ll nod, agree, maybe even bookmark it. And still not buy.

Because it’s not just about solving a problem. It’s about solving a feeling.

The overwhelm, the FOMO, the tiny sense of satisfaction when something makes life just that little bit easier.

People buy when it feels good to buy.

When it feels like them.

When it fits neatly into the version of the world they already believe in.

So What Actually Drives Wanting?

Let’s get into it - the real reasons people choose to buy something, even when logic says they shouldn’t.

Here are a few decision drivers that show up again and again in behavioural psychology (and really good marketing):

1. Identity

People don’t ask “Do I want this?”
They ask: “Is this me?”

We’re constantly scanning the world for cues that reflect back who we think we are - or who we want to be.

Your product might be technically impressive, but if your branding doesn’t pass the vibe check? It’s a no.

🧠 Think: A D2C toothpaste that looks more like a Glossier product than something from a dentist’s office. People buy it because it fits on their bathroom shelf aesthetically, not because they analysed the fluoride content.

2. Story

We’re wired for stories. Always have been.

We don’t buy shoes. We buy the idea that we, too, might “just do it.”

The best brands pull people into a narrative. They create a world the customer wants to step into, and the product becomes the vehicle.

🧠 Think: A meditation app that sells “mental fitness”. Same sessions, same breathwork, but now it’s framed like gym culture for your brain. You're not meditating. You’re training.

3. Status & Signaling

Every purchase says something - even if it’s “I’m not trying too hard.”

Sometimes, it’s loud (like a Rolex).
Sometimes, it’s subtle (a standing desk in your Zoom background).

Products become symbols. The smart move is figuring out what yours symbolises, then building the message around that.

🧠 Think: A tote bag from your local indie bookstore. It’s not about the book. It’s about showing you read. Or at least want people to think you do.

4. Convenience & Fluency

The easier it is to want, the faster people say yes.

Good UX? That helps.
But so does clear copy, visual cues, and an experience that doesn’t make the brain work harder than it needs to.

Want is frictionless. The second something feels clunky or confusing, desire takes a backseat to doubt.

🧠 Think: The oat milk brand with the giant font and no nutrition info in sight. You don’t need to squint. You already get it. It’s cool. It’s plant-based. It goes in your coffee.

You’re Not Selling the Product. You’re Selling the Feeling.

No one’s buying the tool.

They’re buying what they think the tool will do for them.

You’re not selling “email templates.”

You’re selling the confidence of walking into a Monday morning with your entire week queued and firing.

You're selling the dopamine hit of watching your leads actually convert.

You’re selling their time back to them.

When a brand works, it’s not the product doing the work. It’s the perception of what it means.

This is the placebo value - the intangible stuff that makes a product feel better, even when the ingredients haven’t changed.

That’s why a luxury car drives smoother.

Why your overpriced almond latte tastes richer.

Why people buy products that, on paper, aren’t technically “better” (but feel like they are).

A good brand doesn’t just offer a fix. It offers a feeling.

And if your product doesn’t? You’ll be fighting on price. Forever.

Okay, But How Do I Use This?

Here’s how to bring it into your own marketing:

👉 Audit your copy.
Are you listing features... or creating desire?

👉 Zoom out.
Ask yourself: What does this feel like it solves? (Not what it actually solves.)

👉 Add layers.
Use psychology like seasoning. Sprinkle in identity cues, story, social proof, fluency. Even in B2B, especially in B2B.

Mini Worksheet:

Write this sentence: "People don’t want [your product]. They want to feel [insert emotion].”

Now reverse-engineer your copy around that feeling.

For example: "People don’t want a scheduling app. They want to feel in control of their day."

Suddenly, you’re not selling a tool. You’re selling calm.

Nobody wakes up needing your product.

They wake up tired, late, scrolling, overwhelmed.

And in that moment, they don’t want specs. They want something that feels like “ooh… that’s me.”

That’s the difference between a product and a brand. Between something that’s seen… and something that’s wanted.

Because when you hit the feeling just right? You don’t have to push. You don’t even have to explain.

They already get it.

“The human brain does not run on logic any more than a horse runs on petrol.” - Rory Sutherland

Not sure how to turn features into feelings? Let’s make it make sense. Book a call.