What are the Limitations, Disadvantages of Marketing?

Like any other function, Marketing too has its limitations and disadvantages. They are listed below-

1. Marketing creates needs.Marketing involves creating of needs and demands by creating products and services that the consumer wants or may need in the future. Thus it creates a society where a customer is sometimes compelled to buy something which he doesn’t needs. For example – a customer may go for an expensive model of a car where his needs are met by a basic model. Marketers also provide options of EMI’s through which customers are tempted to buy a product which affects its economic condition on a long run. Introduction of credit cards by the banking sector has put many customers under debt and many times the banks have to do settlements with their customers as they are not able to pay the bank

2. Marketing involves lot of marketing promotion. The entry of competition because of local as well as global manufacturers leaves no choice for them but to invest heavily on promotion activities. It results in increase of cost of product.

3. It affects the society at large. Availability of certain products at low cost or with EMI options available people end up buying products in large numbers that have effect on the environment.
For Example, high sale of diesel cars has polluted the environment. Recently Chinese and Indian governments had to intervene and stop the sale of diesel cars for a period of time because of high pollution in Beijing and New Delhi.

4. Marketers overlook moral and ethical objectives.Sometimes promotion activities are misleading and immoral. They encourage buying of products which are sometimes culturally unacceptable a well. The Government has to sometimes intervene to curb the sales by stopping its promotion and advertising.
For example, advertising of tobacco and alcoholic products is banned in some countries. Also, some insect repellents fail to mention if the product is harmful to humans.