Wants??? Needs???

Mullah Nasreddin Hodja was a Turkish scholar of the 13th century. He was known for his satire, blunt mannerisms, and anecdotes.

One day, Hodja’s neighbour came to him for advice. The neighbour complained that his house was small and uncomfortable to live in with his wife, mother-in-law, and three kids. He wanted Hodja to help him.

Hodja knew that this man was asking for something beyond his reach. He wasn’t a magician who could cast a spell and make the house bigger. Nor was he rich enough to loan some money to the neighbour so he could buy a large house or redevelop the present one.

But Hodja was blessed with humour and wit.

‘How many chickens do you have in the barn?' Hodja asked.

'Five,' the neighbour replied.

Hodja told him to keep all the chickens in the house.

The neighbour couldn’t understand the logic, but he didn’t question Hodja’s wisdom.

The neighbour returned the next day and complained that the situation had turned bad. With the five chickens, it became more uncomfortable for him and his family to live in the house

His plight didn’t have any impact on Hodja. Instead.

‘Do you have a donkey?’ Hodja asked.

The neighbour said yes.

Bringing the donkey into the house was Hodja’s advice for the day.

The neighbour was puzzled, but Hodja assured him that this would solve his problem. The next morning, the neighbour returned with a gloomy face, groaning that the last night was horrible. The donkey and the chickens took up the entire living area, and his family could not sleep properly.

Again, Hodja didn’t care about the neighbour’s sad face. Instead.

‘You have lambs, don’t you?’ Hodja asked.

‘Yes, I have two,’ the neighbour reluctantly answered.

‘Those two lambs will also live in your house,’ said Hodja.

The neighbour protested this time. But Hodja assured him to have faith in his advice.

The next morning, the neighbour returned in a miserable condition. His sunken eyes revealed that he had a sleepless night. He expressed dissatisfaction to Hodja that with all the livestock in the house, the family could not even breathe properly, his mother-in-law had threatened to kill him, and his wife wanted to leave him.

‘Why had you done this to me?’ the neighbour cried.

But Hodja was calm as usual.

‘Now it’s time to take all the livestock out of the house,’ said Hodja.

The next day, the neighbour returned with a smile.

Now our house is spacious, we can sleep peacefully, the kids can play comfortably, and everyone?is happy. The neighbour reported.

Hodja solved the problem.

He knew that his neighbour could not buy a big house, nor could he throw some of his family?members out. Even if he gets a bigger house, his wants will never be satisfied. He just had to make the neighbour realise that his house was enough to accommodate his family.

It's true that human needs are unlimited, but most of the time, they are confused about what they want and tend to solve the wrong problems.

Similarly, brands, like humans, can be confused about their needs, and misled by external influences or misconceptions about what truly matters. This is where communication agencies come into play. They should steer brands away from frivolous pursuits and direct them towards meaningful solutions that align with their goals and aspirations. And give them what they need, not what they want.