What factor in market screening ensures that the firm successfully targets markets with potential?

The correct option addresses the concept of "basic needs potential," which refers to the essential requirements and demands that exist within a target market. Identifying basic needs helps a firm to understand what products or services would fulfill unmet needs in that market, thereby revealing opportunities for successful entry and sustainable growth.

When firms assess basic needs potential, they analyze various socio-economic factors that influence consumer behavior and demand. This includes understanding the demographics, income levels, cultural preferences, and consumption patterns of the population in a specific market. By aligning their offerings with the basic needs of potential customers, companies can enhance their chances of success, ensuring that their product or service resonates well and is relevant to the target audience.

The other options are important in the context of market analysis as well, but they do not directly relate to the fundamental identification of what consumers fundamentally require. Market indicators provide statistical evidence of market conditions, market entry strategies concern the methods a firm will use to enter a market, and competitive analysis deals with understanding the competition within the market. While all these factors are crucial for a comprehensive market screening process, it is the identification of the basic needs potential that specifically targets markets with inherent demand opportunities.