Showing papers on "Marketing management published in 2012"

Marketing and business performance

Abstract: Academics and managers have struggled for many years to understand and delineate the role of marketing in explaining business performance differences between firms. Most of the theory base for any such attempts has to be informed by strategic management theory, since the primary question that strategic management seeks to answer is why some firms outperform others over time. This paper synthesizes three major streams of thought in strategic management with the empirical and theoretical literature on strategic marketing to develop an integrative theory-based conceptual framework linking marketing with firms’ business performance.

Export marketing strategy implementation, export marketing capabilities, and export venture performance

Abstract: Since exporting is the most popular mechanism by which firms engage with international markets, understanding the drivers of export market performance is key to explaining firms’ international competitiveness. The literature posits that the effective implementation of planned export marketing strategy is a key determinant of the performance of firms operating in international markets. Yet little is known about the specific nature and drivers of export marketing strategy implementation effectiveness. In this study we build on the implementation literature in marketing and strategic management to develop a new conceptualization of export marketing strategy implementation effectiveness. Drawing on dynamic capabilities theory, we empirically examine the export marketing capability antecedents and performance consequences of export marketing strategy implementation effectiveness in the context of manufacturing firms that are exporting to international markets. Results indicate that effective implementation of planned export marketing strategy contributes to export market and financial performance, and that marketing capabilities play an important role in enabling effective marketing strategy implementation in export venture operations.

Frontiers of the marketing paradigm in the third millennium

Abstract: The domain and theories of marketing have been expanding since the origins of the discipline. Since the 1970s marketing science has been organized around the exchange paradigm. Marketing concepts apply to all forms of exchange, whether it is goods, services, personages, places or ideas, and whether it is between individuals, for-profit and nonprofit firms, governments and NGOs. Marketing theories evolved from a firm oriented view to encompass the exchanging dyad. More recently the paradigm expanded to a network level of explanation, and relational theories have come to the fore. But even as the field struggles to grasp its new fields of explanation, there is a Kuhnian shift happening at its boundaries. The shift significantly bends the marketing worldview as well as the theoretical tools and methodologies we use to study it. In this paper we develop a three-tiered explanation of the emerging field of marketing—its subphenomena (consumer experiences and sensory systems), its phenomena (marketing networks), and its superphenomena (sustainability and development).

Value-based marketing: marketing strategies for corporate growth and shareholder value

Abstract: Preface. About the author. PART I: PRINCIPLES OF VALUE CREATION. 1. Marketing and Shareholder Value. Introduction and objectives. Managing in the twenty-first century. Measuring success: shareholder value. Marketing's lost influence. Marketing's new opportunity. The shareholder value principle. Challenges to shareholder value. Accounting-based performance measures. The changing role of marketing. Summary. 2. The Shareholder Value Approach. Introduction and objectives. Principles of valuation. Shareholder value. Economic value added. Financial value drivers. Marketing value drivers. Organisational value drivers. Marketing applications of shareholder value. Limitations of shareholder value analysis. Summary. 3. The Marketing Value Driver. Introduction and objectives. A new definition of marketing. Creating customer value. Building the differential advantage. Building relationships with customers. Implementing relationship marketing. Organisational requirements. The customer-focused organization. Summary. 4. The Growth Imperative. Introduction and objectives. Marketing, growth and shareholder value. Pathways to growth. Developing a growth strategy. Summary. PART II: DEVELOPING HIGH-VALUE STRATEGIES. 5. Strategic Position Assessment. Introduction and objectives. An overview. Assessing the current position. Explaining the current position. Projecting the future of the business. Implications of the strategic position assessment. The value-based plan. Strategic objectives. Summary. 6. Value-Based Marketing Strategy. Introduction and objectives. Why strategic marketing plans? Corporate level planning. Business unit planning. The planning process. Summary. PART III: IMPLEMENTING HIGH-VALUE STRATEGIES. 7. Building Brands. Introduction and objectives. The role of intangible assets. The role of the brand. Brands and shareholder value. How to build brands. Issues in branding. Organising the brand portfolio. Valuing the brand. Summary. 8. Pricing for Value. Introduction and objectives. Price and shareholder value. Pricing principles. Setting the price. Adapting prices to customers and products. Changing the price. Price management. Summary. 9. Value-Based Communications. Introduction and objectives. Communications and shareholder value. Communications and customers. Developing a communications strategy. Allocating across communications channels. Valuing communications strategies. Summary. 10. Value-Based Marketing in the Digital Age. Introduction and objectives. The growth and development of the Internet. Drivers of change in the new economy. Creating value through the web. Implications for marketing strategy. Building the brand on the Internet. Future perspectives. Summary. Glossary. The Advisory Board. Index.

Innovative mobile marketing via smartphones

Abstract: Purpose – Smartphone adoption by consumers is increasing exponentially, and presents marketers with many new opportunites to reach and serve customers. However, are consumers ready for mobile marketing through their smartphones? This study aims to investigate consumers' willingness to accept marketing through their smartphones.Design/methodology/approach – The study is based on an online survey of 428 respondents. The data is analyzed through ANOVA and regression analysis.Findings – The results indicate that consumers' shopping style, brand trust, and value are key motivations for engaging in mobile marketing through their smartphones. Further research should focus on specific tactics marketers use to engage customers beyond marketing messages, that is, how they engage customers in dialogue to build relationships, encourage purchases and build loyalty. This could reveal how customers really want to engage in mobile marketing.Research limitations/implications – This research adds to the growing body of evi...

Social Media in an Alternative Marketing Communication Model

Abstract: While current literature has sufficiently profiled word-of-mouth (WOM) marketing, customer relationship management, brand communities, search engine optimization, viral marketing, guerilla marketing, events-based marketing, and social media each on an isolated, individual basis, there is no comprehensive model that effectively incorporates all of these elements. The first purpose of this paper is to therefore profile the current literature landscape surrounding WOM marketing, alternative marketing communications, and social media as viable components of integrated marketing communications. Additionally, this paper aims to develop an integrated alternative marketing communication conceptual model that can be applied by industrial practitioners to help them achieve their marketing objectives.

The Rise of Storytelling as the New Marketing

Abstract: More and more large and small brands are engaging in a marketing activity called content marketing: the idea that storytelling is key to attract and retain customers. Content marketing expert Joe Pulizzi details the history of content marketing, the opportunities, and six differences that separate good to great content marketers for publishers.

Brand emotional connection and loyalty

Abstract: This study, for the first time, aims to integrate brand attachment as an antecedent of brand love and both, affective commitment and brand trust as mediators between brand love and loyalty. It is also the first time that differences between male and female consumers’ perceptions on this topic have been compared in literature. On the basis of previous research, a model was developed and validated using consumers who bought one of three car brands: Toyota, Ford and Renault. Living in three regions of Portugal, the sample consisted of consumers who bought a new car 2 years before the research and had declared being satisfied with the purchase. The model is tested in the context of a non-hedonic product, differing from the common perspective that focuses on hedonic products. Hypotheses were tested by employing multi-group structural equation modeling. Findings suggest that brand attachment is positively related to brand love. Brand love reinforces the trust, interest in continuing a relationship and faith in the future of the brand. Women exhibited trust and placed more importance on dyadic relationships than did men. Men, however, desired to identify socially with the brand.

Marketing Performance Measurement Systems: Does Comprehensiveness Really Improve Performance?:

Abstract: Comprehensive performance measurement systems such as the balanced scorecard have received considerable attention in marketing. However, whether and under which circumstances comprehensiveness as a performance measurement system property is desirable and contributes to firm performance is still a subject of debate in research and practice. To address this issue, the authors use dyadic field data from marketing managers and management accounting executives and extend prior work by developing and testing a more complex, contingency-based model. The empirical results confirm the developed framework. In particular, the results show that the relationship of comprehensiveness in a marketing performance measurement system to firm performance is conditional. Marketing alignment and market-based knowledge mediate this relationship, depending on marketing strategy, marketing complexity, and market dynamism. These insights explain mixed findings of previous research and provide important implications for re...

Transformative social marketing: co‐creating the social marketing discipline and brand

Abstract: Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to explore the field of social marketing The field needs to evaluate what works, and more importantly for it to prosper and remain relevant, it must discover and incorporate concepts and techniques from other disciplines that are aligned around core ideas of people‐centered and socially orientedDesign/methodology/approach – The paper reviews new insights and understandings from modern social marketing practice, social innovation, design thinking and service design, social media, transformative consumer research, marketing theory and advertising practice and develops a model for transforming social marketing thought, research and practiceFindings – A three dimensional model is presented that includes: scope – co‐creation, conversations, communities and markets; design – honoring people, radiating value, engaging service and enhancing experiences; value space – dignity, hope, love and trustOriginality/value – The presentation weaves together a set of ideas from dif

The B2B Agenda: The Current State of B2B Marketing and a Look Ahead

Abstract: ► Corporate expectations from marketing are increasing and the stakes are getting higher. ► Global markets have created unprecedented challenges for B2B marketers. ► Technology’s disruptive power could make certain B2B marketing practices obsolete. ► The biggest challenges to marketing are company-wide, requiring stronger interfaces with other functions. ► Marketing must engage more deeply with customers and demonstrate its contribution to business performance.

Normalising green behaviours: A new approach to sustainability marketing

Abstract: This paper develops a new approach to sustainability marketing: repositioning activities as normal, or not normal, to encourage the adoption of more sustainable consumer practices. The paper is grounded in theories of social normalisation, conformity, and social practice theory. Previous qualitative work by the authors suggests that some sustainable behaviours are not adopted because they are perceived to be not normal, and that some unsustainable behaviours persist because they are seen as normal. This paper shows how consumer perceptions of the extent to which behaviours are normal or not normal can be identified and used in the design of sustainability marketing strategies. The research involved a survey of 1000 UK respondents' attitudes to 15 specific activities, and identifies marketing strategies for (re)positioning these activities as either normal or not normal, as appropriate. In addition, the paper provides guidance for targeting these normalisation strategies at specific demographic gr...

Putting city branding into practice

Abstract: City branding has joined the vocabulary of a growing number of politicians and city officials across Europe. While most academic research in this field has focused on the concept of city branding itself, the subject of this article is the implementation of city branding. In this conceptual paper it is argued that the governance setting in which city branding takes place, as well as the impact of specific choices made in the branding process, greatly affect the implementation of city branding. This research identifies eight factors: the first four are governance factors concerning the fit of city branding with the city's wider policy framework; the last four factors are intrinsically linked to the concept and application of branding itself. The first four factors identified are especially important for bolstering the significance of city branding in relation to the city′s traditional policies: they could help marketing professionals avoid mistakes previously made with the introduction of city marketing. At the same time, the strategic branding choices of city marketers could have a direct impact on the political decision-making process as well. Hence, city branding requires the combination of marketing excellence with the sensitivity of operating in a political environment.

The emergence of the new service marketing: Nordic school perspectives

Abstract: Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to offer a reflective account of the emergence of new marketing theory as seen through the lens of the Nordic School of Service. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is based on documents and the authors' self-lived history and current involvement (management action research). Findings - Northern European scholars, especially from Finland and Sweden, have felt free to design their own theory, at the same time collaborating internationally. Contributions include an early alert to services and business-to-business (B2B) marketing being neglected; dissatisfaction with service quality; that the service economy is more than the service sector; and the insight that relationship marketing and many-to-many network marketing better represent service reality. A novel service logic abandoning the divisive goods/services, B2B/B2C (business-to-consumer), and supplier/customer categories, based on commonalities and interdependencies is arriving. Nordic School methodology is characterised by induction, case study research, and theory generation, to better address complexity and ambiguity in favour of validity and relevance. In the 2000s, the synthesis provided by service-dominant (S-D) logic, IBM's service science, and network and systems theory have inspired a lively international dialogue. Research limitations/implications - The hegemony of the marketing management of mass-manufactured consumer goods was challenged when services entered the marketing agenda in the 1970s. During the 1980s and 1990s the differences been goods marketing and service marketing were explored and the understanding for relationships, networks and interaction developed. It gradually laid the ground for the integrated goods/services approach that is now the major challenge for service researchers and practitioners alike. Originality/value - It is unfortunate if developments of marketing in the USA are perceived as a universal standard for marketing. By studying contributions from many cultures and nations in other countries the paper enhances the understanding of the diversity of marketing. This article presents such a case from Northern Europe.

Re-Thinking and Re-Tooling the Social Marketing Mix:

Abstract: This article considers the role of the four Ps marketing mix model in social marketing, arguing that given reconfiguration of the marketing mix in the mainstream marketing discipline, and the characteristics of social marketing, a re-thought and re-tooled social marketing mix is required. A brief review of the four Ps marketing mix model in the mainstream marketing and social marketing fields is presented. Criticisms of the four Ps model are then examined. It is argued that the four Ps marketing mix model is outdated for application to social marketing, and an alternative approach to the social marketing mix is proposed. It is posited that an expanded approach recognizing strategies such as relational thinking, and upstream social marketing activities would offer a more suitable approach. Using a more open minded social marketing mix less reliant on the four Ps model can help guide social marketing research and practice. 2011 Australian and New Zealand Marketing Academy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The Effects of Early Internationalization on Performance Outcomes in Young International Ventures: The Mediating Role of Marketing Capabilities

Abstract: In an emerging market context, this article examines the impact of early international market entry on marketing capability development and performance outcomes in young and small entrepreneurial firms. The authors identify the importance of marketing capabilities and the boundary conditions associated with international commitment, as well as the type of international market entered (developed vs. emerging market), to determine performance outcomes in early internationalization. With survey data from more than 300 senior managers in China, the results indicate that early foreign market entry enhances a young venture's marketing capabilities, which in turn leads to international growth. The findings also reveal that young ventures tend to be in a better position to improve their marketing capabilities when their senior management demonstrates a high level of commitment to foreign markets. Furthermore, the impact of marketing capabilities on the performance outcomes of early internationalization s...

Social Media: Marketing Public Relations’ New Best Friend

Abstract: The organizational long term success of promotional campaigns and the integration of marketing communications are affected by the effective use of information communication technologies, including the use of the Internet. Today, the Internet implementation in the marketing process is inexpensive, delivers instant international reach, offers great real time feedback, and reaches millions of people for whom the web is the center of virtually all communications. With social media on a rise, some may say that traditional marketing practices as we know it is phasing out. However, it may also be assumed that they are not necessarily phasing out, but are rather supported by a stronger sibling—that of social media. The aim of this research is to identify and discuss the growing popularity of social media and explore its potential impact on marketing practices and especially marketing public relations.