Showing papers on "Marketing strategy published in 1970"

Do traditional strategic concepts apply in the e-marketing context?

Abstract: This paper explores generic marketing strategies and competitive market positioning in the context of the Australian online book industry. The key research question is the extent to which traditional strategic concepts, like competitive market position and sustainable competitive advantage (SCA), apply in the new world of e-marketing. The most important issue that emerges from the study is that the tools and concepts that are relevant for offline firms are equally applicable for online firms. Different generic strategies call for a different market position and this is borne out in our case study. Special attention is given to the importance of a channel management generic strategy in the e-marketing context. Firms contemplating this option need to have a high level of competency in relationship marketing skills. Introduction The diffusion of the Internet has revolutionized the business landscape. Not only has the Internet reconfigured the way companies do business and the way consumers buy goods and services, it has been instrumental in transforming the value chain from manufacturers to retailers to consumers, creating a new retail distribution channel (Donthu & Garcia, 1999). The initial wave of research has investigated piecemeal components of e-marketing, notably banner advertisements and consumer information search processes (Ducoffe, 1996; Hoffman & Novak, 1996; Novak, Hoffman & Yung, 2000; Rowley, 2000). What is missing from this research platform are papers that address the organizationally broader, more strategic aspect of e-marketing. From this point of view, the current special issue of the Journal of Business Strategies is very timely. The agenda of the current paper is deliberately broad. The emergence of a new marketing channel requires testing of the traditional strategic tools to see if they are still applicable. There is now a well-established kit of concepts that can be used to evaluate and/or develop a marketing strategy for a firm. The tool-kit includes: * Overall marketing strategy, with an emphasis on distinctiveness * Generic marketing strategy * Competitive market position * Key strengths and weaknesses * Sustainable competitive advantage (SCA) * Supporting capabilities * The marketing mix, including the Four-Ps and overall branding of the company. Cravens, Merrilees and Walker (2000) provide an exposition of the importance of these components of a marketing strategy. Of course, it is essential that each component is coordinated and integrated in a holistic way. The central proposition in the current paper is that the same tools and concepts are equally applicable to online firms. There is some urgency to test our central proposition because most of the recent papers in both the e-commerce and e-marketing literature seem to be relatively piecemeal and not strategic. This is not a criticism of the literature; far from it, there is a need to answer many detailed questions, such as the impact of banner advertisements and whether rich media banner advertisements are more effective. Relatively few of these papers have adopted an overall strategic framework. Strictly speaking, we are in an agnostic position as to whether firms have acted in a strategic way. However there is a superficial impression that many of the new e-retail sites have adopted a "me too" approach, in that they do not seem to be highly differentiated from competitive sites. There are two research questions. Firstly, can the standard strategic marketing management concepts and tools be used as a framework to analyze online strategies? Secondly, to what extent have the three key firms in the Australian online book industry adopted a strategic approach in the way they have done business? These questions are important because there are now dozens of books about Internet marketing that emphasize that it is different to conventional marketing, suggesting that the answer to the first question is no. …

An Analysis of the Marketing Strategy of Florida Nursing Homes.

Abstract: The purpose of this research was to study how nursing homes are marketed. The method of analysis was to investi­ gate the marketing strategy of a sample of Florida nursing homes. The primary hypothesis was that nursing homes de­ sign their marketing mix around the medical needs of their target market. Nursing homes are primarily a post World War II in­ dustry and have evolved as an institutional solution to the needs of the aged. Medical care has lengthened man's life and brought about a need for long-term care of the aged. These aged are financially secure and no longer depend upon their children to provide for their care. Meanwhile, hospitals have become specialists in short-term care, and nursing homes have evolved to provide the long-term care needed by the aged. Thus the market demand for nursing homes comes from persons in need of intensive, hospital-like care, and from those needing only minimal care which is no longer available from the children of the aged. The analytical portion of this study was based upon a mail survey of ninety-seven Florida nursing home adminis­ trators. The objective of the survey was to determine the x target market of each nursing home and the nature of the home's marketing mix. The nursing home market was segmented by the degree of care required by patients, and three degrees of care were identified: intensive, limited, and minimal. The surveyed nursing homes were categorized according to which group of patients the home specialized in. The marketing mixes of these three categories of homes were com­ pared for significant differences in the mixes and for the appropriateness of the m\xes to the needs of the target markets of the homes. The following contusions were reached with regard to the marketing strategy o. the surveyed nursing homes: 1. The target marke for nursing homes was defined in terms of the medical needs of patients. 2. The marketing mix of nursing homes was appropri­ ate to the needs of the home's target market. 3. The primary competitive tool of nursing homes was the product mix: that combination of medical care, facilities, and personal services provided for patients. 4. The location of a nursing home was an important competitive tool and was affected primarily by the convenience of the site to physicians and to a hospital. 5. Promotion was considered the least important com­ ponent of the marketing mix of nursing homes. 6. The pricing of nursing home services was used to a limited extent as a competitive tool. xi The conclusions on the relative role of the components of the marketing mix are better understood in light of the current market conditions of the nursing home industry. The demand for nursing homes had grown so rapidly in recent years that the supply had not been able to keep up with demand. A "sellers' market" existed in many market areas. This condition was further stimulated by the growing role of the Federal government in assuming the financial obligation for patient care. For this reason, the major marketing consider­ ation of nursing homes was the product mix, rather than pro­ motion, location, or pricing policies. This study has shown how nursing homes were marketed. Additional studies are needed on the marketing of services, especially the marketing of medical services. It is be­ lieved that this study has provided basic information on how services are marketed and on the specific marketing problems of the nursing home industry.

A Practical Microsimulation Model for Consumer Marketing

Abstract: A microsimulation model is described which is applicable to certain types of market for frequently purchased, consumer packaged goods. The model can make direct use of existing market research data, in particular of the detailed purchasing data from consumer panels. The simulation has been fitted to a particular market and has been found to provide a satisfactory description of behaviour in that market. It has also suggested changes in marketing strategy that could produce improvements in brand share.

Using Buyer Behavior Models to Improve Marketing Decisions

Abstract: A powerful class of descriptive buyer behavior models has been developed during the past decade. This article explores productive managerial uses for these models. It focuses upon exploiting the pr...

Consumer Learning and The Creation of Primacy Advantages For Followers

Abstract: This paper examines the basis for the primacy advantages that pioneers enjoy, then applies it to the strategic plight of followers The authors develop and test a Model of Innovation Learning that shows how individuals relate their understanding of new products to those with which they've had previous exposure In an application of the model to the introduction of a new packaged good, three factors -- relative advantage, expertise, and familiarity -- are found to have statistically significant effects on perceived distinctiveness; and perceived distinctiveness is found to be a predictor of perceptual separation and primacy advantage Suggestions are given to assist in strategy formulation decisions for followers Introduction Every brand cannot be first to market, and being first may not prove to be a consistent approach to achieving dominant market share and long term profitability Researchers have documented some of the pitfalls of pioneering, and suggest that an aggressive follower strategy may be more effective in some situations (Haines, Chandran & Parkhe, 1989; Schnaars, 1986) However, the literature has provided little actionable advice for followers that can be used to develop an effective marketing strategy Except for Carpenter and Nakamoto (1990), the orientation is predominantly toward strategies for the pioneer Accordingly, this paper explores preference formation by consumers, building upon the work of Carpenter (1989), Carpenter & Nakamoto (1989, 1990, 1994), Kardes & Gurumurthy (1992) and others Person-related and product-related constructs distilled from four literature streams are incorporated into a model of innovation learning that is empirically tested Implications are then presented which show how followers may earn the advantage of primacy Conceptual Background In the following paragraphs, we review important conclusions developed by four streams of research First, we explore the strategy literature related to market entry timing, then we turn to learning theory, attitude change theory and the innovation adoption literature Market Entry Timing The order of entry for competing brands within a product category has been examined for its effect on brand success The literature suggests that the first brand of a product form, the pioneering innovation, has distinctive advantages that allow it to maintain the highest share as other products enter the market (Huff & Robinson, 1994; Mascarenhas, 1997; Miller, Gartner & Wilson, 1989; Robinson & Fornell, 1985; Urban, Carter, Gaskin & Mucha, 1986) Advantages to pioneering include preemption of competition, gaining a leader reputation, building customer loyalty, proprietary experience effects, access to scarce resources, and a sustainable lead in technology However, the conceptualizations of Carpenter & Nakamoto (1989, 1994), Kardes & Gurumurthy (1992), and Kardes, Kalyanaram, Chandrashekaran & and Dornoff (1993) suggest that these advantages transcend the economics-based explanations, and are really the result of being first into the mind of the customer The preference distribution shifts toward the first innovation in a category so that it becomes the prototype of that category (Carpenter & Nakamoto, 1989) This action achieves a protected position for the pioneering innovation Learning Theory The existence of hierarchical connections between stored pieces of information has a long tradition in learning theory (for example, Miller, 1956; and Osgood, 1949) Research continues to explore the psychodynamic mapping, connecting or associative function that enables memory to store and retrieve information (Alba & Hutchinson, 1987; Bruce, 1991; Cowan, 1988; Kardish et al, 1988; Macklin, 1996) Scholars suggest that information is stored in long-term memory on the basis of meaning and importance, and is encoded in such a way that it is associated with previously stored information of similar meaning and importance in a hierarchical framework …

What's Ahead for Marketing Managers?

Abstract: HOW WILL the problems and practices of marketing managers change during the 1970s? The only certain prediction is that there will be change, reflecting shifts in industry and company structures and in the social and economic environments within which marketing executives must function. I shall first look at these two areas and then discuss several trends and their likely effects on the practice of marketing management in the next decade.

A marketing approach to marketing education

Abstract: Suggests ways in which marketing education might be adjusted to achieve different objectives. Confirms that the existence of some well‐developed techniques and a good deal of illuminating theory and experimentation, in such fields as research, communication and motivation is undeniable, and the relevance of economics and statistics is clear. Uses tables for explanation and emphasis. Looks at developments in Ireland and discusses a marketing approach and its relations with customers.

International Marketing Management Information System: A Tool for Increasing Exports

Abstract: I NTERNATIONAL marketing is becoming a way of life not only with companies in the developed countries but increasingly also with those in the developing countries. A significant number of Indian business organisations plan to derive an increasingly large share of their sales and future growth from overseas marketing activities. The entire world is rapidly becoming a single, highly competitive market place. The successful marketer of the future will have to keep in view not only an Indian customer nor a US customer nor even a European customer, but a world customer. The Indian businessman has several alternatives open to him when he considers venturing abroad. He may export his products to foreign markets or establish manufacturing facilities in foreign lands or effect licensing agreements with a foreign company for production and marketing of his products.

Marketing and agricultural development.

Abstract: Marketing has a vital role in the drive to increase agricultural productivity; one of the keystones in the economic development of Africa. J. C. Abbott(1)* has demonstrated the importance of an efective marketing system while T. W. Schultz(2) has pointed out that effective marketing is secured by allowing the price mechanism full play. Of peak relevance is his concept of efficiency prices; prices which reflect the real demand/supply relationships and so stop distortion in resource allocation.

The marketing of freightliners

Abstract: Analyses the freightliner container system with the inception of British Rail's development of its land‐based system. Examines, from the point of view of new product marketing, the development of freightliner marketing strategies. Purports that it is clear that the railway can in no sense be regarded as a monopoly concern in freight transport, as British Rail's main competitor is the road haulier – although coastal shipping, and firms operating their own road vehicles, are major competitors for certain types of traffic. Discusses the various types of licence used, for the different weights of transport involved. Contends that the freightliner system is a very effective mode of transport over long distances, and it will assume an increasingly important role in the changing distributive requirements of industry.

information systems/decisions the marketing company

Abstract: IN its simplest terms a marketing company is a means of providing a desired output with available (or obtainable) input. Figure 1 shows the basic Company model on which this paper will expand: