Marketing: Broadening the Horizons

Citation

Babin, B.J. (2007), "Marketing: Broadening the Horizons", International Journal of Service Industry Management, Vol. 18 No. 3, pp. 322-323. https://doi.org/10.1108/09564230710751514

Stefan Lagrosen and Göran Svensson have compiled an enlightening anthology addressing future marketing issues. The anthology, which is intended to provide a richer overview of marketing relative to traditional marketing textbooks, contains articles by noted marketing scholars from Sweden, the UK, Australia, Norway and the USA. The essays are each written well and provide relevant and provocative commentary. Rather than addressing each of the 15 essays individually, several key themes emerge from the collective body of work:

• •

  Marketing's past is linked to marketing's future.

• •

  The transition from transaction‐based exchange to relational‐based exchange.

• •

  The impact of technology on the way we market goods and services and the way consumers interact with firms.

• •

  The close link that exists between entrepreneurship and marketing.

• •

  Internationalization of marketing efforts.

• •

  The dynamic nature of marketing.

• •

  Marketing is in the value business.

Most of the essays provide an historical perspective. This perspective is not only interesting, but only when we know the past do we have perspective on marketing's future. Instructors assigning this book will find that it more than adequately provides an historical backdrop of the marketing discipline. When all of this is put together, the student becomes aware that marketing is a broad and dynamic field.

The reader cannot avoid the impression that a momentous change has taken place over the past few decades. Clearly, marketing is not all about “closing the sale.” Rather, marketing is about establishing connections among those involved in exchange. The transactional view of marketing has been supplanted by some form of relationship marketing.

Several essays also address how technology may affect marketing's future. RFID tags are discussed with respect to how they are revolutionizing various aspects of distribution. In addition, the explosion in data availability and ways to analyze data will provide marketers with more access to valuable intelligence.

Further, the anthology clearly makes evident the fact that successful marketing firms today are often “born global.” Geographic restrictions that held in the past no longer hold sway and thus knowledge of markets must extend beyond one's own culture.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, many of the essays stress the importance of value as the key outcome from marketing activities. Furthermore, the modern marketing firm must understand that value itself is dynamic and is created through an elaborate process. For instance, the value of a service exchange is shaped by the service provider and by the consumer him or herself. Value is created with customers not just for customers. Marketers should orient themselves toward maximizing value for customers. In return, the firm will be rewarded with value.

Lagrosen and Svensson have done an excellent job of compiling these works and providing their own insights into how this can all by synthesized. The anthology concludes with a framework intended to be used by introductory students to provide structure to marketing knowledge. Most of the essays present material in a way that invites questions by the students. For example, the editors raise an issue concerning whether or not marketing activities are limited to humans. Certainly, this question should generate interesting fodder in marketing classes around the world. Thus, in sum, the anthology is valuable not only in summarizing what is known, but also in questioning what is to come.

For more details contact: Barry.babin@usm.edu