Framing brand management for marketing ecosystems

Abstract

Purpose

To define the contours of a new marketing attuned to the information age, and to introduce the concept of marketing ecosystems as a new framework for competitive strategy.

Design/methodology/approach

This paper draws on five years of research and consulting experience applying general systems theory to strategy design, backed by the author's nearly 20 years field experience in the marketing services industry.

Findings

There is a conceptual gap between thinking systems used by marketers to create novelty and demonstrate value, the “ground truth” of a saturated information environment, and the currents shaping major directional change in the world. Marketers adopt management strategies that consistently trail, rather than anticipate, technological change.

Practical implications

Making strategic choices to compete between and within marketing ecosystems – system‐level competition – is now an increasing focus of business strategy. The paper provides new metaphors to frame brand management for system‐level competition, a new orientation to create novelty in marketing, and a new path to solve complex problems of marketing and sales performance.

Originality/value

The paper introduces marketing ecosystems as an enabling concept for transformative thinking about competitive brand strategy. It acts as a counterweight to the dominant view of marketing that says customer targeting is a sustainable business advantage. The paper has value to executives in all industries who seek new ideas and better output from their marketing operations.

Citation

Singer, J.G. (2006), "Framing brand management for marketing ecosystems", Journal of Business Strategy, Vol. 27 No. 5, pp. 50-57. https://doi.org/10.1108/02756660610692716