Marketing Principles and Practice in the Accounting Profession: A Review

Abstract

The marketing advice published in professional accounting journals is compared with empirical research on client priorities and accountants′ marketing practices to date. The advice and client literature are found to be consistent in that both emphasise referrals, personal communications, practice specialisations and good working relationships. Accountants themselves also emphasised personal communication methods and referrals, although large firms tended to be more systematic and sophisticated in the practice of advertising and public relations. There is less empirical evidence on accountants′ marketing practices beyond their promotional activities. There seems to be little use of formal market research and limited authority given to those with marketing responsibility. It is concluded that both accountants and researchers should focus their attention on the ways in which the whole services marketing mix is used within the profession.

Citation

O′Donohoe, S., Diamantopoulos, A. and Petersen, N. (1991), "Marketing Principles and Practice in the Accounting Profession: A Review", European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 25 No. 6, pp. 37-54. https://doi.org/10.1108/03090569110145402