Editorial

Citation

Wright, G. (2009), "Editorial", Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 27 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/mip.2009.02027eaa.001

Editorial

Article Type: Editorial From: Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Volume 27, Issue 5

This issue begins with a reminder of where we came from and how we got here. In an age in which we take Marketing and its associated activities very much for granted as part of everyday life, it is perhaps important as academics, marketing managers and students of marketing, that we keep a perspective of the development of our profession. Gurjeet Kaur and R.D. Sharma from the University of Jammu in India take us on an historical tour to remind us that marketing has indeed been a development of thinking and actions over a very long period. However, this paper has a really interesting context – India. A market place in which barter and e-marketing exist side-by-side. This will be a very useful reference article for all those introducing early career researchers to their professional roots and students to the core discipline, I hope you enjoy this one. From the nature of marketing to a particularly interesting marketing context – professional services, our next paper from Rene Trasorras of the Trasorras Intelligence Group, Art Weinstein of Nova Southeastern University, USA and Russell Abbratt also of Nova Southeastern University, USA considers how customers perceive the value of professional services and how this perception influences satisfaction, loyalty and ultimately retention. Professional services are particularly interesting as we engage with them on the basis of trusting the knowledge and skills of the service provider and often these suppliers ask us to engage in activities that we may not like – accountants tell us to write a check to the tax man and dentists may expect us to let them hurt us. Yet their services are typically quite high in price, high involvement and high risk. These services are also increasingly competitive and so marketing, though relatively new to them is very important. The third paper explores the ways in which anthropological research, specifically ethnography, can be useful in an integrated marketing communications. The paper, by Claudia Mendez of the University of Louisiana at Lafayette, Louisiana, USA addresses the different ways in which the discipline of anthropology contributes to the study of consumption and how it can enhance understanding of corporate and consumer culture. Specifically, this paper considers the role that the anthropological discipline contributes to managing integrated marketing communication strategies and includes examples of how different firms have used it. This paper also demonstrates how ethnography can be used as a corporate tool as well as a research method.

The next paper is from Shu-Pei Tsai of Shih Hsin University in Taiwan and follows on the theme of specific applications of marketing – in this case, cause-related situations. This paper emphasises the importance of positive brand associations in motivating people to engage in cause related activity, finding that altruism rather than egoism is the main motivator and driver. With increasing positive reaction to a cause-related brand, both the moral pleasure of engagement and the moral displease of non-engagement increases. From the University of Nebraska, USA, Phani Tej Adidam, Sampada Gajre and Shubhra Kejriwal contribute the next paper which argues that competitive intelligence is a promising tool in manager’s strategic planning tool kit. However, use of this tool needs to be undertaken in the cultural context in which information is gathered and analysed. This paper considers the examples of developed markets (Europe and Japan) and emerging markets (China, Russia, South Africa, Latin America, Middle East). The authors compare and contrast competitive intelligence practices providing some key guidelines for global managers in conducting successful competitive intelligence gathering in a variety of cultures.

In his paper grounded in the context of developing consciousness of social responsibility, John Aydon Simmons of Liverpool John Moores University in the UK offers an approach to aligning external and internal brands within an integrated marketing strategy. The paper identifies stakeholder constituencies that can facilitate or constrain marketing effectiveness and the analysis underpins a model that shows links and feedback mechanisms between corporate, external and internal brands; stakeholder evaluation of these; and the implications for stakeholder contribution, loyalty and advocacy.

This perspective on branding recognises the stakeholder management implications of the new marketing paradigm by proposing a holistic approach to external and internal brands. From the USA, Ruiliang Yan of Indiana University Northwest and Robert Yeh of the State University of New York, contribute their paper providing a conceptual framework to help marketers identify the effect of consumer’s online purchase cost on a firm’s performance, resulting in recommendations for optimal strategies for both online and traditional channel retailers. This paper provides a useful framework for managers who currently use or plan to use the internet as a channel to sell their products. Finally, in this issue, Davide Maritan, founder and President of Geotherm Srl. Earth Energy Systems, Italy and Roberto Panizzolo of the University of Padova in Italy consider how the Quality Function, and deployment methodology can be used to define the strategic priorities of a firm, establish clear customer needs/expectations and to compile a range of product/service characteristics which enhance customer satisfaction and competitive advantage.

Gill WrightEditorMichael HarkerAssociate Editor