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We investigate the dynamics of competitive repositioning of firms in the deregulated U.S. airline industry (1979–1995) in terms of a firm's target market, strategic posture, and resource endowment relative to other firms in the industry. We suggest that, despite strong inertia in competitive positions, the direction of repositioning responds to external and internal alignment considerations. For external alignment, we examined how firms changed their competitive positioning to mimic the positions of similar, successful firms, and to differentiate themselves when experiencing intense rivalry. For internal alignment, we examined how firms changed their position in each dimension to align with the other dimensions of positioning. This internal alignment led to convergent positioning moves for firms with similar resource endowments and strategic postures, and divergent moves for firms with similar target markets and strategic postures. The evidence suggests that repositioning moves in terms of target markets and resource endowments are more sensitive to external and internal alignment considerations, but that changes in strategic posture are subject to very high inertia and do not appear to respond well to alignment considerations.

Maruti Suzuki India Limited (MSIL), a joint venture between Maruti Udyog Limited, India and Suzuki Motors, Japan, is considering repositioning its WagonR brand amidst issues of overall decline in sales in the automobile industry. With a market share of more than 53%, MSIL is the market leader in passenger vehicle segment in India, yet it is facing difficulties in driving up sales. The company’s portfolio comprises entry-hatch, mid-hatch, premium-hatch, sedan, SUV/MUV, crossover and van. The case dilemma involves the decision that MSIL’s management should take for the repositioning of WagonR, a compact hatchback, at a time when the automobile industry is showing no signs of recovery. Is it opportune to reposition WagonR, given the current situation of the passenger car market in India? If yes, what can MSIL learn from its past positioning efforts and how can it use insights about consumers’ current perceptions of WagonR’s brand image to arrive at a repositioning decision?

Using the case will help address the following objectives: to expose students to the challenges of repositioning an established brand; appreciate the need for and importance of repositioning established brands; evaluate existing positioning and market conditions for making a sound decision; and develop analytical skills that will prepare them to make decisions in real business scenarios.

The study is suitable for Masters level students in courses on Marketing Management, but it can also work well in elective courses such as brand management.

Teaching notes are available for educators only.

CSS 8: Marketing.

The purpose of this study is to empirically examine the inter‐related relationships among various branding issues such as brand orientation, brand re‐positioning, brand performance and international marketing issues in terms of international marketing strategy, financial performance, control of international marketing activities, international commitment and macro‐marketing environment.

A mail survey with 315 useful samples drawn from the Austrade database was conducted. The steps suggested by Churchill, Cheng and Andersen and Gerbing were rigorously followed to purify the constructs and measurement models. Finally, structural equation modelling using partial disaggregation method was performed to test the whole structured model.

The results from structural equation modelling method confirm significant relationships between the constructs in the model. All major fit indices from structural equation modelling analysis show satisfactory results for both the measurement models and the structural model.

The findings provide insight to international marketers with regard to deploying resources, establishing strategy and adapting the strategy to the culture within overseas markets. Judicious investments in finance and personnel are required for overseas expansion. International branding strategy can be used to enhance a firm's brand and financial performances abroad.

The major values of this study are the establishment of the role of branding in international business. Both brand orientation and brand repositioning have significant impacts on international marketing strategy, which in turn positively affects a firm's performance. Developments of new constructs such as brand orientation, brand repositioning, brand performance and cultural aspects are statistically validated.

Marketing theory and practice is under severe criticism – socialists and the practitioners criticize marketing in its current form which calls for active efforts by marketers to reposition the discipline – making it beneficial to the masses. The Western world is thoroughly investigated based on the opinions of public regarding marketing as a discipline. However, studies which present a non-Western consumer’s attitudes toward the role of marketing in a society are scant. This purpose of this study is to encapsulate Pakistani consumers’ understandings and attitudes toward marketing with an emphasis on their perceptions of the ethicality and transformative power of the discipline.

A purposive convenience sample of 40 professionals with diverse non-marketing backgrounds and of the widest possible demographic profile participated in in-depth, unstructured interviews. The content analysis and grounded theory method were used for the analysis.

Marketing is appreciated for creating product awareness and, occasionally, combating social problems, but this positive image is clouded by severely criticizing it for promoting materialism, being irritatingly pervasive and pushy, as well as for using unethical and unfair practices.

The study offers a valuable insight into the discipline’s performative and social legitimation in a fast-growing Asian economy. The authors recommend paths for a positive repositioning of the discipline that will improve its public image and enhance its potential for being recognized as a force for positive social change.

Further to enhancing our understanding of consumer attitudes toward marketing, this paper’s value lies in it being the first ever exploration of the developing country perspective. Most importantly, it contributes to a debate that could enlighten the much-needed repositioning of marketing as a discipline to make it useful for masses.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an evaluation of a newspaper insert survey and web‐based voter surveys associated with the same newspaper, conducted before and after the 2004 US presidential election.

The study compares response rates, demographics, and political profiles of voters responding to these two different channels of communication and evaluates the success of each in predicting the election outcome.

The study results show some significant differences between the two methods of voter data collection; nevertheless, each is useful in a comprehensive system that attempts to follow voter attitudes and intentions before the election and predict election outcome.

The study relies on the use of an innovative marketing poll that goes beyond simple prediction of a voter's behavior and offers an explanatory component useful in the development of marketing strategies during a campaign.

This commentary was stimulated by two things. First, the apparently growing concerns within marketing academia with the gap between academia and practice. Throughout Europe academics are expressing the need to link their work closely with practitioners, yet there is little sign of urgency from those who influence research output. Second, the opportunities for changing academic practices illustrated by cultural changes taking place in commercial market research. Market researchers now approach their task differently: to begin with they are adopting a more relaxed attitude to their methodologies. Eclecticism and bricolage are the new vogue. They have become much more focused on what their internal customers want: help in making decisions. The change of name from market research to customer insight is but one symptom of this re‐evaluation. This commentary questions the existing cultures of academic marketing research and publication, and asks what lessons we can learn from commercial market research. The paper concludes that applied marketing academics need to adopt a different set of priorities in comparison to their classical marketing colleagues. Commercial market researchers and applied academics share a requirement to make their research accessible, engaging and even actionable. There is little overt acknowledgement of this at present, and until this changes, the current academic cultural norms may erect barriers to our messages getting across.

This paper aims to present an empirical test to analyze a structural process model based on constructs of organizational innovativeness types considering sustainability aspects. It explores interdependency among constructs of organizational innovativeness identified as product, process, behavioral, market, strategic and risk innovativeness. It integrates a dynamic capability perspective to strengthen the existing literature.

Sample for data analysis covers 389 managers of firms demonstrating some traits of sustainability orientation and operating in a developing economy like India. Structural equation modeling is applied to test the causal model.

Study reveals that risk innovativeness along with strategic innovativeness leads to behavioral innovativeness which further causes product innovativeness and business process innovativeness. Business process innovativeness supports product innovativeness leading to market innovativeness of a firm. Characteristics of organizational innovativeness linked with the risk-taking ability of top management can be a critical differentiating factor between conventional and sustainability-oriented firms.

The factor of risk innovativeness was applied as per the existing measurement scale and has a scope for further exploration. It also offers an opportunity to reassess organizational innovativeness processes considering sustainability aspects.

The study may help organizations to develop a systemic approach to evolve and develop business processes linked to organizational innovativeness considering sustainability challenges and uncertain market conditions.

Development of organizational innovativeness considering sustainability aspects may lead to innovative and disruptive products/services leading to mitigate climate change issues, thus helping global societies in long run.

The study offers common ground linked to the bodies of research related to dynamic capabilities, micro-foundations of dynamic capabilities, innovative capability and sustainability.

Presents an outline of a highly‐tailored management development process for the entire marketing group of Lloyds Bank’s Insurance Services Division (LBIS) in which learning projects were a key feature. Discusses objectives of the projects for the directors, middle managers and junior managers involved, the areas and topics covered and the learning benefits achieved, both on a personal and an organizational level.

Describes a highly tailored management development process of the entire marketing group of Lloyds Bank Insurance Services Division, UK, in which learning projects were a key feature. Discusses the objectives of the projects for the directors, middle managers and junior managers involved, the topics covered and the benefits achieved on personal and company levels.

In 1921, Alfred P. Sloan developed an extensive repositioning strategy that was instrumental to General Motors' success over the decades that followed. This paper aims to provide a review of the development and evolution of this strategy and how the later deviation from this strategy was responsible for the company's marketplace decline and eventual bankruptcy.

The paper reviews the historical 1921 repositioning strategy developed by Sloan and the specific models and price levels that were a part of this strategy. These price levels are then examined over the following decades to determine when and how this strategy was modified over time.

The findings indicate that although Sloan developed a brilliant strategy at the time of its inception, General Motors has over time deviated from its own historic and successful repositioning strategy. It is demonstrated that the deviation from the 1921 strategy has contributed to the decline in General Motors' market share and their bankruptcy in 2009. In addition, the 1921 strategy is compared to those of successful 21st century competition.

The research provides the reader with a historical review and analysis of the Sloan strategy and provides evidence that a historically successful marketing strategy can be applicable in other time periods for the company that developed it and for other competitors that make use of a similar strategy.