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The purpose of this paper is to summarize highlights of a career as a marketing practitioner/academic extending for a period of more than 50 years.

The paper takes an autobiographical approach.

In common with other professional disciplines, the practice of marketing calls for the understanding of an extensive body of knowledge derived from prior research and experience and the ability to apply this to current and future issues and problems. The role of an academic is to codify this knowledge, communicate it through teaching and publication, and to add to it through their own original scholarship and research. While a degree of specialisation is to be encouraged, the contribution of individual academics should be based on an evaluation of their overall impact on practice based on all three activities – research, teaching, and “administration/leadership”.

While based on a sample of one, the account illustrates that professional reputation calls for recognition by multiple constituencies using different criteria to assess one's contribution. It is hoped this will encourage younger academics (and those who sit in judgement on them) to look beyond publication in “leading journals” as the sole criterion for success.

The Gulf States (Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman Bahrain and Qatar) represent a major global market accounting for 26 per cent of European exports, 22 per cent of Japanese exports, 27 per cent of South East Asian exports, and 14 per cent of US exports. Despite this importance comparatively little interest has been shown in buyer behaviour in the Gulf States. Based on extensive research and direct experience a number of salient differences between western models of organizational buying behaviour and actual practice are identified and give rise to specific recommendations for marketing strategy in the region.

Widespread dissatisfaction with the services provided by commercial banks suggests that they have been less than successful in adopting the marketing concept. This article examines the nature of the marketing concept, its transferability to the domain of banking and its adoption by the AIB Group. However, this bank′s experience appears to be atypical, given numerous examples of customer dissatisfaction. There is a clear lack of marketing in both principle and practice in the UK banking system and one can only conclude that “Bank Marketing” is more myth than reality.

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the literature regarding the effect of country of origin on consumer perceptions of products and services. Results reveal that consumer perceptions differ significantly on the basis of product/service and country of origin. The country of origin may be an important element in the perceptions consumers have of products and services especially where little other information is known. However, the question of how much influence the country of origin provides in product and service evaluations remains unanswered and a number of other major issues have yet to be resolved. Directions for future research are developed.

Describes the initiation and development of a corporate identity/visual identity programme, using a major UK university as a case study. Concludes that assessing a visual identity can be useful in identifying organizational weaknesses. However, whereas a weak visual identity may be a symptom of corporate malaise, a new visual identity, although powerful, should be used as part of an integrated approach when repositioning an organization.

The purpose of the paper is to explore the ongoing and continuing debate regarding the role of marketing in an organisation – profit or not‐for‐profit, public or private – in a climate where the disciplines’ contribution is seen as decreasing in importance.

An eclectic but well‐informed summary of some of the key issues involved based on extensive experience as practitioner, consultant, and academic researcher.

Too much emphasis is given to the “Tip of the Marketing Iceberg – advertising/promotion/public relations – and what marketers ‘do’ to customers with insufficient consideration of its strategic role as the interface between an organisation and its customers that creates ‘mutually satisfying exchange relationships (Baker, 1976).’” In other words marketing is, or should be, a force for good and, because of its understanding of consumption and human behaviour, has the potential to make a major transformational contribution to achieving the goals of social business, including sustainability, environmental protection and enhanced human welfare.

Too many marketers, academics and practitioners alike, are so closely involved with specific problems and issues that they cannot see the wood for the trees and reflect on the real challenges faced by the marketing profession as a whole. It is argued that we all need to move away from the prevailing marketing management school of thought and “promotional” marketing and concentrate instead on the fundamental issues of improving welfare through the adoption of transformational marketing and an emphasis on social business.

The purpose of this short opinion piece is to focus on the role of marketing, its theory and practice, and its relevance now and in the future.

The article analyses the present situation – which is not new – the perceived divide between marketing theory and marketing practice and, therefore, the issue of what academics should research and teach that might be of relevance to practitioners.

The article shows that if marketers – both academic and practitioner – are to meet and resolve the present challenges then they need to be customer focused, build long‐term relationships with customers, and think of their life‐time value as opposed to their short‐term profitability.

The article highlights issues of relevance to those involved with marketing theory and practice.