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The purpose of this paper is to investigate the largely unexplored conceptualisation of the brand-as-a-person metaphor in small-to-medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) by examining its potential relation with the SME owner-manager, the pathways to its creation and development and the intuitive nature of this relationship.

A grounded theory approach was used, and data were collected through a set of 36 semi-structured interviews with 30 SME owner-managers in various sectors in Mexico.

The results indicate that SME owner-managers intuitively humanise their brands. The study revealed four pathways to develop the brand-as-a-person metaphor in the SME context: through personality traits, tastes and preferences, abilities and knowledge and values, all suggesting that SMEs’ brand-as-a-person metaphors are largely an extension of their owner-managers.

The paper presents a theoretical framework that illustrates the four pathways to the creation and development of brand-as-a-person that are derived from the brand’s relationship with the SME owner-manager. The results of cross-industry semi-structured interviews are limited to a single culture context.

SME owner-managers should first undertake an introspective personal assessment of their intuitive and conscious decision-making, as SME owner-managers often make decisions in an intuitive way. The results suggest that they should act in a more conscious, responsible and rational way when formulating their brand strategies.

This is the first study to clarify the profound influence of SME owner-managers’ personal characteristics, including personality traits, tastes and preferences, abilities and knowledge and values, on the brand-as-a-person metaphor. This study also confirms the intuitive learning strategy formulation of SME owner-managers’ branding practices and SMEs’ need for a more rational approach to branding.

Although some guidance exists for conducting qualitative research in the consumer field, there is very little accessible information for would‐be industrial market researchers. This is particularly unfortunate since the qualitative approach is arguably of greater relevance in industrial market research than in the consumer field. Similarly, there is a notable lack of advice on how to analyse the data, once collected. This article is intended as a practical guide to the execution and analysis of focused interviews in industrial market research.

An empirical examination of the product elimination decision‐making processes in American and British manufacturing firms was presented. Specifically, two areas of the product elimination decision‐making process are presented: (1) the precipitating circumstances which “triggered” the product elimination decision‐making process to begin; and (2) the variables used to make the elimination/retention are reviewed. It was concluded that the decision making processes were similiar in the two countries.

Examines the nature of cross‐functional integration in the introduction of new products in a large industrial distributor. Using the paradigm of action science to effect a detailed case analysis, the investigation suggests that the approach to cross‐functional integration followed by researchers of new product development may not be the most useful way of conceptualizing and researching in a services setting. Specifically, the extent to which shared information, decision‐making agreement and decision‐making authority agreement are indicative of integration is questionable – particularly if investigated using survey research.

Strategic Marketing planning in the British pharmaceutical industry is discussed, with the key areas of marketing personnel, planning procedures and associated analytical tools being focused upon. The responses of a number of companies to whom detailed questionnaires were sent, are shown in tables. These detail, for example, who is responsible, in a particular company for strategic planning, issues, and use of analytical tools. The impression gained from these responses show an extremely marketing‐oriented industry.

A recent focus of attention in the new product development literature has been the need to quicken the process of development in order to decrease “time‐to‐market”. Various amendments to the traditional activity‐stage models have been proposed, but few deal directly with the key aspect of speedier time to market, namely cross‐functional information management and horizontal management of the new product development process. Expands this argument and proposes “multiple convergent processing” as an appropriate conceptual framework in which to view new product development tasks. The anatomy of multiple convergent processing is examined in greater detail, showing how its focus on interaction among several parties and information exchange is an appropriate manner in which to encourage both the necessary technical and marketing inputs to the NPD process and the speed necessary for successful competitive new products. Finally, key elements of network analysis are proposed as an effective conceptual framework in which to study new product development.

The purpose of this paper is to identify brand management accounting as a further approach to accounting for brands and to suggest a number of possible measurement metrics it might incorporate.

The paper is discursive in nature, developing a critique of existing approaches to accounting for brands before considering a number of attributes of a new approach.

The growing importance of brands as a key source of competitive advantage has been among the most visible changes in many business organisations in recent years. Effective strategic brand management, therefore, poses a major challenge to both accountants and their marketing colleagues. To date, the history of accounting for brands has largely been concerned with the derivation of brand valuations suitable for financial accounting and reporting purposes. Although the merits of a management accounting perspective on brands have been recognised for some time, recent studies indicate that to date it has failed to attract much support. New approaches to accounting for brands are now required. Underpinned by high levels of interfunctional cooperation between management accounting and marketing management practitioners, brand management accounting examplifies the more inclusive approach to the task of strategic management increasingly evident within contemporary organisations.

The paper integrates both existing and new insights informed by the accounting and marketing literatures in an attempt to promote a further approach to the task of accounting for brands.

Examines the market research activities of UK industrial exporters. First reviews the literature concerned with information for international marketing in general and export marketing research in particular. Describes the method of a research study, comparing the market research activities of exporters in the light of company size and export experience. Analyses the results, finding that companies, once embarked on export activity rely on personal contact with distributors, agents, customers and competitors to gather information concerning the markets they serve, and this information is used equivocally to modify decisions. Finally, discusses the implications for future research and management.

Two hypotheses concerning two variables that potentially influence the “add/drop” foreign market decisions of U.S. exporters of sewing machines are developed and empirically tested. The variables are import market potential, and a surrogate measure of import market competitiveness. A third variable, concerning a developing country’s “trade regime” – Import Substituting, Export Promoting (Bhagwati, 1978) – is employed as a control variable in the tests. The two hypotheses are confirmed, and the results shed light on how U.S. exporters of sewing machines should analyze data on the three variables en route to adjusting their respective portfolios of export markets in a context of making add/drop foreign market decisions. The results of the research potentially contribute to three different literatures: the international marketing literature, the competitiveness literature and the “trade regime” literature in international economics.

This paper aims to identify and discuss insights from the business model field on the creation and delivery of value to customers that provide new thinking in relation to the strategic management accounting field.

The customer emphases exhibited in parts of the extant strategic management accounting literature are highlighted and amplified using insights from the business model literature, including those relating to value propositions, customer value creation and delivery and meeting customers’ value expectations.

The paper demonstrates that in addition to providing valuable insights for accounting to management, an extended strategic management accounting concept enables accounting and reporting to customers, now identified as major stakeholders, in the context of integrated reporting.

Through its customer resonances, the paper affirms strategic management accounting’s practical utility for organisations seeking a strong position in highly competitive marketplaces, via the addition of a focus on accounting to customers.

The paper’s use of insights from the business model literature further reinforces the view that strategic management accounting potentially constitutes a pivotal development within both managerial and financial accounting and reporting.