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An updated version of the original (1985) text, the book covers all aspects of marketing and selling bank services: the role of marketing; behaviour of customers; intelligence, planning and organisation; product decisions; promotion decisions; place decisions; price decisions; achieving sales. Application questions help to focus the readers' minds on key issues affecting practice.

A self‐help guide to achieving success in business. Directed more towards the self‐employed, it is relevant to other managers in organizations. Divided into clear sections on creativity and dealing with change; importance of clear goal setting; developing winning business and marketing strategies; negotiating skills; leadership; financial skills; and time management.

To achieve a full understanding of the role of marketing from plan to profit requires a knowledge of the basic building blocks. This textbook introduces the key concepts in the art or science of marketing to practising managers. Understanding your customers and consumers, the 4 Ps (Product, Place, Price and Promotion) provides the basic tools for effective marketing. Deploying your resources and informing your managerial decision making is dealt with in Unit VII introducing marketing intelligence, competition, budgeting and organisational issues. The logical conclusion of this effort is achieving sales and the particular techniques involved are explored in the final section.

Properly conceived, conducted and interpreted, motivation research can be an extremely powerful management tool, designed to help the manufacturer or advertiser to sell more goods. Its aim is to expose the market situation, explain it and suggest courses of action which will lead to desired changes. It is a way of looking at a problem rather than a collection of specialist techniques and is strictly practical. Hence it can be used alongside other market research tools for the solution of marketing problems and can be applied to a wide range of business activities. Much of its development has been in the advertising field but it can also help in the formulation of production policy, solving packaging problems and marketing operations. It is examined here in all these contexts. The idea of motivation research, the reasons for its use and the techniques by which to apply it are discussed, as well as the pitfalls that are likely to occur. New and imaginary case studies are used throughout to illustrate points. A review of the subject literature is included.

In every industry there are resources. Some are moving, others more fixed; some are technical, others social. People working with the resources, for example, as buyers or sellers, or users or producers, may not make much notice of them. A product sells. A facility functions. The business relationship in which we make our money has “always” been there. However, some times this picture of order is disturbed. A user having purchased a product for decades may “suddenly” say to the producer that s/he does not appreciate the product. And a producer having received an order of a product that s/he thought was well known, may find it impossible to sell it. Such disturbances may be ignored. Or they can be used as a platform for development. In this study we investigate the latter option, theoretically and through real world data. Concerning theory we draw on the industrial network approach. We see industrial actors as part of (industrial) networks. In their activities actors use and produce resources. Moreover, the actors interact − bilaterally and multilaterally. This leads to development of resources and networks. Through “thick” descriptions of two cases we illustrate and try to understand the interactive character of resource development and how actors do business on features of resources. The cases are about a certain type of resource, a product − goat milk. The main message to industrial actors is that they should pay attention to that products can be co-created. Successful co-creation of products, moreover, may require development also of business relationships and their connections (“networking”).

Strategy Question: Now that my market is sized and segmented, how do I better understand segment niches?

Summary: The Segment Niching Tool gets to the next important level of detail in the understanding of an organization’s environment. We use the Market Segmentation Tool output as a starting point. Here we further carve out key niches for further understanding related to product or service offerings. We add a scale to the segment columns of the Segment Niching Tool, and break the column further into sections whose size represents the percent of that niche to the segment. Like the segmentation tool above, understanding niches within the segments provides important information within the competitive environment. Here is where people can get mired down in infinite ways to niche a segment. We introduce our approach, based on numerous scars of wisdom, of niching based on only two questions: (1) “Why they buy?” — the main reason the product or service is purchased, and (2) “How they buy?” — the main way the product or service is purchased.

The purpose of this research was to test the statement. “All older people are the same” and answer the question if professional and social activity play an important role in dividing the respondents into different segments in the field of apparel shopping. We examined seven aspects of apparel consumer behaviour: where do our respondents buy apparel and how often in each retail place, do they like shopping, how often they buy apparel, how much they spend, who/what influence them to buy, who/how influence on their clothing style and other statements about consumer behaviour related with apparel.

First, the results of 271 older consumers of apparel through multiplicity sample were collected. Then an a priori segmentation based on social and professional activity was conducted.

Based on the survey, it can be concluded that it is not true that “all older people are the same”, as far, as the apparel business is concerned. The population observed is not homogeneous, although the differences are not so obvious and numerous as one could expect.

This paper demonstrates a simple a priori segmentation based on professional and social activities of respondents. In further research it is inevitably to compare results with a posteriori segmentation based on cluster analysis or discriminant analysis.

The results are useful for product, place, price, and promotion management and through this for planning differential marketing mixes for separate older consumer segments.

The value of this article is to extend our knowledge in the field of apparel behaviour of older consumers, and to demonstrate how useful could be just two simple questions (about professional and social activities) in differentiating older consumers regarding apparel behaviour.

During COVID-19 pandemic, the use of social media enhances information exchange at a global level; therefore, customers are more aware and make backup plans to take optimal decisions. This study explores the customer psychology of impulse buying during COVID-19 pandemic.

The researcher, being a social constructionist, aims at understanding social patterns in impulsive buying strategies during COVID-19 pandemic. Forty UK consumers were participated using the telephonic interview method with the purpose to maintain social distancing practices.

Results revealed that vulnerable group of people, fear of illness, fear of empty shelves, fear of price increase and social inclination to buy extra for staying at home, increased panic impulsive buying behaviour among customers. Many people socially interpreted the evidence of death rate and empty shelves, which led to more disinformation, rumours and sensationalism, which increased customers' impulsive buying behaviour. Finally, risk of going outside, COVID-19 outbreak among employees of local retail stores, and health professionals' recommendations to stay at home, led to impulsive buying behaviour.

This study has constructed a research framework of customer psychology of impulse buying based on the results of this study and fear and perceived risk theories. The study also explains how the fear of fear, risk perception and conformist tendency enhanced impulsive buying during COVID-19 pandemic. This study has discussed specific implications for retailers.

This paper aims to understand the meanings, motivations and practices of green motherhood and, in particular, how green mothers incorporate this lifestyle into their consumption practices.

To address the research questions, a survey and focus group were conducted. Survey responses and transcribed focus group statements comprise the data.

Several variables explain the adoption of green motherhood for one consumer segment. Results showed the mothers’ greater concern about their own family’s health and safety, and a desire to reduce risk and gain some control over their world, rather than concern about the environment at large, drives their choices.

The paper identifies and explores the consumption and mothering practices of a segment of “light green” moms and uncovers their motivations. Limitations include relatively small sample sizes.

“Green mothers” are an important, emerging segment of green consumers, but they often face conflicting roles and expectations. The research adds to the literature on green consumerism by expanding the authors’ knowledge of the nuances and limitations of the green motherhood movement and delving deeper into the decision processes these mothers use. This information can help marketers seeking to target this segment with easy-to-use, convenient products which appeal to their concerns about controlling their environment and improving their family’s health.

Understanding green consumption practices can help marketers or governmental organizations reach consumers who are motivated to be “green”, which, in turn, can lead to an improved environment.

The identification of the “light green” consumer segment is novel, and the paper uses a unique mixed methods approach. Greater understanding of the meaning and limitations of green motherhood is obtained.