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The 2010 British election particularly focused on the party leaders’ images – a departure in fifty years of British elections. The principal contribution of the article is to illustrate how a combined approach to assessing leadership positioning using both the traditional survey and semiotic analysis can provide insights into what image attribute dimensions end up in the minds of members of the public (actual positioning) and on what image attribute dimensions party marketers are trying to position themselves (intended positioning). Using data from the 2010 British general elections, our findings indicate that the combined methodological approach would be particularly useful for brands that need repositioning, those whose image attribute positions change dramatically over time, and those who wish to target previously unresponsive target audience segments. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The purpose of this paper is to provide an insight into the use of evaluative cues by consumers in a services context. In particular, the paper investigates the extent to which consumers' familiarity and objective/subjective expertise affect the degree to which functional and non-functional cues are used in evaluating investment products. The methodology for the study is quantitative, involving a random telephone sample of 1002 respondents broadly representative of the UK population. Means scores for various constructs are used in a regression analysis to test three hypotheses. The findings indicate that greater familiarity is associated with the importance of functional, rather than non-functional, cues in financial services evaluation, as is greater objective expertise. However, no relationship is apparent between subjective expertise and cue utilisation. The study has significant managerial implications, as an informed understanding of how cue utilisation varies with consumers' familiarity and expertise will assist managers in their attempts to formulate marketing strategies that appeal to targeted customer segments. Overall, the paper provides a novel insight into the appropriate conceptualisation of evaluative cues in a services setting, as well as an enhanced understanding of how consumers’ utilisation of such cues in their evaluations of a high credence financial services is contingent upon familiarity and expertise. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The coalition government that resulted from the 2010 general election represents a new scenario in the British political marketplace with implications for political marketing theory and practice. The modelling of political marketing in the UK has evolved in relatively stable market conditions in which majority governments are elected; the market restructure arising from the 2010 election outcome offers an opportunity for a revised understanding of the field. Political science has established an important and dynamic body of knowledge that explains the founding and operation of coalitions. A comparative appraisal of coalition government and commercial cooperative arrangements indicates some commonalities. Western European elections are characterised by multiple actors, regional preferences, smaller parties, cooperative distribution of power, and assumed negotiability of the offer. As the British political marketplace evolves to exhibit similar characteristics, insights from these markets are used to contribute to the more multifaceted, cooperative models of political marketing management required for the UK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers not only the nature of segmentation, but in particular political segmentation. It suggests that currently political parties utilise a simplistic type of segmentation and that they need to be more aware of the complexities of the electorate. In particular, the political parties need to be aware of the preferences of those who make up 52% of the population - women. The literature on attracting women voters is explored indicating that women have different perceptions of politics and politicians. To illustrate the point a discussion group with black and Asian women is presented. The campaigns and the results of the 2005 election are also explored to further illustrate the point. The paper concludes that the issues of importance to politicians are not in line with the aspirations and requirements of the female voters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political marketing was a key factor in the 2005 campaign, but more for its ineffectiveness than for its success. The use of marketing techniques such as segmentation and targeting was prolific, however the extent to which the parties adopted the marketing concept was limited. The impact of Labour's Big Conversation and 'Team Labour' campaign approach was always going to be hindered by Tony Blair's perceived dismissal of party and voter opinion on the Iraq War and top-up fees; appointing a marketing director to work on the presentation rather than the design of policy, combined with a highly negative campaign, was never going to win the election for the Tories. The lessons of electoral history - and marketing - were proved right once again: only if parties fully embrace the marketing philosophy and comprehensively design their behaviour by reflecting and responding to public demand. Nevertheless the key to future success for UK parties is to bring back ideology: market-oriented politics should also include using party principles and leadership judgement in order to be able to produce a distinctive response to the public concerns that is both popular and credible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After identifying the paucity of positioning research relating to political marketing the construct is defined and practical examples of its application in politics provided. The analysis of the 2005 election starts by considering the long term framing of political issues and concludes that this, overall, provided Labour with a competitive advantage. Next the positioning dilemmas facing the three national parties in British politics at the start of the campaign are highlighted. Using a basic positioning model, the positioning strategies followed during the campaign itself are then discussed, both in terms of policies and image/emotional positioning approaches. The attempts by the opposition parties to reposition Labour and the latter's defensive reactions are discussed at this point. Then, the way the wider positioning of the parties was targeted at electoral segments is considered. The paper concludes with an attempt to explain the election result in terms of the relative success or failure of the positioning strategies adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political parties have long since targeted the marginal constituency and floating voters using demographic segmentation approaches and the use of market segmentation techniques in general election campaigns is now well-documented (see Johnson 1971; Ahmed and Jackson 1979; Yorke and Meehan 1986; Baines et al. 2003). The actual practice of segmentation as undertaken by political parties and its relation to theory is less well-considered. This paper represents a serious attempt to outline how political parties targeted a priori segments of the electorate including gender, age and life cycle in the 2005 British General Election when they should have been adopting a product attributed-based approach. Selected MORI surveys from April 2005 were analysed, using logistic regression to indicate the most important factors in determining how Britons vote. Principal components analysis provides an indication of how the three main British political parties are perceived. The paper discusses, using resource-advantage theory (Hunt 1995; Hunt and Arnett 2004) how political parties might use their party and leader image, and policies to build their popularity in an election campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labour's 2005 election campaign was extensively underpinned by political marketing. This resulted in a campaign of unequal halves; generic and populist at national level; focused and individualised at local level. This article describes the text of Labour's campaign, and its response to its environment, focusing upon its image management strategies in response to the political and media environment within which it operated. This also included the Conservatives and an increasing overlap between politics and celebrity culture. This campaign saw a continuation and sophistication of marketing strategies and technologies, enabling parties to target individual, strategically important, voters. A specific personalised message was presented to 2% of the electorate, while a broad image was promoted to the rest of the populace. With an election focused on a targeted minority of the electorate, it is argued that far from being a force to enhance democracy, marketing at the 2005 election challenges the ideals upon which the democratic process of politics is premised. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite the fact that positioning is considered by both academics and practitioners to be one of the key elements of modern marketing management, it is surprising to uncover a general paucity of consumer/customer-derived typologies of positioning strategies. This research presents the results of an empirical study that develops and validates a scale measuring consumer/customer based generic typology of positioning strategies. Eight distinct positioning factors/strategies emerged that were named (a) top of the range, (b) service, (c) value for money, (d) reliability, (e) attractiveness, (f) country of origin, (g) the brand name, and (h) selectivity. The reliability and validity of the scale was assessed using exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. The scale has potential to serve as an instrument for the operationalisation of positioning strategies and given that no additional items are needed, it is simple to use. It concludes by providing managerial implications and directions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research in services marketing has recognised the role of brands as aids to customers' decision making, particularly in situations where credence qualities and perceived risk may be high. In practice, there is limited empirical evidence for the role played by brands in highly intangible contexts such as financial services. This paper explores the role of the brand in relation to bank selection by small business customers in two culturally distinct countries, namely Egypt and the UK. The results indicate that there is considerable similarity in the role played by brands in both countries and suggest that greater emphasis should be placed on brands when developing marketing strategies for the small business market [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Researchers have used the Narver and Slater's construct (1990), hereafter (N&S), to operationalise market orientation (MO). The assumption is that the construct is universally equivalent across cultures, countries and research contexts. We develop a way of testing the invariance of N&S operationalisations as an example of how researchers can establish measure invariance across different cultures, countries or languages. In this particular study we test the N&S operationalisation across Australian and UK samples. The results suggest that the conceptualisation of MO is similar in the two countries at a weak factorial invariance level. Thereafter the operationalisation is different, i.e. intercepts are significantly different and item reliabilities are also different. These results suggest that because measure equivalence is not strong, contextualisation of findings is necessary since generalisability may be limited. The significance of this research is in alerting researchers to the assumptions, rarely tested, that underlay comparisons across qualitatively distinct populations. We suggest researchers test these assumptions before substantive tests of theories are undertaken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The perceived importance of five technical service qualities (Gronroos 1984) or features (i.e. national and local policies, leaders, values and candidates), and voters' ratings of the Labour and Conservative Parties' competence on each of these parameters, were investigated during the 2001 British General Election using an a priori segmentation method and the classification tree statistical technique for data analysis. Voter ratings of the technical service features were found to be indicators of intention to vote. A product differentiation approach is most likely to influence voting intention, because the technical service features are more readily manipulated through marketing programmes than demographic and customer characteristics (Bucklin and Gupta 1992). Ratings of technical service features are stronger indicators of voting intention than voter demographics and characteristics. A product differentiation approach, based around technical service features, would be the most effective focus for strategy development in future political marketing campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article sheds light on the relationship between internal marketing rhetoric and its practice within the UK retail bank sector and addresses a deficiency in the current internal marketing literature particularly in terms of implementation. A practitioner view is explored through data generated by in-depth qualitative interviews with thirty-five branch managers and twenty-one employees. The study produced some interesting findings structured in the form of relationships which highlighted the distinct nature of the internal marketing practice within the specific sector. This article sheds light on the six emergent relationships. The examination of the relationship between the rhetoric and practice of internal marketing within the UK retail bank industry raises some criticisms regarding the motives behind the adoption of internal marketing and the current implementation approach adopted by these organisations. The study's conclusions can be used as an outline agenda for future research aimed at strengthening internal marketing's legitimacy in the academic literature and highlighting its contribution to practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports the results of research into the range of actors involved in the marketing of urban places as shopping destinations and the processes by which this marketing activity is planned. The paper highlights the differences between the process of marketing planning in this context (at the interface of the public and private sectors), as opposed to processes in private sector organizations from which the majority of current marketing theory was developed. It suggests various implications as to the characteristics of what Ashworth (1993) has termed a 'special type of marketing' to be applied to urban places. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We outline the history of the UK Liberal Democratic Party (LibDem) and the context of the 2001 UK General Election and show how the strategy for the General Election campaign evolved within the party. The article traces the presentation of Charles Kennedy MP as the new leader of the Liberal Democrats, the allocation of campaign resources and key events impacting upon the campaign. Particular consideration is given to the branding aspects of the leader role and the interaction between the party and leader in establishing the public perception of the LibDem brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper seeks to examine how well the political parties have targeted women and identifies political marketing as a means of creating voter satisfaction. It starts by examining the differences and changes in the number of women MPs following the general election in June 2001 compared with the outcome of the election in 1997. Voter behaviour and the lack of female role models in politics are then considered. The use of market segmentation is discussed. The paper concludes that political parties need to utilise segmentation in a more sensitive way to attract the silent majority of women and ensure their political success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers the importance of building the brand image of parties and leaders in modern day politics. Firstly, the appropriateness of branding in the sphere of politics is considered. Then, brand image research on political parties and their leaders is identified and discussed. From this, the advertising (positive and negative), events and celebrity endorsements that affected the June 2001 election are discussed. Finally, some tentative conclusions on political image management are forwarded along with the likely future developments in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During 1997-2001 the Conservative Party utilised many concepts and techniques from marketing but this yielded little success in the general election. This article explores the story behind this result: the attempts made by the leader William Hague to use political marketing and make the Party more responsive to voters, the obstacles he faced in changing the Conservatives at all levels; the final product they offered to voters in 2001, and the Party's communication efforts in the years before the election and the campaign. Overall, analysis indicates the difficulty but also the importance of marketing political parties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Labour's second landslide victory of 2001 seemed inevitable given the almost continuous public support for the government through its first term. This paper considers the ways in which the party attempted to maintain and cultivate the electorate's backing during the last four weeks or 'short' campaign. Perhaps fearing apathy more than the Conservatives Labour launched 'Operation Turnout' in order to mobilise its core supporters. Though this attempt failed to boost electoral participation the party nevertheless achieved another major victory. In this so-called 'apathetic landslide' Labour was able to strategically outmanoeuvre their principal opponents the Conservatives. Interestingly the more telling and potentially compromising criticisms of government policy and party procedure came from sympathisers. These and other points will be examined with recourse to a marketing analysis of the Labour campaign. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is argued, on the basis of first principles and a case example, that 'leakage' of advertising messages beyond the target audience can generate negative reactions when 'activists' in an accidentally addressed 'meta-audience' exert 'social pressure' on the advertiser's 'micro and macro-audiences,' inflicting 'collateral damage' on the advertiser in various ways. Examination of published data from industry sources shows that activists are a small sub-set of the meta-audience, but it is argued that their potential to reduce the long-term advertising effectiveness of some advertising campaigns is an issue for advertising managers and planners. Analysis of hitherto unpublished data yields a profile of one type of activist: those who complained about television advertising between 1996 and 1998. They belong to homogeneous social sub-groups that are geographically and demographically distinct from the general population, not least in conforming to the notorious north-south divide in Britain. It is proposed that this first-ever research-based profile of complainants offers a factual basis on which prudent advertising planners can predict the risk of collateral damage, and plan to minimise it by avoiding pre-disposing creative tactics or media schedules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper investigates the integration of relationship marketing and marketing measurement. In particular, it addresses the need for the development of a segmented service strategy. The paper reports the main findings from a study of the extent to which senior UK marketing managers measure key aspects of their relationship marketing strategies. The research suggests that most companies are not using adequate measurement systems to evaluate their relationship marketing. The profit and cost implications of a segmented service strategy are investigated using case examples from two UK service organisations. This involves exploring the profit potential across segments as a result of improvement in customer service and resulting increase in customer retention. A four step framework for developing a segmented service strategy is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The need for the development of a comprehensive model of giving behaviour has never been greater. In the UK, the proportion of households electing to support charity is continuing a twenty year decline. This factor, combined with the accompanying and sharp increase in the number of registered charities has contributed to the creation of an ever more hostile fundraising environment. If they are to survive, charities seeking funds from individual donors will have to refine both the quality and targeting of their fundraising campaigns. It is the purpose of this article to develop a comprehensive model of giving behaviour to assist them in this process. The article draws on literature from the fields of marketing, economics, clinical psychology, social psychology, anthropology and sociology. The implications of the resultant model for fundraising strategy are discussed and opportunities for further research delineated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper defines market orientation following a critique of existing literature. It then operationalises this definition via a model containing three behavioural elements (customer orientation, employee orientation, and organisational co-ordination) linked to a long term survival requirement The model is tested in the context of the development of market orientation in the further education sector (in which professional--rather than commercial--values have tended to dominate). This sector is characterised by dynamic change in both its social/demographic and economic circumstances as well as the impact of government policy initiatives--especially the Education Reform Act of 1988 and Local Management of Colleges. The empirical focus of the paper is on three large FE Colleges in the English Midlands. It provides evidence to support the operationalisation of the definition of market orientation in the context of the management of change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

First stage internationalization begins when a firm begins to export, and reaches maturity with the establishment of one or more foreign manufacturing subsidiaries. Initially, a manufacturing subsidiary may service only its local market but, in time, the subsidiary begins to export its output to other countries, thus engaging in second stage internationalisation. This paper examines the activities of a sample of UK-based manufacturing subsidiaries of multinational corporations that are engaged in second stage internationalisation, assesses the linkages with other operating characteristics, and identifies strategy parameters that are associated with second stage internationalisation. In particular, attention is focused on the degree of autonomy enjoyed by the subsidiary, on the extent to which it is integrated with other affiliates within the parent network, the extent of configuration and coordination applied to its activities, and on the subsidiary's propensity to adjust its local responsiveness as it internationalises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marketing as an area of management has come under close scrutiny in recent years and the management of brands, both product and corporate, has been no exception. In particular, the brand manager as the champion of the brand has been under attack, namely, they are too young, inexperienced and focus too much on the short term. Indeed, the entire system of brand management has been questioned in the light of the rapidly changing marketing environment brought about by economic recession, internationalization and changing patterns of distribution. Add to this the growth of corporate branding and it is not difficult to understand the concerns. However, do these concerns reflect the reality? This paper explores the role and profile of the brand manager through a research survey carried out by the authors. The research examined the age, experience and remuneration package of brand managers and looked at their responsibilities, accountability and planning horizons within marketing departments. The results are discussed in the context of the wider marketing environment and trends towards alternative management systems such as category management and flatter organizational structures. It concludes that many of the criticisms are true but sometimes only in part. For example, brand managers are young and well educated but poorly trained. They manage more brands than they used to but have not widened their span of functional responsibilities to include the newer areas of marketing such as database marketing and trade marketing. They spend a relatively short period of time in one job, have short-term objectives and are paid in proportion to the size of their advertising and promotion budgets but are nevertheless usually part of a strategy formulation team. The research also indicates that organizations have been slow to adopt new structures, which is resulting in an increasingly fragmented brand management process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of a longitudinal study of co-operative strategies in a small sample of pharmaceutical and scientific instrument companies and brought to bear on the process of internationalisation. Ten companies are studied over a four-year period–two are British scientific instruments companies, eight are pharmaceutical companies, five British owned, two French and one European. Five pharmaceutical companies are separated out as having their internationalisation strategy affected by extreme turbulence in the industry, resulting in acquisition or merger. The relatively stable environment of the other five companies provides a telling contrast. Internationalisation strategies are found to depend on the company's overall strategy, the immediate context of the firm and its past history of internationalisation. However, the crucial issue of the level of the analysis arises because many internationalisation moves are shown to be initiated at division, unit, site or individual manager level, with the result that a single internationalisation strategy cannot be described and that for the firm as a whole, conflicting international moves are often made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past decade, the European defence industry has had to respond to increasing pressures of reduced defence spending, exacerbated more recently by removal of the immediate military threat from the former Soviet Union. Under the "Options for Change", the UK has abandoned certain weapons programmes, while Germany has had the additional economic and social problems brought on by re-unification. The industry's options comprise conversion, diversification or specialization, thus continuing to face structure change and competition from defence imports and "off-the-shelf" systems and equipment. Given the high exit barriers and past "cushioning" of the industry by governments, the presence of skills and know-how to compete effectively is questionable. The case for strategic marketing approach for those suppliers remaining is clear; as buyer (monopsonistic) power strengthens, the threat of new entrants increases and the associated competitive rivalry intensifies. However, the ingrained "defence culture" in many supplier organizations may be an impediment to change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis of the UK and German detergent markets provides useful evidence for the development of a model to predict the share changes that occur when a new product enters the market. A simple share order effect (SOE) model based on Luce's Axiom of the Independence of Irrelevant Alternatives (IIA) is tested on four different new product launches. Of these, only the product with both a new brand name and a new product format is consistent with the model. In the remaining three cases, all line extensions, the empirical data deviate from the model's predictions. The two UK line extensions appear to be affected by product format; the German line extension cannibalizes the parent. From these studies, it is suggested that radical line extensions do not cannibalize whereas line extensions that have a close fit with the parent are more likely to take sales from the core brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports empirical findings from a study of sports sponsorship activities by a representative sample of UK banks, building societies and insurance companies. While there are indications of a professional approach to the management of sports sponsorship programmes by some institutions, this pattern is by no means universal. The general impression is that sports sponsorship is used on an ad hoc, intermittent basis and appears unhinged from broader strategic considerations. There is only limited evidence of a rigorous practical application of the theoretical prescriptions identified in the literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charity affinity credit cards are one of the more recent fund-raising initiatives of the charity sector in the United Kingdom. This paper explains and exemplifies the concept of the charity affinity card by discussing both the history and economies of the credit card and of its affinity variant. Using charity affinity card examples, the benefits that the card issuer and the affinity charity can derive from this type of credit card are contrasted and compared. Whilst the card issuers often have a clear marketing objective, their choice of affinity charity is a key factor for success, as is the way that the ongoing relationship with the charity is managed. The charities enter into these affinity relationships with different objectives in mind, but their own marketing expertise and the quality of the relationship that they establish with the card issuer are critical elements in achieving their objectives. In order to demonstrate the marketing synergy available to both card issuers and affinity charities the exchange relationships in affinity card agreements are modeled, as a basis for both parties to construct Win-Win relationships with maximum marketing effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The operation of provider units, both NHS Trusts and Directly Managed Units, as competitive organizations in the market place, is as yet rudimentary. Although some have achieved notoriety through radical "business" behaviour, there is little evidence that they have adopted scientific business practices in order to strengthen or re-orientate their position in the market place. Neither is there as yet any hard evidence that such behaviour would be beneficial in the long term. This paper describes an exercise of strategic market analysis used as a device to lead and inform the business planning process for an NHS Trust. The primary objective of the analysis is to identify hitherto unrecognized strategies which would enhance the position of the organization in the market place and also to identify areas where business development is possible and desirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trade show exhibiting is an important marketing activity that has received relatively little empirical attention. Previous findings are few and generally not British. Drawing on a survey of British engineering companies this paper provides new insights of exhibiting objectives, trade show selection criteria and budgeting techniques. Reasons why some firms do not exhibit are also presented. Data on UK and overseas exhibiting practices are compared although few differences are apparent. It is concluded that exhibiting practices of many companies accord well with recognized prescriptive advice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence and persistence of modern countertrade (CT) is attributed to many factors including circumventing credit and foreign exchange problems, surmounting barriers to otherwise closed markets, hiding price cuts or simply exporters' need to remain competitive. Because CT arrangements comprise bundles of buying, selling and financing contracts, explaining why firms conduct CT requires explanation of why a package deal is preferred to a set of component contracts. Examination of domestic CT stripped of "international ramifications" reveals the inherent rationale for CT as a desire to hide price discounts and to overcome cash shortages. Questionnaire data obtained from UK and Canadian firms broadly support this. If CT is worth undertaking, it requires effective management. The paper concludes by discussing the implications of CT for marketing strategy and planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to draw together the largely non-empirical and fragmented literature on motives for retailer internationalization (RI), introduce new empirical data based upon a survey of UK-based international retailers, and examine the underlying structure of RI motives. Four factors were identified and those relating to the perceived international appeal and innovativeness of the retail offering and growth orientated and proactive motives were found to be the most important. Analysis revealed a more complex structure than previous dichotomous motive groupings and similarities with those found in export marketing studies. This, and the subsequent implications, are useful to both academics and retail practitioners. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the marketing planning process of a number of British Companies. It finds that the companies who subscribe to what is described in the paper as a "complete marketing planning process", are further along an organizational evolutionary development path than their semi-planning and non-planning counterparts. While the marketing planning process appears on the surface to be just a series of procedural steps, it does in fact embrace a set of underlying values and assumptions. Only the more developed and mature organizations seem likely to have the corporate culture which is capable of sustaining these values. Corporate culture is often intangible to the outsider, but can be very real to those within the company. It develops partly through the way the company has triumphed over adversity in the past, and partly through the so-called "culture carriers". These are the influential figures who, by their behaviour, communicate the organizational values they wish to see espoused. Because marketing planning often challenges existing corporate values and attempts to introduce new ones, the process cannot be regarded simply as a neutral, cognitive activity; it is clearly a political process. The problems this poses for executives of organizations and their external advisers are complex and far-reaching. Nevertheless the potential rewards which result from comprehensive marketing planning can be substantial, and make it a goal worth striving for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper looks critically at the history, mainly from public sources of the development of the Market Share/Market Growth matrix by the Boston Consulting Group and its popularization in both the practitioner and academic domains. The application of the "Boston Box" became a powerful means of simplifying and "boxing up" complex issues of marketing strategy. However, of particular interest is the question of whether this central technique in any marketing strategy analysis of the seventies or eighties also bred its own form of "marketing myopia" and "boxed in" strategic discussions to a limited set of options and prescriptions. A short survey of marketing lecturers in the UK was also conducted to establish the current state of undergraduate teaching of the "Boston Box" itself which suggests that there are still considerable areas of concern in terms of the teaching of such techniques. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Saturation, the seemingly inevitable collision of the grocery retailer's superstore opening programmes with the UK's stable population and static per capita food volume consumption, is expected during the 1990s. If growth is to be maintained by the ambitious multiples, reappraisal of threats and opportunities and re-shaping of marketing strategies will be needed. Market leakage analysis can be used to show where present and future opportunities lie, and to indicate what sort of competitive strategies are needed to prevail and thrive in post-saturation grocery retailing. Retailers must differentiate themselves from each other, destroying the consumer's commodity-like perception of competing stores. This can be promoted through the strategic development of store personnel, the marketing-oriented application of technology, and more precise targeting of consumer demands and under-satisfied needs. The author's Strategic Choice Grid indicates that, through insightful and innovative marketing, UK grocery retailers can avoid the stagnation threatened by saturation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study demonstrates the analysis and findings of the field research undertaken in Japan in May 1988 on a small sample of Japanese firms with UK subsidiaries. The study examined the factors behind the marketing strengths of Japanese parent companies and the effects on their relationships with their UK subsidiaries. The research indicates that the Japanese companies saw their successes in the specific qualities and thoroughness of their management and labour, with a strong focus to committing resources to marketing, product innovation and R&D. The findings of the research with recommendations are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the impact of these trends on the role of the marketing department in the 1990's. Essentially, when the buying habits of consumers are being strangely influenced by green and other environmental issues, the paper argues that the marketing concept and subsequent strategies need to be rethought. The paper then imaginatively develops the concept of societal marketing within this framework, arguing for the need for a long term marketing perspective rather than the short term window dressing approach taken by many marketing departments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EPOS is an established and rapidly growing feature of the UK retail scene with a wide range of potential impacts across the whole value chain. This paper focuses upon the more immediate impact of EPOS on the marketing strategies of retailers and their suppliers and on the retailer-supplier relationship. Emphasis is given lo the potential which EPOS presents for the development of new approaches to channel co-operation and for the building of new patterns of strategic alliance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the publication of quantified dietary guidelines in 1983/4, interest in food related issues has both increased and diversified. This paper describes changes in these issues and marketing response to these changes. There is, however, a marketing challenge which goes beyond reaction to individual issues and specific crises such as salmonella or listeria. This broader marketing challenge is the general increase in interest in food and in food related issues. This paper asserts that this phenomena itself is the greatest challenge to food marketers and further, that in today's consumer environment, it is a challenge which must be addressed without delay. There is currently a merging of food and environmental/conservation issues along with the general increase in public awareness and information campaigns relating to "green" issues. This highlights the need for organisations in the food sector to take immediate action to rebuild customer confidence in the industry and in producers and in information produced by them. This problem is a shared one throughout the industry and when addressed will restore a more stable environment for competitive product marketing. This paper is presented as a demonstration of the importance of the holistic view of research--of looking at the total situation and putting the issues or hypotheses in context of the total situation. It draws on a variety of sources, secondary and primary whilst also taking into account environmental factors such as media coverage and the particular history of the situation such as the distribution of the Villejuif list of food additives in 1986. It is, the paper concludes, important that a market situation is understood and reacted to in a sympathetic way for a marketing strategy to be successful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article looks at some very basic questions concerning Marketing's application to British politics. Firstly it identifies the degree of influence which marketing has in this area. Secondly it discusses the efficacy of marketing activity in politics lo date and in the future. Next it links voting behaviour with buyer behaviour and market segmentation to highlight areas where gaps exist and marketing expertise could be usefully transferred. A practical example is then provided as Cluster Analysis is used on relevant altitudinal data to produce a novel way of segmenting the electorate. From this some of the implications for political parties are discussed and the future research possibilities considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews recent literature concerning the nature of competition in markets for undifferentiated products and investigates the role and effectiveness of marketing activities in such markets. In particular, the paper seeks to explore the relationship if any) between good marketing practice and success in the marketplace amongst companies supplying basic industrial products. The work is based on a study of the marketing activities of steel stockholders in the UK. The findings lend some support to the view that marketing can and should be used to differentiate the offerings of competing suppliers in so-called "stalemate industries", and that the investment of management time and effort is more important to the development of effective marketing practices than the size of the marketing budget. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method of measuring rivalry through a combination of marketing mix elements and importance of market share is outlined, based on marketing managers' perceptions of competitiveness in the UK Fork-lift Truck Market. An overall lack of correlation and synergy between market share and marketing strategy was discovered together with underutilisation of mix elements--this in turn created gaps for overseas importers to fill with competitive offerings. While the research instrument and quantitative analysis are capable of further refinement, the measures outlined should prove useful as an adjunct to market share and concentration measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marketing strategy literature stresses the need to find an optimum "fit" between the firm and its environment. Utilising a relatively novel clustering technique, five distinct environments facing marketing managers in the United Kingdom were identified and the marketing strategies adopted in each environment examined. Marketing objectives and strategic focii were found to differ markedly by strategic environments, while competitive advantages created and pursued did not. The latter were found to be company, rather than environment, specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the findings of an empirical study comparing the marketing strategies and organisations of a matched sample of British companies and their US and Japanese competitors in the UK. Hypotheses about Japanese marketing are tested and provide a framework for the comparative analysis of the marketing effectiveness of the three sets of competitors. The findings highlight significant weaknesses in the marketing effort of British companies, these being exacerbated by excessive focus on short-run financial gains. The US competitors, equally concerned with short-term profits, were less committed to the UK market than their Japanese rivals, their market position being in danger of deteriorating further as the Japanese close the technological gap between them. The Japanese were unmistakably aggressive, single-minded in their pursuit of market share and undeniably more market-oriented than their US and British counterparts. This research was funded by the ESRC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

British chief executives increasingly recognise the need to make their companies more marketing orientated. But boards of directors are still dominated by a financial outlook and most lack a professional approach to strategy and market innovation. Chief executives need to supplement their generally inadequate base with education and development programmes on strategic marketing and to add non-executive directors with substantial expertise in marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reviews development of marketing planning literature and the success of its prescriptive advice, based on an empirical study of marketing planning practices. The authors call for a change of perspective, from the present state of concentrating almost exclusively on the "medicine" rather than on the "patient". Stresses the need to recognise that there is a symbiotic relationship between the patient and the cure. The stages of development of a company are outlined, together with the role of "culture carriers". One of the main results of the actions of culture carriers is that they can determine the level of acceptance of marketing planning--four levels are identified and illustrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article the author examines the link between personalized retailer credit cards and the use of direct marketing by retailers to foster the concept of the "privileged customer" with their cardholders, as well as boosting sales. Using the example of Debenhams, the growth of both credit cards and direct marketing is examined and the synergy between the two explored. Detail is given about the credit card data base held by Debenhams and suggestions are made as to how this information could be translated into effective direct marketing communication. The results of Debenhams direct marketing are used to demonstrate the effective use of this particular vehicle and finally consideration is given to the future in the United Kingdom for both retailer credit cards and direct marketing by retailers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors present the results of an investigation into marketing research education from the viewpoint of research practitioners. The study compares perceptions of graduates with marketing research training with graduates with no such training, identifies perceived strengths and weaknesses of new graduates who have studied marketing research, makes suggestions for improvement to marketing research education and establishes the extent of use of various methods, procedures and techniques. The findings are intended to provide food-for-thought for educators who wish to keep their teaching relevant to contemporary practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]