Future Marketing

Citation

Libby, J. (2002), "Future Marketing", Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 19 No. 6, pp. 531-532. https://doi.org/10.1108/jcm.2002.19.6.531.3

I found Joe Marconi’s Future Marketing to be written in a textbook style. It could easily be used for marketing discussions in the classroom and as both a reference and a guide for marketing professionals. Much of the material covered should be useful to most practicing marketers.

Part I of Future Marketing – Marketing History/Introduction to Marketing – essentially acts as a refresher course on the marketing basics for those readers with any degree of a marketing background. It also provides those readers lacking a background in the marketing field with a brief introduction and history of the marketing field. It includes chapters on the nature of marketing (4 Ps, target marketing, the goals of marketing, market segmentation, and research and technology). Depending on who the target audience is intended to be, it may not have been necessary to include this section of the book since the focus is on “future marketing”. The focus of this section was marketing’s past and it provided no real insight into what the future holds for the marketing field. Most readers will be familiar with such basics as the bases for segmenting markets (geographics, demographics, and psychographics) and the different types of marketing research (exploratory, descriptive, and causal).

Part II – Baby boomers, Generation X, Generation Y, Seniors – acts as an identifier for these four major market segments. Again, some of the information in Part II may be redundant to marketing professionals, but nonetheless it is useful material that provides the reader with insight into the characteristics of each segment and how to be successful in reaching each segment. There are also tips on what techniques not to employ in future marketing campaigns for each of the four major markets. This section outlines examples of why certain marketing strategies work best with one market segment as well as citing specific products that have been extremely successful because their handlers listened to the market segment that they were targeting and carried out the best strategy to reach this particular market. The main point of this section is stressing the importance of understanding each segment and to go the extra step and analyze groups within each segment in order to achieve a true understanding of who your target market is.

Part III – Present and Future Marketing Concepts, Strategies – was by far the most interesting section of Future Marketing. This part identifies successful marketing strategies that are presently under way and provides future predictions for products and services that are currently implementing such strategies. Chapter 10 focuses on brand strategies and gives rules on what becoming a successful brand entails. There are insights into how to accomplish brand recognition and brand loyalty and numerous success stories are listed as well as some common mistakes that are often made when attempting to achieve brand recognition /brand loyalty within the market. Chapter 11 compares various products and services that are either direct competitors or within the same industry and lists reasons why some of these products and services have been more successful than others.

This comparison also allows marketers to see different ways of approaching the same task and being successful. Chapters 12 and 13 focus entirely on the future of marketing. Chapter 12 discusses the modes of media that will dominate the twenty‐first century. This chapter predicts modes of media that formerly were not used by marketers, which will now be some of the most efficient means of reaching the specified market segment. An example of a medium that has been overlooked in the past and even frowned upon, the infomercial, is becoming one of the best means to direct marketing.

The Home Shopping Network is cited as an example of this type of direct marketing. This form of marketing bypasses sales representatives, retail outlets, etc. and allows the marketer to connect directly with the consumer. Cable TV has actually created the opportunity for infomercials to be viewed continuously vs the standard 10‐, 15‐, 30‐, and 60‐second spots on regular TV. Additional examples of infomercials as direct marketing tools are the learning channel (Bob Vila Home Again is sponsored by Sears), Food Network (chefs are paid to endorse various foods and kitchen appliances), and the Travel Channel.

Magazines are listed as another important mode of media for the future. Marconi believes that the Internet will be the darling of the industry for a decade or so but magazines maintain superiority due to the fact that they are more readily available and accessible.

The author suggests that magazines be used as companions and feeders to Web sites and cable TV channels. The book concludes with Chapter 13, which informs marketers what they can expect next – cynicism, Internet, brand equity, partnering and brand attitude.

I feel that the audience for Future Marketing is either a marketing class at either a college or university or those professionals just beginning their marketing career (entry to mid‐level marketers). I do believe, however, that more advanced marketing professionals would find Future Marketing useful when going “back to the basics” as well as keeping informed of recent success stories of various marketing strategies.