Online marketing by local government in Australia and the United States

The study reported in this paper involves a comparison audit of local government websites in two states of Australia with county and city level government in two states of the United States of America, using the Marketing Readiness of Website Indicator (MRWI). The hypothesised more highly rated Web use in marketing by United States local government relative to Australian local government (LGA) is not supported. Californian counties, NSW and Victorian LGAs generally employ the Web in a more capable manner in marketing than Californian cities and Alabama counties and cities.

Customer analytics and marketing research : antithesis and synthesis

Customer Analytics provide a new type of marketing knowledge in terms of modelling past and present customer behaviour. This paper considers how such knowledge might fit with more traditional Marketing Research. Considerable overlap in the knowledge-based capability of the two functions suggests a need for rationalisation, especially where organisational relationships lead to conflict over the resources assigned to each. Nine testable propositions are developed which suggest that a synthesis of these knowledge-based functions should, in fact, enhance the marketing capability and success of the firm.

Socialisation and the work-related norms of marketing practitioners

This paper empirically describes the influences of professional and organisational socialisation on the norms of marketers. Based on a survey of 5,000 practitioners, it finds that the socialisation of marketers into their profession and organisations positively influences their marketing-related norms. This research appears to be the first investigation in the marketing ethics literature of the relationships among these constructs. The paper explains how the learning of professional and organisational rules, guidelines, and values influence the work-related norms of marketers. The findings have important implications for marketing managers and managers of professional associations.

Marketing artertainment : are museums jumping on the bandwagon

The purpose of this paper is to argue that greater awareness of the traditions and innovations in marketing language, as exemplified in museum marketing, leads to enhanced ability to understand branding as a strategic tool. Successful art galleries can be thought of as branding “artertainment", actively engaged in bringing the art world and popular culture together in a competitive aesthetic arena. This paper sees branding straddling culture and linguistic criticism to look at its complex underpinnings in verbal and linguistic processes that link to larger socio-cultural issues on how brands work. It generates novel concepts and develops theory for marketers.

Creative marketing : an extended metaphor for marketing in a new age

Creative Marketing challenges mainstream marketing thinking and draws from a diverse range of disciplines in order to inspire entrepreneurial thinking and practice among those marketers who wish to push the boundaries of knowledge.

Cause related marketing: reflections on the first twenty years

Cause related marketing is an intriguing concept in which one finds a cause and intertwines one's marketing push to sell both the cause and one's products. During this first twenty years, developing a partnership had gone from charities seeking out companies to companies seeking out charities. The concept, in its pure form, appeared to be a rare approach, where both
shareholder and stakeholder value was increased in combination. All parties appeared to benefit in this relationship.

Can the overcommercialization of cause-related marketing harm society?

The role of social responsibility within business has been debated for decades. It appears that there is a growing understanding that doing the right thing for society can not only be good for business but is also a responsibility of the modern corporation. Causes, corporations, and society have benefited from corporate involvement with social issues. However, it also appears that in some cases, there may be potential pitfalls associated with merging social and corporate objectives. The "overcommercialization" of some activities designed to benefit society may in fact harm those that these activities are trying to help. This article examines potential pitfalls associated with cause-related marketing and provides recommendations for reducing the potential negative consequences

Changes in museum management : a custodial or marketing emphasis

In recent years museums have changed from being predominantly custodial institutions to becoming increasingly focussed on audience attraction. New emphasis is placed on museum-audience interactions and relationships. This change in the purpose and priorities of museums has impacted upon the nature of museum management. The recognition of new roles for museum directors and the need to appeal to differentiated audiences has created new challenges for previously traditional, custodial directors. This paper presents a conceptual framework for managing museums, taking account of the museum service context and the delivery of the museum service product. It then examines two museums, one in Ireland and one in Australia, both of which have a similar cultural history. The paper considers the different management styles for museum directors and how these different styles illustrate the changes in professional perspective from the traditional (a focus on custodial preservation) to the more current (a focus on educating and entertaining the public).

Marketing research and small travel agents: an exploratory study

The research study reported on in this paper examined the marketing research (MR) orientation of small Australian travel agents. A survey was undertaken involving personal interviews with 91 travel agents in Melbourne, each agency having fewer than 20 employees. Agents were asked about their organisation with regard to MR, which MR activities were undertaken and wich MR techniques were employed. Additional questions gathered data on organisational and individual demographics, and some perceptual and attitudinal data. Although approximately half the respondents had no employee assigned to MR, the majority of agents reported engaging in most of the MR activities nominated, although most agents did not use most of the MR techniques covered in the study. Most general demographics were not related to MR participation, although greater devotion of resources to MR was reflected in more comprehensive usage of MR, and a more positive attitude to the cost-effectiveness of MR in small organisations. The desirability of travel agents considering seriously the role of MR in assisting in clarifying the future options for the sector is noted.

Using creativity to achieve an entrepreneurial future for arts marketing

The marketing concept fails to explain marketing behaviour of small firms. Similar comments are now being made of large firms. This gap between theory and practice is even more significant in non-profit and arts organisations where sector specific philosophies often determine how marketing is embraced, with its underlying notions of the customer and profitability. Many of these organisations must overcome severe resource constraints by thinking creatively. This paper investigates the relationship between art, marketing, entrepreneurship and creativity in order to reach a clearer understanding of how creativity can assist both the arts organisation and those involved in researching the sector. There have been increasing calls within the academic marketing community to instil a creative philosophy within the research process. This call has not resulted in much research on the phenomenon within marketing, and certainly not from a nonprofit perspective. This paper discusses creativity as a concept drawing on a diverse range of literatures outside the management discipline. The link between creativity, marketing, entrepreneurship and art is analysed. Justification of the incorporation of creativity in the research process is presented for practitioners and theorists in marketing and the arts, so that they can learn from each others' disciplines. Implications for future research are presented, where creativity is viewed as the centre of a non-linear, free thinking understanding of artistic truth.

Knowledge enhancement in the change process : social marketing and attitude change leading to improved environmental behaviour

The complexity of relationships between social change and natural resource management has generated interest in the identification of indicators that might provide more streamlined means of monitoring and planning control programmes. This case study highlights the marketing paradigms of benchmarking and social marketing in a not-for-profit governmental environment. Publicly funded programs that require individual and community participation need to be marketed with a view to optimising involvement and commitment of the various stakeholders. A mail survey with a representative sample of 608 respondents was conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of a social marketing program. This study highlights the use of social marketing in a program to overcome an environmental issue by a governmental agency. Changing attitudes and beliefs takes time and often the target audience may not even know they have a problem that needs fixing. This process influences the focus of the social marketing effort which might be organised into three phases: • Raise awareness and knowledge.   •Change attitudes.  • Encourage action. The research conducted in this study illustrates how the various stages in the social marketing process were achieved through knowledge enhancement in an environmental management case study.

The Pareto plus syndrome in top marketing journals: research and journal criteria

Purpose – Pareto’s Law often refers to the theory that a small percentage of a total is responsible for a large proportion of the total outcome. It is commonly known as the 80/20 law or principle. The objective is to review and debate whether there is a “Pareto syndrome” in the distribution of crucial research and journal criteria in top marketing journals.

Design/methodology/approach – The authors provide a review and a debate based upon previous research on top marketing journals. For this purpose, the Pareto syndrome concept is introduced, based upon a set of research and journal criteria. Their distribution is examined.

Findings – The review of research and journal criteria in top marketing journals generated an extremely skewed outcome. When it comes to the criteria, the top journals in marketing tend to be governed by narrow concerns of research rather than broad ones.

Research limitations/implications – The research and journal criteria that have a skewed outcome may reinforce the rigidity and the lack of innovativeness of the marketing discipline. The evolutionary speed of the discipline may at best be reduced or it may at worst grind to a halt. The authors argue that there are a number of serious concerns to be addressed in the future review and debate of top journals in marketing.

Practical implications – Editors and editorial boards need seriously to address the concerns reviewed and debated, namely the skewed distribution of criteria, such as affiliation, data and methodology.

Originality/value – The authors debate that there is evidence that confirms the existence of a Pareto plus syndrome in key research and journal criteria of top marketing journals.

Masochistic marketing : Volvo Australia's not "so safe" strategy

Purpose – The objective is to describe a marketing approach used by Volvo in the Australian marketplace. It appears to be a rare approach and could be perceived to some extent as being “masochistic”.

Design/methodology/approach – The research is based upon a case study. The term “masochistic marketing” is introduced.

Findings – The “masochistic marketing” approach applied by Volvo in Australia should be seen as a process. It is dependent upon the outcome of a series of cause and effect relationships.

Research limitations/implications – The masochistic marketing approach may be divided into four cause-related phases, all of which create a dualistic outcome of either positive or negative effect-chains in respect to the corporate image in the marketplace and society.

Practical implications – A masochistic marketing approach is a high-risk venture. It is a challenging and demanding marketing process, because it plays on the humiliation of the corporate image itself. The core idea of the masochistic marketing approach violates, or at least appears to oppose, the fundaments of marketing.

Originality/value – Masochistic marketing is not recommended to be used as a common approach, unless a series of events has turned the corporate image in the marketplace into something that is highly undesirable and a stigma.