The evaluation of marketing strategies for the sale of sports goods in Europe

The objectives of this thesis are to examine and evaluate the process of marketing as practiced by an established and successful company in the sports trade, Dunlop Sports Company Ltd. (D.S.C.). In particular the field of strategy formulation for exporting is considered in an operational context, and compared with existing literature and theory on the subject. Market intelligence has been gathered by visiting European territories and pursuing available sources in the United Kingdom. The data now available is intended to act as a base for developing a more effective market research function within D.S.C. At various stages reports have been submitted on specific topics to the Company and this thesis represents the culmination of these reports and an outline for future policies which are open to D.S.C. The thesis chooses certain aspects of marketing and examines the way in which the marketing strategy of the Company appears to act upon these. In particular the topics of Pricing, Distribution and Market Research are considered. Initially a series of alternative market postures are postulated and assessed within the European strategy of D.S.C. Where no explicit strategy is available an implied strategy is identified and evaluated. In chapters on Pricing and Distribution some of the problems being encountered are given detailed consideration and preferred policies arc suggested. In the final chapter the major strengths and weaknesses of of the Company are brought together and the various recommendations summarised in the context of a marketing strategy which would meet some o:f the current difficulties. The emphasis tliroughout is on the effect of strategy formulation, whether or not this appears adequate, and how each of the various operational elements of the marketing mix depend upon this.

Integrating group Delphi, fuzzy logic and expert systems for marketing strategy development:the hybridisation and its effectiveness

A hybrid approach for integrating group Delphi, fuzzy logic and expert systems for developing marketing strategies is proposed in this paper. Within this approach, the group Delphi method is employed to help groups of managers undertake SWOT analysis. Fuzzy logic is applied to fuzzify the results of SWOT analysis. Expert systems are utilised to formulate marketing strategies based upon the fuzzified strategic inputs. In addition, guidelines are also provided to help users link the hybrid approach with managerial judgement and intuition. The effectiveness of the hybrid approach has been validated with MBA and MA marketing students. It is concluded that the hybrid approach is more effective in terms of decision confidence, group consensus, helping to understand strategic factors, helping strategic thinking, and coupling analysis with judgement, etc.

Global marketing of industrial products:are interpersonal relationships always critical?

The present paper examines the issue of whether interpersonal relationships are critical for global marketing of industrial products. The fields of relationship marketing, IMP group research, sales research, and network theory have stressed the importance of interpersonal relationships in the business-to-business or industrial marketing context. In contrast to this emphasis on interpersonal relationships, we argue that industrial firms can both conceive and enhance marketing strategies based on developing high quality and consistent processes, products, services or outcomes (consistent processes and outcomes). Such strategies are especially important given the fact that developing interpersonal relationships is expensive due to their reliance on frequent and/or face-to-face communications. In this paper, we examine industry and country contexts that lead to the choice of alternative industrial product marketing strategies and highlight some future research directions and managerial implications.

Sustainability, epistemology, ecocentric business and marketing strategy:ideology, reality and vision

This conceptual article examines the relationship between marketing and sustainability through the dual lenses of anthropocentric and ecocentric epistemology. Using the current anthropocentric epistemology and its associated dominant social paradigm, corporate ecological sustainability in commercial practice and business school research and teaching is difficult to achieve. However, adopting an ecocentric epistemology enables the development of an alternative business and marketing approach that places equal importance on nature, the planet, and ecological sustainability as the source of human and other species' well-being, as well as the source of all products and services. This article examines ecocentric, transformational business, and marketing strategies epistemologically, conceptually and practically and thereby proposes six ecocentric, transformational, strategic marketing universal premises as part of a vision of and solution to current global un-sustainability. Finally, this article outlines several opportunities for management practice and further research. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Applications of the behavioural homogeneity evaluation framework: the predictive ability of consumer involvement for international food market segmentation

This article proposes a framework of alternative international marketing strategies, based on the evaluation of intra- and inter-cultural behavioural homogeneity for market segmentation. The framework developed in this study provides a generic structure to behavioural homogeneity, proposing consumer involvement as a construct with unique predictive ability for international marketing strategy decisions. A model-based segmentation process, using structural equation models, is implemented to illustrate the application of the framework.

The behavioural homogeneity evaluation framework:Multi-level evaluations of consumer involvement in international segmentation

This paper presents a generic strategic framework of alternative international marketing strategies and market segmentation based on intra- and inter-cultural behavioural homogeneity. Consumer involvement (CI) is proposed as a pivotal construct to capture behavioural homogeneity, for the identification of market segments. Results from a five-country study demonstrate how the strategic framework can be valuable in managerial decision-making. First, there is evidence for the cultural invariance of the measurement of CI, allowing a true comparison of inter- and intra-cultural behavioural homogeneity. Second, CI influences purchase behaviour, and its evaluation provides a rich source of information for responsive market segmentation. Finally, a decomposition of behavioural variance suggests that national-cultural environment and nationally transcendent variables explain differences in behaviour. The Behavioural Homogeneity Evaluation Framework therefore suggests appropriate international marketing strategies, providing practical guidance for implementing involvement-contingent strategies. © 2007 Academy of International Business. All rights reserved.

Within-country ethnic differences and product positioning:a comparison of the perceptions of two British sub-cultures

While cross-cultural consumer behaviour and its impact on marketing strategies has received considerable interest within the marketing literature, differences between ethnic groups within countries have received significantly less attention. This study examines the effect of within-country ethnic differences on brand positioning, using the UK automobile industry as a context. Both qualitative and quantitative research is used to identify the perceptions of two sub-cultural groups: British of Indian extraction, and Caucasian British. It was found that these two groups display appreciably different values, and also place different levels of importance on different product attributes when evaluating brands. Furthermore, the two groups exhibited different perceptions of the same set of brands. The results suggest that, to position brands effectively, marketers should take account of cultural diversity within countries as well as between them.

Analysing the commitment - service quality relationship:a comparative study of retail banking call centres and branches

Adopting an internal marketing approach, this paper attempts to provide a deeper understanding of the organisational commitment—service quality relationship in the service context. This is done by empirically testing the relationships that the three components of organisational commitment (affective, continuance and normative) have with the service quality of customer-contact employees. The hypotheses were framed by critically reviewing the extant literature in the areas of services marketing and human resource management. A large sample comparative study was conducted on employees in call centres and branches of a major retail bank in UK. We explore the important question of how the three components of organisational commitment influence the employee-perceived service quality differently in call centres and in branches. The findings indicate that in branches, both affective commitment and continuance commitment have significant positive impact on service quality while in call centres, only affective commitment is found to affect service quality significantly. Having established the commitment—service quality relationship, the implications for designing internal marketing strategies are further discussed.

Organizational resources enabling service responsiveness:evidence from Greece

This article examines the implementation of relationship marketing strategy based on a sample of business-to-business firms operating in Greece. Organizational resources, including a focus on learning and flexibility/adaptation in strategic planning, are demonstrated to be antecedents of effective relationship marketing strategies. The possession of these resources lead to superior customer performance (as measured by customer satisfaction and loyalty) and, ultimately, superior financial performance (as measured by profit levels, profit margin, and ROI). Our results provide support for the development of organizational resources that foster and enable relationship marketing in business-to-business environments since such resources are linked with improved firm performance. © 2003 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Internal market orientation:construct, measurement and consequences

This thesis contributes to the paucity of marketing research into the area of internal marketing. Drawing from knowledge developed in a diverse range of marketing and management literatures, the domaill of internal marketing is clarified Gild a new concept, internal market orientation is developed. A new instrument, measuring the internal market orientation, is developed and subjected to standard scale development procedures. Six dimensions of the construct are confirmed; collegial interaction, group interaction, jorlllal interaction, external envirollment, wage flexibility and job flexibility. A sample of 766 UK retail store managers are surveyed to identify levels of internal market orientation and external market orientation in large UK multi-product, multi-site retailers and the structural relationships between internal market orientation, extemal market orientation alld company performance are examined. The external market orientation construct is applied to the local retail market and established measurement instruments adapted to this pwpose. Three measures of performance are employed ill this study. The structural relationships between the six dimensions of internal market orientation and the three dimensions of external market orientation are examined employing structural equations methodology, using LISREL 8.3. alld the impact of internal market orientation Oil external market orientation and company performance is measured. The study finds no direct link between internal market orientation and financial performance but does identify the moderated role of internal market orientation on financial performance. Significant relationships between three of the six dimensions of internal market orientation and the three dimensions of external market orientation are identified and the impact of internal market orientation on the retention of employees and their behaviour is also identified. The research findings contribute to marketing theory by providing empirical evidence to support the long held assumption that internal marketing has an impact on marketing success and offers an explanation of the mechanism by which this influence operates. For marketing practitioners, the research findings offer additional information on which services marketing strategies may be formulated.

Ethnic groups as market segments: implications of the demand structure

Ethnic market potential in Britain has not yet been thoroughly researched. Important recent trends have focused mainly on the affective and emotional aspects of ethnicity, and included deliberations on the emergence of a revitalised neo-ethnic consciousness; its identification; politicisation, and the impact on it; of a rising third-world consciousness. This investigation attempts to take cognizance of the consuner demand of the ethnic Asian and West Indian groups, as specific market segments. It discusses the rationale for ethnic segmentation on the underlying premise, that the starting point for all product marketing is a response to perceived market opportunities. On the basis of this approach, the UK laundry detergent and automobile markets were investigated; as being representative of product categories constitutirg extremes along the purchase-search-time continuun in consuner decision-making. Ethnic groups were further analysed for their retail patronage patterns; media usage, and the differential effectiveness of alternative advertisirg strategies. The basic technique of marketing research namely the sample survey, was used with the aim of applying scientific techniques in obtaining information on ethnic groups. The integrated marketirg framework utilised allowed, moreover, for the collection of market research data on the specific issues of ethnic product penetration dealing with retailing, advertising and product promotion. The evidence highlights the fact that the cultural orientations of ethnic groups are instrunental in providing for differential demand structures. It points to the answer that ethnicity is an anchor not only for a deeper sense of identity; but also serves as a focus for the economic interests of ethnic groups. On this basis it is argued here, that since cultural levelling would eventually produce stagnation; current marketing strategies should utilise ethnic diversity as an econanic artifact; which; per se is necessary for profitability and growth; especially in innovative product design and development.

Does the employee–customer satisfaction link hold for all employee groups?

Increasingly, retailers nowadays have to focus on service marketing strategies and tactics to differentiate themselves from their competitors. Delivering high levels of service quality becomes crucial for long-term success. Since customers' perception of service quality depends very much on the interaction between the customer and the employee, this study analyzes the link between employee and customer satisfaction in more detail. Moreover, based on three different theories that prior research has used, it investigates whether or not the level of customer contact is a determinant of the existence or the intensity of the employee–customer satisfaction link. Analysis of dyadic data from 53,645 customers and 1659 employees across 99 outlets of a large German Do-It-Yourself (DIY)-retailer shows that employee job satisfaction affects customer satisfaction even for employee groups that are not in direct interaction with customers, although effects seem to be slightly stronger for high interaction groups. Implications for research and management are discussed.

Service quality of frontline employees:a profile deviation analysis

Using a configuration theory approach, this paper conducts a comparative study between frontline employees in phone and face-to-face service encounters for a retail bank. The study compares the top performers in service quality in relation to three components of organizational commitment and their demographics by applying a profile deviation analysis. The results show that the profile deviation for face-to-face employees is significantly negative, while for call center employees nonsignificant. Although the study finds no significant differences in the three components of commitment, significant differences exist in the total experience and age of the best performers. Also, affective commitment dominates the profile of high performers, while poor service providers seem to exhibit a higher level of continuance commitment. This study demonstrates the utility of profile deviation approaches in designing internal marketing strategies.

Learning to be different:heterogeneity and efficiency in distributed smart camera networks

In this paper we study the self-organising behaviour of smart camera networks which use market-based handover of object tracking responsibilities to achieve an efficient allocation of objects to cameras. Specifically, we compare previously known homogeneous configurations, when all cameras use the same marketing strategy, with heterogeneous configurations, when each camera makes use of its own, possibly different marketing strategy. Our first contribution is to establish that such heterogeneity of marketing strategies can lead to system wide outcomes which are Pareto superior when compared to those possible in homogeneous configurations. However, since the particular configuration required to lead to Pareto efficiency in a given scenario will not be known in advance, our second contribution is to show how online learning of marketing strategies at the individual camera level can lead to high performing heterogeneous configurations from the system point of view, extending the Pareto front when compared to the homogeneous case. Our third contribution is to show that in many cases, the dynamic behaviour resulting from online learning leads to global outcomes which extend the Pareto front even when compared to static heterogeneous configurations. Our evaluation considers results obtained from an open source simulation package as well as data from a network of real cameras. © 2013 IEEE.

Understanding the town centre customer experience (TCCE)

This research enhances the understanding of consumer behaviour and customer experience in the context of town centres. First, it defines town centre customer experience (TCCE) as a multifaceted journey that combines interactions with a diverse range of public and private organisations, including retailers and social and community elements; this results in a unique experience co-created with the consumer across a series of functional and experiential touchpoints. Second, combining qualitative and quantitative insights, this research reveals a series of specific functional and experiential TCCE touchpoints, which underpin the consumer internal response (motivation to visit) and outward behaviour (desire to stay and revisit intentions) in the town centre. In addition to enhancing town centre and customer experience knowledge, these findings offer important new insights to those managing town centres and seeking to retain customer loyalty in the high street. Above all, these findings can help identify the touchpoints that need to be reinforced and/or improved to differentiate a town from its competing centres and to create tailored marketing strategies. Taken together, such initiatives have the potential to positively impact the revitalisation of the high street and the town centre economy.