Structure, people and process challenges of mutichannel marketing : insights from marketers

The aim of this study was to explore the utility of strategic implementation theory as a guide for dealing with issues marketers face when implementing multichannel marketing. Although marketers attempt to harness the potential of emerging marketing channels, implementation is proving difficult. This is because the complexity of multichannel marketing has implications for existing organisational structures, people and processes. Further, the reliance on external suppliers and vendors in implementing new channels is causing organisational conflict and the development of new management processes. A qualitative research approach using insights from senior marketers of 'Bluechip' organisations was used to identify multichannel marketing implementation difficulties. The major contribution of this article was to show the areas for which strategic implementation theory provides practical implementation guidelines and future research directions.

Exploring the types of SMEs which could use blogs as a marketing tool : a proposed future research agenda

Blogs appear to be gaining momentum as a marketing tool which can be used by organisations for such strategies and processes as branding, managing reputation, developing customer trust and loyalty, niche marketing, gathering marketing intelligence and promoting their online presence. There has been limited academic research in this area, and most significantly concerning the types of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) for which blogs might have potential as a marketing tool. In an attempt to address the knowledge gap, this paper presents a future research agenda (in the form of research questions) which can guide the eBusiness research community in conducting much needed studies in this area. This paper is particularly novel in that it aims to demonstrate how the heterogeneity of SMEs and their specific business uses of eBusiness technology such as blogs can form the central plank of a future research agenda. This is important because the existing eBusiness literature tends to treat eBusiness collectively rather than focusing on the specific business uses of different eBusiness technologies, and to treat SMEs as a homogeneous group. The paper concludes with a discussion of how this research agenda can form the basis of studies which use a range of different research methods, and how this "big picture" agenda approach might help the eBusiness research community build theory which better explains SME adoption and use of eBusiness.

Marketing-China and getting it right

China has become a synonym for future business growth. It is the business nirvana of the 21st century. It is the place to be. Companies are scrambling to get a share of the action. Not a day passes without some company making an announcement of an investment in their future which involves China.

Arts marketing : a new tool for development of the arts sector in the market context in Vietnam

Since the economic reform in Vietnam in 1986 provided more artistic and financial autonomy, the arts community has had more opportunity to develop. It has hence become necessary for arts leaders to obtain management and marketing skills to adapt to the new competitive environment. This necessity became vital when the Vietnamese government sought to tackle the problem of inadequate state funding for arts organisations through its policy of socialisation. This paper sets out to examine how performing arts organisations in Vietnam apply arts marketing strategies to adapt to the market context via empirical data from the cases studied: Vietnam National Symphony Orchestra and Hanoi Youth Theatre. Further, it identifies implications for the development of the sector. Findings indicate that Vietnamese performing arts organisations focus on the role of marketing for organisational development, although there are a lack of resources and a limited knowledge in this area. Thus, training in arts marketing and arts management is needed to maximise capacity of arts leaders in managing their organisations in the changing context.

Sport marketing

OBJECTIVES
By the end of this chapter, readers will be able to:
• appreciate that sport marketing follows basic marketing principles but with a change of emphasis to suit particular sporting contexts;
• recount how marketing's role can be applied to sport and sport organisations with special emphasis on marketing's '4 Ps';
• evaluate the application of marketing strategies and tactics to chosen sport codes;
• identify different groups of sport fans;
• understand the role marketing planning and marketing management play in staging a sport event.

Exploring marketing to marketers : a content analysis of advertisements in marketing news over 15 years

This paper explores advertising to marketers within Marketing News over four periods 1992, 1997, 2002 and 2007. The results identified the types of advertisements, in terms of appeal; products (most of which were for marketing research related activates) and coverage were relatively stable over time. There were increases in the number of advertisements, the appearance of web related services and a slight increase in products with a global focus and a reduction of a regional focus were evident.

Marketing competencies : a cross-cultural study in a multinational company

Most research into international marketing focuses on the differences in markets across countries and cultures in terms of the variation in customers and products involved. Arguably, if different products are developed and offered to different customers, then the roles and requirements of marketing employees may reflect these differences also. This research study used self-report measures by marketing employees in a large multinational automotive company in Australia and Britain. Using structural equation modelling, the study found that the relationship between individual marketing competencies and marketing performance varied across countries, suggesting that there may be cultural differences that influence both the role of managers in improving performance, and the degree to which a marketing employee’s intention to perform results in actual performance.

Exploratory study into the use of the web as a marketing tool by arts organisations in Vietnam

This paper presents exploratory findings into the use of the web as a marketing tool by arts organisations in Vietnam. The websites of seventeen Vietnamese arts organisations were evaluated to determine current levels of marketing functionality. The findings were analysed from the perspective of the four elements of the marketing mix (price, place, product and promotion). The study found that arts organisations in Vietnam are less sophisticated in using the web as a marketing tool compared with Western counterparts, and that organisation's websites contained basic information catalogues and contact details but limited multimedia functionality. The implications to audience development will be explored through a survey with stakeholders of the seventeen arts organisations in Vietnam as a future research stream.

NB: The terms 'web' and 'Internet' are used interchangeably in this paper.

Green marketing in the top publicly traded Australian organizations

This paper examines the inclusion of sustainability into marketing activities of the top Australian firms. The results found that almost half of organisations (46%) did not integrate sustainability or environmental issues into their mission statement. Of those that did include sustainability in their mission, few then integrated environmental issues into other areas of their activities, as reported on their corporate web sites. This suggests that while sustainability is frequently talked about within organisations as being important, it does not necessarily translate in to a strategic integration across activities. Firms might therefore be using environmental issues tactically, which could unfortunately result in superficial attempts at becoming environmentally sustainable.