Studies on the Application of Marketing Geography to Business Activities in North America

Abstract

This paper reviews the trends and problems of applied marketing geography in North America. Thought and trends of applied marketing geography in this paper are mainly based on the studies and thought of Epstein (1978; 1982; 1984) who is one of the leading experts in the learned circles of marketing geography in North America at present and has inherited part of the researches and thoughts of Applebaum (1954; 1968) who is one of the pioneers of marketing geography. Their approach is typical of the American marketing geography pattern, which is unlike the European pattern.Marketing geography was born and developed in North America so that marketing was born and matured in North America. There are social, economic, legal, cultural and regional environments peculiar to North America in its background, and marketing geography is influenced by and influences these environments.According to the definition of Epstein, marketing geography ‘is applied science to solve practically dynamic spatial problems take place when business and organizations (society) perform marketing activities, on the basis of the research activities conducted on behalf of retail and service firms, industrial concerns, and/or nonprofit organizations, the researches into decision-making process resolution, indicator problem measurement and resolution, and cost/benefit trade-off resolution and so on’.We tried to elucidate the present various fields for research of applied marketing geography in North America to marketing activities in business and organizations (society), and to divide these into groups as:(1) Research (analysis, evaluation, model construction) into business and consumer decision-making process.(2) Research (data collection, survey, measurement, analysis, evaluation) into market places and trading areas.(3) Research (survey, analysis, evaluation) into business location.(4) Research (analysis, evaluation, design) into consistency of land use control, especially zoning legislation, and development works, and the performing of feasibility studies and designing of feasibility reports.(5) Research (planning, analysis, evaluation, system construction) into marketing strategies.Various problems are taking place there because applied marketing geography in North America has such trends and characteristics. Nevertheless, it is even more necessary for marketing geography to evolve in response to the expectations of North American business and society. The future problems of applied marketing geography in North America are able to focalize as:(1) Expansion of the field for research corresponding to internationalization and the information-oriented society and its practical systematization.(2) Much more fullness of applied marketing geography education.(3) Much more efforts to increase job opportunities for applied marketing geography majors and expansion of contribution to business and society.When we take into consideration such trends and problems, it may well be said that applied marketing geography in North America has immeasurable expectations as to its role.At the end, I would like to thank to Professor Bart J. Epstein and John A. Dawson who have helped me in the preparation of this paper.