Contemporary Marketing Practices Research Articles

Nostalgic consumer trends and nostalgia marketing

Over the last few years, we have observed an intensification of nostalgic consumer trends manifested through choices and behaviors that reflect sentimental attachments to the past. In parallel, we increasingly note a growing presence of marketing activities that tap into the emotions and experiences tied to consumers’ memories. These efforts link brands and their campaigns to positive concepts or ideas from the past. Nostalgia marketing relies on evoking positive feelings about the past and applies to products, marketing communications, and brand experiences. The article seeks to identify trends based on nostalgia, both in terms of consumer behavior and marketing practice. The author presents the essence of nostalgia marketing and the research domains on nostalgic consumer behavior. The article describes nostalgic consumer trends in the context of their determinants. It identifies nostalgic strategies and trends in contemporary marketing practice. The objectives are realized based on a literature review supported by bibliographic analysis, desk research based on available quantitative and qualitative research results, and content analysis of campaigns promoting nostalgic products and using themes and content related to nostalgia marketing. Insights on nostalgic trends and marketing approaches provide the basis for identifying practical and research recommendations.

Life Journeys and Influential Contributions of Six Marketing Visionaries

This article is about the life journeys and influential contributions of six marketing visionaries: Wroe Alderson, Robert Bartels, Philip Kotler, Michael Baker, Jagdish Sheth, and Shelby Hunt. Drawing from a range of sources including research journals, biographies, autobiographies, popular press articles, personal websites, and curriculum vitae, the study examines: 1) Personal Life, 2) Education and Career, and 3) Key Contributions to Academia and Society. This exploration informs how the visionaries have shaped the field of marketing, each leaving a distinct legacy that continues to influence contemporary marketing practices. By presenting a multifaceted understanding of their life journeys and contributions, this article serves as an invaluable resource to comprehend the human beings behind the research that may have shaped their influential contributions to the marketing discipline.

The impact of relationship marketing practices on companies’ market and financial performance in emerging markets

PurposeThe paper aims to reveal the impact of relationship marketing (RM) practices adopted by companies in emerging markets on their market and financial performance (FP) over a long-term, 13-year perspective.Design/methodology/approachThe research design combines primary empirical data from 229 Russian companies, based on the Contemporary Marketing Practices (CMP) survey, and objective FP data from official statistical databases for 2008–2020 to verify the impact of RM practices on market and FP in the long term.FindingsThe research underlines the significant impact of RM practices. It is important to notice that the effect of product development (PD) on marketing performance is mediated by competitor orientation. PD affects market and FP, whose roles vary with the return on assets (ROA).Research limitations/implicationsResearch design supplements the subjective survey data with the objective FP data on the ROA to avoid common method bias.Practical implicationsImplementation of RM practices by Russian companies can increase their effectiveness of performance in the long term.Originality/valueThis research shows the positive impact of RM practices on the FP of Russian firms over the past 13 years.

Decoding, Connecting and Converting Cultural Understanding and Consumer Behavior: The Imperative of Applying Anthropology in Marketing Management

Background and Aim: The integration of marketing and anthropology has become a valuable approach for marketers seeking to understand consumer behavior and cultural dynamics. This academic article aims to elucidate the concept of marketing anthropology, its definition, the scope and duties of marketing anthropologists, the imperative need for anthropological insights in marketing management, and the practical applications of anthropological principles in enhancing marketing strategies. Materials and Methods: This academic article compiles scholarly materials from academic databases that are related to marketing, anthropology, consumer behavior, and marketing management. This academic paper was compiled using analysis and synthesis techniques that addressed its primary objectives. The written content of this academic paper is structured in a systematic way to provide knowledge in conformity with the investigation objectives effectively. Results: This academic article found that marketing anthropology is a crucial field in modern marketing management, combining anthropological concepts to understand customer behavior in diverse cultural environments, enhancing marketing tactics and brand success. Marketing anthropologists play a crucial role in contemporary marketing practices, synthesizing cultural meanings, constructing contextual understanding, and advocating cultural sensitivity. Anthropology enhances marketing management by understanding cultural nuances, consumer preferences, and globalization. Anthropology in marketing management enhances understanding of consumers, cultural intricacies, and segmentation methods, addressing disparities and fostering global engagement. Conclusion: Anthropology and marketing provide a comprehensive framework for managing marketing activities, and recognizing the complex relationship between culture, consumer behavior, and market dynamics. By incorporating ethnographic research, organizations can strengthen affiliations, cultivate brand loyalty, and thrive in the global marketplace.

The Influence of Marketing 5.0 and Creating Share Value on Wound Care Quality and Purchased Intention among Wound Care Professional

This literature review examines the Influence of Marketing 5.0 and Creating Share Value on Wound Care Quality and Purchase Intention among Wound Care Professionals. As contemporary marketing practices evolve, the emergence of Marketing 5.0 signifies a shift towards holistic and customer-centric strategies, emphasising the significance of meaningful interactions and value co-creation. Simultaneously, Creating Share Value underscores the role of businesses in addressing societal challenges alongside profit generation. This literature review reveals that Marketing 5.0 strategies promise to enhance the quality of wound care services through personalised communication, enhanced patient engagement, and technology-enabled solutions. Creating Share Value initiatives establishes a sense of purpose and collaboration among wound care professionals, ultimately contributing to improved patient care and organisational success. The literature review of these marketing strategies contributes to understanding contemporary marketing concepts in the healthcare context, particularly wound care.

Bibliometric Analysis of The Term “Marketing Sustainability”

This study presents a bibliometric analysis of the term "marketing sustainability" to explore the growing trends, key contributors, and thematic focus in the academic literature. Marketing sustainability represents the integration of sustainable practices and principles into marketing strategies and activities, highlighting the growing importance of environmental, social, and economic considerations in contemporary marketing practices. This research examined 985 articles with themes related to marketing management. In the context of this study, we concluded that marketing management articles are classified into six clusters. The trend of marketing management research is more on the marketing side. There are several topics that frequently appear in publications, such as the marketing perspective of one variable on another. Topics such as Agrarian Sustainability and Sustainability Reporting have also not been researched much.

Značaj i uloga formalnog marketinškog obrazovanja - percepcija akademske i poslovne javnosti

The significance of education for the development of knowledge and skills in the field of marketing is undeniable, but there is a limited number of scientific studies addressing the alignment of formal education with the needs of contemporary marketing practices. This research aims to bridge the identified gap. To achieve this, two studies were conducted. The first study analyzed the offerings of marketing programs and courses in 165 accredited higher education institutions within the territory of the Republic of Serbia. The findings indicate that subjects such as marketing, strategic marketing, consumer behavior, and market research have maintained their leading positions in the curricula, with a noticeable trend of rapid development in other areas (e.g., digital, internet, and social media marketing). In the second study, the attitudes and perceptions of 117 members of the academic and business communities in the field of marketing were examined through surveys. The results reveal a consensus regarding the importance of specific knowledge, skills, and attitudes for working in marketing practice, as well as the necessity of specialized formal education for positions such as executive marketing director, brand manager, and marketing consultant. Conversely, significant differences were observed in the perception of the academic and business communities regarding the preparedness of graduates to apply marketing knowledge and skills practically. The research results provide insight into the state and prospects of marketing, as well as the effectiveness of formal education in equipping graduates with knowledge and skills aligned with the demands of contemporary marketing practice.

Modern science, moral mothers, and mythical nature: a multimodal analysis of cod liver oil marketing in Sweden, 1920–1930

This paper offers the first case study of the marketing of cod liver oil in Sweden (1920–1930), following the discovery of vitamins A and D. Drawing upon a large dataset of cod liver oil advertisements from the Swedish Newspaper Archive, it uses multimodal critical discourse analysis to investigate how language and other semiotic resources (e.g. image, typography, color) work together to convey the benefits of cod liver oil intake. It identifies three overarching themes—scientific rationality, scientific motherhood, and nature—noting how advertisements were aimed squarely at mothers and struck a balance between vitamins as scientifically formulated products and mythical, natural substances to convince them that cod liver oil was necessary for their children. Exploring how cod liver oil was marketed from a historical perspective shows how nutritional research gained prominence and became of increasing importance for marketing, as well as how food, through science, became incorporated into a consumerist lifestyle. It also provides a way to deconstruct contemporary marketing practices, thereby enabling consumers to rethink products framed as indispensable for their health.

Modernizing Competition Policy and Law: The Impact of Marketing Developments on the Legal Treatment of Price Maintenance in the United States, the European Union, and China

Competition policy and law toward price maintenance (e.g., resale price maintenance, unilateral price policies, minimum advertised prices) draws on scholarly perspectives and theory developed over a half century ago. Since that time, changes to marketing practice have caused scholars to question the practical relevance of the perspectives and theory and to call for the modernization of competition policy and law toward price maintenance. Responding to these calls, the authors examine three important developments in contemporary marketing practice and assess their impact on the legal treatment of price maintenance in the three largest economies: the United States, the European Union, and China. Their analysis reveals significant differences in how each jurisdiction is responding to (1) increasing market concentration and accompanying shifts in interfirm power, (2) advances in information technology and the commercial use of the internet, and (3) developments in cross-channel shopping and the rise of omnichannel distribution. Their findings pose implications for future public policy, marketing practice, and academic scholarship and contribute to the modernization of competition policy and law.

Digitalization and its impact on contemporary marketing strategies and practices

Digitalization and its impact on contemporary marketing strategies and practices

The Regulatory and Marketing Environment Surrounding the Legalization of Retail Marijuana and the Impact on Youth

This paper explores the intersections of emerging recreational marijuana policy and large-scale contemporary marketing practices. The authors examine the evolution of current policies and the overall regulatory environment related to the legalization and marketing of recreational marijuana in the United States, exploring current and possible effects of marijuana legalization on adolescent uptake. Although the federal government still classifies marijuana as a Schedule I drug and prohibits possession and sale of the drug for both medical and recreational purposes, states are moving toward legalization. Implications of legalization are explored from the perspectives of regulation, harm reduction, and risk perception. The authors make recommendations and develop propositions regarding future research needed to evaluate the marketing implications and regulatory efforts aimed at U.S. adolescents.

Práticas Contemporâneas de Marketing: O Caso de Pequenas Empresas de Confecção de Vestuários

Objetivo: analisar pequenas empresas de confecção de vestuários quanto à utilização de práticas contemporâneas do marketing interativo, digital e de rede.Metodologia: o estudo tem natureza qualitativa e descritiva, envolvendo multicasos, e foi conduzido por meio de entrevista semiestruturada, do levantamento documental e da observação direta.Principais resultados: a pequena empresa de confecção de vestuários utiliza práticas de marketing de interação, de rede e, principalmente, digital, inclusive, com planejamento, avaliação de desempenho e intensidade, variando em função das orientações empreendedora e para o mercado.Contribuições teóricas/metodológicas: discussão sobre práticas contemporâneas de marketing, no contexto de pequenas empresas de confecção de vestuários, e formulação de novas proposições de pesquisa.Relevância/originalidade: tendo em vista que os estudos sobre a temática de práticas contemporâneas de marketing estão concentrados, em geral, no contexto de grandes organizações, este estudo considerou relevante discutir tais práticas também em pequenas empresas, de bens manufaturados, no Brasil.

Contemporary marketing practices approaches in the professional services industry in Brazil

The objective of this study is to investigate the Contemporary Marketing Practices (CMP) of professional services firms from the State of Santa Catarina in Brazil, according to the models proposed by Coviello, Brodie & Munro (1997) and Coviello, Milley & Marcolin (2001). The research methodology has a quantitative and descriptive approach and uses a survey; the sample encompasses 146 companies from the accounting, engineering, consulting, advertising, information technology and hospital industries. Our findings also reveal the existence of seven main business segment typologies: “Advanced Relational”; “Interactive Relational/Network”; “Relational Database/Digital”; “Moderately Relational”; “Conservative I”; “Conservative II” and “Refractory”.

Services marketing practices in diverse cultures: Canada compared to Qatar

Purpose The service marketing literature has traditionally argued that the marketing practices of service firms that operate in diverse cultures should also differ. This paper aims to investigate this argument by examining the marketing practices of service firms in two highly diverse countries “Canada and Qatar” in the context of a contemporary conceptual framework. Design/methodology/approach Survey data were collected in both countries using a self-administered questionnaire that was used in previous contemporary marketing practice (CMP) studies. The data analysis was conducted in two stages. First, descriptive statistics were used to determine cross-national differences in the intensity of use of various CMP activities in Qatar compared to Canada. Second, cross-national differences in various combinations of marketing practices were identified using a cluster analysis. Findings The results indicate that service firms in both countries have more similarities than differences and that the overall patterns of marketing practices are similar. In addition, the firms’ marketing practices reflect aspects of all four marketing approaches rather than just one. Research limitations/implications The study was conducted in only two countries, thus generalisability of its findings and conclusions may not be possible. Practical implications The results of this study can help marketers to better understand the changing marketing environment and identify new marketing solutions when operating in different environments. Originality/value This study enhances the literature on service marketing and expands the application of the CMP framework to a new context that has not been addressed in previous studies.

Real-time big data processing for instantaneous marketing decisions: A problematization approach

The collection of big data from different sources such as the internet of things, social media and search engines has created significant opportunities for business-to-business (B2B) industrial marketing organizations to take an analytical view in developing programmatic marketing approaches for online display advertising. Cleansing, processing and analyzing of such large datasets create challenges for marketing organizations — particularly for real-time decision making and comparative implications. Importantly, there is limited research for such interplays. By utilizing a problematization approach, this paper contributes through the exploration of links between big data, programmatic marketing and real-time processing and relevant decision making for B2B industrial marketing organizations that depend on big data-driven marketing or big data-savvy managers. This exploration subsequently encompasses appropriate big data sources and effective batch and real-time processing linked with structured and unstructured datasets that influence relative processing techniques. Consequently, along with directions for future research, the paper develops interdisciplinary dialogues that overlay computer-engineering frameworks such as Apache Storm and Hadoop within B2B marketing viewpoints and their implications for contemporary marketing practices.

The politics of consumer data

Data is key to marketing. But data is not a neutral thing. It is political. There are macro-politics that validate, motivate and justify the use of particular forms of data and micro-politics between consumers, marketing organizations and other cultural institutions who want control over data. This study examines these politics by analysing attempts to restrict how marketers could access digital consumer data for the purpose of targeted advertising. Adopting a science and technology studies perspective, it concludes that caring for digital consumer data as a common resource is an important, ongoing and often unacknowledged aspect of contemporary marketing practice. It creates and maintains a market for marketing.

An analysis of the international scientific production on contemporary marketing practices

As práticas contemporâneas de marketing abarcam estratégias que transcendem as táticas tradicionais, como o relacionamento com clientes, marketing interativo, big data e marketing digital. Este artigo atualiza seus avanços pela análise bibliométrica da produção científica internacional até 2016, tendo enfoque qualitativo e quantitativo, e caráter exploratório e descritivo. O levantamento documental e análise de conteúdo com categorização temática apontam para 42 artigos alinhados com o tema, provenientes de 101 autores, 49 universidades e 23 países. Existem doze redes com poucos pesquisadores; a média anual de publicações é baixa, mas há estudos altamente relevantes (Coviello et al., 2002). Predominam estudos empíricos, qualitativos e exploratórios; os métodos de coleta mais utilizados são surveys, entrevistas em profundidade e levantamento documental. A principal contribuição teórica é a caracterização da produção científica internacional, e a relevância acadêmica se dá com a proposição de uma agenda de pesquisas.

The impact of social media marketing on customer relationship development

The research of digital marketing trends has shown that Social Media Marketing is at the very top of the list in popularity among digital marketing techniques on a global level. Numerous arguments which can be found in specialized and scientific literature illustrating the importance of Social Media Marketing in contemporary marketing practice, as well as the obvious topicality of this media, have been reason enough for further research. Considering the fact that customers and customer relationship development have become business imperative of every company, this marketing technique has been studied within the context of customer relationship development. The research results show that Social Media Marketing greatly influences customer relationship development.

Relationship Marketing: Past, Present and Future

Purpose: In a time when relationships have become recognized as an integral part of contemporary marketing theory and practice, what role can the sub-discipline of relationship marketing play? The aim with this special issue is to critically assess the state of relationship marketing and call for new ideas to take the field forward. Design/methodology/approach: We had an open call for papers with an original perspective and advanced thinking on relationship marketing, resulting in 50 originally submitted manuscripts that were subjected to double-blind review. Of these, this issue presents five articles. In addition, we invited well-renowned thought leaders who have contributed to theory development within relationship marketing. This issue starts with their four thoughtful, forward-orientated contributions. Findings: Several thought-provoking reflections and research findings are presented that urge relationship marketing researchers to explore novel avenues for the future of this area. A prominent way forward may be looking for a common ground in relationship marketing thinking, assessing the extent to which the different literature streams add to marketing research and when they do not, and testing/deploying the learnings in new settings. Research limitations/implications: This special issue does not address all areas of relationship marketing research. Potential areas for future relationship marketing research are identified. Originality/value: To assess existent knowledge of relationship marketing is needed to take the field forward.

Guest editorial: relationship marketing – past, present and future

PurposeIn a time when relationships have been recognized as an integral part of contemporary marketing theory and practice, what role can the sub-discipline of relationship marketing play? The aim with this special issue is to critically assess the state of relationship marketing and call for new ideas to take the field forward.Design/methodology/approachThe editors had an open call for papers with an original perspective and advanced thinking on relationship marketing, resulting in 50 originally submitted manuscripts that were subjected to double-blind review. Of these, this issue presents five articles. In addition, the editors invited well-renowned thought leaders who have contributed to theory development within relationship marketing. This issue starts with their four thoughtful, forward-orientated contributions.FindingsSeveral thought-provoking reflections and research findings are presented that urge relationship marketing researchers to explore novel avenues for the future of this area. A prominent way forward may be looking for a common ground in relationship marketing thinking, assessing the extent to which the different literature streams add to marketing research and when they do not and testing/deploying the learnings in new settings.Research limitations/implicationsThe special issue does not address all areas of relationship marketing research. Potential areas for future relationship marketing research are identified.Originality/valueTo assess existent knowledge of relationship marketing is needed to take the field forward.