Marketing Theory: Find a New Roadmap for Marketing

Marketing Theory http://mtq.sagepub.com On defining marketing: finding a new roadmap for marketing
Christian Grönroos
Marketing Theory 2006; 6; 395
DOI: 10.1177/1470593106069930
The online version of this article can be found at: http://mtq.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/6/4/395 Published by: http://www.sagepublications.com Additional services and information for Marketing Theory can be found at:
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Volume 6(4): 395–417
Copyright © 2006 SAGE www.sagepublications.com DOI: 10.1177/1470593106069930

article

On defining marketing: finding a new roadmap for marketing
Christian Grönroos
Hanken Swedish School of Economics, Finland

Abstract. The American Marketing Association has updated its marketing definition and included value for customers and customer relationships in the new definition.
Moreover, marketing is defined as one organizational function. Taking mainly service and relationship marketing research as a starting point, this present article broadens the discussion to a generic marketing level, and analyses the underpinning logic of the updated definition. It concludes that the use of these elements of the definition is not well founded in current research. Also, it shows that marketing cannot be treated as one organizational function only. Drawing on the analysis of the updated definition, a set of propositions regarding the scope and content of a marketing definition are developed. Finally, based on the analysis and this set of propositions, an alternative marketing definition, based on the promise concept,

Citations: http://mtq.sagepub.com/cgi/content/refs/6/4/395 Downloaded from http://mtq.sagepub.com at SAGE Publications on October 16, 2009 emerged alongside consumer goods-oriented marketing. Traditionally exchange is considered the central concept in marketing (Bagozzi, 1975; Hunt, 1976) customers, and hence interaction becomes a central marketing concept (Grönroos, 1990; Gummesson, 1987; Håkansson, 1982) and Ramirez, 1993) possible. Also the value-in-use notion in customers’ value 395 Downloaded from http://mtq.sagepub.com at SAGE Publications on October 16, 2009 393-000 MT 0604 Lusch, 2004), demands a focus on customers’ interactions with, for example, physical goods, services, technology and information. Webster et al., 2005). Of course this does not go for all firms in all countries, but it does look like a trend make the point that marketing organizations need improvement (Chief Executive, 2004) percent of CEOs interviewed in the study have a negative impression of their marketers (Cassidy et al., 2005) least, chief marketing executives do not last long (Welch, 2004). North America, voice their concerns regarding the status of marketing theory (Marketing Renaissance, 2005) important actor in customer management (Brown, 2005). Brown reports: ‘Notably, none of the executives mentioned marketing as being responsible for the customer’ and ‘the keeping of promises and building customer loyalty is typically considered the responsibility of others in the enterprise’ (2005: 3)