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Purpose: Despite many years of academic research into organisational integration and effectiveness, organisations still struggle to successfully implement strategy and achieve competitive advantage. However, the rapid evolution of marketing technologies such as big data, marketing analytics, artificial intelligence and personalised consumer interactions offer potential for an integrated marketing communication technological capability that aligns and integrates an organisation. Programmatic advertising is one such integrated marketing communication (IMC) technology capability, applying and learning from customer information and behaviours to align and integrate organisational activity. The literature on programmatic is embryonic and a conceptual framework that links its potential to organisational effectiveness is timely. This paper aims to develop a framework showing the potential for programmatic advertising as an IMC technology capability to enhance organisational integration and performance. Design/methodology/approach: An exploratory methodology gained insight from 15 depth interviews with senior marketing executives from both organisations and external advertising agencies. Findings: Four elements of a programmatic integrated organisation were identified and aligned with seven marketing activity levers to deliver firm performance measures. Research limitations/implications: This research contributes to theory, affirming IMC as a capability and positioning programmatic as a means of organisational integration. Practical implications: The model also offers guidance for practitioners looking to integrate programmatic into their organisation. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first paper to look at programmatic from an IMC perspective and as a means of organisational integration. It is also the first to apply Moorman and Day's (2016) model to explore organisational integration and programmatic, developing a new model, specifically contextualised for programmatic advertising. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to identify how integrated marketing communications (IMC) was applied to a major multi-cultural sporting event, the Asian Cup 2015, through event ambassadors integrating the Kliatchko (2008) four-pillars model of IMC.Design/methodology/approach Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 14 people involved with the event, with questions designed to ascertain ways in which the multicultural communication occurred.Findings The four-pillars model is applicable in this case. Interviews identified that while the cultural and football issues being faced by the organisers introduced many challenges, ambassador communication proved to be an extremely effective process of IMC. The integration of ambassador communications overcame many cultural barriers with respect to language, ticketing and communication, enabling engagement of communication channels.Research limitations/implications This research addressed a specific multicultural event in one specific market. While providing insights into how this event managed its IMC programme, investigation into other events is required to identify whether similar results would apply.Practical implications The way in which the event incorporated community members into the IMC programme provides a strong opportunity to examine whether this approach could be applied by marketing managers more broadly.Originality/value An examination of the IMC conducted in conjunction with a major event has not featured previously, and the original way in which this event conducted its communications highlights aspects that are relevant to marketers in all organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Marketers use e-mail in new, potentially more informative, entertaining and lucrative ways – such as embedding video. The purpose of this paper is to examine consumer responses to audiovisual (i.e. text along with a short video) versus text-only messages in brand communication. Specifically, authors seek to uncover the efficacy of marketer-embedded video (vs text-only) in e-mail on the consumer's product interest, informativeness, perceived prestige, electronic word-of-mouth (e-WOM) intentions and willingness to pass the electronic message along digitally or on social media. With the dual coding theory and selective visual attention as theoretical guideposts, the intended contribution is a framework that can explain and predict advantages for multi-modal e-mail marketing communications.Design/methodology/approach Five hypotheses are tested experimentally with a one-factor experiment with two conditions (text-only vs audiovisual). The sample was 240 adult participants. Real brands (Audi and Apple) were used. For both brands, participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions of the e-mail (i.e. audiovisual vs text-only). The stimuli are identical, with the exception of embedded video in the e-mail body. The videos are authentic brand videos, are approximately 50 s and use a product feature appeal. Participants’ pre-existing brand attitude was measured. Then, five dependent variables (product interest, informativeness, perceived prestige, e-WOM intentions and willingness to pass the electronic message along digitally or on social media) were considered with respect to consumer exposure to e-mail with video and text in the e-mail from the brand versus text-only e-mail from the brand.Findings The results supported the hypotheses that audiovisual messages (i.e. those with text and video) heighten informativeness, product interest, perceived prestige, intentions to spread e-WOM for a brand and willingness to pass along the e-mail along to friends and family when compared to text-only messages. These experimental findings from a one-factor experiment with two conditions (text-only vs audiovisual) are generally consistent for an American consumer technology brand Apple (iPhone) and a German luxury automobile brand Audi (S4). Hypotheses are supported for both brands (Apple and Audi), with the exception of product interest for Audi, which may be explained by the high price of a luxury automobile.Research limitations/implications An implication here for the dual coding theory is that the theory may be extended to consider what happens after the consumer codes the information with both the verbal and the non-verbal subsystem. The finding of interest to information processing scholars is that a video accompanying text communication from a brand to a consumer has an advantage over text-only communication. Brands that communicate with multi-modal marketing communication have better outcomes in informativeness, brand prestige perceptions and intentions of online consumer behaviors, including positive e-WOM for the brand in general and willingness to pass the specific content along in digital and social media platforms. Consumers can become brand advocates by being more inclined to forward the e-mails with the product short video as well as the e-mail text.Practical implications Brand marketers should consider e-mail in an integrated brand promotion (IBP) campaign as a cost advantage; one of the reasons e-mail should have a solid place in the IBP toolkit is due to e-mail's relatively low cost. The main cost comes with administration and production of the video. As a managerial implication for advertisers, embedding ads of a short video format in e-mails is a way to be more effective than plain-text e-mails. Short videos in e-mails are a reasonable idea to include in an integrated marketing communications effort (plausibly due to information processing with both a verbal and a non-verbal system). Brands can use videos in e-mails to enhance informativeness regarding products to enhance product differentiation from competitors. Yet, it is important to raise caution with some concerning disadvantages potentially associated with e-mail marketing and video. The three areas of caution include potential issues of privacy, clutter and technical inhibitors.Originality/value Despite the fact that e-mail is one of the most heavily used communication tools in marketing, there is scarce literature on e-mail and branding. By brands evoking a degree of prestige with embedded videos, consumer willingness to become part of the marketing communications is enhanced, as their e-WOM and willingness to share the branded content increase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Although integrated marketing communication (IMC) is generally accepted as the way forward by academics and practitioners, there is a shortage of research into the challenges that clients face in implementing the process, particularly in the UK. This paper aims to address these issues by examining how UK clients perceive the barriers to implementation, with reference to the conflict theory of decision-making and the social exchange theory from the change management literature.Design/methodology/approach The study adopted a critical realism approach and collected data through an on-line questionnaire to an expert panel of UK clients, which generated some rich qualitative data. The experts were asked to comment on four statements developed from the literature which captured the main challenges identified in previous research.Findings The results indicate that UK clients are facing similar barriers to those evident in other countries more than a decade ago. Three main obstacles are identified. First, some clients still find IMC difficult to understand and therefore may avoid change because of the high level of risk involved. Second, marketing departments lack control or influence over other parts of the organisation, due in some cases to lack of representation at board level. Finally, agencies do not have a clear role in the implementation of IMC.Originality/value The paper is of value because it specifically investigates the UK client perspective, which is presently sparse in the literature and updates the knowledge on barriers to implementation. It underpins this discussion with reference to change management theories. The paper also examines the support being provided by industry bodies and questions their effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to operationalise and juxtapose variables related to identity, strategy and communications, and then examine the impact of such integration on organisational stakeholders’ trust, loyalty and commitment by using commitment/trust theory.Design/methodology/approach This research design utilises explanatory research at the preliminary stage, as informed by the literature and conceptual framework. The subsequent model was examined via a positivist survey carried out among stakeholders in high-end retail stores in London. Structural equation modelling (SEM) via AMOS was conducted to gain insight into the various relevant influences and relationships.Findings The results indicate that identity and strategy are key drivers of integrated corporate communication, and they serve to build stakeholder trust, loyalty and commitment.Originality/value The paper shows that while practitioners have indicated that integrated marketing communication is important for organisations, there are a few other areas of concern with regard to consequences related to trust, loyalty and commitment, especially in a retail context. This paper empirically examined relationships between these constructs by validating a conceptual model by using SEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this study is to empirically validate the relationships between social Web, integrated marketing communications (IMC) and overall brand equity and to test the moderating role of national culture on these relationships.Design/methodology/approach Data were collected among 475 customers and analysed using the LISREL and partial least squares (PLS) techniques and non-parametric methods.Findings Strong positive and significant relationships are found between social Web and IMC on the one hand, and IMC and brand equity on the other, the second relationship being even stronger than the first one. Moreover, national culture is found to exert a statistically significant moderating effect on both relationships.Research limitations/implications The findings of this study contribute to the wider knowledge and theoretical understanding of both technology and marketing communications potential in the development of brand equity. The results therefore suggest that brand equity requires a representative brand name and consistent meaning of the brand sustained by social Web and the integration of marketing communications.Practical implications Consistency in marketing communications can be considered as a primary basis for brand equity building in companies. Moreover, efficient management of the user-generated content available in social media platforms represents a great challenge for marketers.Originality/value Although the connection between social Web, IMC and brand equity was founded in theory, there is a lack of empirical contributions on the causal relationships among these constructs. This gap is filled by the current empirical contribution. Another significant insight of this work lies in considering the role of national culture in the IMC research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Past integrated marketing communications (IMC) frameworks have established brand contacts as important sources of information and feedback. This paper aims to discuss how the presence of multiple brand stakeholders and the proliferation of digital media increase the amount of brand information generated exponentially. When a firm fails to harness this information, it risks misalignment between brand identity and brand image, which, in turn, tarnishes brand-equity.Design/methodology/approach Past IMC frameworks are reviewed and extended to identify specific brand contact points between multiple stakeholders that hold significant potential to dynamically reconfigure brand identity. Theoretical propositions regarding the IMC function’s role in managing these contact points to generate brand-equity are offered.Findings The brand contacts described and their successful integration into a firm’s brand-equity strategy extend current IMC-based brand-equity models and suggest fruitful, novel avenues for creating brand-equity. Further, these brand contacts offer practical examples of how the scope of marketing communications can be redefined.Originality/value This paper contributes to the body of research on the elevation of IMC to a strategic level function. In addition to the synergistic communication of the brand offering, IMC needs to play a pivotal role in coordinating the contacts between the brand and stakeholders, and in extrapolating relevant brand insights from these contacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to benchmark the progress of integrated marketing communication (IMC) education, by replicating and extending a study on IMC education by Kerr (2009). It documents progress, examines the impact of digital disruption and concludes with an agenda for change.Design/methodology/approach Using the Delphi technique, this study recruited leading IMC educators and thought leaders internationally to find consensus on an important range of IMC issues, including its place within the university, the IMC brand, curriculum, impact on practice, the incorporation of digital and future challenges.Findings IMC has strengthened its place within the university and also within the minds and understanding of academics, students and industry. Digital disruption provides many challenges including updating curriculum and up skilling staff. It is vital, however, that IMC thinking be positioned as the integrator and digital as the facilitator, providing platforms to actualise IMC strategy such as content, customer service and cross-functional planning.Practical implications This study shows what IMC education has achieved since Kerr’s (2009) study. Further, it outlines what needs to be achieved in the future by providing a “To do” list for IMC educators.Originality/value It is vital that the development and progress of this important new area of study is tracked to ensure industry challenges are met, such as digital disruption, and the right education for IMC managers of the future is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to analyse the practical applicability of integrated marketing communications (IMC) to micro-organisations operating in the UK’s fashion industry, focusing specifically on the use of online platforms.Design/methodology/approach Qualitative methodological tools including semi-structured interviews, semiotics, Twitterfeed and Facebook analysis are used to examine to what extent micro-organisations apply IMC.Findings The findings suggest that these micro-organisations have a limited understanding of IMC. Although they utilise various channels, including social media, there is a disconnect between reaching the audience, understanding their needs and linking these aspects. External factors influence the use of various communication channels, leading to further fragmentation of sent messages.Research limitations/implications This research focuses on five micro-organisations within the fashion industry and thus may be seen as limited in nature. Whilst implications of the findings are discussed in terms of their impact to the wider industry and other sectors, this needs to be further researched.Practical implications Micro-organisations are underdeveloped in terms of both IMC and social media and require practical advice.Originality/value This study investigates two under-researched areas, IMC in micro-organisations and the use of social media within IMC, thereby moving forward our understanding of IMC in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper aims to elaborate on the concept of “integrated marketing communication (IMC) practice” and provide an empirical exposition of how integration is enacted in the lifeworlds of marketing practitioners, drawing from the “practice turn” in management studies. Although IMC is a well-known conceptual idea in academia, there is insufficient theorisation of what it means “to do” IMC. Despite broad acceptance for IMC, there has been scant application of available organisational and sociological theories to illuminate actual IMC practices in the field.Design/methodology/approach The paper introduces practice theory as a lens through which to study and analyse IMC practices. Using qualitative coding and interpretative analysis, the framework was operationalised and applied to a two-year organisational ethnography encompassing IMC planning activities in at a leading Swedish retailer.Findings Findings demonstrate how practitioners develop explicit and implicit strategies to enact strategic integration. The study conceptualises IMC as a set of interrelated practices, or routinised behaviours, which are repeated and organised by some social or formal rules and conventions. In the ethnographic context of the study, “IMC as practice” is exhibited in the forms of routines, material set-ups, rules and procedures, cultural templates and teleoaffective structures.Originality/value The paper proposes a novel set of theoretical and methodological tools that can be used to understand how IMC lives as a set of practices inside organisations. It specifically conceptualises the link between mental and objectified, materialised and routinised activities that has previously been escaping the sphere of theorisation. By creating language and tools to capture hitherto unmodellable phenomena, the paper opens many new avenues for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Despite decades of scientific and practical experience in the field of integrated marketing communication (IMC), little is known about the role of IMC in the era of new media. The purpose of the present paper is to undertake a first step to close this gap by proposing thought-provoking impulses for customer-centric IMC. This is done by discussing central premises of customer-centric IMC in terms of the changed conditions on the media markets, its challenges and principles and its implementation issues.Design/methodology/approach The paper provides a conceptual approach to customer-centric IMC by deriving new lines of thinking from a review of existing literature relating to the concept of IMC.Findings The paper positions customer-centric IMC as an important advancement of IMC. It shows that the most important new lines of thinking which could be adopted as strategic components of customer-centric IMC are relationship orientation, content orientation and process orientation. The paper thus suggests that customer-centric IMC is a balancing act between a company’s own branding activities and the integration of customer-centered issues.Originality/value The originality of this paper resides in a detailed conceptual discussion of new insights into a customer-centric IMC. In contrast to existing work on IMC, this paper threads together the existing perspectives on IMC (inside-out and outside-in) to highlight the potential role of IMC in the era of social media (customer-centric IMC) by adding an outside-out view to the concept of IMC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this research is twofold: first, to conceptualise integrated marketing communication (IMC) by adopting a more inclusive and broader organisational perspective, and second, to empirically develop and validate a new measurement scale to assess firm-wide IMC.Design/methodology/approach This paper is based on a multistage research design adopting qualitative and quantitative approaches. First, a comprehensive literature review and a two-round Delphi study served as the primary basis for the development of the IMC theoretical framework, including generation of items and content validation. Second, a pilot study (n = 39) enabled us to purify the measurement tool. Third, the data gathered via an online survey conducted among CEOs and other senior managers (n = 180) led to empirical validation of the proposed firm-wide IMC scale applying second-order confirmatory factor and structural equation modelling analyses.Findings This research produced the firm-wide IMC scale, a 25-item Likert-format measure exhibiting adequate dimensionality, reliability and construct (convergent, discriminant and nomological) validity.Originality/value The need for a more holistic approach emerged from both the academic literature and the professional arena. However, even very recent attempts to measure integration have involved the adoption of a narrow marketing communications-centred approach. Thus, the value and uniqueness of this paper lies in its novel definition of IMC as a four-dimensional construct and the development of a theoretically consistent, valid and reliable measurement tool for the assessment of integration based on a firm-wide organisational approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Drawing on the resource-based view, this paper aims to investigate how a firm’s integrated marketing communication (IMC) as a capability is influenced by the organisational antecedents of learning orientation (LO), market orientation (MO) and brand orientation (BO). Further, the research examines how an IMC capability influences brand performance and whether these relationships are influenced by brand size.Design/methodology/approach Based on survey data from 187 managers responsible for brand communications, this paper applies structural equation modelling using SmartPLS3 to assess hypothesised relationships.Findings IMC capability is directly influenced by BO but not by MO and LO; these have important indirect effects. Size does not moderate key relationships but directly affects IMC capability.Research limitations/implications Organisational antecedents play an important role in shaping IMC capability and ultimately brand performance. Future researchers should consider a larger sample of brands and firms, IMC capability building in small firms and longitudinal design to evaluate the effects of IMC capability.Practical implications BO is nested in and complementary to learning and MO, and thus cannot stand alone. Developing an IMC capability is critical for translating the benefits of organisational orientations into performance outcomes. IMC capability links MO and BO to firm performance. Appropriate resourcing is critical for success, as it has implications for developing other resources and capabilities.Originality/value This study empirically establishes for the first time a relationship between critical organisational antecedents of LO, MO and BO, their influence on IMC capability and subsequently on brand performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This conceptual paper aims at developing a customer-centric marketing communications approach that takes the starting point in the customer ecosystem.Design/methodology/approach After a critical analysis of existing marketing communications and integrated marketing communication (IMC) approaches, a customer-driven view of marketing communications is developed using recent developments in relationship communication, customer-dominant logic and the notion of customer value formation as value-in-use.Findings A customer-integrated marketing communication (CIMC) approach centred on a communication-in-use concept is conceptually developed and introduced. The analysis results in a CIMC model, where a customer in his or her individual ecosystem, based on integration of a set of messages from different sources, makes sense of the many messages he or she is exposed to.Research limitations/implications The paper presents a customer-driven perspective on marketing communication and IMC. The analysis is conceptual and should trigger future empirical grounding. It indicates the need for a change in mindset in research.Practical implications CIMC requires a turnaround in the mindset that steers how companies and their marketers communicate with customers. The CIMC model provides guidelines for planning marketing communication.Originality/value The customer-driven communication-in-use concept and the CIMC model challenge traditional inside-out approaches to planning and implementing marketing communication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This study aims to identify integrated marketing communication (IMC) antecedents and the consequences of planned brand identity in the context of higher education, and empirically test a number of hypotheses related to the constructs of these antecedents and consequences.Design/methodology/approach A model of the IMC antecedents and consequences of planned brand identity was tested in a survey conducted among stakeholders in two London-based universities. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was applied to gain insight into the various influences and relationships.Findings The study identifies and confirms key constructs in planned brand identity. IMC antecedents of planned brand identity, such as brand elements, service attributes, public relations and place/country of origin, were found to positively influence the planned brand identity consequences of awareness, image and reputation. However, websites, social media, advertising and direct marketing were not found to have significant influence.Research limitations/implications The focus on two UK universities limits the generalisability of the findings. Future research should be conducted in other country settings to test the relationships identified in the present study. Also, future research may build on the study’s findings by investigating the attitudinal and behavioural consequences of brand identification in the higher education context.Practical implications Professionals responsible for universities’ promotional and branding activities need to evaluate the relative contributions of the IMC antecedents of planned brand identity. Brand elements such as design, colour and name, for example, should be reviewed to determine whether modifications are required in different international markets. The increasing prevalence of social media, one of the key antecedents of brand awareness, offers opportunities for universities to engage in brand co-creation by interacting with past, present and future students on relevant digital platforms. Finally, the place/country-of-origin cue is of particular relevance to institutions of higher education given the increasing numbers of students at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels who are choosing to study abroad (Melewar and Akel, 2005). The attraction of the UK as a country to study in, or the appeal of individual cities such as London, should be fully integrated into universities’ IMC strategies.Originality/value The study makes two main contributions. First is the theoretical contribution by identifying the core IMC antecedents and consequences of planned brand identity for universities and from this extrapolate key directions for future research. Second it is indicated that a number of managerial implications are designed to assist in the formulation of improved professional practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This research aims to examine the moderating role of consumers’ persuasion knowledge (PK) on the persuasive effect of combined advertising and publicity within the same medium. The synergistic effect experienced when two messages are thus combined is reversed for readers with high PK who are first exposed to publicity then to advertising. Believability of the message is found to be a mediator within this context.Design/methodology/approach Based on a review of the appropriate literatures on PK and integrated marketing communication (IMC), this paper tests the hypotheses using two experimental studies.Findings The results of two experiments show that publicity-then-advertising yields poorer persuasion than advertising-then-publicity, especially under a high PK condition. The reduced synergistic effect of combinations of advertising and publicity is found especially when consumers activate temporary PK and/or when they have chronically high PK. A mediator for a decrease in the synergistic effect of combinations of advertising and publicity, believability, is examined.Practical implications This study contains significant managerial implications for marketing communicators about how to most effectively combine and coordinate publicity and advertising in the implementation of an IMC strategy.Originality/value Other than making a contribution to the IMCs’ literature, this research extends understanding of the power of PK within an IMC framework. The research contributes yet another extension to the original PK model of Friestad and Wright (1994) by suggesting an underlying theoretical mechanism to explain how PK works in the IMC domain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this research is to increase consumer safety by providing insights about the linkage between consumer knowledge, price perception and safety intentions. Drawing from the expanded societal view of marketing, this model aims to further understanding of the connection between consumer education and safety from a folk theories-of-mind perspective.Design/methodology/approach This paper utilizes a phased, mixed-methods and interdisciplinary approach which blends transportation research and marketing. First, a qualitative inquiry of 151 comments regarding child safety seats was conducted. Next, using the key themes and concepts, a quantitative model was derived and a proposed structural equation model on a sample of 217 respondents was tested.Findings Although consumers understand the importance of child safety seats and the ample potential harms associated with their misuse, this paper contributes to existing literature by showing that a high perceived price can offset potential experience with them, attitude toward them and future use of them.Practical implications Integrated marketing campaigns to increase safety practices regarding child safety can be framed from a “cost of a life” rather than a “cost of a seat” perspective.Originality/value This research contributes by highlighting the importance of perceived price as it weighs against safety in a quantitative model, showing that consumer education can increase usage intentions for critical products and offering a mixed-methods, interdisciplinary approach to reduce framing biases and address a topic of significant societal concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The primary purpose of this paper is to bring together apparently disparate and yet interconnected strands of research and present an integrated model of e-consumer behaviour. It has a secondary objective of stimulating more research in areas identified as still being under-explored. Design/methodology/approach - The paper is discursive, based on analysis and synthesis of e-consumer literature. Findings - Despite a broad spectrum of disciplines that investigate e-consumer behaviour and despite this special issue in the area of marketing, there are still areas open for research into e-consumer behaviour in marketing, for example the role of image, trust and e-interactivity. The paper develops a model to explain e-consumer behaviour. Research limitations/implications - As a conceptual paper, the study is limited to literature and prior empirical research. It offers the benefit of new research directions for e-retailers in understanding and satisfying e-consumers. The paper provides researchers with a proposed integrated model of e-consumer behaviour. Originality/value - The paper links a significant body of literature within a unifying theoretical framework and identifies of under-researched areas of e-consumer behaviour in a marketing context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — This research paper aims to examine the theoretical and practical applicability of integrated marketing communications. Design/methodology/approach — Presents the findings from a two-country qualitative study concerning the phenomenon. The research used survey methodology to assess the views of advertising agency members of the Institute of Advertising Practitioners (UK) and the Communications Agencies Association of New Zealand (CAANZ) Findings — The findings show that practitioners appear to be constructing and applying IMC concepts that are situation-specific. Nonetheless, a search for a single empirically testable theory of IMC ignores evidence that practitioners are committed to IMC concepts while at the same time resisting the development of "rigid rules". Additionally, external factors may be forcing reconsideration of marketing communications and accountability. Research limitations/implications — The research is limited to a study of ad agency perceptions in two countries. While implications of the findings for other countries are discussed, a major direction for the future is the need for research to be conducted in organisations themselves, not necessarily the agencies which service their needs. Practical implications — Practical implications include variability in terms of the application of IMC principles. This leads to the idea of differential application with — as stated above — some rejection of "rigid rules" in this dynamic area. Originality/value — The value of the paper lies in its use of a comparative approach using members of clearly identifiable and relevant samples in two countries in relation to IMC. The notion of differentiation in relation to IMC application, the perceived rejection of rigid rules, and the need for further research to be focused in-company (rather than in-agency) assist in moving this emergent paradigm forward in an academic and practitioner sense. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose — The purpose of this paper is to consider whether successful subsidised arts organisations are more likely to apply a relationship rather than transactional marketing approach to overcome the tendency of not-for-profit organisations generally, and subsidised arts organisations particularly, to use marketing for short-term, tactical purposes. Design/methodology/approach — Research was undertaken to identify whether ‘successful’ subsidised performing arts organisations were indeed more strategic in their focus, whether they had applied a relationship marketing approach and whether such an approach had been influential in the development of their ‘success’. Preliminary research led to the production of a conceptual framework that identifies major partnerships and specific stakeholder types that need to be considered by a subsidised performing arts organisation if an effective relationship marketing approach is to be developed. This was used as the basis for subsequent research involving a multiple case study approach studying two ‘successful’ theatres and one ‘unsuccessful’ theatre in depth. The strengths of relationship between the various key stakeholder roles and artistic directors within the three theatres were analysed. Findings — Although this research is limited to a case study analysis of three theatres, it does seem to provide evidence to suggest that building strong relationships with stakeholders other than end users can be advantageous to subsidised performing arts organisations. Practical implications — It is likely that this approach could be successful for the subsidised arts generally and indeed for all those organisations in the not-for-profit sector where those who pay do not necessarily receive the service. Originality/value — This article provides a discussion on successful subsidised arts organisations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - Companies changing their brand names are frequently reported in the business press but this phenomenon has as yet received little academic attention. This paper sets out to understand the drivers of the corporate rebranding phenomenon and to analyse the impact of such strategies on corporate brand equity. Design/methodology/approach - A cross-sectional sample of 166 rebranded companies provides descriptive data on the context in which rebranding occurs. Two case studies provide further detail on how the process of rebranding is managed. Findings - The data show that a decision to rebrand is most often provoked by structural changes, particularly mergers and acquisitions, which have a fundamental effect on the corporation's identity and core strategy. They also suggest that a change in marketing aesthetics affects brand equity less than other factors such as employees' behaviour. Research limitations/implications - The paper proposes a conceptual model to integrate various dimensions of corporate rebranding. Analysing the rebranding phenomenon by assessing the leverage of brand equity from one level of the brand hierarchy to the other constitutes an interesting route for further research. Practical implications - Managers are reminded that corporate rebranding needs to be managed holistically and supported by all stakeholders, with particular attention given to employees' reactions. Originality/value - This paper is of value to anybody seeking to understand the rebranding phenomenon, including academies and business managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to analyze and discuss the strategic positioning of associations that can be established between a corporate brand and entities in its surrounding network such as brands, product categories, persons, places and institutions. Design/methodology/approach - A semiotic approach is used to describe image transfer processes between the corporate brand and other entities. The paper provides a structure to leverage the corporate brand in different product market contexts. Findings - The paper offers the ‘corporate brand association base model’ as a conceptual framework for brand-to-brand collaboration. The model structures how a corporate brand can develop more expansive brand architecture through transfer of image from sources of brand equity in the internal brand hierarchy and surrounding brand network. Practical implications - A useful source for brand managers in the process of co-positioning corporate brands and assessing risks, in relation to brands, product categories, persons and institutions. The framework will make it easier for brand managers to design strategic brand alliances. Originality/value - The value of this study is that it has presented a model that adds depth and texture to the current academic discussion of corporate brand capitalization, by introducing a balance between in-house leverage and external leverage of the corporate brand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The paper aims to clarify the relationship between organisational structures and individual brand supporting behaviour. It proposes modelling the social transformation process and outlining why and how leadership is important throughout the internal brand building process. The study aims to expand the domain of corporate branding by including a broader range of human resource and leadership-related aspects than is normally found in the branding literature. Design/methodology/approach - The paper opted for an exploratory study using the open-ended approach of grounded theory, including 30 depth interviews and one expert group discussion with employees representing middle and senior management having mainly a marketing and corporate communications background. The data were complemented by documentary analysis, including brand documents, descriptions of internal processes, and copies of employee magazine articles. Findings - The paper provides empirical insights about how change is brought about during internal brand building. It suggests that successful leaders act as ‘integrating forces’ on two levels: integrating the elements of corporate identity structures, and mediating between the corporate branding structures and the individual. Research limitations/implications - Because of the chosen research approach, the research results may lack generalisability. Therefore, researchers are encouraged to test the proposed propositions further. Practical implications - The paper includes implications for the development of a powerful brand image, the development of ‘brand ambassadors’ and for managing the balance between stability and change. Originality/value - This paper fulfils an identified need to study how brand-supportive behaviour can be enabled. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose - The aims of the paper are to examine the nascent area of corporate marketing. Design/methodology/approach - The paper draws on some of the key literature relating to the history of marketing thought. Findings - The study reiterates the case that corporate identity, corporate branding, corporate communications, and corporate reputation should be integrated under the umbrella title of corporate marketing. The paper introduces the 6Cs of corporate marketing. Originality/value - The paper integrates British and US perspectives on the area and draws on Balmer's work vis-à-vis corporate marketing and Greyser's historical overview of marketing written for the Marketing Science Institute (MSI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various reports related to integrated marketing published within the issue, including one by Balmer and Greyser on the embryonic area of corporate marketing, Mark Kay's notion of strong corporate brand, and the role of corporate leadership in corporate brand building by Vallaster and de Chernatony.

Purpose - The purpose of this paper is to examine the development, extension and use of the "six markets" model and to outline a framework for analysing stakeholder relationships and planning stakeholder strategy. Design/methodology/approach - The "six markets" stakeholder model is examined. Refinement of the model and improved understanding as a result of field-based research is described. A stakeholder relationship planning framework is proposed. Findings - The paper examines the use of the "six markets" model in a wide range of organisational contexts utilizing a range of research approaches. A stakeholder relationship planning model is developed consisting of four inter-related elements, i.e. stakeholder value propositions, value delivery design, stakeholder relationship marketing plans, and measurement and feedback. Research limitations/implications - The article suggests a number of areas for future research, including the development of planning approaches for different classes of stakeholders and more detailed testing of the stakeholder model and planning framework in specific market sectors. Practical implications - The research suggests that managers find that the development and implementation of relationship plans for the key stakeholder markets generates valuable new knowledge and insights into stakeholder conditions, constraints and opportunities. Originality/value - This article contributes to knowledge in the relationship marketing and stakeholder theory areas through the development, refinement and use of a planning model that addresses the complexity of stakeholder relationships and networks. The stakeholder planning approach that is developed represents a means by which managers can achieve greater transparency of stakeholders' interests and improved rigour in planning relationships with stakeholders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – This study incorporates two Chinese cultural variables guanxi (personal relationship) and xinyong (personal trust) with other relational variables that are well defined in the west, i.e. supplier competence, commitment, conflict handling and satisfaction to see how they generate partnership relationship in a sino-western relationship marketing context Design/methodology/approach – Research objectives are achieved through a combination of model building, quantitative design, testing of hypotheses using AMOS and analysis of findings. The subject scope is imbedded within cultural impact on relationship marketing in a sino-western context Findings – This study finds that Western suppliers must be competent in product knowledge, market development, and adaptation to buyers' requirements to resolve conflicts in order to establish their xinyong with the buyers. Competence allows suppliers to show psychological commitment and establish guanxi with the buyers. It also shows that guanxi has a stronger influence on xinyong than on satisfaction. Suppliers should use guanxi to generate buyer's perception on xinyong whilst maintaining a reasonable level of buyer satisfaction with their products and services. Also, relationship between xinyong and satisfaction is not significant. A buyer's satisfaction on the supplier's product and services does not necessarily mean that this buyer perceives the supplier having xinyong because Chinese mix (up) business with personal relationships together and sometimes they make trade-off between them! Research limitations/implications – This relationship study was conducted in a single-product relationship context within the clothing industry in the PRC environment and therefore, its findings may not be generalised to other industry. Future Chinese relationship study should increase the sample size so as to cover more industries to allow comparison across industries. This is especially valid between a manufacturing and a service-based industry. A service-based industry may even emphasize more on guansi and xinyong because of its intangible aspects! Future research should include the xinyong constructs, the concepts of face and reciprocity. To what extent these important Chinese cultural values affect satisfaction and xinyong have not been determined. Practical implications – Effective conflict handling skills and guanxi are vital to formulate a xinyong positioning strategy. A supplier must be competent in product knowledge, market development skills, and adapt to a buyer's requirements to resolve conflicts with the buyer to establish xinyong. originality/value – this research is an initial attempt to establish the relationship between guanxi, xinyong and partnership relationship and generates a new research area in Chinese relationship marketing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The paper reports on an exploratory study aimed at analysing a series of independent variables derived from international industrial marketing and channel management literature. Design/methodology/approach – The respondents represent a number of dyadic business-to-business relationships of different duration, and involve firms of different size (multinational enterprise buyers and theft corresponding medium sized enterprise suppliers). Findings – Initial findings support much of the extant literature on relationship marketing, demonstrating that certain aspects of a relationship tend to change over time. In particular, the study revealed that: there is a high degree of optimism associated with dyadic relationships at early stages, and these are characterised by both parties having high initial perceptions of the relationship; in mid-term relationships some negativity maybe apparent, where certain aspects regress; and in long-term situations, there is a tendency for relationships to be well structured, and these are particularly highly perceived among both exchange parties. Research limitations/implications – The research approach shares those benefits as well as limitations associated with earlier empirical investigations. That is a trade-off in favour of undertaking dyadic exploration, than administering large samples and data sets. As a consequence of the sample size, some caution should be exercised when interpreting these findings. Practical implications - Firms need to pay particular attention to relationships of differing time duration. This is because specific aspects of relationships may not develop in a uniform direction. Originality/value – The research attempts to unravel the complexities and difficulties associated with obtaining data of a dyadic perspective for a significant number of relationships of different length. Such studies that map the evolvement of buyer-seller relations over time are rare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of European Journal of Marketing is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of European Journal of Marketing is the property of Emerald Publishing Limited and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This article explores how complexity theory can help marketers to understand a market and to operate within it. Essentially, it argues that complexity theory has the potential to provide both global and some local explanations of markets and is complementary to local theories like relationship marketing that may be more familiar to marketing managers. It establishes four types of complex systems that might be used to model social systems. Of these four types, complex adaptive systems seem most appropriate to describe markets. This is illustrated in an investigation of Honda in the global automobile industry. Implications for marketing managers centre on the need to understand feedback loops at many levels of a path-dependent system that are inherently difficult to predict and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a special issue of the marketing journal "European Journal of Marketing." The objective of the journal was to publish stimulating and thought-provoking contributions to the development of theory and practice of internal marketing. Its authors believes that papers in this issue make a significant contribution in this regard. As editors of this special issue, these authors like to express their sincere thanks to reviewers and contributors for making this possible. They hope that the special issue will spur further research in the area of marketing management. The paper presents a conceptualization of internal marketing which operationalises in terms of parameters over which the organization has control and influence. Internal marketing mix is itself constituted from top management support mix, business process support mix and cross-functional co-ordination mix, and the impact of the internal marketing mix is moderated by effective use of marketing, like tools and marketing, like philosophy.

Discusses the validity of classifying transaction and relationship exchanges (and marketing theories) according to whether the selling firm is operating in consumer or industrial markets. It is only recently that relationship marketing, and thus the exchange relationship paradigm, has started to become an alternative approach to consumer markets. Aims at understanding if the work of the Industrial Marketing and Purchasing (IMP) can be applied to end-user consumer markets. There is a series of reasons behind this decision; however, the most relevant one is trying to bring a very extensive body of theoretical work within the realm of consumer marketing First, lists the interaction and network approach assumptions (to be associated with the concept of exchange relationships), next, analyzes and reformulates these assumptions and finally, suggests that the interaction and network approach can be applied to consumer markets, showing that both transaction and relationship exchanges may co-exist in all markets, regardless of the product/service sold or client/market served. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents several abstracts related to marketing. The academic marketing literature reflects remarkably little effort to conceptualize total quality orientation, which is key to understanding customer satisfaction. Most researchers have studied economic performance linked to market orientation, while a lesser interest has been shown in validating this construct's measure. After presenting a theoretical model of market orientation, it is applied to investigate the usefulness of this construct in insurance companies of two European countries. Though academic research into the marketing/ entrepreneurship interface is of only relatively recent origin, it would seem that the basic principles of marketing appear to be equally valuable to both large and small firms. Marketing-manufacturing interface is becoming an increasingly important research area, as the firms unable to reduce interdepartmental conflict find their global competitiveness compromised. In recent years there has been a growing interest in Asian business practices, in particular the use of social networks in China for business purposes.

The article introduces the concept of guanxi and its most relevant elements with emphasis on the concept of relationship marketing. In recent years there has been a growing interest among both academics and businessmen regarding business practices in Asia, and particularly in China. This interest is to a great extent due to the changes in China's position as a market and the difficulties of European and American companies to address it. It has been argued that doing business in China is particularly difficult because of the higher relative importance of personal relationships (guanxi), as opposed to the specification and enforcement of contracts in the West. Guanxi is briefly translated as personal connections/relationships on which an individual can draw to secure resources or advantage when doing business as well as in the course of social life, and constitutes an important transaction mode in China. Although it refers to the status and intensity of an ongoing relationship between two parties, it has become synonymous with the network of social and business connections necessary to do business in this part of the world.

The article discusses about marketing management research. Marketing managers may find themselves having to present the face of the caring, environmentally friendly organization. In this situation they will suffer under the pressure of inconsistent norms, to do with being dynamic and customer-led and profitable, while also being socially and environmentally responsible. It may then be easier to implement actions which are inconsistent with social and environmental norms, than to acknowledge them, or defend them in open discussion. And so in some situations, what can be done and what can be said will be difficult to reconcile. It is likely that marketing managers will find themselves in difficult situations where what they can say they do and what they do are different. The official truth that can then be referred to in public may deviate from their own experience of the situation. The skill of marketing managers in managing the context is then to present themselves, not necessarily as the organization acts, but in a manner that corresponds to the appropriate norm. The astute manager is alert to the demands of different situations and knows when display behaviour is called for and what norms operate, and when concrete action needs to be taken.

This article presents information on the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of relationship marketing (RM). The premise here is that there is indeed a revolutionary paradigm shift taking place both in business and in marketing, and that RM is one, perhaps even a major, manifestation of that paradigm shift. It is easy to see why the circumstances that later gave birth to the concept of RM first became evident in service marketing, the customer is an integral part of the marketing and delivery process which necessitates a close relationship between the service provider and the customer. Early attempts to formulate a general theory of marketing already included a relationship perspective. However, this perspective did not acquire the importance it has today because the environmental factors were not sufficiently strong at the time. Thus there have been in fact two routes to the present-day RM. The first was a gradual realization of the importance of relationships, initially in service marketing and partly in industrial marketing. The second route was through a transformation of business in general.

This article presents information on a comparison of the international direct marketing (IDM) strategies between the U.S. and European firms. According to the comparison, the European firms are more experienced international direct marketers than their U.S. counterparts, and that they follow more adaptationist strategies than the U.S. companies. European firms also serve more markets, and place greater reliance on direct marketing to get goods to foreign customers than do the U.S. companies. This probably results from their appreciation of the advantages IDM brings to corporate strategy making although the U.S. geographic position in the world may lower their valuation of IDM's strategic capability Market proximity effects are also discernible in market selection strategies. While both the U.S. and European firms initially prefer culturally-similar countries, the U.S. firms more quickly run out of these market options than do Europeans. This forces the U.S. companies to go culturally further afield after initial forays into culturally familiar markets. This in turn may make them more aware of socio-cultural differences in their product adaptation strategies.

This article focuses on relationship marketing as a framework for ethical analysis. The term relationship marketing has become a popular concept among the practitioners of marketing as well as academics during the last few years. The traditional concept of marketing refers to operations where the mass market is manipulated through a marketing programme applying the 4Ps including product, price, place and promotion. Researchers in northern Europe and within the fields of industrial and service marketing found in the 1970s that a new concept of marketing was needed, one which stresses the relationship between the seller and the customer. Thus a new approach to marketing emerged and was named relationship marketing. As the idea of relationship marketing has been implemented in several firms and a number of researchers have worked on it, it may be asked what is known about the principles, means and objectives of relationship marketing. It seems worthwhile to explicate and analyze them from different perspectives.

This article presents abstracts of research papers related to relationship marketing (RM). The paper "The Theoretical and Philosophical Underpinnings of Relationship Marketing and the Environmental Factors Behind the Changing Marketing Paradigm," by Toivo S. Aijo discusses the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of RM to show that RM is but one, albeit perhaps a major, manifestation of the ongoing paradigm shift in business and marketing. The paper "Relationship Marketing and Imaginary Organizations: A Synthesis," by Evert Gummesson explores the dependency between RM and new developments in organization theory. In RM, relationships, networks and interaction are in focus. The primary role of marketing is to connect suppliers and customers but RM also includes relationships with other stakeholders, both inside and outside the organization. The paper "An Alternative View of Relationship Marketing: A Framework for Ethical Analysis," by Tuomo Takala and Outi Uusitalo analyses relationship marketing from the viewpoint of ethical theories. The theories applied are deontology, utilitarianism, virtue ethics, and emotivism.

The article presents various abstracts on marketing in the public sector. Some of the abstracts featured in the article include: the use of market research by local authorities; the application of marketing techniques in the public sector; the growth of strategic marketing alliances; and the role and place of marketing in the Great Britain National Health Service. One of the abstracts contends that, despite their tardiness, cities can adopt consumer-marketing techniques. It lists six key forces that are often overlooked in cities' attempts to acquire or retain customers. It sets out steps that cities should follow to improve their competitiveness, including developing more customized and targeted products/capabilities, and adopting database marketing. Another abstract argues for the use, not just the commissioning, of market research by local authorities, focusing on three applications--information based on market research rather than election results; market research as a policy evaluation tool to assess customer orientation; and market research related to major reorganization impacting on local government. It concludes that little is known on the use local authorities make of market research, but that it can be a valuable instrument in this part of the public sector.

Creating a customer-centered culture, innovation in financial services, the Scandinavian contribution to service management and quality, and distinguishing product and service are discussed in this section. One issue outlines and analyses what the author believes to be some of the most important issues facing hospitality marketing in the immediate future. It addresses competitive conditions. These include falling profit margins, greater emphasis on service and price, increased international competition, and considers new strategic trends, including internal and relationship marketing. Another issue argues that a different set of attitudes is required to manage service quality, given that over 75 percent of U.S. workers now perform non-manufacturing or service work. It discusses the need for defining and measuring service quality, and highlights the need to design quality into services. It differentiates customers into three categories - end-users, brokers and fixers - each of which has its own set of expectations or "service product" requirements.

The article presents information on integrated marketing communications management. The growing use of information technology and electronic media has challenged the conventional marketing communication strategies. This research, drawing on theories of communication, consumer behavior and transaction cost economics, introduces an analytical framework for integrated marketing communications management, called the promotions process portfolio. The framework provides a normative tool for evaluating the efficiency and risks of different promotion channel decisions, suggesting new media targeting and integration heuristics. The key is to balance the new direct and electronic marketing practices which build on direct customer responses with general brand advertising, personal selling and word-of-mouth communications in a way that helps cultivate existing customer relationships and customer service cost-effectively, as well as securing new customer acquisition. To account for the multiple facets of integrated marketing communications, the media targeting model is embedded in a broader framework which illustrates how companies can better leverage value chain benefits to their customers if they streamline their promotion tasks around business processes.

The article discusses papers related to relationship marketing that appeared in the 1997 issue of the "European Journal of Marketing." The paper "Theoretical and Philosophical Underpinnings of Relationship Marketing: Environmental Factors Behind the Changing Marketing Paradigm," discusses the theoretical and philosophical underpinnings of relationship marketing (RM) to show that RM is but one, albeit perhaps a major, manifestation of the ongoing paradigm shift in business and marketing. The paper "Value Concept and Relationship Marketing," says that the value concept is a basic constituent of relationship marketing and that the ability to provide superior value to customers is a prerequisite when trying to establish and maintain long-term customer relationships. It stresses the fact that the underlying construct of customer satisfaction is more than a perception of the quality received. It suggests that a reduction in customer-perceived costs can be recommended as a method of providing value to the customer because, properly effected, this can improve internal cost efficiency as well.