Marketing Strategy: The Challenge of the External Environment (Published in association with The Open University)

By David S. Mercer

Marketing Strategy provides a unique introduction to marketing strategy development. Adding future studies methodology to traditional methods of environmental analysis, this book presents an effective marketing approach for dealing with the increasingly dynamic business environment. Environmental analysis is a key element of strategy development. However, methods of environmental analysis typically cover the short and medium term only. Paradoxically, the fast-changing business environment of today requires a longer planning horizon. While covering more traditional methods of environmental analysis, for example, scanning and market research, Marketing Strategy introduces future studies methodology and shows how its powerful techniques and insights can be applied to marketing planning and strategy. The first part of the book explains the different techniques of environmental analysis and long-range forecasting, and examines their relationship to marketing and strategy. The second half demonstrates their application to the marketing planning process, leading to the development of so-called robust strategies. A range of "generic" robust strategies, i.e. key marketing strategies for long-term business survival and success, such as branding and relationship management, conclude the book. As an accessible and comprehensive coverage of marketing strategy development, Marketing Strategy will be invaluable for advanced students, academics, and professionals in marketing planning and strategy, strategic marketing, and corporate strategy.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0761958762
• ISBN13: 9780761958765
• Release Date: June 1998
• Publisher: SAGE Publications Ltd
• Length: 336 Pages
• Weight: 1.76 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.8" x 0.8" x 7.8"

Customer Reviews

A book, one of very few, really about long-range strategy.

The title of this book is misleading, it was to be called Long-Range Marketing. In fact it is about the increasingly popular subject of long-range planning and strategy - albeit that it comes at this from the marketing perspective. It's importance is that - for the first time - it describes ways of incorporating the longer-term into the planning of most companies; where previously it has been the province of the larger ones (such as Shell, who worked with the author). The new approaches can provide reasonable input in less than a day. In this way it very effectively addresses the problem of short-termism which bedevils so many organisations.