Principles of Marketing and Management: Segmentation, targeting and positioning & analyzing the marketing environment

Marketing is a vibrant, challenging activity that requires an understanding both of principles and of how they can be applied in practice. My book attempts to capture both aspects of the multidiscipline. Marketing concepts and principles are supported by examples of international practice to crystallize those ideas in the minds of students who may have little personal experience of real-life marketing. My objective was to produce a tightly written textbook supported by a range of international examples and case studies. The third edition placed a great emphasis on the use of the case study as a teaching method. In my experience, all types of students enjoy applying principles to real-life marketing problems. This is natural, as marketing does not exist in a vacuum; it is through application that students gain a richer understanding of marketing. Becoming a successful marketing practitioner requires an understanding of the principles of marketing together with practical experience of implementing marketing ideas, processes and techniques in the marketplace. This book provides a framework for understanding important marketing issues such as understanding the customer, marketing segmentation and targeting, brand building, pricing, innovation and marketing implementation, which form the backbone of marketing practice. Marketing, as I have already said, does not exist in a vacuum: it is a vibrant, sometimes energy-sapping profession that is full of exciting examples of success and failure. Moreover, marketing practitioners need to understand the changes that are taking place in the environment. As the quotation that heads Chapter 5 says, 'Change is the only constant'. Marketing-orientated companies are undergoing fundamental readjustments to their structure to cope with the accelerating rate of change. If you wish to enter the marketing profession then an acceptance of change and a willingness to work long hours are essential prerequisites. Marketing in Europe has never looked stronger. International conferences organized by the European Marketing Academy and national organizations such as the Marketing Education Group in the UK make being a marketing academic challenging, rewarding and enjoyable. We should always value the companionship and pleasure that meeting fellow marketing academics brings. The growth in the number of students wishing to study marketing has brought with it a rise in the number of marketing academics in Europe. Their youth and enthusiasm bode well for the future of marketing as a major social science. Most students enjoy studying marketing; they find it relevant and interesting. I hope that this book enhances your enjoyment, understanding and skills.