Marketing Myopia – Indicative Assignment Plan
Executive summary – not included in word count
• A half page summary of the report – should be written last and be as the name suggests a short summary of what the report is about, the key content and key recommendations
Contents page – not included in word count
• Page numbers included for all sections
Introduction (Keep succinct)
• Purpose of report
• Context of report
Background to the case – (Keep succinct)
• Key mission
• Key products and service
• Key markets
Definition, Discussion and development Marketing Myopia Theory and Literature
• Define: Explain origins of concept – Levitt’s assertions
• Development of marketing myopia premise – To recognize marketing’s scope as a distinct body of knowledge, set of theories and contribution to society
? Traditional marketing myopia
? New Marketing Myopia
Evaluation and Discussion of Marketing Myopia issues from a Managerial Point of View
Discussing some of the views from literature related to the case: PLEASE NOTE THAT ANY ISSUES DISCUSSED HERE SHOULD BE BACKED UP WITH REFERENCE TO THEORY AND LINKED TO EVIDENCE FROM RESEARCH INTO THE COMPANY. PLEASE NOTE THE GUIDANCE PROVIDED FOR THE LEVEL OF READING EXPECTED – AT LEAST 15 QUALITY ACADEIC SOURCES (SEE MARKING GRID). A QUALITY ANSWER WILL NOT SUPERFICIALLY COVER ALL ASPECTS BUT WILL DRAW IN A WIDE RANGE OF SOURCES TO CONSIDER WHAT IS MOST RELEVANT
Traditional Myopia
• Views of Levitt reflected in the case?
Other emerging views of marketing myopia:
• Marketing concept – what is the marketing concept and how should it be integrated into the organisation? Is the marketing concept interpreted incorrectly? Is one marketing concept enough to cover all situations?
• Marketing’ s Relevance – Has the company overlooked changes in the marketing environment, which may lead to strategy becoming out of date? Is the company too focused on short-term goals? Too focused on efficiency??
• Marketing’s Stakeholders – Who are the customers? Should the marketing managers take more of a “stakeholder” perspective? Is the customer always right? Is the customer (exclusively) the only form of innovation?
• Marketing’s Scope – Does the company focus too heavily on one aspect of the marketing process? For example is there too much focus on gimmicky advertising / even products / pricing promotions.
• Context of marketing theory – How transferrable is marketing knowledge / theory to the industry context? How transferrable is the marketing concept? Is there anything unique / special to consider with the “context” –i.e. the industry sector or way the company operates that may constitute a gap in knowledge.
• Other issues surrounding marketing myopia: Ethics, consumer misbehavior / resistance to marketing efforts, sustainability
Managerial Recommendations
• Assignment should include a set of managerial recommendations to help guard against myopia
• Key concluding remarks
References
? Harvard style – see UBS guidelines
? Not included in word count
Appendices
? Should be relevant and meaningful (not just a dump for filler information)
? Not included in word count
Suggested reading:
Brownlie, D., Saren, M., Whittington, R. and Wensley, R., (1994) The New Marketing Myopia: Critical Perspectives on Theory and Research in Marketing, European Journal of Marketing Special Issue, 28, 3.
Balmer, J. (2011) Corporate marketing myopia and the inexorable rise of a corporate marketing logic: Perspectives from identity-based views of the firm, European Journal of Marketing, Vol. 45 Iss: 9/10, pp.1329 – 1352.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090561111151781
Fernandes, Teresa and João Proença. 2008. The Blind Spot of Relationships in Consumer Markets: The Consumer Proneness to Engage in Relationships. Journal of Marketing Management, 24, 1-2.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1362/026725708X273975
Kotler, P. and Levy, S.J. (1969) A New Form of Marketing Myopia: Rejoinder to Professor Luck, Journal of Marketing, Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 55-57
http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1248483
Levy, S.J. and Luedicke, M. (2013) ‘From Marketing Ideology to Branding Ideology’, Journal of Macromarketing, vol. 33, pp. 58 – 66.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0276146712459656
Levitt, T., (1960) ‘Marketing Myopia’, Harvard Business Review, Jul-Aug, 1960, pp.45-63.
McCole, P. (2004) Refocusing marketing to reflect practice: The changing role of marketing for business, Marketing Intelligence & Planning, Vol. 22 Iss: 5, pp.531 – 539.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/02634500410551914
Morrell, K. and Jayawardhena, C. (2008) ‘Myopia and Choice’, Journal of Marketing Management, 24(1-2): 135-152.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1362/026725708X273966
Richard, M.D. Womack, J.A. & Allaway, A.W. (1992) “An Integrated View of Marketing Myopia”, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol. 9 Iss: 3, pp.65 – 71
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/07363769210035242
Smith, C., Drumwright, M.E,& Gentile, M.C. (2010) The New Marketing Myopia. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing:, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 4-11.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1509/jppm.29.1.4
Jeffrey B. Schmidt, (1995) “New product myopia”, Journal of Business & Industrial Marketing, Vol. 10 Iss: 1, pp.23 – 33
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/08858629510081568
Svensson, G. (2001) “Re-evaluating the marketing concept”, European Business Review, Vol. 13 Iss: 2, pp.95 – 101
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/09555340110385263
Tajeddini, K. & Trueman, M. (2008) Potential for Innovativeness: a tale of the Swiss watch industry, Journal of Marketing Management, Vol.24, No. 1-2, pp. 169-184.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1362/026725708X273984
Woodall, T., (2007) New marketing, improved marketing, apocryphal marketing: Is one marketing concept enough?, European Journal of Marketing, 41 (11/12), 1284-1296
http://dx.doi.org/10.1108/03090560710821170
Wright, L., Jayawardhena, C., & Dennis, C. (2008). Marketing Myopia. Journal of Marketing Management. pp. 131-134.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1362/026725708X273957
MODULE ASSESSMENT
ASSIGNMENT:
Produce a management report which critically evaluates the role of the marketing myopia concept to a brand / organisation or industry of your choice. Your report should include a wide range of reading, and demonstrate an awareness and depth of theoretical principles
• Maximum number of words: 2000 (+/- 10%)
• Assignment Submission DATE: Not later than 6 November 2015
• The assignment should be typed.
• It is intended that assignments will be returned to students, with feedback, before the last class of the semester.
• Assignment grade counts for 50% of the overall module grade
Please note that to meet an appropriate ‘evidence of reading’ in final year a MINIMUM of 15 academic references must be used. You are now in your final year and reading below this recommended minimum standard will reflect in your marks. Please note that you should endeavour to make your assignment stand out. You must learn to critically analyse academic material.
Written assignment guidance
Please note that key areas of assessment in the written assignment.
Presentation, grammar and spelling (10%)
• Marks will be awarded for a professional presentation style.
• The presentation should be professional – this is a managerial report. It should be acceptable to present to a marketing executive.
• This includes a sound structure. – use section and subsection headings – Index these
• A clear introduction and conclusion / managerial recommendations is key.
• Logic, flow of argument and English language used will also be assessed here.
Referencing (10%)
Use of the appropriate Harvard referencing style.
• See Harvard referencing guide for guidelines – in student handbook
• Turnitin will be used to test scholarship – Please note that Turnitin is available to allow multiple submissions ? this should be used to refine your writing style and prevent you from unconsciously plagiarising.
Knowledge & Understanding (30%) – Identification of definitions and terminology appropriate to marketing management
• This includes relevant definitions, appropriate use of terminology and identification of research themes and issues in the literature.
• A wide range of theory – demonstrating in depth understanding of the topic area
• This is not just about defining theory, but comparing and contrasting various authors and sources of information to derive “best practice”.
• Critical evaluation through synthesis of theory
Application of theory (30%) – Critical evaluation of theory to marketing management
• You should demonstrate evaluation of how your area relates to best practice approaches in marketing management.
• Extra marks are awarded for contextualising this to your chosen organisation – think about the marketing management forces within your chosen industry.
Level of reading (20%) – Engagement with academic literature (20%)
• Application of theory to chosen example is imperative. You are reading for a degree and you must demonstrate an appropriate level of reading (i.e. at least 15 academic sources)
Feedback of how to improve your essay will be provided in the form of a marking grid, alongside some qualitative commentary
Marking GRID – MKT516 – MARKETING MYOPIA