A Theory of Marketing Outline of a Social Systems Perspective
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Marius Lüdicke
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A Theory of Marketing Outline of a Social Systems Perspective
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DUV Deutscher Universitäts-Verlag
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9783835091313
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1
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CHF 50.50
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Werbung, Marketing
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English
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191
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Wasserzeichen/DRM
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Marius Lüdicke documents and explains the largely abandoned scholarly ambition to develop a general theory of marketing. Drawing on Luhmannian social systems theory the author proposes a fundamentally different comprehensive concept of marketing that fulfills foundational scholarly and managerial requirements in an unprecedented way.
Dr. Marius Lüdicke promovierte bei Prof. Dr. Beat F. Schmid am Institut für Medien- und Kommunikationsmanagement an der Universität St. Gallen.
1 Introduction
(p. 1)
"Marketing is everything and everything is marketing."
(McKenna 1991, p. 68)
At the beginning of the 21" century, corporate marketing is contributing to the evolution of business societies more than ever. Global corporations satisfy, enchant, bore, and annoy societies with an overwhelming abundance of products, services, promises, life-styles, and trademarks. The world religions have lost the privilege of being the best-known social institutions as the Coca-Cola brand, now recognized by 89% of the worlds population (Businessweek 2004), has taken over that coveted title. The marketing departments of the corporate world inspire demands that exceed the basic needs of most people and create potential for more production, more consumption, more money, and higher average wealth. One key to this development is the branding of products, which allows marketers to both create and reduce the complexity of offers and the consumption of an unprecedented abundance of outputs.
Along with overwhelming societal success, the practically inescapable influence of marketing messages also cultivates an oppositional side, as citizens blame corporations for exploiting nature, labor, and human weaknesses. Recent reports on excessive use and misuse of human and natural resources, driven by excessive consumption within the smaller part of the world, inspired"social noise" against global brands (Klein 1999) and corporations (Achbar, Abbott and Bakan 2003), and made some wish they could escape the ubiquitous markets (Kozinets 2002). Consequently, business schools around the world developed curricula and student initiatives to advertise and focus on the importance of social, economic, and environmental sustainability.
At this point in time, in which marketing is both beloved and blamed for its societal success, the ancient and abandoned theory of marketing project returns. Approached with novel conceptual means, it may elicit what marketing is, why it is so successful, how it can be stopped, and how it can be enhanced. By unveiling the social fabric of marketing, a general theory may also answer whether McKenna is right when he purports that"marketing is everything and everything is marketing" (see introductory quote).
The following chapters outline such a theory of marketing in an attempt to answer the questions above and many others. The novel conceptual means being used are the constructs of Luhmannian social systems theory (Luhmann 1995).
1.1 Overview
This dissertation documents an attempt to rethink one of the most exciting socio-economic phenomena of the emerging 21 century: the concept and reality of marketing. As marketing is a world of its own, which it takes at least a decade of reading and practice to travel across, it is important to mention what this thesis is not going to deliver. This study does not intend to rewrite any of the innumerable theories in marketing, nor is it a fast practical guide on how to sell more at lower costs. It is not a basis for another marketing hype, nor a suitable asset when opening a consulting agency. And, it is not another attempt to revitalize a longforgotten 30-year-old business idea in the new costume of marketing.
Foreword
6
Preface
8
Abstract
10
Contents
12
Figures
16
1 Introduction
17
1.1 Overview
18
1.2 What is Marketing?
19
1.3 What is the Dilemma and Why Should it be Addressed?
22
1.4 How Can these Challenges be Approached?
27
1.5 What Shall be Expected of a Theory of Marketing and this Thesis?
29
2 Theory
33
2.1 Marketing
33
2.2 Branding
42
2.3 Sociology
45
2.3.1 The Social, Systems, and Marketing
46
2.3.2 Sociological Theory
47
2.3.3 Social Systems Theory
49
2.3.4 Economic Systems
58
2.4 Summary
65
3 Critique
67
3.1 Exchange
67
3.1.1 Organizational Issues
69
3.1.2 Functional Issues
70
3.1.3 Communicationai Issues
71
3.1.4 Observational Issues
72
3.1.5 Individual Issues
74
3.1.6 Managerial Issues
75
3.2 Change
76
3.3 Reflection
81
3.4 Summary
82
4 Methods
85
5 Marketing as a Social System
91
5.1 Introduction
91
5.1.1 Emergence
93
5.1.2 Historical Background
93
5.1.3 Over-Complexity
93
5.1.4 Advertising and Brands
94
5.1.5 Institutionalization
96
5.1.6 Reflection
97
5.2 General Properties
99
5.2.1 Brands and Brand Systems
100
5.2.2 Communication
103
5.2.3 Codes
104
5.2.4 Programs
108
5.2.5 Media
113
5.2.6 Not For Profit
114
5.2.7 System and Environment
115
5.2.8 Open- and Closeness
117
5.3 Communication
118
5.3.1 Observation and Information
120
5.3.2 Messages
129
5.3.3 Understanding
140
5.4 Evolution
145
5.4.1 Evolution of Marketing Systems
146
5.4.2 Evolution in Marketing Systems
148
5.5 Differentiation
151
5.5.1 Marketing Systems in Organizations
152
5.5.2 Marketing Systems and Society
158
6 Discussion
163
6.1 Theoretical Implications
164
6.2 Practical Implications
169
6.2.1 Function
170
6.2.2 Organization
171
6.2.3 Management Models
174
7 Conclusions
177
Appendix
183
Steps towards a theory of marketing
183
References
187
