tailieunhanh - Marketing's Domain: A Critical Review of the Development of the Marketing Concept

Using these examples and broadened conceptual boundaries, the authors proudly proclaimed that, "marketing has taken a new lease on life and tied its economic activity to a higher social purpose" (Kotler & Levy 1969, p15). One eminent marketing academic was quick to attempt to temper such ambitious claims. He was concerned that when views were propounded by such prominent authors as Kot ler and Levy their uncritical acceptance seemed likely, so contrary opinions needed a vigorous voice (Luck 1969). Luck's contention was that whilst Kotler and Levy were implicitly asking for a redefinition of marketing, they did not explicitly offer. | Marketing Bulletin 1993 4 1-11 Article 1 Marketing s Domain A Critical Review of the Development of the Marketing Concept Peter Graham The development of the marketing concept is critically reviewed. Marketing as a discipline is traced from its origins as a business activity to its contemporary position as a generic activity applying to all types of organisations and exchange transactions. In such a broadened domain the centrality of the customer is questioned as is the nature and extent of the exchange process that takes place. The paper concludes that if the problems addressed by marketing are so universal if the discipline is now to be seen as so generic then it may well lose its separate identity. Keywords marketing concept review definitions exchange Introduction This paper begins with looking to changes in the definition of marketing. It traces marketing s expansion from a discipline concerned with business transactions in an economic market place through a discipline concerned with any organisation that can be said to have customers to a discipline concerned with all organisations in their relationships with all their publics not just their customers. Difficulties with this broadened domain of marketing are then reviewed with particular emphasis on the nature and extent of the exchange process which is implicit in the broadened concept of the discipline. Definitions of Marketing The modern shape of marketing has the exchange process and the transactions that make up that process as its focus Alderson 1957 p5 Bagozzi 1975 p39 Kotler 1984 p4 . Kotler states that exchange is the defining concept underlying marketing. He defines exchange as the art of obtaining a desired product from someone by offering something in return 1988 p6 . For exchange to take place Kotler believes five conditions must be satisfied - 1. There are at least two parties 2. Each party has something that might be of value to the other party 3. Each party is capable of communication and .