A new look at marketing intelligence : contemporary views and directions for future research

Abstract

The marketing concept, one of the most enduring concepts in marketing theory, states that satisfying customer needs will lead to the attainment of organisational goals, such as profitability. The marketing concept can be described as “planning and coordinating all company activities around the primary goal of satisfying customer needs [as] the most effective means to attain and sustain competitive advantage and achieve company objectives over time.” (Walker. Mullins, Boyd & Larréché 2006: 12). There is strong theoretical support for the notion that market orientation is how the marketing concept manifests itself in the organisation, and strong evidence that it leads to superior performance, financially and otherwise (Shoham, Rose & Kropp, 2005). Market orientation is highly dependent on the generation and dissemination of marketing intelligence to marketing decision-makers and influencers, and responses by decision-makers to marketing intelligence. There is a strong theoretical basis for the positive link between marketing intelligence and tactical and strategic marketing decision making. For example, studies have found a positive relationship between marketing intelligence systems and several categories of marketing decision making (Lackman, Saban and Lanasa, 2000). Therefore, perhaps more than any other organisational function, marketing is dependent on the availability of information from the external and internal environment to ensure that customers’ needs are met profitably. The rise of globalisation and global marketing, increasing focus on customer needs and the trend towards non-price competition in an experience economy provide further impetus to the need for marketing information.