In some parts of the world, especially in developing markets, category management today remains a stretch goal - a new idea full of untapped potential. In other areas, the original eight-step process that emerged in the late 1980's forms the foundation of many companies' approach to category management. In still others, particularly in developed countries like the U.S., the U.K., and others, refinements are being made - most of them designed to place consumer understanding front and center.

New ideas are emerging - from "trip management" to "aisle management" to "customer management." Whether a new descriptor emerges to replace "category management" is yet to be seen. Even if that does happen, what won't change is the overall objective - to help retailers and their manufacturer partners succeed by offering the right selection of products that are marketed and merchandised based on a complete understanding of the consumers they are committed to serving.

This book, which explores both the state of and the state-of-the-art in category management, is for everyone with a vested interest in category management. It can serve such a broad audience because category management is about bringing a structured process to how executives "think" and "make decisions" about their businesses, no matter what information and information technology they have access to.

The Principles of Islamic Marketing fills a gap in international business literature covering the aspects and values of Islamic business thought. It provides a framework and practical perspectives for understanding and implementing the Islamic marketing code of conduct. It is not a religious book. The Islamic Economic System is a business model adopted by nearly one fifth of the world's population. Baker Alserhan identifies the features of the Islamic structure of International Marketing practices and ethics. Adherence to such ethical practices elevates the standards of behaviour of traders and consumers alike and creates a value-loaded framework for firms, establishing harmony and meaningful cooperation between international marketers and their Muslim target markets. His book provides a complete guide to the requirements an organization needs to follow when managing its entire marketing function within the Muslim market or when adapting part of its offering to that market. It addresses the challenges facing marketers involved in business activities with and within Islamic communities, the knowledge needs of academic institutions, and the interest of multinationals keen on tapping the huge Islamic markets. Along the way, Baker Alserhan provides insights into the various aspects of promoting to the Islamic markets such as franchising, distribution channels, and retailing practices, branding, positioning, and pricing issues; all within the Muslim legal and cultural norms. Above all, The Principles of Islamic Marketing will lay the foundation of, and advance, Islamic Marketing as a new social science.

Context and Cognition in Consumer Psychology is concerned with the psychological explanation of consumer choice. It pays particular attention to the roles of perception and emotion in accounting for consumers' actions and their interaction with the desires and beliefs in terms of which consumer choice is frequently analyzed. In this engaging book, Gordon Foxall extends and elaborates his theory of consumer action, based on the philosophical strategy of Intentional Behaviorism. In doing so, he introduces the concept of contingency-representation to explore the ways in which consumers mentally represent the consequences of past decisions and the likely outcomes of present consumption. The emphasis is on action rather than behavior and the manner in which the intentional consumer-situation, as the immediate precursor of consumer choice, can be reconstructed in order to explain consumer actions in the absence of the environmental stimuli required by behaviorist psychology. The result is a novel reaffirmation of the role of cognition in the determination of consumer choice. Besides the concept of contingency-representation which the author introduces, the analysis draws upon psychoanalytic concepts, theories of cognitive structure and processing, and the philosophy of perception to generate a stimulating synthesis for consumer research. The book will be of interest to students and researchers in consumer behavior and economic psychology and to all who seek a deeper interdisciplinary understanding of the contextual and cognitive interactions that guide choice in the market place.

This book demonstrates that marketing scholarship has much to contribute to our understanding of consumer vulnerability and potential solutions. It brings to the fore ways in which so-called vulnerable consumers navigate various marketplace and service interactions and develop specific consumer skills in order to empower themselves in such exchanges. It does so by exploring how consumer vulnerability is experienced across a range of different contexts such as poverty and disability, and the potential impact of vulnerability from childhood to old age. Other chapters extend focus from the consumer to the organisational perspective or consider more macro issues such as socio-spatial disadvantages. The fundamental aim of many of the contributors is to produce work that can benefit individual and societal well-being. They draw on various methodological approaches that generate both marketing management and policy-focused implications. A series of commentaries are also included to stimulate critical reflection and new insights into consumer vulnerability. This book was originally published as a special issue of the Journal of Marketing Management.

The key to marketing is understanding and satisfying consumer needs, thus a knowledge of consumer behavior is essential to any organization dealing with customers, users, or clients. This book promises to be a contemporary classic. It brings together an international set of scholars, many of whom are "household names", to examine the diverse approaches to consumer behavior topics. The editors employ a micro to macro structure, dividing each topic into three parts: one reflecting foundational work, one focused on emerging trends, and one covering practical applications. Each part examines the relationship between consumer behaviour and motivation, including well-being, gender, social class, and more, and concludes with practitioner perspectives on the challenges and opportunities that come with understanding customers. Readers will gain insight into how drives that are constantly in flux relate to other aspects of human cognition and behavior, allowing them to reach customers successfully, and to meet their needs. With contributions from leading scholars, including Sidney Levy and Jagdish Sheth, this volume sets the standard as the most comprehensive, cutting-edge resource on the subject of consumer behavior. Students of consumer behaviour and marketing will find this a useful exploration of a fast-moving field, fundamental to the welfare of companies, government, non-profits, and consumers. It will also benefit new and established academic researchers as well as practitioners who want to stay on top of current knowledge.

Maybe you've thought, "Even if I could work 24 hours a day every day for months, I'd never catch up," or "If I could only clone myself--it would be so much better. No one else can do what I do." You find yourself missing deadlines, or worse, unable to respond to new customers, and opportunities are slipping through your fingers. If only sleep were optional! From the outside, everything seems to be going well, but you feel like you're struggling as a leader and need more help. Sleep is NOT optional and just working more hours won't take your company to the next level. Tandem Leadership illustrates these problems and how to solve them through the fictional character of Marcus Kinsey, a newly minted entrepreneur of a fast-growing company. Like many entrepreneurs, Marcus sees an opportunity and creates his own company to seize upon that opportunity. But he doesn't get far before he realizes that his vision and hard work alone won't make his company a success nor give him the life he wants as an owner. Marcus learns about the Tandem Leadership pro-cess and begins to carefully craft the business and personal life he had always hoped to achieve. The "second-in-command" or #2 position, often underrated, is a cornerstone of a company's growth and success. Understanding how to add this key element to your company successfully increases the odds of making the transition from a solopreneur to a true CEO. CEOs: If you are the bottleneck at your company, Tandem Leadership is for you!

The Chinese electricity sector is the largest in the world, covering well over 20% of the world's electricity supply. While many other countries liberalized their electricity systems in the 1990s, thereby creating competitive wholesale and retail electricity markets, China's move towards liberalization has advanced at a slower pace - until now. Following the China State Council's publication of the No. 9 document on 'Deepening Reform of the Power Sector', this book reflects on the ambitious new round of reforms aimed at introducing competitive wholesale electricity markets and incentive regulation for its power grids. Written in collaboration with Hao Chen, Lewis Dale and Chung-Han Yang, this book provides lessons for China's reforms from international experience, combining a detailed review of reforms from around the world with specific application to China and focuses on how the industrial price of electricity is determined in a liberalized power system.

As innovation moves from the lab to the market, a new research phase begins for the entrepreneur: the market research phase. Inspired by a new technology that can change the world, critical questions need to be addressed. Is there a market for my innovation? Who are my clients? What do they need? Is my innovation filling that gap in the market? Who are my competitors? How are they approaching the market? If these questions are unaswered, entrepreneurs meet potential investors or partners with only a basic understanding of their market. The objective of this book is to fill this gap. It is a practical manual that gives entrepreneurs real-world advice and tools to build a solid market model. The book provides tips, models and tools entrepreneurs can use to collect, interpret and present their market and integrate it into their business plan. What the entrepreneur learns in this book will help him throughout his journey. After going over the market research process, he will learn how to design and use a number of market research tools, and how to adapt them in a life science context. From building a web survey to preparing interviews to doing your own secondary research, this handbook will help him gain a comprehensive understanding of how to perform his own market research activities and how to analyze his data. Finally, a number of frameworks (such as the TAM-SAM-SOM as well as the KANO Model) are described so that he can efficiently share what he has learned, using models that simply yet effectively shares findings.

Every marketer knows the stories of Lord Lever and Steve Jobs, has probably read Al Ries and Jack Trout, and seen the works of Bill Bernbach and John Hegarty. What's interesting about these 'Masters of Marketing' is that they are all men. In Katy Mousinho's and Giles Lury's Wonder Women are the stories of some of the women who have had a tremendous influence on the marketing industry, like Brownie Wise, who transformed Tupperware and Mary Wells Lawrence, who founded the advertising agency Wells, Rich, Greene. There are interviews with the co-founder of Dunnhumby, the data behind the Tesco Clubcard - Edwina Dunn OBE, Senior Vice President, Arla Foods Denmark, previously the only female country CEO in Carlsberg - Helle Muller Petersen and many more. Mousinho and Lury pull together the findings, not only to celebrate their success, but to provide insights for the future of marketing and the great marketers, women and men, to come.

Many of the environmental and social problems we face today are symptoms of a deeper systemic failing: a dominant cultural paradigm that encourages living in ways that are often directly counter to the realities of a finite planet. This paradigm, typically referred to as 'consumerism,' has already spread to cultures around the world and has led to consumption levels that are vastly unsustainable. If this pattern spreads further there will be little possibility of solving climate change or other environmental problems that are poised to dramatically disrupt human civilization. It will take a sustained, long-term effort to redirect the traditions, social movements and institutions that shape consumer cultures towards becoming cultures of sustainability. These institutions include schools, the media, businesses and governments. Bringing about a cultural shift that makes living sustainably as 'natural' as a consumer lifestyle is today will not only address urgent crises like climate change, it could also tackle other symptoms like extreme income inequity, obesity and social isolation that are not typically seen as environmental problems. State of the World 2010 paints a picture of what this sustainability culture could look like, and how we can - and already are - making the shift.

Marketing Health Care Into the Twenty-First Century explores recent and anticipated changes and trends--legislative, economic, organizational, clinical, and operational--from a strategic marketing perspective. Author Alan K. Vitberg, a respected consultant in health care marketing, takes an unabashedly strong, direct, and aggressive perspective on these trends, maintaining that a state of war exists in the health care industry--a war that will only increase in fervor and intensity as organizations fight for survival and their share of hundreds of billions of dollars spent in America on health care.According to Marketing Health Care Into the Twenty-First Century, those payers and providers who understand that they're fighting a war and act accordingly stand the best chance of short term survival and long term prosperity. Those who bury their heads in the sand, awaiting the storm of war to blow over, will find themselves prisoners of their inactivity.Marketing Health Care Into the Twenty-First Century succinctly captures and explores issues and trends affecting participants in the battle for consumers'health care dollars, including: the growth of managed care; emerging health care systems; formation of provider networks and other organizational structures; the relationship between risk and product, target market, and organizational options; the emerging clout of primary care; mergers and acquisitions; and shifts in health care dollar flow.Marketing Health Care Into the Twenty-First Century is also one of the first books in the market examining changes being made to Medicare and Medicaid programs and their strategic and tactical implications for health care industry participants.In order to take advantage of these changes and trends, Vitberg moves from the conceptual to the practical by defining and delivering insights into the concept of competitive innovation and its relationship to competitive advantage--hearing, listening, and responding to the voice of the market through meaning brand identification, product differentiation, and intrusive marketing communications that motivate customers to a preferential purchase decision.Anyone in the health care industry--marketing, planning, and development professionals with hospitals, HMOs, PPOs, networks/alliances, insurance companies, and medical groups--is among those who will find Marketing Health Care Into the Twenty-First Century a valuable resource for embracing strategic marketing now and in the near future. The book also serves as informative, stimulating reading for professors and students in graduate level health care administration courses.

The fifth edition of what was formerly know as "The ESOMAR Handbook of Market and Opinion Research" has been completely revised to reflect the latest approaches in the rapidly changing world of professional market research. The new Handbook stands out from earlier editions by explaining the latest research techniques and methodologies within a contemporary business context. Yet it remains an invaluable and practical day to day reference work for the modern market researcher.

Truly international in outlook and approach, the Handbook combines contributions from over 40 research thought leaders and specialists from across the world including the UK, US, Europe, Australia and S.E.Asia.

""The editors and authors make an overdue contribution to bridging the Theory-Practice divide. Their client perspective will delight, inform and inspire market research specialists and users alike."" Prof. Sean Meehan (Switzerland), Martin Hilti Professor of Marketing and Change Management, IMD - International Institute for Management Development

Semiotics is a superpower for marketers. It generates profits for brands. It's a proven, powerful method of uncovering consumer insight and tailoring brand strategies that work. Companies such as Unilever and P&G attest to the success of Lawes semiotics in stimulating innovation and boosting sales. This book makes semiotics accessible. You can do semiotics. All agency-side and client-side marketers can pick up the skills to use and apply semiotics to brands. Using Semiotics in Marketing is an acclaimed how-to guide. It's the only book on semiotics ever published that sets out a complete blueprint for research projects. Clear instructions show how to write briefs and proposals, design projects, conduct analysis, write reports and present research findings. Newly updated, this second edition is packed with even more revelations about brands, consumers and their emerging needs. Three new chapters reveal the unseen social forces that drive the Be Kind movement, public appetite for sincerity and the emotions of younger generations. Start using semiotics today. Position and launch new brands. Rejuvenate established brands. Design products and packaging. Inspire timely and provocative ad campaigns. Innovate. See the future.

Understand the Asian consumer's demands and effective marketing strategies! The emergence of China as a viable consumer market has created tremendous opportunities for international or multinational firms looking for market entry or expansion in China. At the same time, the evolution of the Chinese economy and the increasing heterogeneity of Chinese consumers also pose a great deal of challenges for global marketers trying to assess and evaluate the Chinese market. Consumer Behavior in Asia: Issues and Marketing Practice will help marketers and market researchers understand Asia's consumer market by providing you with a consumer segmentation of China's 1.25 billion population as it explores Asia's cultural values, consumer perceptions, and attitudes. From this book, you will discover everything from perceptions and preferences toward advertising and different consumer goods to the emergence and growth of different upper class sectors. Consumer Behavior in Asia provides you with demographics, psychographics, and life-styles of Asian consumers to assist you in successfully entering the Asian market. Academics and business executives will be able to examine the emergence of the Asian markets and focus on the similarities and differences of Asian consumers with Western counterparts. Consumer Behavior in Asia will enable you to accurately assess market demands and enact effective marketing strategies. With this essential book you will explore several studies that reveal information on Asian consumers, including: marketing strategies for firms to adjust and thrive as fast food providers in Asia market segmentation considerations for rural and urban areas a complete outline of China's population segments, buying preferences, and spending power consumer decisions based on the country-of-brand and brand of product Asian generation X-ers'perceptions toward advertising influences of cultural forces on consumer behavior, such as the importance of gift giving Consumer Behavior in Asia provides you with a complete overview of China's economy and highlights the attractiveness of the growing market. The plethora of business opportunities in China is epitomized by the encouraging words one would say to an ambitious merchant--"Go west, young man--to the East!"

Understanding how consumers choose between different products and services is a crucial part of professional marketing. Targeting brands at the consumers most likely to be interested in them is another critical aspect of business success. Marketers need to know what consumers think about brands, why they like them and what purposes they serve. This means delving into the psychology of the consumer to find ways of differentiating between consumers and matching brands to consumer niches at the level of consumers' relationships with brands. Using psychology to segment consumers has been regarded as a valuable adjunct to standard geo-demographic definitions of market segments. The Psychology and Consumer Profiling in a Digital Age examines how this field of 'psychographics' has evolved, the different approaches to psychological segmentation of consumers, the different ways in which it has been applied in consumer marketing settings, and whether psychographics works. It draws upon research from around the world and incorporates its analysis of the use of psychographics with an examination of major shifts in marketing in a digital and global era.

The concepts, strategic frameworks, and cases in Globalization of Consumer Markets provide managers of global firms with new ideas for growth and keep them current with state-of-the-art global marketing strategies and management tools. With an increased understanding of the structure of today's consumer markets, readers will find they have the key to success and survival in the global marketplace.The contributing authors present managerially oriented chapters, each of which is based on research or practical experience. These are designed to advance the reader's knowledge of the globalizing consumer market. Focused around structure--how consumer markets on a global scale are being shaped--and strategy--successful methods necessary to global competitive marketing and how these strategies work--are the two main themes around which the book is organized.To further enable marketing professionals'success in the global marketplace, Globalization of Consumer Markets details actual strategies, action programs for competitive management, and exemplary cases. There are new ideas from expert marketers on opportunities for growth in the global marketplace and, most importantly, state-of-the-art marketing strategies and management tools. For professional marketers, this book is a must for prosperity in marketing consumer products and services on a global level.This is an ideal book for professional education in marketing of consumer products and services on a global level. Professionals will find a progression of chapters taking them through degree of globalization; market behavior and development; standardization of marketing programs and processes; managerial implications; and extensive references for further study.

We all live in a service-based economy right now, and the role of customers has changed from passive buyers to active value creators. Customers are actively engaged in the value creation process, and customer value creation behavior has become an essential phenomenon. For the competitive advantage of the firm, employees need to change from exclusive service providers to value facilitators. Firms must now change their paradigm from treating customers as mere buyers to engaging customers as value creators. This book sheds insight into the essentiality of understanding customer value creation behavior for enhancing firm performance. This book is also a comprehensive reference critically analyzing the current state of customer value creation behavior. It covers theoretical foundations, measurement, antecedents and consequences of customer value creation behavior, in addition to applications in specific and various contexts. The book also highlights the importance of understanding the dimensional structure of customer value creation behavior for accurate results of empirical research. In addition, the book also examines customer value destruction behavior or dysfunctional customer behavior. This book challenges the conventional belief that handling customer complaints equates with handling dysfunctional customer behavior and provides useful insights for handling employees and customers.

This book presents a collection of articles addressing a range of marketing strategies unique to emerging economies. It describes the component of strategic and tactical marketing, including the marketing mix, segments and targeting, product and market orientation, employing the Internet and social media, penetration and loyalty strategies and innovation, and other strategy issues in the marketing context. In addition, the book focuses on creating, communicating, and delivering customer value to emerging market consumers through diverse marketing strategies, processes, and programs in the context of emerging markets' dynamics, consumer diversity, and competitors. Bringing together contributors from industry and academia to explore key marketing issues prevalent in India and other emerging economies, the book offers a unique and insightful read for a global audience. "This book, edited by Dr. Atanu Adhikari, offers important analytical and managerial insights into consumer behavior, firm strategy, market dynamics and marketing instruments (price, promotion, distribution and product). While marketing and management disciplines have developed useful empirical generalizations, the context is critical. This book does exactly that -- place the generalized results in the context of emerging markets and India. Accordingly, this is a valuable resource for scholars and practitioners." -- Dr. Gurumurthy Kalyanaram, Professor, City University of New York, USA and Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai, India; US Editor, International Journal of Learning and Change; and President, MIT South Asian Alumni Association "This book is a must-read for anyone interested in marketing to less-developed countries. While the focus of the chapters is on India, the lessons learned can be generally applied. The 32 chapters represent comprehensive coverage of nearly every topic related to marketing with many examples. Any manager interested in doing business in emerging markets, Professors who want a better knowledge of these markets, or students who want an excellent reference should acquire this book." -- Dr. Russell S. Winer, William Joyce Professor of Marketing, Stern School of Business, New York University, USA.

- Homes in on the key areas of Marketing Research, making it perfect supplementary reading for any module on the subject. - Takes a step-by-step approach to the full Marketing Research process. - Pedagogical features include an essential summary, discussion questions for use as a teaching resource, and worksheets as supplementary resources for practical planning.

Universal access to information and communication technologies represents an indispensable prerequisite for people with impairments' equal participation in societal life. Despite legal regulations and economic advantages, accessible web sites are rarely implemented in private sector organizations. This book introduces a holistic, managerial approach to identify business impacts of web accessibility in three industry sectors. The findings of this case study research include organizations' experiences with web accessibility implementation and generate a sound basis for management decision recommendations. Moreover, a flexible business model for an Austrian web accessibility quality mark is introduced that facilitates and accelerates a national implementation.

Traditional qualitative interviews typically involve a single subject; interviews of dyads rarely appear outside marketing research and family studies. Experienced qualitative researcher David Morgan's brief guide to dyadic interviewing provides readers with a road map to expand this technique to many other settings. In dyadic interviews, the interaction and co-constructions of the two subjects provide the data for the researcher. Showing the advantages and disadvantages of interviewing two people at once, the first book on this research topic -covers key issues of pair rapport, ethics, confidentiality, and dealing with sensitive topics;-describes the entire process from selecting the participants to the role of the moderator to analyzing results;-uses examples of grad student experiences, physician behavior, substance abuse, services to elderly, and dementia patients to show its many applications.

'A must-read for everyone who cares about driving customer engagement' Eric Ries, author of The Lean Startup 'The most high bandwidth, high octane, and valuable presentation I have ever seen on this subject' Rory Sutherland, vice chairman, Ogilvy & Mather Nir Eyal reveals how successful companies create products people can't put down - and how you can too Why do some products capture our attention while others flop? What makes us engage with certain things out of sheer habit? Is there an underlying pattern to how technologies hook us? Nir Eyal answers these questions (and many more) with the Hook Model - a four-step process that, when embedded into products, subtly encourages customer behaviour. Through consecutive "hook cycles," these products bring people back again and again without depending on costly advertising or aggressive messaging. Hooked is based on Eyal's years of research, consulting, and practical experience. He wrote the book he wished had been available to him as a start-up founder - not abstract theory, but a how-to guide for building better products. Hooked is written for product managers, designers, marketers, start-up founders, and anyone who seeks to understand how products influence our behaviour. Eyal provides readers with practical insights to create user habits that stick; actionable steps for building products people love; and riveting examples from the iPhone to Twitter, Pinterest and the Bible App.

The Routledge Companion to Consumer Behavior Analysis provides a unique and eclectic combination of behavioral, cognitive and environmental perspectives to illuminate the real-world complexities of consumer choice in a marketing-oriented economy. Edited by a leading authority in the field, the contributing authors have created a unique anthology for understanding consumer preference by bringing together the very latest research and thinking in consumer behavior analysis. This comprehensive and innovative volume ranges over a broad multi-disciplinary perspective from economic psychology, behavioral psychology and experimental economics, but its chief focus is on the critical evaluation of consumer choice in the natural settings of affluent, marketing-oriented economies. By focussing on human economic and social choices, which involve social exchange, it explores and reveals the enormous potential of consumer behavior analysis to illuminate the role of modern marketing-oriented business organizations in shaping and responding to consumer choice. This will be of particular interest to academics, researchers and advanced students in marketing, consumer behavior, behavior analysis, social psychology, behavioral economics and behavioral psychology.

This book evaluates African Special Economic Zones from the perspective of learning from China's experiences with such Zones and the impact of Chinese policy and investment on African Zones. Utilising case studies of perceived successful Special Economic Zones in China, the book proposes the Chinese Model of Special Economic Zones as an evaluation and benchmarking tool against which African Special Economic Zones are considered. Applying several case studies on African Special Economic Zones, the book then details the competitiveness of African Special Economic Zones with a specific focus on attracting Chinese investors to these Zones. The economic, social and environmental impact of these zones are appraised. African Nations' efforts, or lack thereof, to enable successful Special Economic Zones are critically analysed. Finally, Special Economic Zones in Africa are compared against the Chinese Model; and an African Model of Special Economic Zones is proposed. Recommendations are presented to both African Nations' leadership and Chinese policymakers and investors as to how these Zones can be improved to enhance competitiveness and the attainment of the Zones' sustainable development objectives.