Managing Marketing in the 21st Century (3rd Edition)

Managing Marketing in the 21st Century is about understanding how to develop market strategy and managing the marketing process. It is not a book that attempts to describe all there is to know about marketing, nor is it filled with glossy pictures. Managing Marketing in the 21st Century focuses on what the prospective manager needs to know. As such, it differs from other senior undergraduate and introductory graduate-level marketing texts. Managing Marketing in the 21st Century takes a position on what are better or worse courses of action for marketers and their organizations. Marketing is an applied field, and we believe that textbook writers should provide guidance for good marketing practice. Also, we focus on the manager, not just the marketer. For readers committed to a career in marketing (and we hope there are many), this book will form a solid foundation as you study marketing further and deeper. But the vast majority of you will not work in marketing departments, and will instead become senior executives, general managers, CFOs, and CEOs. We write for you also because an understanding and appreciation of marketing is central to virtually every important decision that managers make. Because this will be the only marketing course many of you will take, in a sense, this book provides what every general manager and senior executive must know about marketing. Marketing activity lies at the core of leading and managing a business. It provides the focus for interfacing with customers. Marketing is also the source of insight about the market, customers, competitors, and complementers, and the business environment in general.