Published 2023-09-22
Keywords
- Marketing evolution,
- Customer orientation,
- Services marketing,
- Relationship marketing,
- Intangible exchange.
How to Cite
Copyright (c) 2023 Top American Journal of Marketing and Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Abstract
This abstract explores the evolving landscape of marketing, tracing its historical progression from a focus on the distribution of manufactured products to its current paradigm centered around customer orientation and the exchange of intangibles. Beginning with the foundational works of Marshall and Cherington in the early 20th century, which emphasized the functions essential for facilitating goods exchange, we delve into the pivotal shift that occurred in the 1950s. During this period, marketing scholars, such as Drucker and Levitt, introduced a decision-making approach that placed the customer at the forefront. This transformation was underpinned by the functional school of thought, rooted in the standard economic model.
As we move into the 1980s, a new wave of marketing concepts emerged, including relationship marketing, quality management, market orientation, value chain management, resource allocation, and network configurations. These developments marked a departure from traditional product marketing, giving rise to services marketing, as articulated by Shostack in 1977. By the 1990s, a growing recognition emerged that marketing was not merely about product promotion but, rather, an innovative and adaptive force seeking to align customer needs with organizational offerings. Scholars like Day and Montgomery championed this perspective, calling for a shift away from the dominant logic of tangible goods exchange.
In the quest for a more comprehensive understanding of modern marketing, Vargo and Lusch (2004a) advocated for an expanded dominant logic that encompassed the exchange of intangibles, specialized skills, knowledge, and processes. This paradigm shift ushered in a universal service and customer-centered view of the exchange process, as exemplified by Gummesson's seminal work in 1995.
This abstract illuminates the historical trajectory of marketing's evolution, emphasizing the progression from a product-centric to a customer-centric paradigm. It highlights the critical milestones and shifts in thought that have shaped contemporary marketing practices. Understanding this journey is essential for marketers and scholars seeking to navigate the complex landscape of consumer-focused marketing strategies.
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