MARKETING

Marketing Strategy of the Future

Executive Summary

Understanding before acting is an essential and vital part of effective marketing. Moreover, in order to ensure that any designed marketing technique and strategy is effective and useful; it is entirely necessary that the current scenarios be understood, future prospective actions be forecasted and understood; and strategies be designed. This paper provides a detailed view into the contemporary marketing issues with reference to the social marketing point of view. Moreover, after highlighting the focal idea or theme, explanation is provided with reference to actual scenarios and theoretical discussion.

Marketing Strategy of the Future

Focal Idea or Theme

When it comes to Socially Responsible Marketing, a number of marketing issues exist which are worth highlighting. Theoretically speaking, Social Marketing refers to the usage of marketing mix and methods for solving social issues (McKenzie-Mohr, 2011, p. 35). Where the definition sounds extremely responsible and ethical to hear, a number of marketing issues come forward for companies which try to use Social Marketing in negative and wrong ways (Lee & Kotler, 2011, p. 7). The following issues with reference to the contemporary marketing issues are worth highlighting:

Ethical Blackmailing

Usage of ethical blackmailing towards customers is a known social marketing issue (Jain & Aruna, 2012, p. p. 2). For instance, many companies highlight that by buying their products, the customers could contribute in a social cause as a chunk of the revenues would be spent for social works. Where many companies actually do so, others cheat customers leading into brand devaluation instead of brand development (Collins, Spotswood & Manning, 2012, p. 4).

Unethical and Socially Non-Friendly Marketing Techniques

Another contemporary marketing issue is the usage of unethical and socially non-friendly marketing techniques in underdeveloped or third world countries. For instance, major conspiracies have taken place in the past against Nestle for promoting artificial and powdered milk for children while demoting the usage of mother's natural milk. Such activities have actually given more loss to the brand value than value addition (Boyd, 2012, p. 288).

Subliminal Marketing

Many international and famous brands use Subliminal Marketing to promote their products. Subliminal Marketing refers to preparing a promotional package where a hidden message is delivered at the level of customer's perceptual threshold (Shrum, 2012, p. 102). Where subliminal marketing has proved itself to be quite successful in the past, it poses serious questions regarding the social responsibility of brands as the customers are caught off-guard.

Proposed Focal Idea

Looking at the above mentioned issues, it can be highlighted that socially responsible marketing is indeed an important part of today's marketing campaigns. Moreover, different organizations are actually losing value because of either not using social marketing at all; or using it in a wrong way for a wrong purpose. In order to make the situation better for marketers, the following ideas are worth highlighting and proposing:

Marketing Campaigns should only be launched after approval by the regulatory agency of the target market nation.

Customers should be given the top priority instead of revenue maximization. Undoubtedly getting maximum revenues is an important aspect of marketing but the ...