Preoccupation with the tactical workings of the marketing mix led to neglect of long term product development, so “Strategic Marketing” was born. The focus was shifted from knowing everything about the customer, to knowing the customer in a context which includes the competition, government policy and regulations, and the broader economic, social and political macro forces that shape the evolution of markets. In global marketing terms this means forging alliances (relationships) or developing networks, working closely with home country government officials and industry competitors to gain access to a target market. Also the marketing objective has changed from one of satisfying organisational objectives to one of “stakeholder” benefits - including employees, society, government and so on. Profit is still essential but not an end in itself.
• Strategic marketing according to Wensley (1982) has been defined as: “Initiating, negotiating and managing
acceptable exchange relationships with key interest groups or constituencies, in the pursuit of sustainable
competitive advantage within specific markets, on the basis of long run consumer, channel and other stakeholder
franchise”.
• Whether one takes the definition of “marketing” or “strategic marketing”, “marketing” must still be regarded as
both a philosophy and a set of functional activities. As a philosophy embracing customer value (or satisfaction),
planning and organising activities to meet individual and organisational objectives, marketing must be internalised
by all members of an organisation, because without satisfied customers the organisation will eventually die. As a
set of operational activities, marketing embraces selling, advertising, transporting, market research and product
development activities to name but a few. It is important to note that marketing is not just a philosophy or one
or some of the operational activities. It is both.
• In planning for marketing, the organisation has to basically decide what it is going to sell, to which target market
and with what marketing mix (product, place, promotion, price and people). Although these tenets of marketing
planning must apply anywhere, when marketing across national boundaries, the difference between domestic
and international marketing lies almost entirely in the differences in national environments within which the
global programme is conducted and the differences in the organisation and programmes of a firm operating
simultaneously in different national markets.
