Marketing Strategy

Mark E. Hill is an Associate Professor of Marketing at Montclair State University with more than 20 years of academic and professional experience. He has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in Marketing Strategy, Marketing Research, and Consumer Behavior, and has published numerous articles on subjects related to marketing thinking. In 2006, he was honored with the Best Article for 2001 award by the journal of Marketing Education Review on “Teaching and Effectiveness: Another Look,” at the 2006 Society for Marketing Advances Annual Conference. While Dr. Hill’s research provides the academic foundation of Marketing Strategy: The Thinking Involved, it is a culmination of his years of teaching, observing students, and listening to what employers are looking for from graduating marketing students that led to his interest in developing a different approach to teaching marketing. He received his Doctorate degree in Marketing from Southern Illinois University and has an MBA and a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. Prior to his academic career, Dr. Hill worked as an Aerospace Engineer for General Electric, a Technical Manager for American Airlines, and a Marketing Representative for Unison Industries. He has been a consultant to companies across the United States, providing services in the areas of marketing research and marketing strategy.

“The unique feature of this textbook is that it blends traditional marketing thinking and the emerging theme of thinking in marketing. It is an awesome marketing textbook.”

• PrefaceThe Difference - Becoming a Marketing StrategistDecompression Exercises - Preparing the Way for ThinkingThe Marketing Terrain CoverageI. The Role Marketing Thinking Plays in Strategy1. Marketing ThinkingChapter IntroductionMarketing ThinkingMarketing Thinking and Effective StrategyMarketing Thinking: 4-Dimensional Spherical (4-DS) ThinkingLearning to Think in a Marketing WaySummary2. Learning to Think in a Marketing WayChapter IntroductionThe Process of AppropriationMarketing Thinking in Practice: Shifting Times - The Muji ExperienceMarketing Thinking in Practice: Taking the Sleeping Business to a New Level - Sleep Squad Comes to YouStrategy as a QuestionObstacles to Marketing ThinkingSummaryII. Thinking Through the Marketing Process3. The Big Questions: Assessing the SituationChapter IntroductionThe Significance of the Situation Assessment to StrategyQuestioning Techniques Applied to the Situation AssessmentThinking about the Five Forces ModelStrategy Canvas and the Four Actions FrameworkOther Related Considerations - Changes in InformationSummaryCase: JetBlue - Customers Matter4. Thinking Further about Marketplace Structure and StrategyChapter IntroductionMarket Structure OrientationsWho is Segmenting the Market - the Marketer or the Consumer?Traditional Marketing Logics and Their Sequential Role to Developing StrategyThe Problems of Not Recognizing the Position of the Questions Being Considered (Up- vs. Down-Stream Marketing Questions)Segmentation QuestionsPositioning QuestionsIssues with the SPOT Marketing PerspectiveSelf-Selection Segmenting QuestionsMarketing Thinking in Practice - Predictive AnalyticsSummaryCase: Red Bull - What Does the Future Hold?5. Thinking Through Difference - The Nature of the Marketplace and ConsumptionChapter IntroductionA Difference Perspective of the MarketplaceMarketing Thinking in Practice - The Global CrisisDifference Perspective of ConsumersFrom a Difference Perspective - The Role of StrategyMarketing Thinking in Practice - NestleMarketing Thinking in Practice - Strategic Collaboration OptionsSummaryCase: Apple, Inc. - The Need to be Different6. Thinking through the Marketing MixChapter IntroductionMarketing MixesMarketing Thinking in Practice - Barnes & Noble′s E-CommerceIssues with the Marketing Mix ConceptMarketing Thinking in Practice - Collaborative MarketingAlternative Views to ConsiderThinking Strategies to Maneuver Around the Concept ObstacleSummaryCase: Ally Bank - The Bank that Wants to be Your "Trusted" Friend7. Co-creating Meaningful Differences with Products and ServicesChapter IntroductionThe Meaning Generation Process - Creating DifferencesTransitional Thinking - From Quality to Innovation and BeyondCreating Value through PricesMarketing Thinking in Practice - How Online Brand Communitiies WorkStrategy ConsiderationsSummaryCase: In-N-Out Burger - Keeping it Simple8. Co-creating (Co-marketing) Meaningful Differences with Marketing CommunicationsChapter IntroductionTraditional vs. Contemporary Forms of Marketing CommunicationsAn Alternative to the Persuasive OrientationCo-marketing Communication StrategiesMarketing Thinking in Practice - Ford FiestaSummaryCase: Alessi - Open Innovation9. The Changing Customer Interface LandscapeChapter IntroductionRe-thinking the Front OfficeMarketing Thinking in Practice - The Service InterfaceCustomer Interface Changing TechnologyCo-marketing: Co-creating an ExperienceCreating "Value" - An Expanding ViewThe Consumer Experience - Strategy ConsiderationsSummaryCase: The Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts: Getting it Right10. Thinking Beyond LogisticsChapter IntroductionThinking through the Channel ConceptMarketing Thinking in Practice: The Value ChainForms of Collaborative DistributionSummaryCase: Zara Retailing - What′s on the Shelf Today?11. The Question of PriceChapter IntroductionThe Origins of PriceThe Strategy Role of PriceMarketing Thinking in Practice - Raise Your Prices!Price DeterminationSummaryPanera Bread Company - Believing in ReciprocityIII. Reflective vs. Forward-Looking Sides of Marketing Thinking12. Assessment vs. Navigating Strategy - Using MetricsChapter IntroductionThe Backward-Looking Perspective and Rear-View MetricsMarketing Thinking in Practice: Rear-View MetricsThe Balanced Scorecard PerspectiveThe Forward-Looking Perspective and MetricsDifferences between Assessment and NavigatingSummaryCase: Best Buy - Looking Forward - A New WayIV. Thinking Organization13. Cultivating a Thinking CultureChapter IntroductionOrganizational CulturesBarriers to Organizational ThinkingMarketing Thinking in Practice: Creativity is the New Style in Leadership!Characteristics of Thinking OrganizationSummaryCase: Google, Inc. - Seeking the Fun in Innovation