Marketing in Subsistence Marketplaces

Abstract

This article describes the stream of work on subsistence marketplaces and how it expands the marketing discipline in new directions. Unique to this stream of work are the synergies among research, education, and social enterprise. Emerging out of the need to understand consumers and entrepreneurs in the broad range of low income at a micro-level, a bottom-up approach has evolved, as has a symbiotic relationship among research, education, and practice. The article is organized as sections of an overview of the stream, understanding subsistence marketplaces, designing solutions and developing marketing solutions for subsistence marketplaces, and in light of these insights, what marketing can be. The coverage is not exhaustive, despite best efforts. It is important to note many complementary arenas of research, both in and outside business, spanning a variety of disciplines. Given the scope, this bibliography focuses on this stream of work but encourages readers to review work in areas such as development, anthropology, and business (e.g., the “Base of the Pyramid” approach).