Marketing: In search of a competitive role model

Abstract

Over the last 25 years marketing has developed into a sophisticated discipline with a highly skilled set of practitioners. Why is it then that success in the marketplace is no more guaranteed today than it was a quarter century ago? This paper examines the possible reasons and also a solution to the question which combines the value of intuition and experience with the power of quantitative analysis. The author sets out the merits of two competitive role models—team sports and war—and analyses their relative applicability to marketing strategy formulation.