About the Book

Marketing Strategy: The Thinking Involved is an innovative text that promotes the idea that effective marketing thinking leads to successful marketing strategy. The book's theories go beyond simply introducing the reader to concepts in the field by providing tools and methods to develop marketing thinking and questioning skills that will help with application of real-life marketing strategies. As the chapters progress, the thinking/questioning develops toward higher levels and more specialized inquiry, helping readers acquire the skills needed in the practice of marketing. The book's timely focus on developing thinking agility leading to strategic agility provides the necessary skills for navigating businesses in today's dynamic markets. The book contains a wealth of pedagogy to support this active learning approach.

Table of Contents:
Preface The Difference - Becoming a Marketing Strategist Decompression Exercises - Preparing the Way for Thinking The Marketing Terrain Coverage I. The Role Marketing Thinking Plays in Strategy 1. Marketing Thinking Chapter Introduction Marketing Thinking Marketing Thinking and Effective Strategy Marketing Thinking: 4-Dimensional Spherical (4-DS) Thinking Learning to Think in a Marketing Way Summary 2. Learning to Think in a Marketing Way Chapter Introduction The Process of Appropriation Marketing Thinking in Practice: Shifting Times - The Muji Experience Marketing Thinking in Practice: Taking the Sleeping Business to a New Level - Sleep Squad Comes to You Strategy as a Question Obstacles to Marketing Thinking Summary II. Thinking Through the Marketing Process 3. The Big Questions: Assessing the Situation Chapter Introduction The Significance of the Situation Assessment to Strategy Questioning Techniques Applied to the Situation Assessment Thinking about the Five Forces Model Strategy Canvas and the Four Actions Framework Other Related Considerations - Changes in Information Summary Case: JetBlue - Customers Matter 4. Thinking Further about Marketplace Structure and Strategy Chapter Introduction Market Structure Orientations Who is Segmenting the Market - the Marketer or the Consumer? Traditional Marketing Logics and Their Sequential Role to Developing Strategy The Problems of Not Recognizing the Position of the Questions Being Considered (Up- vs. Down-Stream Marketing Questions) Segmentation Questions Positioning Questions Issues with the SPOT Marketing Perspective Self-Selection Segmenting Questions Marketing Thinking in Practice - Predictive Analytics Summary Case: Red Bull - What Does the Future Hold? 5. Thinking Through Difference - The Nature of the Marketplace and Consumption Chapter Introduction A Difference Perspective of the Marketplace Marketing Thinking in Practice - The Global Crisis Difference Perspective of Consumers From a Difference Perspective - The Role of Strategy Marketing Thinking in Practice - Nestle Marketing Thinking in Practice - Strategic Collaboration Options Summary Case: Apple, Inc. - The Need to be Different 6. Thinking through the Marketing Mix Chapter Introduction Marketing Mixes Marketing Thinking in Practice - Barnes & Noble′s E-Commerce Issues with the Marketing Mix Concept Marketing Thinking in Practice - Collaborative Marketing Alternative Views to Consider Thinking Strategies to Maneuver Around the Concept Obstacle Summary Case: Ally Bank - The Bank that Wants to be Your "Trusted" Friend 7. Co-creating Meaningful Differences with Products and Services Chapter Introduction The Meaning Generation Process - Creating Differences Transitional Thinking - From Quality to Innovation and Beyond Creating Value through Prices Marketing Thinking in Practice - How Online Brand Communitiies Work Strategy Considerations Summary Case: In-N-Out Burger - Keeping it Simple 8. Co-creating (Co-marketing) Meaningful Differences with Marketing Communications Chapter Introduction Traditional vs. Contemporary Forms of Marketing Communications An Alternative to the Persuasive Orientation Co-marketing Communication Strategies Marketing Thinking in Practice - Ford Fiesta Summary Case: Alessi - Open Innovation 9. The Changing Customer Interface Landscape Chapter Introduction Re-thinking the Front Office Marketing Thinking in Practice - The Service Interface Customer Interface Changing Technology Co-marketing: Co-creating an Experience Creating "Value" - An Expanding View The Consumer Experience - Strategy Considerations Summary Case: The Four Seasons Hotel & Resorts: Getting it Right 10. Thinking Beyond Logistics Chapter Introduction Thinking through the Channel Concept Marketing Thinking in Practice: The Value Chain Forms of Collaborative Distribution Summary Case: Zara Retailing - What′s on the Shelf Today? 11. The Question of Price Chapter Introduction The Origins of Price The Strategy Role of Price Marketing Thinking in Practice - Raise Your Prices! Price Determination Summary Panera Bread Company - Believing in Reciprocity III. Reflective vs. Forward-Looking Sides of Marketing Thinking 12. Assessment vs. Navigating Strategy - Using Metrics Chapter Introduction The Backward-Looking Perspective and Rear-View Metrics Marketing Thinking in Practice: Rear-View Metrics The Balanced Scorecard Perspective The Forward-Looking Perspective and Metrics Differences between Assessment and Navigating Summary Case: Best Buy - Looking Forward - A New Way IV. Thinking Organization 13. Cultivating a Thinking Culture Chapter Introduction Organizational Cultures Barriers to Organizational Thinking Marketing Thinking in Practice: Creativity is the New Style in Leadership! Characteristics of Thinking Organization Summary Case: Google, Inc. - Seeking the Fun in Innovation