All marketing actions, whether preceded by formal or informal decision-making processes, are based on what philosophers call “arguments.” An argument is a set of related statements comprising premises and a conclusion. Ideally, premises give an audience good reasons for accepting your argument’s conclusion. In marketing, these “conclusions” are normative decisions about what an organization should do, for example, raise prices by five percent, add a new sales territory or, perhaps, change the marketing communications mix to invest more in digital and less in print. The premises are the rationale behind why the organization should take such actions. Critical Thinking for Marketers: Learn How to Think, Not What to Think provides information and guidelines on not only how to develop good arguments, but also what it means to develop a good argument. For example, the book describes two basic kinds of arguments—deductive and inductive—and how to examine whether such arguments are “good” or not. To do this, the book explains 60 logical fallacies—or errors in reasoning—that marketers should avoid. Additionally, the authors’ several “Think Better” discussions examine how fields such as philosophy, behavioral economics, and marketing theory have informed the principles of critical thinking in marketing.
Introduction to Business covers the scope and sequence of most introductory business courses. The book provides detailed explanations in the context of core themes such as customer satisfaction, ethics, entrepreneurship, global business, and managing change. Introduction to Business includes hundreds of current business examples from a range of industries and geographic locations, which feature a variety of individuals. The outcome is a balanced approach to the theory and application of business concepts, with attention to the knowledge and skills necessary for student success in this course and beyond. This is an adaptation of Introduction to Business by OpenStax. You can access the textbook as pdf for free at openstax.org. Minor editorial changes were made to ensure a better ebook reading experience. Textbook content produced by OpenStax is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Tomorrow's professionals need a practical, customer-centric understanding of marketing's role in business and critical thinking skills to help their organizations succeed. Applied Marketing, 1st Canadian Edition helps students learn practical, modern marketing concepts appropriate for the principles of marketing course by applying them to the latest business scenarios of relatable brands like This Bar Saves Lives and GoPro. This comprehensive yet concise text is co-authored by Professors Rochelle Grayson and Daniel Padgett and practitioner Andrew Loos, and blends current academic theory with an agency-owner perspective to help students get an insider's look at how top businesses operate. With many Canadian specific examples created specifically for this course, students can relate concepts learned in the classroom to marketing topics and events taking place in their backyard.
`I see this book as an important addition to the marketing literature. A weakness in critical approaches to marketing is that they are often not made easily accessible to undergraduate students. Chris Hackley has done a wonderful job in producing a rigorous text that remedies this situation and makes critical perspectives accessible to all′ - Professor Rob Lawson, University of Otago Does marketing really work for organizations, managers and citizens? How can marketing management be studied and practised critically? This key text introduces the essentials of critical thinking within the field of marketing in easy to read and understandable terms. Integrating critical perspectives with the topics of the typical marketing curriculum, Chris Hackley has produced an indispensable supporting text for upper level, undergraduate and postgraduate Marketing courses. A wide range of issues are covered including: - Historical origins and influences in marketing - Introduction to the concepts of Critical Theory - Marketing ‘orientation’ and the marketing ‘mix’ - Critique of marketing principles - Marketing and strategy - The role of research in marketing - Marketing and managerial ideology - Marketing ethics Each chapter includes Chapter Review questions, Case studies reflecting issues in the chapters, along with supporting case questions and reflections, as well as stimulating practical examples.
This second volume of Critical Thinking for Marketers expands your background knowledge of other areas of critical thinking that are making major contributions to both marketing as a social science and marketing as an applied science. Section I, Think Better, provides introductory discussions of - marketing as a science; the difference between correlation and causation; the meaning of what a “concept” is and why it is critical for marketers to develop good concept definitions (e.g., “What is customer satisfaction?”); why the 18th century Scottish philosopher David Hume is relevant to marketers today; and the impact that behavioral economics is having on how marketers do their job. Section II, Cognitive Biases and Their Importance, talks about recent discoveries in cognitive psychology and neuroscience that have relevance to marketers. You’ll learn that marketers need to be aware of their own cognitive biases and irrational thinking processes, which often lead to making bad decisions, and that the retail and business customers we market to are not as rational as we may think and hope they are. Finally, Section III, Conclusions, draws on both Volumes I and II to summarize the book’s primary messages with helpful hints on applying your new tools and making better marketing decisions.
Drive more value from all your marketing and communications channels--together! Demolish your silos and sync all your messaging, strategies, and tactics (really!). Optimize every medium and platform, from iPad and Facebook to TV and direct. This book is a must-read for every senior marketing, communications, and PR decision-maker. It’s not about social media. Or new (or old) media. It’s about results—and there’s only one way to get results. You must finally bite the bullet, tear down your silos, and integrate all your marketing and communications. That’s how you choose the best platforms and messages for each customer. That’s how you make research and metrics work. That’s how you overcome today’s insane levels of complexity and clutter. You’re thinking: Oh, that’s all I need to do? “Just” integrate my whole organization? Are you nuts? No. We’re not. It can be done. This book’s authors have done it. They’ve shown others how to do it. And now they’re going to show you. Step by step. Strategy. Tactics. Research. Metrics. Culture. Social. Mobile. Direct. Broadcast. Print. All of it. With you, the marketing/communications decision-maker, right at the center...right where you belong! Even now, organizational silos prevent most companies from conversing coherently with customers, delivering the right targeted messages, and building real synergies across all their marketing and communications programs. Now, Gini Dietrich and Geoff Livingston show how to finally break down those silos, bridging traditional and newer disciplines to drive more value from all of them. You’ll learn how to create a flexible marketing hub with integrated spokes including sales, PR, advertising, customer service, HR, social media, and the executive team. Then, you’ll learn how to use your hub to speak cohesively with each customer through the tools and platforms that deliver the best results at the lowest cost. Dietrich and Livingston guide you through hands-on strategic planning, illustrating key points with real case studies and offering practical exercises for applying their principles. You’ll learn how to perform baseline analyses of media from iPad apps to radio, optimize resource allocation, change culture to overcome siloed behavior, use measurement to clear away obstacles, and gain more value from every marketing investment you make. Pull it all together--finally! How to successfully integrate your tactics, tools, messages, and teams Better goals, better results: beyond “SMART” to “SMARTER” Specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, time-bound, evaluate, and reevaluate Better listening: stakeholders, customers, and research that works How to make sure you hear what really matters Four powerful ways to market in the round When to go direct, come from above, use the groundswell, or execute flanking maneuvers
International Marketing: Consuming Globally, Thinking Locally has been written for students taking a modular or one semester course in international marketing. In this book, Andrew McAuley examines key aspects of international marketing from the perspective of SMEs (small and medium sized enterprises), as well as MNCs (multinational companies). He includes numerous examples throughout the text that describe the experiences of both SMEs and MNCs. Examples and case studies are provided that illustrate situations faced by marketers in the international marketplace e.g. market entry decisions, international expansion decisions, the use of strategic alliances, dealing with distributors, and issues raised in cross cultural negotiations.
A complete course on the rules of marketing for today’sclimate In this fast-paced, cluttered, and global marketplace, newinfluences are constantly affecting your business. Today'ssophisticated consumers are searching for products that meet anemotional need, have added value, and come with no purchase risk.They want environmentally friendly products, and it’simportant that they buy from businesses that share their corebeliefs. Despite these demands, effective marketing still comesdown to knowledge, empathy, and communication. Kick Ass Businessand Marketing Secrets offers a complete course on business andmarketing, with simple, easily implemented rules for marketingsuccess. The author, “Mr. Marketer” Bob Pritchard, offersexpert guidance to help you thoroughly research and understand yourproduct, market place, and competitors. Delivers step-by-step advice on how to add value to everypurchase Details various communication vehicles and advises on how tochoose the most appropriate vehicle for your campaign Develops critical thinking skills to push you beyond yourcomfort level With so many new sources of market pressure, there’s noroom for poor marketing strategies. Get the new rules formarketing, and stand out from the rest.
Train your brain for better decisions, problem solving, and innovation Think Smarter: Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills is the comprehensive guide to training your brain to do more for you. Written by a critical thinking trainer and coach, the book presents a pragmatic set of tools to apply critical thinking techniques to everyday business issues. Think Smarter is filled with real world examples that demonstrate how the tools work in action, in addition to dozens of practice exercises applicable across industries and functions, Think Smarter is a versatile resource for individuals, managers, students, and corporate training programs. Thinking is the foundation of everything you do, but we rely largely on automatic thinking to process information, often resulting in misunderstandings and errors. Shifting over to critical thinking means thinking purposefully using a framework and toolset, enabling thought processes that lead to better decisions, faster problem solving, and creative innovation. Think Smarter provides clear, actionable steps toward improving your critical thinking skills, plus exercises that clarify complex concepts by putting theory into practice. Features include: A comprehensive critical thinking framework Over twenty-five "tools" to help you think more critically Critical thinking implementation for functions and activities Examples of the real-world use of each tool Learn what questions to ask, how to uncover the real problem to solve, and mistakes to avoid. Recognize assumptions your can rely on versus those without merit, and train your brain to tick through your mental toolbox to arrive at more innovative solutions. Critical thinking is the top skill on the wish list in the business world, and sharpening your ability can have profound affects throughout all facets of life. Think Smarter: Critical Thinking to Improve Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills provides a roadmap to more effective and productive thought.
Combining hard science and marketing practice, Prove It Before You Promote It draws on marketing case studies and scientific evidence to help marketers eliminate bias, emotion, and common cognitive errors in order to make better, evidence-based marketing decisions. This book explodes the most common and costly marketing myths and draws on real, proven science to reveal how people actually behave in the marketplace—and how you can use that to your advantage.
