Marketing strategy is an academic concept and methodological framework investigating how organizations systematically analyze markets, allocate resources, and coordinate marketing activities over time to achieve defined goals and secure competitive advantage.
Ontological type
Formulation Process
Theoretical Foundations
Implementation
Marketing as Strategic Core
1976 - 1992
Service-Dominant Relationship Marketing
1993 - 2006
Value-Centric Engagement Marketing
2007 - 2023
Marketing as Strategic Core era
Frederick E. Webster [1] of Dartmouth College [3] embodies the Marketing as Strategic Core era. His keynote contribution is The Changing Role of Marketing in the Corporation [6], a 1992 work that reframed marketing as a strategic, organization-wide driver integral to corporate planning. Shelby D. Hunt [2] of University of Wisconsin–Madison [4] and Texas Tech University [5] anchors the era's theory-building. His influential papers—The Nature and Scope of Marketing [7], Marketing Theory: Conceptual Foundations of Research in Marketing [9], and Marketing Theory: The Philosophy of Marketing Science [8]—formed a rigorous, theory-driven platform for marketing research and measurement in this era.
Service-Dominant Relationship Marketing era
Robert F. Lusch [1], associated with the University of Wisconsin–Madison [3] and the University of Maryland, College Park [4], helped shape relationship marketing during this era. In the 2004 paper 'Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing' [6], Lusch [1] argued for a shift from goods-centered to service-centered value creation and emphasized customer involvement as a central source of competitive advantage. Stephen L. Vargo [2], associated with the University of Hawaii System [5] and the University of Maryland, College Park [4], contributed to this era's shift in marketing thought. Vargo [2] co-authored the 2004 paper 'Evolving to a New Dominant Logic for Marketing' [6], arguing for the primacy of service-centered value creation and customer involvement, a cornerstone for networked and relationship marketing in this era.
Value-Centric Engagement Marketing era
Leyland Pitt [1], associated with Boston University [3] and Cardiff University [4] during this era, is a leading figure in value-centric marketing. His 2012 paper Marketing meets Web 2.0, social media, and creative consumers: Implications for international marketing strategy [5] illustrates how digital platforms enable co-creation, multi-channel engagement, and data-driven insights—core moves for value-centric engagement in this era. Pierre Berthon [2], likewise linked to Boston University [3] and Cardiff University [4], contributes to the theoretical mapping of marketing knowledge in this era. His 2007 paper Analysing 'theory networks': identifying the pivotal theories in marketing and their characteristics [6], together with the 2012 paper [5], helps establish a framework for theory-driven marketing strategy that supports rigorous measurement and sustained engagement.