Prasanth Venugopal

(51554643)
(1977 words)

BU5553 Strategic Marketing Individual

Assignment
In our ever-changing society, the role of individuals are shifting as we
move progressively from a modernist to post-modernist era. With maturation of
the modernist concept, businesses find themselves more similar than ever in
areas such as customer orientated objectives, application of marketing strategy
and techniques and even functionality of goods and services (Brown, 2004).
Coupled with rising expectations, post-modern consumers are becoming the
focal point in the world of business (Berner, Tonder, 2003). Present consumers
play an indirect yet influential role in marketing by generating value through
consumption (Manolis, Meamber, Winsor, Brooks, 2001), which has a far
reaching implications on marketing management.
Advancement in mobile technologies together with the prevalent use of
internet has created a more connected world filled with abundance of
information. Well informed customers are turning into sophisticated
consumers who are well versed in the modernist concept of marketing strategy
(Brown, 2004). As a result, they no longer stay at the receiving end of marketing
execution but seek to challenge and unveil the truth behind various marketing
approaches (Maclaran, 2009). Post- modernism believes that truth is
constructed by a closed community with a common intention of imposing their
own ideologies on others in order to control them (Singh, 2011). This creates the
desire from individuals to counter-react by voicing their opinions and
assessments of the goods and facilities consumed. With the ease of
communication in our current landscape, this gave rise to countless reviewer
websites / mobile applications. One common example is Trip Advisor which
provides a platform for travelers to share their honest feedback and experiences
ranging from holiday destinations to restaurants and accommodations. It is with
no doubt that as the world becomes more integrated, consumer-to-consumer
exchange and interaction will increase. This means that in our current context,
consumers are definitely gaining more control than ever.
In a modernist marketing view, segmentation assumes behavioral
consistency (Firat, Dholakia, Venkatesh, 1994) and is useful for strategic
marketing planning, targeting and positioning (Dibb, Simkin, Pride, Ferrell,
2012). In the automotive industry, Mercedes Benz has always been known to
serve middle aged group with middle to high income and a preference for
comfort while BMW targets the younger generation whom may be new to the
luxury car market and is looking for something sporty. However times are
changing with the introduction of the agile-looking and youthful CLA class as
Mercedes strives to cater to a younger demographic of drivers (Zoeller, 2014).
This can be explained by post-modern view on fragmentation whereby
consumers become less predictable. They no longer conform to a set of guiding
rules or principles that categorise them with people of similar traits (Firat,
Dholakia, Venkatesh, 1994). A young executive can choose to shop for a

Mercedes and not BMW because he/she yearns for both a comfortable yet
attractive ride.
Fragmentation also happens at the self-level whereby individuals display
conflicting behaviors (Firat,
Dholakia, Venkatesh, 1994). Gone are the days whereby buyers looking for a
sporty ride will
purchase coupes/convertibles while buyers seeking space and comfort will go for
sedans/hatchbacks. Instead, drivers demand the practicality of a sedan while
yearning for a sleek coupe design hence driving German car manufacturers to
launch new variants such as a four-door coupe. The growing variation of car body
types is a definite example of the rising impact of individuals stemming from
fragmentation.

As we move from a modern to post-modern era, our demand has changed

from goods and services to identity and lifestyle (Singh, 2011). The increasing
product and service uniformity has also made it more difficult to achieve
functionality differentiation as organisations complete closer with one another
(Brown, 2004). This brings about the notion of identity creation that puts the
consumers at the forefront of driving consumption. Identity does not come from
organisations but originates from consumers themselves, and is a way of
expressing their personal beliefs and experiences. As mentioned by Hamouda
and Gharbi (2013), postmodernism embraces openness and tolerance,
presenteeism, acceptance of disorder and chaos and importance of style and
form. All these points to the suggestion that conditions of post-modernism, such
as hyper-reality, fragmentation and etc, directly influence the identity
construction process. Having worked for three and a half years in the
controversial tobacco industry, whereby mainstream advertising is almost nonexistent, identities are still being created across the various cigarette brands.
Brands such as Vogue and Virginia Slims are associated with the modern female
smokers while Lucky Strike and Marlboro have connections with fashionable and
younger smokers. The role of consumer is more important as we transform
ourselves into a virtual marketplace buying and selling identity.
By creating identity, consumers are also creating demand for goods and
services. This is marked by the phenomenal reversal of production and
consumption whereby modernism focuses on production while postmodernism revolves around consumption (Firat, Venkatesh, 1995).
Contrary to modernism perspective that production creates value and
consumption depletes value, value creation is driven mainly from consumption in
the post-modernist world. Consumers are now situated at the start of the value
chain as they assume the role of producers too (Firat, Dholakia, Venkatesh,
1994). Customers choice of goods and services depends on their personal
experience and preference hence purchasing is dependent very much on
consuming. In materialistic societies, the sale of luxury goods relies heavily on
the need to create an identity of importance and symbol of recognition. Young
ladies who have just started working are splurging their pay-checks on Chanels
and Pradas to project an image of highly successful young executives. The
possession of luxury goods is a mean to express themselves and their feelings
through self-deception or impression management (Hamouda, Gharbi, 2013).
The purchasing patterns of consumers originating from such behaviors is
becoming the main driving force behind the demand of goods and services which
companies provide in order to generate financial profits.
The product-centric approach of modern strategic marketing theory
indicates that images are projected through products since their functionality
brings about value (Firat, Dholakia, Venkatesh, 1994). Conversely, in the eyes of
post-modernist marketing theory, consumption is the main source of value
creation which empowers the post-consumer with the ability to initiate and
intensify the substance in life (Firat, Dholakia, 2006). This translates to the role
of marketing being adopted and carried out by consumers. This phenomenon
has led to the recent sprung of social media celebrities such as Mat Watson from
Auto Express, Ewdison Then from SlashGear and Ryan Higa from YouTube. These
social media websites generate tremendous traffic of exchange hence providing
a platform for brands to grow (Simmons, 2008). One detailed example is the rise
to fame of controversial Indian blogger Rakhi Sawant a.k.a. Rakhi who writes

about her social life and interest in fashion and local topics. Due to the
popularity of her blog and character, Wendy received countless of sponsorship
deals from companies, such as MotherCare and Laurier, even before the birth of
her first child. With the use of these products selected by her, readers of her
blogs are indirectly being exposed with brand marketing of such products which
they subconsciously

Draw affiliation to her personality. A survey result reported by Ault (2014)

suggests that YouTube celebrities are more influential on teenage purchases as
compared to mainstream Hollywood stars. This is a sign that the potential
behind the marketing ability of individuals is extremely huge.
As consumers move from the backseat to a more active and involving
role, marketing needs to be a joint effort between business and consumers. The
huge success of Ebay and Amazon is a proof that granting control to consumers
is a powerful marketing tool itself (Firat, Dholakia, 2006). These virtual online
shops provide a platform for users to assume both the role of buyer and seller
while providing them the freewill to interact with users-alike. Similarly, the
concept of inclusion is another way for business to open their doors to
consumers by creating a sense of belonging (Brown, 2004). One common
method is the use of exclusivity such as limited editions or privileged
memberships to make consumers feel special and appreciated. We can identify
exclusivity among various goods and services around us ranging from Jonnie
Walker limited edition Gold Label to British Airways Executive Club membership.
Another growing trend to involve customers is the proliferation of customization.
Through customization, consumers are able to market their image and identity
more effectively with the use of these self-created products (Firat, Dholakia,
Venkatesh, 1994). The popularity of Lego in the last decade proves that
customers desire this flexibility and control by being able to model items from
historical building to movie characters (Ringen, 2015).
In order to satisfy well-informed and knowledgeable customers, there is a
need to spend more time and effort in understanding them deeper. This means
going beyond their surface wants and needs by delving into their experiences
and way of life. As a result, there is a need to be more personal when conducting
surveys and feedbacks. This includes understanding consumer behaviors,
environment, background, conditions and etc. On occasions, it may include
tapping into their fragmentation and hyper-reality self-compartment. In countries
like Japan and Taiwan, there are many popular themed cafes featuring unique and
creative ideas themes such as hospital, robots, ninja and even toilets.
Additionally, post-modern marketing practices include the use of irony and
nostalgia (Brown, 2004). Irony draws attention, stir emotions, create perceptions
and communicate figurative message effectively (Rognstad, 2012). The
effectiveness of irony in leaving impression lies in the ability to provide surprises
for the post-modern consumer who is ever ready to oppose any marketing
gimmick put across him/her. Nostalgia is capable of instilling a feeling of revival
that is idealized by memory and imagination (Hutcheon, 1998). People who have
spent their childhood in the 1980s and 1990s are pampered with the recent influx
of movies featuring heroic characters from past such as Batman, Spiderman
and the recently announced Power Rangers. The amazing feature with nostalgia
lies in its capacity to remove the defensive barriers formed by todays
consumers.
Lastly, as consumers become more demanding and influential,
organizations need to focus on a new dimension of customer experience.
Customer satisfaction has always been claimed to be the core of marketing even
during the modernist time (Brown, 2004). However, customer experience is no
longer just about having knowledgeable sales staff or after sales service. In this
new age and era, it is about creating an individualized experience which

customers can relate their identity to. More importantly, this connection needs to
start from the first point of contact and extend to beyond after purchase. An
example of a company which has done very well in this aspect is Apple which
has risen to become one of the most prominent organization in the last decade.
The simple and uniform concept of apple stores draw customers from around the
world with their launch of each generation of IPhones. People talked about their
in-store experiences on social media

While flagship stores receive extensive media coverage. The use of Apple
products has been associated with the identity of counterculture and
hipsters which users draw affiliation with. While other companies provide
repair warranties, Apple up the notch by providing one-for-one exchange under
their warranty program (Isaacson, 2011). In a way, the late Steve Jobs was
instrumental in creating an identity which consumers around the world linked
with Apple products.
In conclusion, the rise of the information and technological era has gave
birth to a pool of well-informed customers who are not willing to stay at the
receiving end of marketing programs. Instead, they choose to adopt a more
active role while seeking their unique identities and special experiences. Goods
and services have become their tools for achieving their sense of importance. As
we progress into this new phase, marketing management has to adopt different
strategies through collaboration and empowerment. This is to ensure that they
keep up to date to the ever changing demand from consumers.
References
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changing customer expectations for organisation development in service
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http://sajip.co.za/index.php/sajip/article/viewFile/117/113 (Accessed: 4th
February 2016)
A. Fuat Firat, Alladi Venkatesh (1995) Liberatory Postmodernism and the
Reenchantment of Consumption. [Online] Available from:
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Chris Manolis, Laurie A. Meamber, Robert D. Winsor, Charles M. Brooks (2001)
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Jonathan Ringen (2015) How Lego became the Apple of Toys. [Online]
Available from: http://www.fastcompany.com/3040223/when-it-clicks-it-clicks
(Accessed: 4th February 2016).
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(Accessed: 4th February 2016)
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