Marketing Managment

CMGB 6101
Dr Ezlika Ghazali

MARKETING DOCTRINE:
A PRINCIPLES-BASED
APPROACH TO GUIDING
MARKETING DECISION
MAKING IN FIRMS
GROU
PC
Gwee Jo-Ee

CGA150100

Jessy Koh Xin Ning

CGA140088

Kevin Ngui
CGA160025

Authors:
Goutam Challagalla
Brian R. Murtha
Bernard Jaworski
1

INTRODUC
TION
1. Marketing doctrine helps
firms to address
consistency flexibility
conundrum.
2. It provides guidance
(consistency) but not
execution details
(flexibility).
3. It also outlines firm-wide
common marketing
approach vs adaptability.

MARKETIN
G
DOCTRINE
Reflects
firmspecific
principles

Is
experienc
e-based

Guides
firm-wide
marketing
decisionmaking

Represent
s a firms
marketfacing
choices
and
common
approach
to
decision
making

COMPARING MARKETING DOCTRINES

APPLE

Only enter markets where

they can be the best

Focus on few products and

models
Have the courage to
cannibalizedont hang on to
ideas from the past
Take end-to-end responsibility
for the user experience
Put products before profits
pursuit for perfection in
products
Focus resources on main
products.
Does not dilute resources to

XIAOMI

Enter and focus on each

market before further
expanding into other market
Diversification of products
Only cannibalize with products
that are successful
Only focus on final end user
experience
Market share before profit

Utilize social media and word

of mouth (fan base) to keep
marketing cost low

CASE STUDY
MACDONALDS
"GLOCALIZATION"
Cultural differences and consumer

sensitivities
People in each country/region have their

own tastes and preferences

India - Vegetarian options
Malaysia & Singapore Halal
Germany Serves with beer
Italy Pasta option

Consistent image
Standardized "templates"
Franchising that allows customization

MARKE
TING
DOCTR
INE

1. Affects those involved in

marketing decision.
2. Direct effect on
performance of marketing
task.
3. Provide guidance for
unstructured and complex
marketing tasks.

ORGANIZAT
VS
IONAL
1. Focus on people s conduct
CULTURE
&
and affect all employees
2. Distal &VALUES
indirect effect on
performance of marketing
task.
3. Routine
4. General modes of conduct.

4. Reflects guidance from

firms experience.
5. Requires judgement in
application

5. Recognize a situation and

apply ready-to-use
solutions

DEVELOPING
MARKETING DOCTRINE
1

Identify

Articulate

Sustain

Leverage
from
experience
Relevance
to firms
strategy &
mission
Firm-wide
relevance

Flexible
Written

Doctrine
must be
adaptive to
changes
Firms
should
perform
periodic
assessmen
t on the
relevance

MARKETING DOCTRINE IN
DECISION MAKING
Diversificati
on
Internation
al
diversificat
ion
Product
diversification
Related-product
diversification

Decentraliza
tion
Authority
decentralizatio
n
Activities
decentralizatio
n

EFFECT OF MARKETING
DOCTRINE
Marketing Program
Creativity
Motivation
Task enjoyment
Creativity
Provides structure with
flexibility for decision
making

Marketing Impulsivity
Little discipline in
prioritize marketing
activities
Market Doctrine focuses
attention on a firms
important priorities

Perceived Value of
Marketing
Contribute to the success
of
the firm.
Clarifies firms marketing
choices to compete in
markets

Firm Performance
Affect indirectly and
directly
Consistence marketing
decision making and
lower marketing
impulsivity enhance
profitability, increase

MODERATING EFFECTS OF
UNPREDICTABLE
ENVIRONMENT
Competitiv
e Intensity
High competition,
managers tend to
muddle through.
Refocus mangers
attention &
efforts, and
prevent them
from imitating
competitors.

Market
Turbulence
Customers
change
preferences &
composition (eg.
Revamp current
offerings ,
redesign
traditional
communication
channels.
Market
turbulence
increase, weaker
positive
relationship

Structural
Flux
Internal change in
firm
High structural
flux, frequent
personal changes,
high transition
costs
Structural flux
increase, stronger
positive
relationship
between MD &
firm performance

MANAGERIAL
IMPLICATIONS
The concept of doctrine has roots in several
domains:
Clarifies crucial
marketing
choices

Complementary
capability to
firms

Provide
marketing
approach to
ensure
consistency &
flexibility

Align marketing
activities with
firm strategy

Facilitates
discipline by
preventing
firms from
imitating
competitors

As substitute
for intelligent
thinking

CONCLUSION

The utilization of marketing doctrine improves

consistency of flexible decision making and also enhances
firms performances.

Marketing doctrine is only a tool. Firms must have realistic

expectations about its effectiveness in different
conditions.

Marketing doctrine cannot replace old or traditional

human thinking.

Challenges: It is unique to the firm and based on past

experience, therefore it might not suitable for newly
established firms.

The research focuses only on on big firms and there is