Market Myopia:
Introduction:
In 1960 Theodore Levitt wrote a famous article “Market myopia”, which is still famous in todays world. He introduced the famous question “what business you are really in”. Market myopia is a strategy that focuses on the product of the company rather than the need of the customer. A good example of market myopia is seen in ford motor company, they built a Edsel in late 1950s with the intent of being fashion able and large vehicle, they did a lot of marketing but at the end the car was immediately failed in the market. Most experts attributed that failure was only because of inability to understand the customer needs.
Discussion:
Companies can do better if they focus on customers needs instead
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Authors looked 2 illustrations of new market myopia, the heavy crisis and dilemma of the U.S auto industry. The three major U.S auto companies did not focused on consumer preference; they ignored cleaner and fuel efficient vehicles. (Smith, Drumwright & Gentile 2010)
In 2002 Stock explained that decrease or abolish of myopia is long-term process in logistics. According to this, myopia is big challenge for the strategy makers to deal with.
Those companies that give narrow focus on marketing strategy may give rise to market myopia. He explained that market strategy should be developed on boarder context. Actually this article focusing on market strategies, most companies who are doing business internationally putting more focus on specific regions or area that creates myopia. This problem can be fixed by standardization of strategies. (Douglas 1986)
The importance of myopia is still important in today’s academics. After 1960 many authors wrote articles on myopia explaining same view of Theodore Levitt in different style. In fact recent literatures on myopia opened several new concepts of marketing. I believe that many firms still focus on their product instead of focusing on customer.
Market myopia is still present in today’s world. You can see the examples of many big companies who did not focus on the customer needs as a result they failed with passage of time. The great example of myopia in
Kerin, R. A., Hartley, S. W., & Rudelius, W. (2013). Marketing. (11th ed.). New York, New
The fact is, marketing is changing, the way people doing business today is different, as the author says, those who don’t change their marketing strategies to meet the need of today’s consumer are not targeting for them at all.
The term 'marketing myopia' was first expressed in a famous article of the same name written by Theodore Levitt for the Harvard Business Review in 1960. In 'Marketing Myopia,' Levitt argued that many companies incorrectly take a shortsighted approach to marketing, viewing it as merely a tool for selling products. Instead, he argued that companies should look at marketing from the consumer's point of view. For example, a company that sells
“If we don’t create the market, it doesn’t exist. We don’t bring the product to the consumer; we bring consumers to the product.”
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of Marketing at ESC Normandie, Jacques Lendrevie, Professor of Marketing at HEC, Sarah Spargo, Research
'Traditional marketing in the business-to-business environment requires very different strategies from those campaigns directed towards the consumer market.' (ExtraVision, n.d., p. 1) 'Consumer competition can be a lot fiercer, with customer loyalty a constant battle.? (ExtraVision, n.d., p.1)
The article, “Marketing Myopia” written by Theodore Levitt, illustrates how businesses interact in their particular industry’s life cycles of growth, maturity and decline. One of the primary focal points of the article is that businesses must know their industry in regards to satisfying their specific customer’s needs. Identifying customer needs and meeting them, allows for continued growth of the company and industry. Recognizing the necessity to satisfy customer’s needs rather than merely selling products will establish an innovative company with continued growth and profits.
Thinking in terms of the market (not marketing) is essential in the highiy competitive arenas of today,
Klaus-Peter Wiedmann is Chair of the Marketing Department and a Professor of Marketing, Nadine Hennigs and Astrid Siebels are Research Assistants at the Institute of Marketing and Management, Leibniz University of Hanover, Germany. Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Professor
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The objective of this subject is to give you a sound appreciation of the marketing discipline and how
Thesis in Marketing, 15 ECTS credits Final seminar: 25.05.2010 Authors : Elise MEYER (890511) Ingrid BERNIER (901218) Supervisor: Jean-Charles LANGUILAIRE Examiner: Roger STRÖM
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