Current Issues in Marketing and Brand Management

No organisation, product or brand exists in a vacuum, so it is important to understand current issues in marketing and to be able to critically analyse their significance.

Among other issues in marketing and brand management, perhaps one of the most transformational has been the rise of the digital age. Social media sites have changed both the form and function of marketing. Gone are the days when customers passively accepted the messages organisations passed down to them in the form of advertising campaigns. Due to the ease of relating information on products and services to one another, today's customers are actively engaged in the marketing process, which has both positive and negative consequences for organisations. Within this technological evolution are many related issues and debates. For example, marketing experts caution that customers have transitioned from the ‘funnel' approach in which they considered many options, narrowing them down until making a choice, to a new path to decision making (Edelman, 2010). This new, four-stage path is critical to understand when developing strategic marketing plans for any new service.

To prepare for this Shared Activity:

• Research articles pertaining to current issues in strategic marketing and brand management on the Internet. Select two current (no older than 2 years) articles, one on digital marketing and one on another topic which relates to strategic marketing and brand management. Reference your articles when posting.

To complete this Shared Activity:

• Post a critical analysis of the articles, noting such insights as common themes relevant to the development of strategic marketing plans. Are there any relevant, emerging debates? If so, describe both sides of the debate as well as your own thoughts related to the issue. Explain how to consider current issues when developing a marketing plan.