Autor
Peter Štarchoň
The book written by Anna Mazurkiewicz-Pizło and Wojciech Pizło is focusing on a current marketing theory with some practical consequences and with the stress on relations to economy. At present days, there is no offer on the market within the frame of a highly competitive environment that can be successfully applied without a systematic, continuous, planned and objectives-oriented approach within the marketing management process. Although marketing issues are presented by a wide range of publications of domestic – Polish or foreign origins, each new publication, especially if it respects current trends in marketing and is written in a professional style with a high quality approach, can certainly find its place on the market. These are the reasons why the topic of the reviewed book can be considered as innovative and up-to-date. As it is written in the introduction of the book, every one of us meets with the marketing activities of companies, political parties, non-profit companies, governments or other organisations and in this way the publication can be very helpful as it is important to decode the core marketing concept influencing our everyday life.
Concerning the methodological approach, the authors are oriented by the current marketing theoretical basis and paradigms relying on the huge amount of resources cited within the core text of the publication and in the list of sources (see Bibliografia) at the end of the work. I appreciate the consistent, logical and relevant approach to setting the structure of the book that is divided into nine main chapters. In the context of the logically connected chapters, selected marketing topics and areas are explicitly presented and pragmatically defined through their names.
The first part of the book is oriented on the current state, the core concept and the importance of marketing followed by the description of its place within the macro, micro environment and the frame of competitive pressure and by explanation of the selected analyses. The importance of information for marketing decision processes and marketing research itself is explained in the next part of the text. Then consumer behaviour is analysed and explained additionally through selected motivation theories and macroeconomic issues of consumption and followed by the consumer typologies. Strategic marketing analyses and their explanations in a separate chapter of the book are representing the starting point for identification and presentation of particular marketing strategies within the frame of marketing mix – 4Ps. Authors are deeply considering and describing importance of product, price, distribution and marketing communications policies.
In general, I appreciate holistic marketing approach visible in the book itself (not only being mentioned as a marketing orientation) and the subtitle focusing on scientific background of marketing and practical applications too. The authors are offering also their own attitudes towards current marketing theory and practice and they are enriching existing state of art (for instance in the case of tools of 7Ps and 7Cs, model and forces of organisational environment or types of societies, family life cycles, then I personally welcome incorporation of the B. Malinowski theory into this publication replacing Herzberg approach used in marketing theory sources etc.).
In spite of the overall highly positive evaluation of the content of the reviewed publication, several remarks and minor comments can also be identified. Typology of research (exploratory, descriptive and causal or predictive) could enlarge the text concerning research functions or neuromarketing could be mentioned when speaking about neurofeedback. Understanding consumer behaviour is one of the crucial aspects of marketing management and the authors realised that importance indeed. Additionally organisational behaviour could be more and explicitly explained. The typology of consumers is well presented, but this part of the book is missing current specific segment of consumers called generation C (or additionally diversity of generations X, Y, Z and Alpha). BCG matrix is explained in a separate part of the book as one of the most important but also simple analysis used in marketing. The matrix presented in this book contains also one element not used in general way – brand new products (infants – niemowlęta) with a low market share and low market growth rates, but it was explained by the authors. Chapter concerning product policy (Produkt w koncepcji marketingu) covers all important product attributes, but when speaking about brand management there is just one short subchapter Marka produktu. I personally think that this issue could be given greater scope (of course the topic is mentioned in the core text but in narrow range). Particular tools of marketing mix and their explanations are extended by online tools and internet specifics. In the way the authors dealt with the topic, social media marketing and mobile marketing could enlarge and enrich the text.
From the reader’s point of view, the publication is written in an understandable way, which, along with the theoretical bases, is supplemented with selected current and practical examples (reflecting several aspects of Polish environment and market itself). The authors demonstrated and proved not only their erudition, but also their professional skills, knowledge, competences and capabilities of scientific work. The authors’ personal interest is evident and it is obvious that they deal with the marketing issues in a long, systematic and conceptual way. The book has a strong application potential as it can satisfy the marketing knowledge needs not only of marketing professionals, but also students of management, marketing and/or economics and their teachers as well and finally wider public interested in the core nature and spirit of marketing.
