Bottom Up Marketing
DESCRIPTION
The process of developing a marketing strategy within an organization by finding a workable tactic and then building on the tactic to create a powerful strategy.
The process of developing a marketing strategy within an organization by finding a workable tactic and then building on the tactic to create a powerful strategy.
KEY INSIGHTS
Conceptually developed by Ries and Trout (1989) in a popular book by the same name, bottom-up marketing is advocated by the authors as an alternative to traditional top-down marketing which involves deciding what the firm wants to do (i.e. strategy) and then figuring out how to do it (i.e. tactics) (see top-down marketing). In support of the approach, the authors provide examples of organizations such as Federal Express, Microsoft, and Little Caesars whose success is explained, according to the author’s research, by a bottom-up marketing approach. An example of a tactic used by Domino’s Pizza in the creation of its strategy is ‘home delivery in 30 minutes, guaranteed.’ In further conceptualizing the approach, the authors consider tactics to be ‘competitive mental angles’ and strategies as ‘coherent marketing directions.’
Conceptually developed by Ries and Trout (1989) in a popular book by the same name, bottom-up marketing is advocated by the authors as an alternative to traditional top-down marketing which involves deciding what the firm wants to do (i.e. strategy) and then figuring out how to do it (i.e. tactics) (see top-down marketing). In support of the approach, the authors provide examples of organizations such as Federal Express, Microsoft, and Little Caesars whose success is explained, according to the author’s research, by a bottom-up marketing approach. An example of a tactic used by Domino’s Pizza in the creation of its strategy is ‘home delivery in 30 minutes, guaranteed.’ In further conceptualizing the approach, the authors consider tactics to be ‘competitive mental angles’ and strategies as ‘coherent marketing directions.’
KEYWORDS Tactic(s), strategy development
IMPLICATIONS
Marketers involved in a firm’s marketing strategy development should recognize the potential for a bottom-up approach to provide the firm with insights into ways the firm can develop and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage that may not be as evident with a top-down marketing strategy development approach. While there are multiple approaches to developing marketing strategies within an organization and arguably no single best prescriptive approach, the bottom-up approach is certainly
consistent with the view that marketers should seek to understand current and prospective customers, competitors, as well as the broader marketing environment and identify ways it can provide customers with offerings of value that are superior in some way relative to competitive offerings. The approach further suggests the need for marketers to focus their efforts in identifying and meeting customer needs to avoid diluting organizational resources which may include the firm’s brand itself.
Marketers involved in a firm’s marketing strategy development should recognize the potential for a bottom-up approach to provide the firm with insights into ways the firm can develop and achieve a sustainable competitive advantage that may not be as evident with a top-down marketing strategy development approach. While there are multiple approaches to developing marketing strategies within an organization and arguably no single best prescriptive approach, the bottom-up approach is certainly
consistent with the view that marketers should seek to understand current and prospective customers, competitors, as well as the broader marketing environment and identify ways it can provide customers with offerings of value that are superior in some way relative to competitive offerings. The approach further suggests the need for marketers to focus their efforts in identifying and meeting customer needs to avoid diluting organizational resources which may include the firm’s brand itself.
APPLICATION AREAS AND FURTHER READINGS
Marketing Strategy
McDonald, M. (1992). ‘Strategic Marketing Planning: A State-of-the-Art Review,’ Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 10(4), 4–22.
McDonald, M. (1992). ‘Strategic Marketing Planning: A State-of-the-Art Review,’ Marketing Intelligence & Planning, 10(4), 4–22.
Online Marketing
Wood, C. (2003). ‘Marketing and E-commerce as Tools of Development in the Asia-Pacific Region: A Dual Path,’ International Marketing Review, 21(3), 301– 320.
Wood, C. (2003). ‘Marketing and E-commerce as Tools of Development in the Asia-Pacific Region: A Dual Path,’ International Marketing Review, 21(3), 301– 320.
International Marketing
Prendergast, Gerard, West, Douglas, and Shi, Yi-Zheng (2006). ‘Advertising Budgeting Methods and Processes in China,’ Journal of Advertising, 35(3), Fall, 165– 176.
Prendergast, Gerard, West, Douglas, and Shi, Yi-Zheng (2006). ‘Advertising Budgeting Methods and Processes in China,’ Journal of Advertising, 35(3), Fall, 165– 176.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ries, A., and Trout, Jack (1989). Bottom-Up Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill.
Ries, A., and Trout, Jack (1989). Bottom-Up Marketing. New York: McGraw-Hill.