Trappings versus substance ‐ Market orientation in food and drink SMEs
Abstract
Many companies claim to be market oriented, yet on closer inspection lack a real customer focus. Other firms eschew marketing as ignoble trickery yet prove to have exceptional market orientation. This paper analyses three case studies of small and medium firms in the food and drink sector, examining the reasons underpinning their success in spite of a lack of formal marketing organisation or activities, and their antipathy to popular conceptions of marketing. Organisational culture, excellent (if informal) customer and competitor knowledge and long‐term orientation are seen to underpin the success of these “marketers in denial”.
Keywords
Citation
Lewis, C., Pick, P. and Vickerstaff, A. (2001), "Trappings versus substance ‐ Market orientation in food and drink SMEs", British Food Journal, Vol. 103 No. 5, pp. 300-312. https://doi.org/10.1108/00070700110395322
Publisher
:MCB UP Ltd
Copyright © 2001, MCB UP Limited