Marketing is more of an art than a science - Essay Example

is author highlights that most individuals in a group will conform to group norms and principles, thus making it easier to make “valid and reliable predictions” about human behaviour and consumption decision-making (Bartels 1951, p.320). When attempting to gauge or predict human behaviour based on mathematical models, human behaviour in this case is no longer considered an inconsistency in a scientific equation since social conformity is predictable and known to occur on the back of many empirical studies.

This phenomenon then validates such scientific approaches to marketing such as the Product Life Cycle model in certain markets as social compliance provides consistency that allows for quantitative research methodology when behaviour is no longer a variable. The socially-driven trends inherent to human behaviour make it possible to create an effective mathematical equation to predict demand both short- and long-term that will lead, ultimately, to operational efficiencies and future time-to-market demands for new innovations.

There are, however, many marketing practitioners that would strongly disagree with the validity of a scientific approach to marketing. Egan (2009, p.32) believes that science “has damaged marketing’s relevancy” as data and research methodology are often superimposed over practical judgment and analyses of market conditions. Peter and Olson (1983) actually state that empirical analysts in marketing are deluded, negating the necessity for subjective inference to understand consumer attitudes and market-perceived belief in product or service quality.

How, however, can this be justified? Consumers often maintain egotistical relationships with a brand, that is, until the consumer has found a psychologically-based connection to a brand. When. Peter and Olson (1983) actually state that empirical analysts in marketing are deluded, negating the necessity for subjective inference to understand consumer attitudes and market-perceived belief in product or service quality. How, however, can this be justified? Consumers often maintain egotistical relationships with a brand, that is, until the consumer has found a psychologically-based connection to a brand.

When brand attachments occur, consumers are more willing to discard egocentric brand relationships and develop supporting brand connections that fuel positive word-of-mouth advertising (Muniz and O’Guinn 2001; Aron, Aron and Smollan 1992). These relationships are founded on psychographic brand positioning that takes into consideration attitude, lifestyle and psycho-social characteristics of consumers. Unpredictable and non-universal human behavioural components conflict the relevancy of using scientific approaches and, instead, marketers transcend the tangibles of product and service by utilising integrated communications that involve language emphasising sophistication, sincerity, excitement, and competence.

According to Aaker (1996) the aforementioned communications conceptions are necessary to create positive psychological attachments to a brand. Science simply cannot effectively represent the complexity of human attitude that is highly relevant to whether brand loyalty is achieved.