Issues and Problems in the Development of Contemporary Macromarketing Knowledge

Abstract

Macromarketing ideas date back to economic notions expressed by ancient Greek philosophers. Economists built on those ideas, in order to better to understand the significance of a market‐directed economy. Agricultural economists qua pioneer macromarketers in the early 1900s expanded on this ideology by formulating the specific role that marketing played in such a market setting. This paper attempts to show that the roots of macromarketing and the pioneering efforts of early macromarketers do not support the notion that academic macromarketing is a new school of thought in marketing, as is often presumed. Historical views about marketing that support this contention as well as the historical origins of the word “macro‐marketing,” are presented. Marketing's broader dimensions were somewhat lost when academic marketers focused more of their attention on micromarketing problems and issues. This trend has continued unabated, in spite of a contemporary renewal of interest in macromarketing knowledge and ideas. While this rejuvenation of macromarketing thinking is a healthy sign for the marketing community at large, macromarketing still needs to be more fully integrated in marketing curricula at all levels. The lack of pedagogical tools is particularly noteworthy. Until macromarketing achieves these ends, it is doubtful if macromarketing will ever become an influential policy science and a major element in mainstream marketing thought. Résumé Les notions economiques exprimees par les philosophes grecs sont a l'origine des fondements du macromarketing. Les economistes se sont servis de ces idees afin de comprendre l'importance d'une economie de marche. Au debut du siecle, les economistes en agriculture furent les premiers penseurs du macromarketing. Ces pionniers academiciens en marketing nous ont devoile le role pivotant du marketing pour notre economie. Ce papier propose que l'ecole de pensee du macromarketing n'est pas recente comme plusieurs semble le presumer. D'ailleurs, les origines academiques du macromarketing remontent au debut meme du fondement de la discipline du marketing. Une vision intellectuelle de l'historique du marketing nous demontre que le developpement de la pensee du marketing est en realite le developpement du macromarketing. Cette approche nous aide egalement a tracer l'emergence du terme macromarketing. Les dimensions elargies du marketing furent misent de cote afin d'accommoder l'attention particuliere apportee au micromarketing et a ses problemes. D'ailleurs, cette tendance n'apas diminuee malgre l'interet contemporain pour le macromarketing. Bien que cette redecouverte du macromarketing soit un signe benefique pour le marketing en general, il va falloir que cette discipline s'insere plus etroitement au milieu pedagogique. Par contre, il y a un manque serieux de materiel didactique et son approche particuliere vers la recherche l'empechent de devenir un chef de file du marketing. Si ces problemes ne sont pas resolus, il est peu probable que le macromarketing deviendra la science polit...

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