Education for practice

Purpose – The purpose of this short opinion piece is to focus on the role of marketing, its theory and practice, and its relevance now and in the future. Design/methodology/approach – The article analyses the present situation – which is not new – the perceived divide between marketing theory and marketing practice and, therefore, the issue of what academics should research and teach that might be of relevance to practitioners. Findings – The article shows that if marketers – both academic and practitioner – are to meet and resolve the present challenges then they need to be customer focused, build long‐term relationships with customers, and think of their life‐time value as opposed to their short‐term profitability. Originality/value – The article highlights issues of relevance to those involved with marketing theory and practice.