New marketing, improved marketing, apocryphal marketing : Is one marketing concept enough?

Purpose – This paper seeks to explore marketing's ambiguous relationship with truth and, in so doing, to question the efficacy and value of the marketing concept and the very nature of marketing itself. Is marketing something that marketers do, or is it something much broader than this? If the latter, are marketers themselves either willing, or able to operate beyond traditional boundaries and, if not, should they focus – honourably – on what they do best, and encourage/support others who might market just as effectively, but in a different manner? Design/methodology/approach – Starting with a summary of recent developments in marketing thought this paper argues that marketers find difficulty in implementing the marketing concept, and that market‐oriented compromise and pretence should consequently be abandoned. The thesis goes on to suggest that both “performance” and the “part‐time” marketer should be given greater respect and allocated substantially more credence by all marketing communities. Findings – The argument concludes, ultimately, that marketing could find both greater respect and effectiveness by focusing its efforts more on the extremes of “marketing space”, and that the presently envisioned marketing concept offers scope only for a dispiriting and partially realised evocation of its stated aims. Practical implications – Marketers should take marketing more seriously. Originality/value – This paper seeks to add to current debates on marketing theory and will, hopefully, help inform ongoing exploration into the nature and role of marketing practice.