Chapter 6

Scanning the Marketing

Environment

6-1

Kotler on
Marketing
Today you have
to run faster
to stay in
place.

6-2

Chapter Objectives
In this chapter, we focus on two
questions:
What are the key methods for tracking and
identifying opportunities in the
macroenvironment?
What are the key demographic, economic,
natural, technological, political, and cultural
developments?
6-3

Analyzing Needs and Trends in

the Macroenvironment
Trend: a direction or sequence of events that has
momentum and durability
Fad: unpredictable, short-lived, and without
social, economic, and political significance (5
laws of fadism)
Megatrends (Naisbitt): large, social, economic,
political, and technological changes that are slow
to form but when in place they influence us for
some time (7-10 years)
6-4

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
The substantial speedup of international
transportation, communication, and financial
transactions, leading to the rapid growth of world trade
and investment, especially tripolar trade (North
America, Western Europe, Far East)
The movement of manufacturing capacity and skills to
lower cost countries.
The rising economic power of several Asian countries in
world markets.
The rise of trade blocks such as the European Union
and NAFTA signatories.
6-5

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
The severe debt problems of a number of countries,
along with the increasing fragility of the international
financial system.
The increasing use of barter and countertrade to
support international transactions.
The move toward market economies in formerly
socialist countries along with rapid privatization of
publicly owned companies.
The rapid dissemination of global lifestyles.
The gradual opening of major new markets, namely
China, India, eastern Europe, the Arab countries, and
Latin America.

6-6

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
The increasing tendency of multinationals to transcend
their locational and national characteristics and
become transnational firms.
The increasing number of cross-border corporate
strategic alliancesfor example, MCI and British
Telecom, and Texas Instruments and Hitachi.
The increasing ethnic and religious conflicts in certain
countries and regions.
The growth of global brands in autos, food, clothing,
electronics.

6-7

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
Demographic Environment
Worldwide Population
Growth
Population Age Mix
Ethnic and Other
Markets

6-8

Can you identify one or more

nations whose populations hold the
promise of huge potential markets
for consumer goods? How have
pressures from potential marketers
to these untapped consumer
groups driven the political
discussion on a national
and international level?
6-9

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
Educational Groups
Household Patterns
Geographical Shifts in
Population
From a Mass Market
to Micromarkets

6-10

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
Economic Environment
Income Distribution
Savings, Debt, and
Credit Availability

6-11

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
Natural Environment

Shortage of Raw Materials

Increased Energy Cost
Anti-Pollution Pressures
Changing Role of Governments

6-12

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
Technological Environment
Accelerating Pace of Change
Unlimited Opportunities
for Innovation

6-13

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
Varying R&D Budgets
Increased Regulation of
Technological Change

Political-Legal Environment
Legislation Regulating
Business
Growth of Special-Interest
Groups
Consumerist movement
6-14

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
Social-Cultural
Environment
Views of themselves
Views of others
Views of organizations
Views of society
Views of nature
Views of universe

6-15

Identifying and Responding to the

Major Macroenvironment Forces
High Persistence of Core
Cultural Values
Existence of subcultures
Subcultures

Shifts of Secondary Cultural

Values Through Time

6-16