Marketing has become one of the most influential forces in contemporary market economies. Yet despite ubiquitous empirical presence, uncountable textbook definitions, and sixty years of scholarly work, a coherent sociological understanding of this powerful concept is still amiss.

Drawing on Luhmannian social systems theory, historical analysis, and four qualitative studies, the author theorizes on the marketing function as a self-contained system of communications. It is argued that marketing systems prosper within a host organization if and as long as they successfully influence observers' preferences towards particular brands. On these conceptual foundations a comprehensive brand- and communication-centered theory is developed that fulfills Alderson', Cox' and Bartels' foundational requirements for a general theory of marketing in an unprecedented way.

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About the author

Dr. Marius Lüdicke promovierte bei Prof. Dr. Beat F. Schmid am Institut für Medien- und Kommunikationsmanagement an der Universität St. Gallen.

Bibliographic Information

Book Title: A Theory of Marketing
Book Subtitle: Outline of a Social Systems Perspective
Authors: Marius K. Lüdicke
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-8350-9131-3
Publisher: Deutscher Universitätsverlag Wiesbaden
eBook Packages: Business and Economics, Business and Management (R0)
Copyright Information: Gabler Verlag | Springer Fachmedien Wiesbaden GmbH, Wiesbaden 2006
Softcover ISBN: 978-3-8350-0304-0Published: 12 April 2006
eBook ISBN: 978-3-8350-9131-3Published: 06 November 2007
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XV, 191
Topics: Marketing

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Table of contents (7 chapters)

Front Matter

Introduction

Theory

Critique

Methods

Marketing as a Social System

Discussion

Conclusions

Back Matter

About this book