The changing view of marketing management in a South African context
Article Type: Editorial From: European Business Review, Volume 25, Issue 4
This special issue focuses on the changing view of marketing management in a South African context. It is country that in recent years has gone through major changes and the selection of articles includes strive to highlight the ongoing market and society.
This special issue consists of a selection of contributions as follows.
The first article entitled “Marketing-driven philanthropy: the case of PlayPumps” is co-authored by Stephen Graham Saunders of Monash University in Australia and Ralph Borland of Trinity College in Ireland. The authors investigate, through a comparative historical analysis, the impact of a shift to a marketing-driven (business-oriented) philanthropic funding structure on NGOs,international businesses that fund charities, and the recipients of the funding for a water pump system in southern Africa.
The second article entitled “Resident co-creation: the case of the 2010 Soccer World Cup” is co-authored by Adele Berndt of Jönköping International Business School in Sweden, H.B. Klopper of Monash University in South Africa, Ilse Niemann-Struweg of Monash University in South Africa and Corne Meintjes of Monash University in South Africa. The authors investigate the involvement and actions (co-creation) of residents of South Africa prior to the commencement of the 2010 Soccer World Cup, which was held in South Africa during June and July 2010.
The third article entitled “Comparison of FMCG logistics operations in the UK and South Africa” is co-authored by Vasco Sanchez Rodrigues and Andrew Potter of Cardiff University in the UK. International comparison studies provide a useful opportunity in logistics to benchmark logistics practices. Given this,it is perhaps surprising that there does not appear to be any benchmarking studies comparing performance between the developed and developing world. The paper aims to address this shortcoming, focusing on fast moving consumer goods(FMCG) distribution networks from the UK and South African as comparator countries.
The fourth article entitled “The adoption of social media marketing in South African banks” is co-authored by Sarah Tsitsi Chikandiwa, Eleftherios Contogiannis and Edgar Jembere of University of Zululand in South Africa. The authors examine social media adoption models and social media implementation models being used by South African banks when adopting social media marketing. Challenges and opportunities faced are addressed in the article.
The last article entitled “Trials and tribulations: marketing in modern South Africa” is co-authored by D.J. Petzer of North-West University in South Africa and Christine De Meyer of University of Johannesburg in South Africa. The authors provide a background into the challenges and developments faced by marketers in South Africa as well as those wanting to enter the South African market.
I wish that you – the reader of European Business Review –will find the five contributions of this special issue of great intellectual interest and stimulation. I also hope that both scholars and practitioners will find them valuable.
Welcome to the thought-provoking and challenging world of European Business Review!
Yours sincerely,
Göran Svensson
