Professor Emeritus Michael J. Baker, University of Strathclyde, UK
Strathclyde University was the first in Britain to offer a full range of degrees – undergraduate, postgraduate and doctoral – in the subject of Marketing, so recognising its status as an established and accepted academic discipline, enjoyed since the beginning of the twentieth century in the USA. As its founding professor, I needed to be thick-skinned to ignore the criticisms from others who doubted its introduction into the curriculum, but also evangelical to promote its claims for recognition. It was for this reason that I welcomed an approach from a graduate in Mediaeval History and Fine Arts for some advice on a proposed book for members of the publishing profession. Then, as now, this is a profession extensively populated by highly intelligent persons with literary rather than commercial interests and I was more than happy to offer some comments and advice on the proposal to help promote the cause. So, more than 20 years later, to be invited to write a brief introduction to a new fifth edition of this book is indeed a privilege.
For any book to remain continuously in print for such a long time is a testament to its real worth. For it to justify the preparation of a fifth edition is a clear indication that it addresses an important topic or issue undergoing rapid change and development, as evidenced by the addition of five completely new chapters compared with the previous fourth edition. As an author myself, currently in the process of putting the finishing touches to a new fifth edition of Marketing Strategy and Management, first published in 1985, I am very conscious of the changes that have occurred in the marketing discipline over this period and these have been incorporated into this new edition. More importantly, the potential impact of these changes has been adapted to meet the needs of the publishing profession.
In her introductory chapter, Alison is generous in acknowledging some of the original advice that I gave her. Specifically, she distilled my comments into four essential requirements for effective marketing:
1 Developing a customer orientation.
2 Taking a long perspective and proceeding logically.
3 Promoting organisational integration as a business philosophy.
4 Innovating and being flexible.
Today, in my view, these remain the essential principles that underpin successful marketing practice. However, explaining and elaborating these principles result in introductory marketing textbooks some of which are more than 1,000 pages long! While this may be appropriate for persons wishing to get an overview of the discipline as a whole, it lacks the focus that is required when seeking advice on how to proceed in a specific context or market. Indeed, one of the maxims of marketing is: ‘Marketing problems are situation specific.’ In other words, because exchange involves the interaction of two or more parties, it is fundamental that one begin by establishing what it is that they expect of each other. Only by doing so can one achieve the objective of ‘creating and maintaining a mutually beneficial relationship’, which happens to be my own definition of marketing that I still subscribe to more than 40 years after I first articulated it. It follows that whatever it is you wish to accomplish you must start with a clear understanding and definition of what it is that the other party to the exchange is looking for. Once you have this then you can decide whether you have the capability to satisfy this need in a way that will also be beneficial to yourself. In the case of publishing this requires acceptance of three vital propositions spelt out in the opening chapter, namely:
1 First, the publishing industry is a business, and if it is to survive it must either make a profit, or find funding from elsewhere.
2 Second, books (or any published content) compete for spending power against a whole range of products, not just other books.
3 Third, marketing is complex.
Provided that you accept the first two propositions, this book will help you to reduce the complexity by focusing on those aspects of marketing that are particularly important and relevant for publishers. More to the point, unlike many academics who mistake the use of complicated language for erudition, Dr Baverstock’s prose is a model of clarity and easy to follow. The book’s ability to engage the reader and hold their attention is amply confirmed by the many endorsements of it, its adoption as a ‘set book’ on specialist publishing courses, and the fact that it has been translated into 15 different languages. (If you are an author you should also read Marketing Your Book (2007), as should publishers, as this will give you considerable insight into the different perspectives of both the publishing profession and its principal suppliers.)
Early in my academic career, members of the Marketing Education Group (now the Academy of Marketing) charged me with the responsibility of organising a dedicated journal in which they might publish the findings of their research. Despite enjoying excellent relations with several major publishers, none of them felt this to be an attractive opportunity. In desperation the poacher turned gamekeeper and I set up a small publishing company of my own as a vehicle to publish the Journal of Marketing Management, which is now in its thirtieth year. Given its success, JMM requires the marketing, production and distribution expertise of a major publishing company and these are provided by Routledge. However, Westburn still publishes three other journals and I look forward to using the insights and advice to be found in this book to ensure their future success in an increasingly competitive marketplace. So, in conclusion I can only reiterate the comment made by Martin Nield, then chief executive of Hodder & Stoughton, in his introduction to the previous edition: ‘[This book] should be required reading … for anyone wishing to enter or understand publishing.’ To which I would add ‘and for anyone else who is interested in what is involved in getting published’.
Michael J. Baker
June 2014