ARC: Connections: ELMAR: Posting

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Summer Marketing Educators’ Conference 2012

Downtown Marriott Chicago
Chicago, Illinois
August 17-19, 2012
http://www.marketingpower.com/summered

Co-Chairs

Todd Arnold, Oklahoma State University
Lisa Scheer, University of Missouri

Deadline January 30, 2012

Marketing in the Socially-Networked World: Challenges of Emerging, Stagnant & Resurgent Markets

The explosion of social media creates many opportunities for marketers — creation of new services that harness its power, new mechanisms for promotion and marketing tactics, and new channels for building relationships with suppliers, business partners, channel members and customers. Indeed, the exploration of these positive elements associated with the integration of social media into marketing strategy represents potentially valuable contributions to marketing research. Papers investigating such issues are encouraged for submission.

Social media also poses new challenges, such as privacy concerns, message management and widespread information-sharing by customers and business partners. Certainly, the growth of electronic social networks poses acute challenges for any company that serves diverse markets, but particularly when those markets are at different stages of development. In the socially-networked world, information about products, services, strategies and business practices in any one market can be shared nearly instantaneously around the globe. Offering different products, pricing, and promotional messages to diverse segments becomes more complex and controversial. When information can be transmitted so quickly and inexpensively, customers and business partners have greater ability to compare marketing strategies directed to them with those deployed elsewhere.

Such comparisons between emerging and developed markets can be particularly problematic because there are valid reasons why the market offering may vary substantially. The needs, capabilities and finances of marketers and customers in emerging markets differ greatly from those in developed countries. Physical, social and legal infrastructures are diverse. Emerging markets face issues of exploding growth and tremendous opportunity while elements of society lag far behind, creating potentially vast disparities. In developed countries, demographic trends, economic crises, and concerns about new competitors from emerging markets generate insecurity regarding long-term competitiveness. The challenge in these countries isn’t managing explosive growth. The question is: Will the recent crises lead to stagnation or will marketers and customers rebound in a resurgence of economic activity and stable, long-term growth? Disregarding such critical differences while superficially comparing marketing strategies can lead to negative reactions.

We welcome papers, special sessions, and posters that address these and other issues of importance to marketers and consumers. We encourage submissions regarding emerging markets that develop theory, identify and address shortcomings in the generalizability of widely-accepted theory or findings, or highlight unexamined or under-researched topics. We also welcome submissions investigating the impact of social media and networks on marketing practice and customer experience, particularly across diverse cultures and stages of development. We also would like to note that while we encourage submissions related to the nference theme to any track, we have established a unique “Emerging Markets” track for this conference. The selection for “Best Paper” within this track will receive a $1,000 prize, courtesy of the Sheth Foundation.

Full information available at

http://www.marketingpower.com/summered

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