Marketing: A Critical Introduction

Does the Marketing Concept Work? Are Consumer Behavior Models really effective? How Can Marketing Studies Respond to Criticisms?

This key text introduces the essentials of critical thinking within the field of marketing in easy to read and understandable terms. Integrating critical perspectives with the topics of the typical marketing curriculum Chris Hackley has produced an indispensable supporting text for upper level, undergraduate Marketing courses.

Coverage includes:

• Historical origins and influences in marketing
• Introduction to the concept of a Critical Theory
• Marketing ′orientation′ and the marketing ′mix′
• Critique of marketing principles
• Marketing and strategy
• The role of research data
• Research ideology
• Marketing communications

Each chapter includes review questions, case studies reflecting issues in the chapters, along with supporting case questions and reflections, and vignettes that cover stimulating practical examples.

Chris Hackley has been Professor of Marketing at Royal Holloway, University of London, since 2004, when he was appointed as the university’s first Chair in Marketing. His PhD from the Department of Marketing at Strathclyde University, Scotland, focused on the creative development process in top advertising agencies. He teaches, researches, writes and consults on topics in advertising, marketing, and consumer cultural policy.