Better Marketing for a Better World

Consider the following quotes: "The marketing discipline today constitutes a great paradox.The nation stands deeply troubled.It seeks solutions to grave problems both within and without its own society.Marketing and marketers are an integral part of this picture, either as a dimension of the problems or as a source of their solutions.Yet the emphasis of marketing study is not directed toward resolving issues of its social relevance, and there is strong and vocal sentiment in the field against being pulled in this direction… Relevancy is to be judged in the context of the true life and death issues which currently exist, such as war, poverty, racism, contamination of the environment, loss of self-identity, and the alienation of youth.Certainly, it is an appropriate time for marketers to reflect upon the relevancy of the marketing discipline in such a context.""Profits will continue to be essential and basic to corporate survival, but the major challenge to business today may be to meet the societal needs of a changing environment."The quotes above reflect concerns shared by many marketing academics and practitioners today about marketing's role in creating a better world.Yet they also reflect opportunities lost.