Marketing: Theory, Evidence, Practice

Marketing: Theory, Evidence, Practice – Byron Sharp

Much of what is taught about marketing is based on intuition, tradition or untested assumptions. Marketing: Theory, Evidence, Practice, edited by Byron Sharp, professor of marketing science and director of the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute at the University of South Australia, offers a different approach: a textbook grounded in empirical evidence about how buyers behave and how brands grow.

Building on the research presented in Sharp’s bestselling book How Brands Grow, the textbook introduces students to the scientific laws of marketing that have been observed consistently across categories, countries and time periods. These include patterns in buyer behavior, such as the fact that most brands’ customers are light buyers who also buy competing brands, and the relationship between market share and loyalty.

The book covers the core topics of a marketing course, including consumer behavior, brand equity, market segmentation, product development, pricing, distribution, advertising, media, promotions and services marketing, but approaches each from an evidence-based perspective. It challenges popular ideas such as heavy targeting of niche segments, an emphasis on loyalty programs and the belief that brands must be highly differentiated, and emphasizes instead the importance of mental and physical availability and distinctive brand assets.

With contributions from researchers at the Ehrenberg-Bass Institute, real-world examples and case studies, the book helps students learn to think critically about marketing claims and make decisions based on evidence.

Marketing: Theory, Evidence, Practice is a valuable textbook for marketing students and a useful reference for professionals interested in scientific marketing. As a pre-owned textbook, it may contain notes or highlighting.