Strategic Marketing for Social Enterprises: Nexus of the Two Domains

Abstract

The purpose of this introductory chapter is to define and describe the two primary domains of this book and present an analysis of the literature at the nexus of these domains. The aim is to determine from literature, how strategic marketing can, and has been found to be, relevant in social enterprises. The analysis finds strong support for the value of strategic marketing in social enterprises and presents evidence of research proving this value. Recommendations are thus provided to social entrepreneurs and managers of social enterprises on the key elements of strategic marketing that should be applied in their organizations. The chapter provides a foundation for the complimentary Chapter 8, which looks for evidence of strategic marketing in three South African social enterprises. It also provides a strong platform from which other chapters in the book present research on specific elements of strategic marketing in a variety of social enterprise contexts.

Key Terms in this Chapter

Market: Potential customers for a product.

Emerging Market: Country markets that are developing and becoming more advanced.

Target Market: Group of customers that the organisation targets with an offer designed to satisfy their needs.

Positioning Statement: An organization’s statement of how it wishes to be positioned in the mind of target markets.