The Future of Marketing

As we have seen throughout this book, the extent to which information technologies are reshaping marketing practices has become the subject of some debate. What is perhaps most challenging for many marketers is that they are accommodating the impacts of IT developments at the same time as they grapple with the processes of adopting a more relational approach to their marketing practices. These two issues are not mutually exclusive. As Gummesson (2002) says, ‘IT has a lot in common with RM’, adding, ‘Just like in RM, the heart of IT is relationships, networks and interaction.’ In an examination of the literature on the impacts of information technologies on marketing, Coviello, Milley and Marcolin (2002) note that the Internet creates new opportunities for firms to engage in ‘IT-enabled interactivity’, that is, ‘the creation of electronic dialogue with customers to allow for not only personalization but customization, and as such, enhanced customer relationships’ (Deighton, 1996a).