Column 1 · Strategy and Positioning · Era 5, Assets and Accountability (2000s)
Strategic Marketing Types
Formulation, content · Major · Cluster I, Strategic Choice
Description
Slater and Olson identified four strategic marketing types (aggressive marketers, mass marketers, marketing minimizers, and value marketers) and showed that business performance depends on matching them to the business strategy being implemented.
Managerial Implications
Business strategy and marketing strategy must match: prospectors need aggressive marketing that finds and serves new segments; analyzers need marketing that follows and improves; low-cost defenders need efficient, value-focused marketing. Mismatch, such as a defender with prospector-style marketing spending, wastes resources and confuses customers. Diagnose the business strategy first, then design the marketing organization and programs to fit it.