American playwright Arthur Miller once said, “A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.” Similarly, I believe that a good marketing journal such as Strategic Marketing is like the marketing community talking to itself.
The world of marketing keeps constantly changing. Consumers evolve; so do their preferences, behaviours and mind-sets. New concepts emerge even as some older ones become irrelevant and fade out. Yet, you can rely on each issue of SM to keep you abreast of what’s hot and what’s not in the world of marketing.
Take for instance a new demographic category that has emerged recently. This new category called “Tweenagers” is used to describe 9- to 14-year-olds. ‘Tweens’ are those between two distinct life stages - childhood and teenage years; their spending power has become a much-debated issue in the recent times. Yet there is growing demographic and psychographic evidence that tweens wield tremendous consumer power, as our first article in this issue suggests. “The future of Marketing and Branding” by Patricia Seybold, provides us with some useful statistical ammunition on tweenagers. The revelations are thought-provoking, to say the least. Patricia also advises us on how to deal with the unpredictable future that will be dominated by this hitherto unknown demographic category.
Our highlight in this issue is the double bill on Dr Bernd Schmitt, the father of Experiential Marketing. First, in an exclusive interview, he addresses some of the key challenges that marketers face today. Then, “Managing Brand Reputation” penned by him brings out the criticality of a brand’s reputation and its implications on the bottom line.
This issue also boasts of three advertising heavyweights sharing their perspectives on a wide-range of issues. While Muhammed Khan deliberates on the age-old issue of billing versus quality, Sam Balsara emphasises the importance of breaking away from the practice of “process advertising.” Santosh Desai reflects on the changing equations of strategy and creative - the two most important elements in all advertising communications.
And that’s not all. We have several other articles that are sure to keep your marketing mechanisms well oiled so that you are always ahead in the marketing race.
Oh yes, do send in your feedback. Our new Black & White section (beginning this issue) will publish well-meaning, helpful comments and criticisms on articles in SM.
Best wishes,

Bhaskar Das
Director
The Times of India Group
bhaskar.das@timesgroup.com