Successful companies are strongly committed to marketing management. However, marketing is either misunderstood or\ncompletely neglected in many construction companies, mainly due to the difficulty of applying conventional marketing in the\nindustry, accompanied by the lack of sufficient research on the nature of marketing and tailored marketing theories and strategies\nfor the construction. This study attempts to fill a part of this gap by examining the nature of the construction industry from the\nmarketing viewpoint and developing a comprehensive framework. A systematic investigation into the nature via a combination of\nKotlerââ?¬â?¢s product classification system and Lovelockââ?¬â?¢s classification criteria reveals that construction is an ââ?¬Å?industrial, project-based,\nand primarily service-orientedââ?¬Â (IPS) product with specific characteristics from the marketing perspective. Based on this nature,\na reference framework for strategic marketing planning is developed through a literature review based on grounded theory and\nusing the focus group discussion as a refinement tool. The framework indicates that construction companies are involved in and\nshould plan for three working fieldsââ?¬â?project-based activities, relationship marketing, and marketing mix-related functions. The\nfindings provide a fundamental basis that helps researchers and practitioners gain a true understanding of the concepts and scope\nof construction marketing and draw a clear and practical roadmap for future work.
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