Chaotic Markets

Drawing from decades of research, teaching, and consulting in the fields of marketing and strategy, the author demystifies the forces of market chaos, including technological change, globalization, and consumer behavior, showing readers how to identify those forces that can be turned to their competitive advantage. Featuring dozens of illustrative examples, of both winners and losers, and concluding each chapter with a series of questions designed to help readers apply the book's principles in their own organizations, Samli demonstrates how to detect changes in market conditions early, uncover latent customer needs, create new products and services, and maintain a competitive edge. There is no doubt that the business environment has become increasingly unpredictable. Yesterday's market leaders become tomorrow's has-beens; upstarts take on established giants; customers flock to new technologies while demanding old-fashioned customer service; and, of course, the Internet and the forces of globalization are accelerating the pace of change. Learning how to survive—and thrive—in this environment is of utmost importance for any company that intends to stick around. Drawing from decades of research, teaching, and consulting in the fields of marketing and strategy, the author demystifies these chaotic forces, identifying the pressures on business that create uncertainty, but also the potential for innovation for those who recognize opportunities to strengthen their competitive position. Featuring dozens of illustrative examples of both winners and losers, Samli shows readers how to turn market chaos and uncertainty to their advantage. Concluding each chapter with a series of questions designed to help readers apply the book's principles in their own organizations, Samli demonstrates how to detect changes in market conditions early, uncover latent customer needs, create new products and services, and maintain a competitive edge.

A. COSKUN SAMLI is Research Professor of Marketing and International Business at the University of North Florida. He is also a Distinguished Fellow in the Academy of Marketing Science, for which he previously served as Chairman of its Board of Governors. An internationally recognized authority on marketing, international business, and economic development, he lectures worldwide and has taught thousands of students in a career spanning 40 years. He is the author or co-author of over 250 articles, 17 books, and 30 monographs ong his books are Social Responsibility in Marketing (Quorum, 1992), Counterturbulence Marketing (Quorum, 1993), International Consumer Behavior (Quorum, 1994), and Empowering the American Consumer (Quorum, 2000).