Mira Rakic

The focus of this paper is viral marketing – the process of creating, receiving, according to which the passing on of viral marketing messages depends on consumers, category, company, content (of message) and context. Viral messages can be created by both the representatives of a company and consumers (like individuals or in communities), but they are being passed on by consumers. When a company creates all viral communications (related to the company) in a desired direction.

The Consumption of ethnic food in the world is increasing. Mediterranean (Italian, Greek), and Asian cuisine (Chinese, Thai and Indian) are particularly popular. Consumers want to buy and prepare Mexican, Kosher, Italian, Chinese, Thai, Indian, Japanese, French, Spanish, Greek and other authentic food and products. Consumers are exposed to new ethnic cuisine (food) on the basis of globalization, integrated marketing communications (especially advertising), travel (tourism, migration), stores and restaurants. Organizations in the Republic of Serbia could promote healthy eating, healthy, Serbian food and tourism. Proactive organizations can achieve competitive advantage by positioning and differentiating on the basis of healthy Serbian food. A marketing strategy for ethnic food is necessary for positioning and differentiation of Serbian cuisine.

Global companies in the process of globalization create global consumers. Different countries, companies and persons react differently to globalization. Consumers often behave paradoxically in the process of globalization. On one hand, consumers are against globalization. On the other hand, consumers worldwide (especially younger, richer and more urban compared to others) accept popular, Western products and life style. The “roots” of global consumers' paradox are cultural - values of national culture, global - external impact of global companies and individual - mindset of consumers.

One of the changes in marketing refers to redirection of focusing from profit to sustainable development. Sustainability marketing can influence sustainable development. The key contribution of the paper is the presentation of holistic approach to sustainable development and sustainability marketing through three dimensions: goals, actors and capital. Holistic management of sustainability marketing in the process of sustainable development is focused on economic, environmental and social issues of sustainability; the integrated engagement of key actors - national and local governments, organisations and population; and capital - human, natural, institutional and infrastructure, financial and technological. Additional contribution of the paper is the presentation of activities of key actors. Governments set laws, regulations and standards of socially responsible behaviour. Organisations can implement sustainability marketing. The characteristics of traditional, environmental, societal and sustainability marketing have been presented in this paper. Another contribution of the paper is its focus on sustainability marketing and the presentation of sustainability marketing mix as the integration of 4Ps (sustainable products/services, price, place and promotion) and 4Cs (customer solutions, customer cost, convenience and communication). Organisations can influence sustainable development by the creation and delivery of sustainability marketing mix. The task of each profit organisation is to deliver sustainable value to consumer gaining profit, i.e. besides economic, it is essential to achieve environmental and social goals. The importance of human capital has been highlighted. Additional contribution of the paper is the presentation of the threefold social responsibility of an individual employee.

This paper is exploring marketing challenges at the beginning of the 21st century. The key marketing challenges that  academics and practitioners are faced with in the area of marketing are: first, providing a key role of marketing in defining and implementation of business strategy, integration and holistic marketing; second, globalization and global marketing of Multinational corporations (MNCs); third, the process of digitalisation, Internet, other digital media and digital marketing; fourth, co-creation of unique value with customers and personalised marketing; and fifth, the process of sustainable development and sustainable marketing.

The purpose of this paper is to point out marketing opportunities and threats which multinational corporations (MNCs) face on the market of Central & Eastern Europe (CEE). MNCs strive to identify and create similar patterns of consumers’ behaviour in different countries. Key opportunities for MNCs in CEE are: huge market potential, market globalization, standardized global marketing strategy of MNCs, good image of MNCs brands and cost advantages. Key threats are: different and small countries - markets, "rooted" patterns of consumers’ behaviour, ethnocentrism of the consumers, customization of products/services, good image of local brands and economic crisis.

Purpose - The paper emphasizes the role of marketing knowledge in development of countries, organizations, schools and universities. The purpose is a research on the power of knowledge of the marketing ambassadors and proposal of a model for holistic implementation of knowledge of the marketing ambassadors.

Methodology - Using a face-to-face questionnaire interview, the study was conducted on a sample of 30 marketing managers, 10 employees in government, 10 professors and 10 students in doctoral studies in Serbia.

Findings – The marketing ambassadors – professors, students, practitioners, government, ministers and all employees in the field of marketing, with their marketing knowledge and skills, can contribute to the development of schools, universities, organizations and countries. 

Practical implications – There is a need to create, exchange and implement marketing knowledge on all levels – starting from schools and universities, through organisations, all the way to the ministries of the government. The marketing ambassadors, on the basis of common activities (e.g. projects) can contribute to the creation, implementation and exchange of marketing knowledge, to the positive results on certain levels and to country development.

Originality/value – The paper promotes holistic approach to creation and exchange of knowledge.

This paper is focused on the paradigm of integrated marketing communications (IMC) in digital environment. The integration is analysed through five aspects. First, integration in terms of media; it means that IMC are performed through the mix of traditional media (print – newspapers, magazines; radio; television; direct-response media - telephone, direct mail, catalogue marketing; billboards; other “specific media”: product - especially brand, packaging; price; place; people; process; physical evidence; traditional/offline consumers - WOM communications) and digital media ( the Internet; mobile phones and other mobile devices; digital newspapers and magazines through the Internet and mobile devices; digital radio; digital TV; digital consumers - digital WOM communications). Second, integration in terms of communication methods, it means that IMC are a mix of traditional promotion (advertising, personal selling, public relations & publicity, direct marketing, sales promotion), digital communications/interactions (Internet communications, mobile communications, communications via digital radio and TV) and WOM communications/interactions (offline and online). Third, integration in terms of time of communications and possibilities for interaction, it means that IMC are a mix of traditional-static communications (“monologue” towards the target audience) and dynamic communications (“dialogue”) in real time. Fourth, integration in terms of actors, it means that IMC are a mix of communications initiated both by consumers (WOM communications – offline and online/e/digital) and organizations. Fifth, integration in terms of content creation, it means that IMC are a mix of communications based on consumer generated content and marketing content (created by organisations).

When they are online, Facebook users themselves voluntarily enter and update information about themselves, their family members and friends. Facebook as “an open and always available Book of Faces” can be observed as an updated database of consumers’ and companies’ behaviour. Companies can use Facebook database (“Book of Faces”) in order to do research into consumer behaviour, customer relationship marketing (CRM), marketing communications and applications. Companies may carry out their personalised communications with their fans in real time, as well as initiate communications between their fans and the creation of the user generated content (UGC) about the company (by uploading positive comments, photos and so on). On the basis of Facebook applications, companies inform their fans and other interested users on Facebook about their products and events, encourage the engagement of fans (e.g. by organizing sweepstakes) for the purpose of creating the UGC and viral communications.

Земље примењују средства управљања маркетингом и позиционирања због потребе привлачења туриста, компанија (директних инвестиција) и талентованих људи и спровођења извоза. За успешан привредни развој Србије потребне су истовремене промене у бројним областима. Целокупна основа конкурентности  привреде Србије  мора да буде промењена. Наведено захтева мењање, како маркетинг стратегија организација, тако и пословног окружења у Србији. За побољшање маркетинг активности организација потребно је: прихватање и примена маркетинга као науке у организацијама, уместо ослањања на интуицију при одлучивању; развој холистичког интерног  маркетинга; развој  маркетинг односа са партнерима,  а посебно управљање и маркетинг односа са потрошачима; идентификовање нових облика диференцирања  и позиционирања на основу анализе ланца потрошње; потрошачима оријентисано управљање марком; стварање и одржавање тржишно оријентисане организације путем успешних програма промена.

The literature in the field of marketing is based on customer orientation, which implies that " customer is king ". The development of digital media influenced the increase in the significance of digital content; so it is emphasized in digital marketing that " content is king " as well. The same content can have different meanings in different contexts, so " context is king " as well. The purpose of this paper is to investigate who the king is in digital environment: customer or digital content. The findings suggest that there is a need to create customer and community-driven digital content in real-time. In a digital landscape, digital content can be a competitive advantage. In a digital environment, both the customers and the content are essential, i.e. for customers, the continual creating and updating of digital content in compliance with the context is needed. The paper points out the problem and causes of digital marketing myopia. Digital customer orientation and the integration of online and offline content are required to avoid digital marketing myopia, the digitalisation of marketing activities. The paper promotes the significance of creating, updating and the promotion of valuable digital content for digital customers/communities. Quality content presents a great opportunity for two-way communication with customers and community, electronic-word-of-mouth (eWOM), user generated content (UGC) and inbound links in real-time.

Sustainability is imperative. The survival of actors depends on the sustainability orientation. The sustainability-oriented mindset is a condition for the survival of people, the planet and profit. The purpose of this book is the positioning of the sustainability-oriented mindset in the minds of marketers, governments, academics and consumers. Sustainability marketing is the driver of transformations for sustainability. Sustainability marketing is “the golden thread” connecting the sustainability-oriented mindset and sustainability (the survival of people, the planet and profit).

This book is “software” (the sustainability-oriented mindset) for “hardware”:

• Organizations – the sustainability of organizations

• Governments – the sustainability of governments

• Individuals – the sustainability of individuals

• Academics – the understanding of the influence of the sustainability mindset in science and practice.

If you have a dilemma about the types of the patterns of sustainability-oriented behavior and the indicators of sustainable development, you are in the right place. This book is your guide to creating patterns and indicators as the pathway to sustainability. Invest in your business and future – read this book and apply the new framework for embedding sustainability in the supply chain through co-creating and the prosumption of the sustainability-oriented value and control the results.

Why this book?

No one can underestimate the power of transformations to sustainability-oriented behavior. This book is an SOS distress signal and an appeal for accepting the sustainability-oriented mindset. If you are ready for transformations towards sustainability-oriented behavior, this is “a must-read” for you.

How will your business and activities improve?

• Learn how to create the patterns of sustainability-oriented behavior and the indicators of sustainable development. Learn how sustainability marketing can help you to create the patterns of sustainability-oriented behavior and the indicators of sustainable development.

• Learn how to create innovations in consumer sustainability responsibility and corporate sustainability responsibility. Learn how sustainability marketing can help you to create innovations in consumer sustainability responsibility and corporate sustainability responsibility.

• Learn how to create an integrated framework as a pattern for embedding sustainability in the supply chain. Learn how sustainability marketing can help you to create an integrated framework as a pattern for embedding sustainability in the supply chain.

• Learn how to create the sustainability-oriented mindset.

• Learn how to speed up sustainability-oriented business.

Amazon Kindle: https://www.amazon.com/Sustainability-Oriented-Mindset-Revolutionary-Sustainability-Transformations-ebook/dp/B071X9H1XK/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1497623419&sr=1-1&keywords=rakic+beba