ABSTRACT
Marketing should play a powerful and influential role in the firm. However, marketing has become marginalized in many firms. We believe that marketing can increase its influence in business organizations, not simply to gain power for its own sake, but in order to maximize firmwide outcomes. This chapter examines potential sources of leveraging marketing influence at various levels in firms, providing several suggestions for improving marketing’s influence throughout. After a brief discussion of the marginalization of marketing, we consider the sources of influence. Thereafter, we examine firms’ need for marketing influence. This is followed by a discussion of suggested methods for improving marketing’s influence, particularly in team and group settings. The chapter concludes with an overview of the implications for reforming marketing.
