ABSTRACT
Even to the most casual observer of the marketing environment, it will be appreciated that recent years have witnessed an almost unprecedented series of changes. Competition between companies has increased dramatically, both domestically and internationally; mergers and acquisitions to confront the future needs of organizations are commonplace, yet at the same time, companies are divesting themselves of non-essential business, concentrating instead on core areas to
ensure their ability to meet the challenges of the future. The nature of the retail environment continues to change with the simultaneous emergence of ever larger stores and the growth of speciality providers; the proliferation of brand choice renders the consumer simultaneously able to satisfy individual needs and confused at the array of choice; the pace of technological change is almost difficult to comprehend, with its twin impacts both on the nature of products and services which are provided to the consumer, and the means of communicating with them; the diversity of media channels available to companies brings both an increase in their ability to reach their targets, yet at a progressively increased cost.
