The overarching aim of this book is to provide, as much as possible, a comprehensive synthesis of the dynamic interface between marketing and society in contemporary African settings. It is intended to provide a treatment of marketing’s role as “society’s provisioning technology” (Shapiro, 2005).
More specifically, the objectives of this text are as follows:
- to explore marketing (both as a commercial activity and as an intellectual pursuit) within the context of Africa in ways that capture the different myths and realities of the discipline in the contexts of diverse cultural environments;
- to shed light on the fundamental African socio-cultural characteristics and historical settings of marketing and the implications not only in assessing marketing programmes but also in capturing the temporal, spatial and other contexts of marketing behaviour which have not been adequately accommodated in the available literature;
- to unveil concepts that can illuminate current marketing institutions and practices in Africa in a macro perspective, thereby enriching and cultivating the basis for the subject as it evolves into new eras and domain;
- to provide the basis for understanding how the nuts and bolts of marketing thought and practice may be applied to African contexts;
- to promote an understanding of the various context-specific relationships which exist in marketing situations in Africa and recognise their importance to the way in which marketing activities/strategies are designed;
- to consider the important constraints on marketing activities in Africa and the way in which organisations should respond to their potential impacts;
- to enable a better understanding of contemporary marketing situations in Africa through the application of relevant and where necessary new marketing theories and models.
- to promote an understanding of the various context-specific relationships which exist in marketing situations in Africa and recognise their importance to the way in which marketing activities are designed.
