The Role of marketing in societal well-being and corporate reputation

Marketing academics and marketing practitioners risk losing their relevance and consequently their ability to provide significant positive input due to their inattention to major societal issues captured through the debate on corporate social responsibility (CSR) and its impact on corporate reputation. Over the last 30 years or so the evolution of business philosophy has transitioned from the neo-classical laissez-faire ‘liberal market’ capitalism view of ‘thinking profitably’ during the 1980’s, to ‘thinking globally’ during the 1990’s to ‘thinking sustainably in the 2000’s. It is in relation to this most recent phase of ‘thinking sustainably’ that the marketing discipline is in peril of failing to sufficiently adapt to the changing geopolitical contextual needs of the 21st century and thereby capitalising on the great opportunities available to it. The world is facing some serious problems including global warming, the obesity epidemic, gambling, and cigarette and alcohol abuse to name a few. This paper considers the role of CSR in relation to the role of the marketing discipline and its impact on corporate reputation. It identifies areas where both marketing academics and practitioners need to lift their societal contribution and provides options for the marketing profession to positively move forward.