Erik A. Borg

Knowledge, information and intellectual property: implications for marketing relationships

Knowledge and information have become an essential asset determining the profitability of technology-intensive enterprises. In knowledge-based industries, knowledge and information can be marketed to potential partners or clients separately from the products and services that are based on the application of specific knowledge. In the new, global computer-intensive economy, the knowledge base of the economy can determine the approval of an enterprise as a producer of future solutions. This means that it is crucial that enterprises identify and develop their knowledge base, not least in their market relationships. Knowledge emerges in network relationships between an enterprise and its surrounding organisations, and can be legally protected as intellectual property (IP). A clearer notion of the way IP can be analysed may improve the economic outcome of investments in innovation. Relationship marketing clearly has a role in the marketing of technological innovation and product development. A high-tech enterprise faces several decisions influencing its position in the market when developing its knowledge base. Key decisions determining the relationships established in a knowledge-intensive market include (i) make or buy decisions; (ii) organisational association or isolation; (iii) the innovation or adaptation of new technology; (iv) the protection or exploitation of knowledge; (v) public or private research funding; (vi) safeguarding or sharing of IP; and (vii) pioneering advantages or disadvantages.

The marketing of innovations in high‐technology companies: a network approach

Purpose – This article aims to consider the usefulness of network theory in examining the marketing of high-technology products and services.Design/methodology/approach – High-tech companies are an ...

Problem shifts and market research: The role of networks in business relationships

This article discusses changes in approach to the study of business relationships, and sees the paradigm concept as constituting an inadequate basis for describing gradually evolving changes in the perception of business. The frequent references to paradigms appear to focus more on state aspects than on change aspects of theory building. The article attempts to trace some of the changes in the perception of markets preceding the emergence of network theories, and relates the presence of an interactional approach to business studies to the concept of problem shifts (Lakatos). The development of interactional approaches in marketing is seen as representing a shift away from theory building commonly found in economics and organizational theory. Changes in the approach to the study of business relationships are interpreted as theoretical or empirical problem shifts, and are thus related to the a priori and a posteriori relevance of the continual evolution of alternative business theories. The article explores some of the epistemological relevance of the network theories to the study of market relationships, and the potential impact on continual changes in approach to the study of markets.

The Latvian market constructed: Approaches towards independence, consumerism, symbolic leadership and market planning

Purpose – To identify essential building-blocks in the construction of the Latvian market after the Latvian transition to a market economy.Design/methodology/approach – The research uses a social c ...

Formal ties in financial networks: professional clusters in financial services marketing

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the role of formal ties in the marketing of financial services and thus provide evidence concerning the relationship between formal ties and the customer appeal of banks and investment banks. Design/methodology/approach – The paper uses correspondence analysis to study formal ties between financial market actors and relates them to customer rankings. The formal ties are described as intra-, inter- and extra-organizational ties. Findings – The authors find that there are several formal ties between financial market actors and provide compelling evidence illustrating how the attractions between financial service providers are related in several ways to the existence of formal ties between market actors. Research limitations/implications – The research is limited to formal, as opposed to informal, ties. The authors examine the essential implications of such ties. Practical implications – In practice, banks and investment banks should consider the implicat...

Intellectual Property and the Marketing of Ideas

A rapid increase in resources that are allocated to research and development (R&D) in competitive industries, draws attention to an expanding market for Intellectual Property (IP). The faster introduction of new products and services and subsequently the higher development costs, increase the market value of technological innovations. The knowledge base of the enterprise has become a strategic asset which may determine the profitability of the company. The ability to transform research into marketable products and services represent can be an essential factor to determine the future revenue potentials of an enterprise. IP is a commodity in its own right and commands a market price. A clearer notion of the way Intellectual Property can be marketed may improve the economic outcome of investments in R&D.

Interpreting Brand Development as Entrepreneurship : The Role of Brand Strategies

Our research has been driven by the apparent lack of rigorous theory within the branding literature. Theoretical concepts have seldom been linked to business theory. This article presents an approach to branding which links branding to different approaches to entrepreneurship and uncovers the essential role of brand strategies when connecting branding to the management literature. Strategy and branding overlap and strategy links contemporary branding and entrepreneurship literature. There are various approaches to entrepreneurship which is relevant to the analysis of brand strategies. For the sake of simplicity we have divided them into two strands, the business school approach and the Schumpeter school. Essential to our understanding of brands is the ability of brands to decrease the transaction cost and reduce the information asymmetries between consumers and producers in the market. By relying on brands the actors in the market can reduce their search and information cost and the total cost of performing a market transaction.