Paul Copley

The key dimensions of luxury from a UK consumers’ perspective

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to report the findings of a research study that sought to identify the key dimensions of luxury from a UK consumers’ perspective. Design/methodology/approach – The project was empirical in nature and based on a two-stage methodology that involved a series of depth interviews with consumers and a street intercept survey of 131 consumers in the UK. Findings – The project found that UK consumers appear to recognise five dimensions of luxury (affect, characteristics, status, gifting and involvement). Research limitations/implications – The main limitation was a small sample size and limited statistical significance. Practical implications – The paper should usefully focus the attention and efforts of managers of luxury brands, managers of ordinary brands who desire to develop them into luxury brands, and managers who are considering creating luxury brands in the UK. The findings should inform management decisions relating to product development, advertising, promotion an...

Through a discourse analysis lens less darkly: illuminating how SME principals and support agency practitioners see marketing in SMEs

The purpose of this paper is to explain the social contructivist approach taken to uncovering clearer, deeper meaning through a recent qualitative, interpretive and subjective research study. This study examined the ways in which marketing is seen and conducted in SMEs by SME principals and support agency practitioners. The research was designed with a particular method of data analysis (Discourse Analysis) in mind which was applied to the SME marketing context. The findings of the study provided a contribution to the SME marketing debate where the research approach taken proved to be instrumental in providing a contribution to both theory and practice of marketing in SMEs and the education, training and development activities of support agencies. The subjective nature of this research yielded benefits that would not have been available through a positivist research approach. The approach taken has more practical application than some traditionalists might believe. This paper explains how further understanding of SME marketing resulted from the study and how further original insights can be gained by applying the tools utilised in studies in SME marketing and marketing in other contexts.

Marketing communications management : analysis, planning, implementation

This book introduces the core components and concepts of marketing communications for those studying at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels. It covers essential topics such as advertising, direct marketing, corporate communications, public relations, product placement, sales promotion, social media, sponsorship and many more. The author provides a set of managerial frameworks that include analysis, planning and implementation to help prepare those who go on to strategically create and effectively manage marketing communications campaigns. Every chapter includes Snapshots that help you to apply theory to engaging real-world examples. These include: BMW, Harrods, Levi’s, Lynx, Tesco, Tencent, United Colors of Benetton and Wonga. Additionally, Stop Points encourage you to pause and critically reflect upon the topic for deeper learning and higher grades. The Assignment boxes invite you to test your knowledge in the form of a task based on what you have just read to also help push yourself further.

The Need to Deliver Higher-Order Skills in the Context of Marketing in SMEs.

It is argued that the delivery of learning and the development of skills and competences are central to SME success; and there appears to be a requirement for higher-order education and training that can deliver a certain level of skills through the social aspects of learning. The author uses discourse analysis to examine data generated from a small sample of participants from UK SMEs and business support agencies. The findings suggest that social interaction, developing critical thinking, using critical incidents as effective active learning episodes, and the management of internally and externally derived knowledge are critically important factors in training dealing with SME marketing. The implications for SME managers and learning providers are discussed.