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Matching Porter's (1980) three generic strategies appropriately in each of the four arenas of hypercompetition is proposed to offer temporary competitive advantages. The longer‐term sustainability of these competitive advantages is argued to depend on matching the firm's resources/capabilities with the provision of customer value and needs, as well as the presence of isolating mechanisms in the industry/market environment. Stringing together a series of such ephemeral advantages can enhance the firm's competitiveness in the long‐run.

A few suppliers to manufacturers are now working to build brand preference or consumer franchise. Discusses the success of NutraSweet in obtaining long‐term supply contracts, despite patent expiration; it can be attributed to building such consumer franchise successfully through an ingredient branding strategy that included both their original equipment manufacturers′ customers and the end consumer. To be successful, such a branding effort requires a multifaceted strategy, one which must include collaboration with manufacturers as well as direct consumer promotion. Emphasizes this point with an analysis of the current “Intel Inside” campaign, an ingredient branding strategy being employed by the Intel Corporation, a supplier of microprocessor chips to the personal computer industry. Intel′s efforts represent a particularly demanding test of ingredient branding because both the PC industry and those which supply it are both technology‐driven and extremely price competitive. Despite these obstacles, Intel appears to be making its investment work.

We re‐evaluate modern segmentation assumptions and methods by referencing several postmodern characteristics of consumers in global markets. Drawing on contributions from sociology, political sociology, social theory, anthropology, philosophy, psychology, consumer behavior, and international marketing, we posit three research questions, discussion of which leads to the formulation of research propositions. Real‐life consumer and marketing examples are quoted as evidence of the need to go beyond reliance on modern segmentation to incorporate postmodern thinking into consumer analysis as a necessary ‘second step.’ This paper invites reflection on how marketers should adapt to new, complex, and changing consumer realities, which are summarized as multi‐dimensionality, unpredictability, inconsistency, search for meaning, and peak experiences by means of consumption.

The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of the fast‐growing virtual world, focusing on the appeal of these environments for the “digital native” generation and the growth of Second Life.

The paper examines the latest research on virtual worlds and Second Life, examining the corporate presence “in‐world,” as well as the economic, technical, legal, ethical, and security issues involved for companies doing business in the virtual world.

The paper shows that Second Life and virtual worlds hold great opportunities, along with significant downsides, for companies.

The research is limited by the very fact that this is a fast‐developing, fast‐changing area, constantly generating both new opportunities and new issues/challenges.

With projections that 80 percent of all internet users will be involved in virtual worlds by 2011, it is important that executives and academicians be knowledgeable about these 3D internet environments.

The paper traces the development of virtual worlds in the larger context of the growth of online gaming as a form of entertainment and interaction. It takes an objective look at the benefits and pitfalls for organizations looking to engage in Second Life and other virtual worlds.

The main objective of the study is to test a model of e‐learning effectiveness. The data were collected from 125 subjects enrolled in the Institute of Banking Studies (IBS) at the State of Kuwait. The study results indicate that attitudes toward e‐learning systems explained a significant portion of variance in satisfaction with the systems. The results indicate also, that both attitudes toward and satisfaction with the e‐learning systems explain a significant portion of the variance in organization and individual performance. The current results indicate the special potency of the attitude toward the e‐learning systems flexibility and relevance in predicting both satisfaction with the systems and performance. The study indicated the need to test causal models and included a discussion of the implications and directions of future research.

The stock price reactions to announcements of advertising services and providing services on the Internet are examined in this paper. The overall results suggest that Internet‐related activities are generally desirable. However, the results suggest that announcements of services advertising on the Internet are not perceived as an important component of a service firm’s promotional strategy. On the other hand, announcements of providing services on the Internet produce an average significant stock price reaction of 0.85 percent. This result suggests that providing services on the Internet should be an important component of a service firm’s marketing strategy. When the sample is segmented by firms’ prior financial performances, the observed stock price reactions are significantly positive for firms with superior prior financial performances. These results suggest that service firms with above average financial performances would benefit from a presence on the Internet.

Theories of marketing management and strategy need to evolve and change to keep pace with changes in the marketplace and in marketing practice. As the next century draws closer, it is apparent that some marketing managers are basing their relationships with customers on policies and procedures called either “individualisation”, “mass‐customisation”, or as we prefer, “personalisation”. The core of this practice involves tailoring goods and services to the individual needs and wants of specific consumers, just the opposite of one‐size‐fits‐all. We propose that personalisation is so important to marketing strategy that it should become one of the featured elements of the marketing mix, alongside product, price, promotion, place, personnel, physical assets, and procedures, to form a new marketing mix, the 8Ps.